The Enlightened Traveler: Hermes On A Budget In Paris

Saturday's Wall St. Journal reported on the November 10 sale of vintage Hermes at the prestigious French auction house Artcurial.

Great deals on vintage Hermes in Paris. Top: Hydra bag $189. Bottom: Mephisto bag, $259. Below left: watch, $689

The paper states that the appetite for Hermes, whether vintage or new, has not at all been affected by the global economic downturn. Indeed, the auction netted a record of nearly $1.2 million for 631 lots, mostly bags and scarves but also including some unusual pieces such as a pair of garden pruners and a circa 1930 ladies watch that records golf scores.

While items from Vuitton, St. Laurent and other luxury labels are gathered into group auctions, Hermes is the only house to have its own twice-yearly sale.

The famous Birkin and Kelly bags were the top sellers with prices to match. Some crocodile and alligator models in exotic colors went for $25,000 - $50,000.

Still, there were bargains to be had. Many scarves sold in the $200 - $300 range.

You could have purchased a Kelly bag in natural pigskin for $4,677 or one in black leather for $2,598. A large Kelly in blue leather went for $2,079.

One lucky buyer snagged a small Kelly backpack for just $693.

If you schedule your next Paris visit to coincide with one of Artcurial’s Hermes auctions, you can skip Printemps and the other grands magasins altogether and return home with an affordable and prized vintage Hermes.

Getting a bargain won’t be the best part. When others compliment you on your good taste, you’ll get to tell them that you picked it up for a song at an auction on the Ave. Montaigne.

The full WSJ report is here.
Artcurial’s website is here.

Do You Know M0851?

Fashionistas who appreciate quality construction and design that stands the test of time know M0851, and you should, too.

Their fabulous leather bags, clothing, and small accessories will take you from morning through evening and around the globe in timeless style.

Constructed of the fashion house's signature soft, supple analine leathers from Italy, these items are simply gorgeous. Every one of the minimalistic, functional designs is handcrafted at M0851's workshops in Montreal.

(Did you know that some very well known brands of leather goods are manufactured in China? Not so with M0851.)

We've been big fans of M0851 since we shopped at their Toronto store in the early 1990s. In those days, the company was known as Rugby North and had shops only in Montreal and Toronto.

Since that time, they've opened attractive boutiques in New York, Paris, and trendy Antwerp, home to avant-garde designers Dries van Noten and Ann Demeulemeester.

You'll find a small selection of their leather goods at chic shops, such as Fred Segal in Hollywood.

Sure you can buy a bag that is more famous and costs a lot more. But do you want to be known for your $2,000 bag of the moment, or do you want to be recognized for your sense of effortless, sophisticated style?

You'll feel very pleased with yourself if you choose the latter.

Here are two of our favorite M0851 designs.

For women,
the Round Bag

This large bag (shown here and on the model, above) has a slouchy, half moon shape and ample room for many items. Equipped with an interior zippered compartment and three patch pockets, it closes with a zipper and has a wide, adjustable strap.

Made from buttery soft leather, it has a luxurious silky, padded interior.

Available in black, brown, gray. $350

For both men and women, the Large Weekend Bag

Rectangular in shape, this handsome bag opens to reveal a roomy interior that will hold a weekend's worth of clothes and gear.

Centered handles and a comfortable, large adjustable strap.

Available in black or brown soft leather. $595

Accessories perfect for business gifting

M0851 also makes wonderful computer cases, passport covers, travel wallets, document carriers, jotters, and many other small items – all from their signature soft leather.

Your valued clients and business associates will love you if you give them one.

We can have them made to order for you in a variety of colors – not just black and brown, but also navy, off-white, turquoise, gray, and more.

We can also have them embossed with your logo, if desired. Quantities start at 10-15, depending on the item selected.

For holiday gifting, please call us now at (310) 581-6710 to discuss your custom order.

The Annals of Luxury: A Peek Inside Vuitton

Exactly what is the difference between a $1,500 Louis Vuitton bag and and a Santee Alley knockoff?

If you thought we were going to say that you can't tell them apart, dream on!

Of course there's a big difference. Highly skilled craftsmanship and quality materials are just the start.

Take a look inside Vuitton's spotless 150-year-old workshops in Asnieres-sur-Seine, France, to see some of what else you're paying for. This is where Vuitton makes its custom orders. You don't see factories like this in China, do you?

(The video, from the French business newspaper Les Echos, is in French, but the head of Vuitton isn't saying anything you don't already know about his historic firm. The pictures are what's important.)

All of this comes at a price.

Still, is that $6,000 Birkin really worth it, given that Vuitton is charging you 12 or 13 times the cost of making it? Or to put it another way, the $995 Papillion that you covet was made for about $80.

(If General Motors had margins like that, they would be bailing us out. But this is another story.)

Vuitton isn't alone in claiming these giant markups. The same goes for other Rodeo Dr. brands.

The value of any luxury item lies in the eyes of the consumer. It has to do with the difference between wants vs. needs, as we have learned from years of sales training on two continents. And then there's the notion of "perceived value." If you think it's worth $6,000, it is.

Does the bag represent good value for the money? Of course, not! But then if you can afford it, you might not care. So go for it!

Just make sure to pay your bills and take care of all the little people in your life first, before blowing all of your cash on something you merely "want."

Do You Know Mulholland Bros.?

One of the nicest business cases we've seen lately comes from San Francisco's Mulholland Bros., the best leather goods company you've never heard of. It's available in soft pebble grain leather or luxe deerskin in your choice of black or brown. Waxed canvas with leather trim coming soon.

Buy it now at www.shopjasperandjames.com

For more gift ideas, click right here.