October 2022 Newsletter
Auctions, Auctions, Auctions!!!
The season is kicking along with multiple auctions live online at this very moment! Subscribe to BagWatch to stay up-to-date on what is crossing the block.
Upcoming Auctions
Christie’s Milan - Inside The Orange Box Part II - Ending October 6
Christie’s Second part of their single owner auction series dubbed ‘Inside The Orange Box’ is live for bidding online and continues to amaze with the scope and size of one woman’s collection. Her penchant for 35s is still clear, but some spectacular rarities will catch the eye of even the most jaded collectors:
Another group of Sac a Malice bags includes the ultra-rare Snowman, Fireman, Sheep and Teapot designs, as well as a previously unknown all-black version of the Daisy design from 2009.
An Azlezan Doblis Birkin 30 with Gold Hardware from 2007 appears to be in excellent condition. All-suede Birkins like this are extremely hard to find, especially with little to no wear.
Another rare Birkin 30 from 2007 is this Toile example with Ostrich Trim. Also appearing in exceptional condition, exotic-trimmed canvas Birkins and Kellys are scarce on the secondary market.
A rare JPG Shoulder Birkin featuring a blue striped Potamos canvas body is topped with Black Box leather and Gold hardware, for a truly unusual appearance.
A 35cm Kelly features the rare Ganges Toile body in the red color-way. Topped with Barenia leather, these bags from 2008 were part of the “Year of India” collection and are extremely rare on the market today.
Poly Hong Kong - Magnificent Jewels, Watches & Handbags - Ending October 11
Mixed in with Watches and Jewelry in this auction is a nice selection of Hermes bags, topped by a 25cm Hima Birkin. Other offerings include a Rouge Sellier Bicnic Birkin and 25cm Cargo Birkins in Beton, Sesame and Black. I am most interested to see how these two do:
A Colormatic Birkin 30 is the first of its kind to come to auction. The result here will help determine if these unusual bags will continue to trade in the $35,000-$50,000 range most are listed at elsewhere.
A Matte Black Alligator Retourne Kelly 25 with Gold Hardware from 2022 is an uber-luxe classic that is extremely hard to come by. Matte Retourne Alligator Kelly 25s are prized and rarely come to market.
Sotheby’s Hong Kong - Handbags & Accessories - Ending October 13
Sotheby’s Hong Kong auction is a feast for the eyes. Over 200 lots of highly-desirable Hermes bags including a few first-to-market pieces: A Blue France Swift and Toile Birkin 25 is the first 25cm Toile Birkin ever to come to auction (prior to this edition, no 25cm Birkins with Canvas bodies were produced). A Colormatic Birkin 30 similar to the one on offer in Poly’s auction will make for an interesting comparison. The auction is led by a 25cm Hima Kelly and a 30cm Hima Birkin.
The first 25cm Crocodile Sellier Birkin to come to auction appears here in Black with Palladium Hardware. A six-figure result is not out of the question.
A rare Vibrato Snip Kelly 32 dazzles the eye with its unmatched display of mosaic stacked chevre.
A Black Box Birkin 35 with Palladium Guilloche hardware should catch the attention of more than a few collectors. This rare machined hardware is becoming more and more sought-after.
An Orange H Doblis Kelly 25 could be a great steal, as a similar bag was the lowest selling 25 of last season. Orange H has generally been the exception to collectors’ increased interest in Suede Birkins and Kellys.
Past Auctions
Sotheby’s New York - Handbags & Accessories - September 19
Sotheby’s New York auction had three top lots with results of note: A Blue Faubourg Birkin that sold for $163,800, below the style’s previous $185,000 average; A 30cm Himalayan Birkin from 2014 that sold for the same amount, above the style’s approximately $145,000 previous average; and a Rouge Sellier Picnic Birkin that went for $81,900, below the $97,500 paid for a Framboise example in the style’s auction debut at Christie’s earlier this year. Prices were strong overall, especially for 20 and 25cm bags, 28 and 30cm Kellys and Birkins also did quite well.
Sotheby’s Paris - Handbags & Accessories - September 29
Sotheby’s Paris auction saw a new record set for a handbag sold at auction in Europe when the hammer fell on a 25cm Himalayan Kelly at a final price of over $345,000. A 25cm Himalayan Birkin brought nearly $250,000. Conversely a Hima Birkin 30 sold quite low at just over $115,000. The third Sellier Birkin so sell at auction (this one topped with Nata) brought just over $74,000, a further decline for the style which seems poised to equal the value of Mini Picnic Kellys soon. Otherwise prices were generally at the lower end of the market, which is more typical for auctions held in Europe. A steal was had as a Rouge Vif Courchevel Kelly 20 with Gold Hardware from 1998 that brought just over $16,000, quite likely the last time one of these rare vintage Kellys trades below $20,000.
Christie’s Hong Kong - Handbags Online: The Power of Color - September 15
In the double head-to-head match up between Sotheby’s New York and Christie’s Hong Kong the result is a draw. Christie’s Blue Faubourg Birkin brought around $176,500, topping Sotheby’s result by around 7%, yet their 2014 Hima Birkin 30 sold for just over $160,500, falling short of Sotheby’s Hima by about 2%. Otherwise most results were expectedly depressed as the selection was heavy on larger bags that aren’t terribly popular in Asia. A So Black Box Birkin 30 sold for nearly $41,750, a strong result for the style compared to its prior $35,500 auction average, though far from the 2019 record result at Christie’s which topped $87,500.
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