Every Hermès Bag Type and Name, Explained hermes crocodile bag birkin
Author : Sigmon Macdonald | Published On : 19 Sep 2026
Behind every Hermès bag there is a story, a waitlist, or both. The maison produces far more than the two famous icons. This guide covers the different Hermès bag names, what each style is for, roughly what they cost, and which ones you can actually walk in and buy.Already know which reddit are after? Skip straight to it below. If you are starting from zero, read in order — the styles are grouped by how hard they are to get.
Quota Bags Explained: Birkin and Kelly
Hermès caps the number of its two flagship bags a client may buy per year. These are what collectors call the quota bags. You cannot just walk in and order one. Boutiques offer them to established clients, which is why the resale market for both runs well above retail.
Hermès Birkin Bag
The Birkin is arguably the most famous handbag on earth. The design is a structured top-handle tote: two straps, a turn-lock closure, no shoulder strap. The most common sizes are the 25, 30, and 35.
Retail Hermès Birkin bag prices begin near $11,000–$12,000 for a Togo leather 25 and rise sharply for exotic skins. On resale platforms, sought-after sizes and colors fetch $20,000 or more. The most expensive Hermès bags ever sold are diamond-set crocodile Birkins, with auction results in the hundreds of thousands.
Hermès Kelly Bag
Older and more refined, the Hermès Kelly bag pairs a single top handle with a sculpted flap and a removable shoulder strap. Two constructions exist: Sellier, which is rigid with sharp edges, and Retourne, which is softer and relaxed. The bag shot to fame with Grace Kelly in 1956, and the house eventually named it after her.
Kelly prices sit close to Birkin territory: roughly $10,000–$11,500 retail depending on size and leather. The mini Kelly bag (the Kelly 20) is currently the hardest of all to get, and resale prices often double retail.
Kelly vs Birkin in one line: the Kelly is more formal and fully closes with its flap, while the Birkin is casual, roomier, and quicker to access.
Non-Quota Icons You Can Actually Order
These styles still require patience at busy boutiques, but there is no annual limit. For plenty of buyers, this is where the smart money lands.
Hermès Constance Bag
A structured shoulder bag built around the bold "H" clasp, and the nearest thing to a logo bag Hermès makes. The Constance moves from day to evening easily and keeps its value almost on par with the quota bags. Pricing opens near $8,500 retail for the Constance 18.
Hermès Evelyne Bag
The Evelyne is the house's casual crossbody bag. It has a perforated "H" on the front, an open top with a tab closure, and a wide canvas strap. It was designed for grooming equestrian gear, which explains the ventilation holes. At around $3,500–$4,000, it ranks among the most attainable everyday Hermès bags.
Hermès Lindy Bag
A slouchy double-zip design, the Lindy works both handheld and over the shoulder. That easygoing shape makes it a travel favorite. In recent years the Mini Lindy has turned into the line's trend piece.
Hermès Picotin Bag
Inspired by a horse's feed bag, the Picotin is a small open bucket style. It skips lining and hardware complications in favor of a simple lock-through closure. When people search for a Hermès bucket bag, this is the one they mean. With a starting price around $3,000, it regularly comes up as the cheapest leather Hermès bag.
Hermès Garden Party Bag
This is the practical canvas-and-leather tote for everyday errands. The Garden Party serves as the range's workhorse and is one of the simplest styles to locate in a boutique. The all-leather versions cost more; the canvas mix keeps the entry price lower.
Other Hermès Bag Names Worth Knowing
The catalog runs deep. These names surface again and again in boutiques and across the resale market:
Bolide — a rounded zip-top bag with a claim to being among the first zippered handbags ever made.
Roulis — a compact shoulder bag with a distinctive metal clasp; a quieter alternative to the Constance.
Herbag — canvas body with a leather Kelly-style flap; interchangeable bags on one frame.
reddit — a small curved crossbody in Swift leather, launched in 2022 and still in demand.
Victoria — a soft, unstructured tote for travel and daily use.
reddit — the maison's saddle bag design, its clasp lifted straight from equestrian hardware.
In-the-Loop — a modern bucket silhouette whose 18 size does brisk business on the pre-owned market.
24/24, Halzan, Jypsière, Kelly Danse — versatile shoulder and crossbody styles that convert between carries.
For men, the Haut à Courroies (the Birkin's ancestor), the Steve messenger bag, and the Cityback line lead the Hermès men's bag range.
Hermès Bag Prices: How Much Is a Hermès Bag?
The short answer: anywhere from roughly $3,000 to well over $100,000. Here is a realistic price ladder:
Entry point (canvas and small leather): Herbag, Garden Party canvas, Picotin — around $3,000–$4,500
Everyday leather styles: Evelyne, Lindy, Bolide — around $3,500–$9,000
Structured icons: Constance, Kelly, Birkin — around $8,500–$13,000+ at retail
Exotics and rarities: crocodile, ostrich, and limited pieces — $30,000 into six figures
Retail prices climb most years, and quota bags typically resell at 1.5–2x retail.
How to Actually Get a Hermès Bag
Walk-in stock exists for Evelyne, Picotin, Garden Party, and similar styles, especially at larger boutiques. To land a Birkin or Kelly, your realistic options are building purchase history with a sales associate or going pre-owned through a reputable reseller.
If you go pre-owned, authentication is everything. Before spending a cent, learn how to tell if a Hermès bag is real — inspect the heat stamp, the slightly angled hand-sewn saddle stitching, the hardware engravings, and the craftsman blind stamp. A fake Hermès bag is usually betrayed by machine-perfect stitching and lightweight hardware. Unsure? A professional authentication service costs a fraction of what the bag does.
Vintage Hermès bags reward buyers in their own way. An older Kelly or Bolide often undercuts new non-quota styles on price and carries patina no new bag can replicate.
Which Hermès Bag Makes the Best First Buy?
Want a single answer? The Evelyne for casual days, the Constance for dressier lifestyles, and the Picotin for the cheapest route into Hermès leather. Pursue the Birkin or Kelly after you know the house, or go authenticated pre-owned and skip the waitlist altogether.
More on this topic: our Hermès leather guide and Birkin vs Kelly deep dive.
