So, How Much Is Cardi B’s Astounding Birkin Collection Really Worth?

Cardi B might just be the world expert on Hermès.

Cardi B's Birkin collection

by Natalie Hammond |
Updated on

Some people collect stamps, first editions or Beanie Babies. But Cardi B? She collects Birkins, which just so happen to be one of the most expensive handbags on Earth. Posting yesterday on Instagram, the singer-rapper shared a gallery showing one photo of her outfit (a sculpted mini dress from Mugler, and a Birkin) and one of all the other bags she could have chosen from (26 others if we're not mistaken).

The Birkin has a lot of fans - Victoria Beckham, Kate Moss, Jennifer Lopez, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Jane Birkin herself, of course - but none are quite as dedicated as Cardi B. Perhaps she's fully appraised of the fact that a Hermès Birkin, the brand's most famous bag, is a better investment than gold or the stock market.

We aren't being facetious or channelling the Carrie Bradshaw, 'Buy Vogue instead of dinner', school of finances here. In 2018, a survey from Baghunter, the online marketplace, found that the iconic leather tote had increased in value by 14.2% since 1981, the year it went into production (after Jane Birkin, the bag's namesake, found herself sitting on a flight next to Hermès' CEO).

Cardi B with her collection of Birkins
Cardi B's Birkin collection ©@cardib

In the decades since its debut, the Birkin's value has never decreased but steadily increased, experiencing its biggest jump (of 25%) in 2001 (which seems to coincide with the rising demand for so-called 'It' bags).

If you want to blow your savings on a Birkin, however, you'll have to be prepared to play the long game. The bag's caché is such that the waiting list is rumoured to be as long as six years, due to being perpetually 'sold out'. For such a stable investment, though, the wait could be worth it. To quote Carrie Bradshaw (again), 'I like my money where I can see it: hanging in my closet.'

Gallery

SEE: The Most Memorable Handbags Of All Time

The Hermu00e8s Birkin1 of 11
CREDIT: Les 3 Marches

The Hermès Birkin

Its first iteration was a sketch on an airplane after a chance encounter between Hermès' Jean-Louis Dumas and Jane Birkin, who, bemoaning the fact that it wasn't easy to find a suitable bag, ended up giving her name to the most famous one ever created.

The Mulberry Alexa2 of 11
CREDIT: Shutterstock

The Mulberry Alexa

For most millennials, Mulberry's Alexa - a bag that was inspired by its namesake, Alexa Chung, and her penchant for men's briefcases - was their first introduction to the idea of the It bag. Fast-forward 12 years and Chung, who now helms her own eponymous label, has just designed a collection for Mulberry.

The Chanel 2.553 of 11
CREDIT: Getty

The Chanel 2.55

Kate Moss's faux-fur gilet and floppy hat can stay in the mid-noughties, but the quilted receptacle, Chanel's 2.55, belongs in the timeless handbag hall of fame.

The Dior Saddle4 of 11
CREDIT: V&A

The Dior Saddle

Designed by John Galliano, Dior's Saddle made its debut in 1999. Its particular brand of logoed excellence found fans in Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie. Maria Grazia Chiuri resurrected the bag a few years ago, and you'll now see Adwoa Aboah, Jennifer Lawrence and Kylie Jenner carrying it.

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CREDIT: Getty

The Céline Phantom

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CREDIT: Getty

The Loewe Puzzle

Jonathan Anderson has churned out handbag hit after hit at Loewe, the heritage leather house based in Spain, but his most-beloved is the Puzzle.

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CREDIT: V&A

The Gucci Dionysus

When Alessandro Michele waved his maximalist wand over the handbag stable at Gucci, the fashion pack went wild. The Dionysus, a logoed bag complete with chunky chain and clasp, is one of his biggest hits.

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CREDIT: Getty

The Mansur Gavriel Bucket

Mansur Gavriel's paved the way for an it bag that, whisper it, was actually affordable. Sienna Miller became its most famous repeat-wearer, toting its ruby red bucket for the entirety of 2017.

The Bottega Veneta Cassette9 of 11
CREDIT: V&A

The Bottega Veneta Cassette

Bottega Veneta's creative director, Daniel Lee, has won every fashion award going for his accessories. The Cassette, a padded bag that has modernised the brand's famous way with woven leather, is one of his most popular.

The Fendi Baguette10 of 11
CREDIT: Getty

The Fendi Baguette

Carrie Bradshaw had several adventures involving Fendi's Baguette. Who could forget her correcting a mugger with the line, 'It's a Bag-uette'? Or when she went rooting through a man's trunk for fake versions in the Valley? The very same one she lost in SATC, and resurrected in And Just Like That, was in the V&A's exhibition.

Dior's Lady Dior11 of 11
CREDIT: Getty

The Dior Lady Dior

The Lady Dior, which was rebranded in homage to Princess Diana, is the chic top handle to end all chic top handles, right Rihanna?

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