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Holy Hermes! World's priciest purse sold for $203,000

By Justin Fenner, StyleiteClearly not everyone in America is still feeling the strain of the recession. Early this week someone very, very wealthy bought a handbag for over $200,000 at an auction in Dallas, breaking the world record for the highest amount of money ever bid on a purse.While the person who bought the handbag chose to remain anonymous, the bag itself is known all over the world. The
The record-setting bag was sold to an anonymous collector.
The record-setting bag was sold to an anonymous collector.WWD

By Justin Fenner, Styleite

Clearly not everyone in America is still feeling the strain of the recession. Early this week someone very, very wealthy bought a handbag for over $200,000 at an auction in Dallas, breaking the world record for the highest amount of money ever bid on a purse.

While the person who bought the handbag chose to remain anonymous, the bag itself is known all over the world. The pricey purse was an Hermes Birkin, easily one of the most iconic and expensive handbags ever made. Women’s Wear Dailyreports the record-breaking model was made from shiny deep red crocodile skin and accented with 18K white gold and diamond hardware, and sold for exactly $203,150. Who needs a nice, solid, single family home when you’ve got style like that?

Hermes made the first Birkin bag for actress Jane Birkin in 1984, and since then it’s become an almost legendary piece of fashion history. Until April 2010, the bags were produced in such limited quantities that women who wanted them had to sign up for a wait list — and some of them waited for as long as six years before they were invited to make an actual purchase. The bags come in four sizes, all of which are lined with goatskin, and prices can vary wildly depending on the materials used on the exterior. But chances are, even the plainest of Birkins won’t sell for less than $8,000 to $10,000.

But even though the bags are expensive to begin with, this one took the cake. Even the auctioneers were surprised that the bag went for that much, saying “this was certainly an exceptional price, exceeding our highest expectations at every corner.”

If by “highest expectations” they meant “the boundaries of common sense and restraint,” then they’re absolutely right.

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