????6月初，香港佳士得拍賣會上一只手袋拍得22.3萬美元，創(chuàng)下了手袋拍賣的最高記錄。這是一款粉紅色的鱷魚皮愛馬仕鉑金包，附有黃金和鉆石配件。數(shù)數(shù)各種轉(zhuǎn)售價值最高的品牌排行榜，名列榜首的總是鉑金包。

????一個全新鉑金包的市價從1.2萬美元到20多萬美元不等，二手市場的價格往往還超過新包。去年有一款鑲寶石的鉑金包拍賣價達(dá)到18.5萬美元，由“高度白化”的鱷魚皮制成。在全球最大網(wǎng)上拍賣平臺eBay上，上百只最高檔的鉑金包目前標(biāo)價略低于15萬美元，“一口價”中最低的在5000美元左右。一些鐵桿買家正拼命想買個鉑金包，但只能先在定制名單上排隊，視不同材質(zhì)，需要等候的時間也不一樣，最長的要等六年。

????對那些壓根不想買，或這輩子也花不起五六位數(shù)的價格買個包的人來說，最大的疑問可能是：干嘛要買這玩意？這可能有點(diǎn)吃不著葡萄說葡萄酸。

????時尚奢侈品能賣出天價的原因三言兩語無法說清，讓我們先來看看哪些因素在支撐愛馬仕鉑金包的身價吧。

????愛馬仕的歷史可以追溯到1837年。這家公司以制造馬車使用的挽具和馬轡起家，還曾獲榮譽(yù)獎項(xiàng)，很快又轉(zhuǎn)而生產(chǎn)馬鞍。上世紀(jì)50年代，愛馬仕推出了手提包、珠寶首飾與絲質(zhì)圍巾，雖然現(xiàn)在旗下增加了箱包、成衣、鞋類、香水、文具、餐具等產(chǎn)品。但愛馬仕一直保持著鞍具時代的風(fēng)格，鉑金包的高檔皮革制造工藝正是對歷史風(fēng)格的傳承。

????上世紀(jì)80年代初，英國著名歌手、女演員簡?鉑金在飛機(jī)上偶遇愛馬仕時任董事長讓?路易斯?杜馬，兩人碰巧鄰座。這段邂逅眾說紛紜，但都提到，鉑金提到想要一種更好的手提包，從而啟發(fā)了杜馬，讓后世女性夢寐以求的鉑金包就此誕生。

????鉑金包終身保修。由于質(zhì)量上乘，還可能成為真正的傳家寶。奢侈品網(wǎng)站JustLuxe.com的時尚編輯梅麗莎?斯特姆皮說：“它能賣高價不僅僅是因?yàn)閻垴R仕這個品牌。鉑金包本身制作特別精良。每只包都由訓(xùn)練有素的工匠手工制作，耗時均超過18個小時。如果要制作加鉆石等配件的珍品，工時還要翻倍?！?/p>

????斯特姆皮舉例解釋說，鉑金包系列中最受歡迎，也最珍貴的皮革是鱷魚皮。她說：“（鱷魚）需要多年生長才能成熟，養(yǎng)殖過程中需要精心照顧，以保證皮革不會出現(xiàn)瑕疵。要讓鱷魚皮遠(yuǎn)銷國內(nèi)外，養(yǎng)殖者還必須遵守嚴(yán)格的道德標(biāo)準(zhǔn)。即便符合所有條件，奢侈品牌一般也只要皮革中質(zhì)量最好、也最貴的部分。”

????原材料的稀缺讓這種熱銷的手提包成為身份地位的象征?！坝捎谥谱髁鞒叹徛@得具有一流紋路的皮革十分困難，因此每年生產(chǎn)的鉑金包數(shù)量有限，稀缺導(dǎo)致價格水漲船高，尤其是在二手市場上。罕見顏色、貴金屬材質(zhì)的配件或者個性設(shè)計都會進(jìn)一步催高鉑金包的價格。”斯特姆皮說。

????事實(shí)上，并非所有的鉑金包都有轉(zhuǎn)手炒作的價值。只有當(dāng)皮革、顏色和鑲嵌鉆石的黃金配件都不常見，鉑金包轉(zhuǎn)手時才容易賣出高價。比如在eBay上售價最高的一款喜馬拉雅鉑金包叫價9.99萬美元，材質(zhì)為“高度白化”的尼羅河鱷魚皮。eBay上價位最高的十大手提包之中，有八只都是鱷魚皮材質(zhì)，另兩只由鴕鳥皮制成。

