A rare, limited-edition, black Hermès Birkin bag sold for a world record HK$1.625 million (US$208,000) at auction in Hong Kong this week – though it was not the most expensive handbag on the block.
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The bag was sold at Christie’s for four times its presale low estimate of HK$400,000. The auction attracted bidders from 20 countries in four continents.
The previous world auction record for a Hermès So Black series handbag was set in Hong Kong in May 2018, when a 2010 Hermès Matt black Niloticus crocodile So Black Birkin 30 with black hardware sold for HK$1,375,000.
The total value of sales as this week’s auction was HK$45.6 million, with 57 per cent of the lots sold fetching prices above their high estimates. The highest priced handbag in the sale was a Matt white crocodile skin bag from the Hermès Himalaya collection, which sold for HK$2 million.
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Accessories such as handbags, shoes and clothes made from exotic skins are among the most coveted luxury products, commanding high prices. The So Black collection, Designed by Jean Paul Gaultier, who was Hermès’ creative director from 2003 to 2010, is one of the most sought-after.
(Source: South China Morning Post)