Hermès Bag Types: Every Style and Name Explained what does a hermes birkin bag cost

Author : Axelsen Qvist | Published On : 15 Sep 2026

Every Hermès bag has a story, a waitlist, or both. The house makes far more than the two icons everyone knows. Below we break down the different Hermès bag names, the purpose of each style, rough pricing, and which ones are actually available to walk-in buyers.

If you already know the model you want, jump to it below. If you are starting from zero, read in order — the styles are grouped by how hard they are to get.

Birkin and Kelly: The Quota Bags

Each year, Hermès restricts how many of its two flagship bags any client can purchase. Among collectors, these are known as the quota bags. Ordering one outright is not possible. Boutiques reserve them for established clients, so secondary-market prices for both run well past 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.

Expect Hermès Birkin bag prices to open around $11,000–$12,000 retail for a Togo 25, climbing fast once exotic skins enter the picture. On resale platforms, sought-after sizes and colors fetch $20,000 or more. Diamond-encrusted crocodile Birkins hold the record as the most expensive Hermès bags, with auction prices in the hundreds of thousands.

Hermès Kelly Bag

The Hermès Kelly bag is the older, more elegant sibling — a single top handle, 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. In 1956 Grace Kelly made it famous, and Hermès later renamed the bag in her honor.

Pricing lands close to the Birkin: about $10,000–$11,500 retail, depending on size and leather. Right now the mini Kelly bag (Kelly 20) is the hardest Hermès bag to source, and resale prices frequently double retail.

Kelly vs Birkin in one line: the Kelly is the dressy, fully-closing option; the Birkin is the casual, roomy, easy-access one.

Non-Quota Styles You Can Realistically Buy

You may still wait at busy boutiques, but no annual limit applies to these styles. For many buyers, this is where the smart money goes.

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 works day to night and holds its value almost as well as 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 features a perforated "H" front, a tab-closure open top, and a wide canvas strap. Its original job was hauling equestrian grooming kit, which is why the holes are there. Priced near $3,500–$4,000, it is one of the easiest everyday Hermès bags to actually own.

Hermès Lindy Bag

A slouchy double-zip design, the Lindy works both handheld and over the shoulder. The soft silhouette has made it a go-to for travel. Lately, the Mini Lindy has emerged as the trend piece of the family.

Hermès Picotin Bag

The Picotin is a small open bucket bag inspired by a horse's feed bag. No lining, no hardware fuss — just a lock-through closure. reddit looking up a Hermès bucket bag is really looking for this. It starts near $3,000, which also makes it a frequent answer to "what is the cheapest Hermès bag" in leather.

Hermès Garden Party Bag

A practical tote in canvas and leather, made for daily errands. As the workhorse of the range, the Garden Party is also among the easiest styles to find in store. The all-leather versions cost more; the canvas mix keeps the entry price lower.

More Hermès Bag Names You Should Know

The catalog goes deeper than most realize. You will see these styles constantly in boutiques and on resale platforms:

Bolide — a rounded zip-top bag with a claim to being among the first zippered handbags ever made.
Roulis — a compact shoulder style with a distinctive clasp, for those who find the Constance too loud.
Herbag — a canvas body under a leather Kelly-style flap, with interchangeable bags on a single frame.
Geta — a petite curved crossbody in Swift leather that debuted in 2022 and remains in demand.
Victoria — a soft, unstructured tote for travel and daily use.
Della Cavalleria — the maison's saddle bag design, its clasp lifted straight from equestrian hardware.
In-the-Loop — a contemporary bucket shape, especially popular pre-owned in the 18 size.
24/24, Halzan, Jypsière, Kelly Danse — adaptable shoulder and crossbody designs that switch between carry modes.

On the men's side, the Haut à Courroies (the Birkin's ancestor), the Steve messenger bag, and the Cityback line anchor the Hermès men's bag range.

How Much Does a Hermès Bag Cost?

The short answer: anywhere from roughly $3,000 to well over $100,000. A realistic pricing ladder runs like this:

Entry level (canvas and small leather): Herbag, Garden Party canvas, Picotin — roughly $3,000–$4,500
Daily leather: Evelyne, Lindy, Bolide — around $3,500–$9,000
Structured icons: Constance, Kelly, Birkin — about $8,500–$13,000 and up retail
Exotics and rarities: crocodile, ostrich, and limited editions — $30,000 up to six figures

Prices rise most years, and secondary-market prices for quota bags typically sit 1.5–2x retail.

How to Get a Hermès Bag

Larger boutiques often carry walk-in stock of the Evelyne, Picotin, Garden Party, and similar styles. 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. Learn how to tell if a Hermès bag is real before you spend anything: check the heat stamp, the stitching (hand-sewn saddle stitch, slightly angled), 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. Older Kellys and Bolides often cost less than new non-quota styles and carry patina no new bag can fake.

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. Save the Birkin or Kelly for when you know the house — or choose authenticated pre-owned and bypass the waitlist completely.

More on this topic: our Hermès leather guide and Birkin vs Kelly deep dive.