????愛馬仕人氣最高的兩款包——鉑金包和凱莉包甚至沒有在該公司的官網(wǎng)上出售。真正的買家不會選擇網(wǎng)購。即使門店可能有少量現(xiàn)貨供應(yīng)，他們也不會貿(mào)然鉆進(jìn)愛馬仕專賣店買鉑金包。要想買到鉑金包，必須顯示自己與品牌已有淵源，還要充分表現(xiàn)忠誠度。要是你不差錢到雙倍價格買個包也無所謂，那就叫讓人找個現(xiàn)貨包隨便買吧。（財富中文網(wǎng)）

????譯者：Pessy

????審校：夏林

????Earlier this month, a single handbag sold at a Christie’sauction in Hong Kong for $223,000, breaking a world record for handbags sold at auction. That record-setting handbag was a pink crocodile-skin Hermès Birkin with gold and diamond hardware. Topping the lists of couture with the highest resale value, it’s always Birkin bags.

????The cost of new Birkins range from $12,000 to more than $200,000, and they regularly sell on the secondary market for more than their original sales price. Last year, an “almost albino” crocodile skin, diamond-encrusted Birkin sold at auction for $185,000. On eBay, the uppermost tier of the hundreds of Birkin bags currently listed are priced at just under $150,000, with the lowest “Buy it Now” prices at around $5,000. Some consumers are dying to get their hands on one–Birkins can have a wait list of up to six years, depending on the materials used.

????For those who are not inclined or remotely able to pay five-six figures for a handbag, the big question is likely, “why?”–possibly accompanied by some salty language.

????So as much as one can explain stratospheric couture prices, let’s look at some of the factors at play with the Hermès Birkin bag.

????In business since 1837, Hermès originally made award-winning harnesses and bridles for horse-drawn carriages, and soon moved into saddlery. The company introduced handbags, jewelry, and silk scarves in the 1950s, and now makes luggage, ready to wear clothing, footwear, fragrance, stationery, tableware and more. But Hermès has maintained that connection to its saddle-making history, and the Birkin bag’s high-grade leather trades on that heritage.

????In the early 1980s, actress-singer Jane Birkin encounteredHermès’ then-chairman Jean-Louis Dumas when they were seated next to each other on a plane. Accounts of the connection vary, but agree that inspired by Birkin’s need for a better handbag that day, the coveted Birkin bag was created.

????The bags are repairable for life, and because of their quality, could likely be passed down as an heirloom. “There’s more that goes into that price than just paying for the Hermès name,” said Marissa N. Stempien, the fashion editor of JustLuxe.com. “The Birkin is an extraordinarily well made bag. Each one is handmade by trained craftsmen and can take over 18 hours to make, and that number can be doubled if working on exceptional pieces such as those accessorized with diamonds.”

????Stempien raises the example of one of the Birkin’s most popular and difficult to source leathers, crocodile skin. “[Crocodiles] require many years to reach maturity, the hide must be untarnished, they must be attended to constantly and the crocodile farms must meet strict ethical standards before they can sell internationally. Even after all this, luxury brands will only take the very best of and priciest of skins.”

????Which brings us to the scarcity of this in-demand status symbol. “Because of the slow manufacturing process and difficult task of procuring the best textiles, only a limited number of Birkins are made each year, adding to the exclusivity that can drive up prices, particularly those in the resale market. Rare colors, hardware in precious metals or personalized touches can also add to the high price tag of the Birkin,” Stempien said.

????In fact, not all Birkins bring in headline-making resale amounts. Less common leathers, colors, and gold hardware garnished with diamonds tend to add to the resale value. The highest-pulling Birkin listed on eBay, for example, which sold for $99,900, is a Himalayan Birkin in Blanc, made of matte “almost albino” Niloticus crocodile leather.Of the top 10 highest-priced sellers on eBay, eight are crocodile leather, and two are ostrich.

????Hermès most famous two bags, the Birkin and the Kelly, are not even listed on the fashion house’s website. But one does not simply buy a Birkin online, or roll into the nearest Hermès retail outpost, although the stores do get a small supply. Connections must be made and brand loyalty displayed before a Birkin is offered. Or, if you have double the retail price to burn, you can hire someone else to source a bag.