A designer bag has many distinct features but one thing is for. It’s expensive. And what surprises most people is the fact women shells out thousands of dollars to what non-fashion-oriented individuals would refer to as “normal handbags.”
And collectors would argue, it’s not just any handbag. It’s a designer handbag.
Why Designer Bags Are Expensive
What makes a designer handbag expensive? Why are people paying a fortune for it? And what makes it so special? We’ve rounded up the reasons why.
Craftsmanship
For designer bags, you get what you pay for. For thousands of dollars, you get perfectly done stitches and a durable bag that lasts forever. I guess you can say that carrying a designer bag is an occasion itself.
Famous international designers conceptualized each of these handbags, pouring out dozens of inspiration into their sketches and are handmade by expert craftsmen, every single stitch and cut goes through their hawkeyes.
In addition, it takes a long time to make these since very few processes are automated. And the longer it takes to craft a bag, the higher its value. And when it is created with this much precision, time, and effort, you’d sort of understand why designer bags are expensive.
Take a Hermès Birkin bag, for example. It takes a clocked 48-hours to make a single one while a factory that mass produces can create hundreds in an hour.
In short, you get what you pay for.
Exclusivity
You’d know and feel the difference between factory and mass-produced handbags and exclusively made handmade bags. It just shows. As mentioned above, every stitch is worth it and you get a bag that’ll stay with you for a lifetime.
Aside from that, a designer bag hanging off your arm as eye candy is sure to have everyone’s eyes on you. You stand out from the crowd and you know you are one in a million.
Because of such aspects, there is always a demand – high demand – for designer handbags. This shows when you see the waitlist for some designer bags. Some wait for years to finally have one of their own.
Investment
There are only a few things in this world that rise in value as time goes by. For example, cars and buildings don’t. But designer handbags do.
It’s common to see a classic Hermès Birkin bag resell for more (much more) than it is bought years ago. Collectors would consider their pricey collection a safety net or a retirement fund for when they are older.
It’s similar to Elvin Presley’s authentic vinyl records. Currently, original pressings would sell for thousands of dollars when it merely cost a couple of quarters during its first release. It’s still the classic age-old supply and demand concept. Some people want these records so bad, they are willing to shell out money, huge amounts of money, for it.
Materials
The difference between an authentic and expensive designer bag and a mass-produced or counterfeit designer bag is ocean-wide. And you’d know it from miles away. And when a product is made from valuable materials, you need to expect a hefty price tag.
In designer bags, the leather used is is from the finest quality of cow skin or other exotic animals. The locks, chains, and other metal accents are also plated with real gold and pure silver. Even diamonds.
Additional Fees
Because they are luxury goods, taxes don’t come easy. Designer brands pay a lot for their products. This is depending on the manufacturing location and the selling location but one thing is for sure, taxes are not cheap.
Most designer bags are handmade in Europe, commonly in France and Italy and these countries are amongst the highest taxes in the world.
Let’s also include here logistics and infrastructures. Designer bags are made with such high-value materials and high-value craftsmanship that they need extra care when it comes to storing and transportation.
There’s also a need for the brand to make huge profit margins on its products. Oliver Cabell’s, a fashion brand, founder Scott Gabrielson once disclosed that the markup of designer handbags is as high as 20 times the cost of making them.
Bonus: Perks of Designer Bags
Heritage
When we say designer bags last forever, we are not exaggerating. Many designer bags that have been sold and bought multiple times have accumulated heritage and this gives them value. It can be owned by prestigious people from the past, or someone from the royal family, or great political leaders and celebrities.
Excellent customer service
Not only will you buy an excellent product but excellent customer and after-sale service. If you are VIP, you might have access to bags before their release or have your very own customized. If not, you still can expect outstanding customer service and every complaint of yours resolved.
