Handbags have been a component of women's fashion for a long time, going back to 1854, when Louis Vuitton created the first women's handbag, inspired by a luggage that could be turned into a tiny, wearable purse.
Since then, the handbag has evolved from a contemporary convenience to an exclusive luxury item, with prominent designers releasing lines of the most premium purses, totes, and clutches. How much do the top ten most costly handbags cost? The prices for these sumptuous and famous symbols range from $150,000 to $3.8 million.
Do you have an extra $150,000 hanging around? If so, you may be able to purchase the Blue Crocodile Hermès Birkin Handbag, which sold for around that much at a Christie's Auction and was purchased by an anonymous customer. It was the highest price ever paid for a handbag in Europe at the time, and it was in high demand, with thousands of online bidders fighting for it. The handbag is constructed of crocodile leather and is decorated with white gold and 18-karat diamonds.
You might be able to get this bag — or copies of it — for around $95,000, but you'll have to look hard. This ultra-luxurious purse is quite hard to come by, even secondhand.
The Hermès Exceptional Collection Shiny Rouge H Porosus Crocodile 30 cm Birkin Bag comes in a rich red colour and is embellished with 18-Karat white gold and diamonds. An unidentified bidder paid $203,150 for it at Heritage Auctions in Texas. A used version of this bag costs roughly $32,000 in good condition. But it doesn't include the approximately $2,000 in taxes you'll have to pay. The name Fuchsia Diamond-Studded Hermès Birkin says it everything. It's a gorgeous pink purse studded with 18-karat white gold and dazzling diamonds. In 2015, it fetched $222,000 at a Christie's auction in Hong Kong.
He stated that e-commerce accounts for around 40% of handbag sales in the organised market. Department stores and special brand shops account for around 18-20% of total sales. "Unlike the unorganised sector, general trade penetration is quite low in the organised sector," he remarked, adding that general trade may potentially represent a significant growth opportunity.
The Chanel Diamond Forever Handbag is the lone Chanel item on our list of the most expensive luxury handbags. 334 diamonds and white gold adorn this white crocodile leather bag. Only 13 of these gleaming beauties were produced, allowing them to command a price of $261,000. The Niloticus Crocodile Himalaya Birkin is another Hermès landmark that sold at auction in Hong Kong in 2017. This elegant treasure, made of Nile crocodile leather and 18-karat white gold, was acquired for $379,000 by an unknown bidder after only 15 minutes of feverish bidding.
Lana Marks, a celebrity handbag designer, is the creative force behind this crocodile clutch. Marks designed the purse for Li Bingbing, known as "China's First Lady." It is set with 40-karat quality black diamonds, 18-karat gold, and Li Bingbing's name in pink gold with pink diamonds. It is worth $400,000. Hermès has officially crossed the million dollar mark with the Birkin Bag by Ginza Tanaka. This item has 2,000 diamonds and a detachable pear-shaped 8-Karat centrepiece. The strap is also diamond-studded and removable, allowing you to wear it — as well as the 8-Karat centrepiece — as separate jewellery. It is for sale for $1.4 million.
This bucket-style mini-tote has white gold studs and 1,160 diamond pieces. This Pierre Hardy masterpiece has sold for up to $2 million, owing to its beautiful architecture as well as its collecting status: only three of these bags remain in the world. The Hermès Kelly Rose Gold purse was created in collaboration with noted jewellery and shoe designer Pierre Hardy, who previously collaborated on the Hermès Chaine'd Ancre Bag. It is composed of solid rose gold and is sculpted to resemble crocodile skin. It is encrusted with exactly 1,160 diamonds and costs $2 million.
Would you rather have a home in a great city or a fancy handbag? If the latter is the case, consider the Mouawad 1001 Nights Diamond Purse. The Mouawad 1001 Nights Diamond Purse, valued at $3.8 million, was named the most expensive handbag in the world by Guinness World Records in 2011. The heart-shaped handbag is constructed of 18-karat gold and contains 4,517 diamonds of various hues, as well as 4,356 colourless diamonds. High-end jewellery designer Robert Mouawad created the world's most costly purse.
