Woman walks into Hermès without an appointment. She can’t believe the response when she asks for a Birkin: ‘Begging to spend 10s of thousands is wild’
With Sotheby’s reporting that prices range from $15,000 to $35,000, Birkin bags are the must-have accessory for any serious luxury shopper. According to Sotheby’s, demand for the Hermès product has never been higher. Birkin sales were up by 70% in 2025, compared to 2024. Moreover, they’ve nearly doubled since 2023.
In a viral TikTok, user Talissa Benamou (@talissabenamou) shared her Birkin shopping experience with viewers. It’s safe to say that she was taken aback.
What happened at this Hermès?
Filming herself in a Hermès, Benamou said, “Not to be dramatic, but I walked into a Hermès without an appointment and I asked, ‘Can I meet someone for a bag?'”
Their reply blew her away. Instead of rejecting her, they asked her for her name. After a waiting period, a snippet of which she filmed in-store, she made it to the holy grail. Or, in other words, the table in Hermès where you get to look at Birkins.
She then issued users with an update: she tried a Birkin 25, a Birkin 30 and a Kelly 25. After the “longest 10 minutes of [her] life” while the store associate checked the stock, Benamou revealed she got the goods—but didn’t reveal which bag she went for.
Then, in a follow-up, she did the grand reveal: it was a black Birkin 30 bag. She did not disclose how much it cost.
The video amassed 1.6 million views. Benamou didn’t immediately respond to The Mary Sue’s request for comment via TikTok comment and email. Hermes didn’t immediately respond to The Mary Sue’s request for comment via a customer service email.
Commenters were unconvinced
Although Benamou’s excitement was palpable, commenters failed to share her enthusiasm. “I will never get the Hermes hype,” one wrote. “You’re literally giving them a house down payment and you think you’re lucky?”
“Begging to spend 10s of thousands is wild,” a second added, while a third proclaimed, “This is so sad. It’s a bag.”
A fourth admitted that they “will never understand this,” and a fifth shared this sentiment with a little more detail.
“Each to their own…..but I will never understand the hype of designer bags …. and how you basically have to plead for the opportunity to buy a bag that you are spending a huge amount of money on….” they argued. “The service should be spectacular for the price being paid…”
@talissabenamou COMMENT YOUR GUESSES ?
♬ original sound – Talissa Benamou
Is it difficult to get a Hermes Birkin bag?
While Benamou’s experience was fairly straightforward, not all shoppers have had the same luxury. In a viral TikTok, user Nicci (@nicci_p) opened up about the “excruciating” process she had to go through to get a Birkin bag, describing it as, essentially, a game of cat and mouse.
Like Thor with Mjolnir, it seemed like Nicci had to prove herself ‘worthy’ of the bag by making a number of visits and purchases at a boutique over the course of a few months. She ended up with a “1.5 to 1” pre-spend ratio, which meant she spent more than the value of the bag she was hoping to buy.
By the time this ratio increased to “well over two to one,” she asked again about the bag, and the associate she was working with once again said no. By contrast, in a Las Vegas boutique, she was able to buy a bag after buying just two pairs of shoes. But back in the original store, she had spent $33,000 by the time she was offered a Birkin bag — and it wasn’t even the one she wanted.
She encouraged viewers to “cut your losses if you have to.”
Clearly, Nicci’s experience couldn’t have been more different to Benamou’s — but the contrast between the two indicates that when it comes to shopping for Birkin bags at boutiques, it really is just a case of luck.
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