What Makes Luxury Bag Special?

Men have watches and cars - women have handbags. For fashion fiends everywhere the brand name handbag is the status equivalent of a Rolex timepiece or the Italian Ferrari. A mouth-watering combination of whimsical excess, chic details, and unquestionable luxury, the expensive designer handbag is a woman’s ultimate confidence booster.Canvas shoulder bags are not enough unless they are made by an exceptional designer and stand out.

For some, luxury handbags go beyond style. They are statement pieces and they are so for a reason. Have you ever wondered what's behind the brand name handbag's huge price tags? Is it worth saving your hard-earned dollars for another season’s expensive fashionable accessory?

There are reasons why shoppers prefer to buy an original luxury bag than a cheap production or a replica. They are investment pieces. Keep your bag in good condition and you can sell it for a higher price in the future - especially in a market where quality seems to reduce for the sake of increasing turnover in sales.

As the saying goes - cheap is expensive. Investing in one good luxury bag will last you a lifetime. And you will be so proud of it! As we shall see,Bag Vanity describes a few more reasons as to why luxury handbags are priced the way they are.

The Name Matters

Let’s look at Hermes as a first example. Hermes’ 100 years of craftsmanship and handmade quality trumps plastic, pleather, and assembly-line construction. A Hermes Birkin handbag is expensive because of the reputation of the design house and its legendary dedication to craftsmanship and quality. 

The Birkin is a designer bag that holds its value over time; women patiently wait years on lists to receive a special order Birkin bag which can cost in upwards of 100,000 dollars. The name of the bag is important for investment purposes. The value of the bag will skyrocket if you buy the right one.

Not to mention that the Birkin was co-designed by an actress which at the time held great influence on women’s choice in a purchase. Today,  these icons are called Influencers and they still have as much persuasive power as they did in the past - if not more.

Wear The Same As Your Icon

With high demand and legendary icons, you get a high retail price for an accessory, If the grand dames of the designer handbag trinity: Grace Kelly, Jane Birkin, and Jacqueline Onassis carried it; women want it.  But these three names affiliated with brand name handbags do not come cheap. As muses for legendary fashion houses Hermes and Gucci the relationship between the icon’s historic style and the design house’s royal reputation increases the public’s thirst for the items.

Symbols of everlasting elegance and glamour, attach these three legendary names to the origin and design of a bag and voila; everybody and anybody must have it. 

They Are Designed For The Elite

Luxury brands like Cartier, Hermes and Louis Vuitton were founded to serve the French royal court in the 18th and 19th centuries. Fashion house artisans spent hours designing these objects, and in later years exclusively for notable families.

Unlike today's trendy it-bag often banished to purse purgatory at the end of a season, designer handbags of the past were considered lifelong companions; accessories for royals and family heirlooms for the well-to-do. Created for the wealthy European elite, these leather goods reeked of sophistication and elitism while the strict attention to detail justified the high cost.

It Costs More To Produce

Legendary craftsmanship makes the designer difference. Ornate clasps and rings crafted from palladium and gold. Zippers than never stick mixed with hardware that never tarnishes.

Combine premium leathers, suedes and exotic animal skins with the legendary artisanship of the designer bag emporiums, and you’ve got a recipe for a luxury big-ticket item.

The video below shows the making of a Salvatore Ferragamo bag — which is a masterpiece of craftsmanship.

 Limited Edition Products Are Rare And Expensive

Scarcity increases the price - and everybody wants it. Demand and supply control price - and if there are not enough bags available, the price goes up.

When Gucci celebrated their 85th anniversary in 2006, Creative Director Frida Giannini reworked the classic hobo shape for designer bag lovers. The bags were only sold in Gucci stores from July through December of ’06 and were priced in the $4,500  range.