How to Shop for the Best-Value Birkin

Because paying $10M for a Birkin isn’t very Birkin-like!

Jul 12, 2025

Birkins have been on the brain this week.

ICYMI, Jane Birkin’s original, eponymous Hermès Birkin bag just sold at auction for a jaw-dropping $10 million.

Yes. Ten million dollars.

While the bag is a piece of fashion history—and arguably responsible for making Hermès the beloved brand it is today—even die-hard fans were stunned by the price tag. (One of her other Birkins sold in 2021 for a more modest, but still hefty, $160,000.)

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Of course, this sale is far from typical. It’s record-breaking for a reason. Most of us aren’t shelling out millions for a bag, no matter who owned it or what the condition is.

And this is exactly why SECONDSENSE exists—to help shoppers find their dream bag at better prices.

If we were shopping for a Birkin today, here’s how we’d think about it. (Spoiler alert: we found over $35,000 in savings (!!) across the 6 Birkins featured below).

Determining the Value of a Birkin

When it comes to Hermès Birkins, value is largely determined by size, color, rarity, condition, and material. The Birkin 30 is widely considered the “sweet spot”—it’s roomy but still elegant, and consistently in demand. The 25 “baby Birkin” also commands high resale value, especially among collectors in fashion capitals like Tokyo, Paris, and New York. There are fewer Birkin 25s in the secondhand market, also influencing the value. Birkin 35 and Birkin 40 bags tend to sell for less due to lower demand.

Neutral colors like black, gold (tan), and etoupe (a gray-taupe hybrid) are timeless and in constant rotation. While seasonal colors can spike in popularity, classic hues tend to be safer bets for long-term value and resale potential (and on the flip side, these will likely be more expensive if you’re on the purchasing side). That said, a bolder color like rose lipstick or vert criquet in a rare leather can surprise you on the secondhand market, especially if it’s a newer bag in pristine condition.

All about the Hermès Birkin bag collection | Hermès USA — Photo credit: Hermès.

Leather choice also plays a big role. Togo and Epsom are both durable and popular—Togo is softer and slouchier, Epsom is more structured and scratch-resistant. Rarer leathers like Box or Swift can be more delicate but are prized by collectors. And don’t forget provenance: a full set (box, dust bag, raincoat, receipt) always boosts resale. The best-value Birkin is the one that balances usability, collectability, and timeless appeal.

And most of all, when purchasing a Birkin (or ANYTHING for that matter) YOU have to like it! If you don’t like the bag, it doesn’t matter what it costs—it’s never a good deal. (Unless you’re purely buying a Birkin to keep in your closet to sell later on. We just don’t have that level of restraint, lol.)

We took a look at the Birkin inventory on SECONDSENSE, and picked a few below-market rate bags to help kickstart your search. Because paying $10M for a Birkin isn’t very Birkin-like!