Bringing Home the Birkin: My Life in Hot Pursuit of the World's Most Coveted Handbag
by Michael Tonello
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List Price: $25.95
Our Price: $13.99
Your Save: $ 11.96 ( 46% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: William Morrow
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 381.177092
EAN: 9780061473333
ISBN: 0061473332
Label: William Morrow
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 272
Publication Date: 2008-05-01
Publisher: William Morrow
Release Date: 2008-04-22
Studio: William Morrow
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating: 
Summary: Story of a true Ebay powerseller
Comment: Sad but true fact - I will probably never own a Birkin. But reading this book was a fun read about those who covet and can actually afford to own such a bag. The adventures of the author as he procures these bags for the wealthy is impressive and I admired his devotion to the task of tracking down the Number One Hermes fashion statement (and then sells them on the not so elusive or upmarket world of Ebay).
Good reading, especially for those of us who can only admire the bags from afar.
Customer Rating:
Summary: If you Love Handbags, You'll Love this Book!
Comment: As an avid lover and collector of designer handbags, I had to read this book. I found it thoroughly enjoyable and actually learned a few "secrets" to buying "luxurious" goods! What the author tells you about how he "scored" his first Birkin bag, can actually be applied to almost anything you want that may seem illusive.
The author appeared down to earth and "realistic" and his adventures over the years made for a fun, light read. My only complaint about this book is that the ending seemed a bit abrupt and almost rushed. I don't know if he was writing this as he was going along and lost momentum once family tragedy set in, but I would have liked a more complete conclusion to his adventures (for example, has he kept up his friendships with his acquaintances along the way?)
I know there are critics of this book and more particularly, Mr. Tonello, but I see no reason not to buy this book and form your own judgment. If anything, he opens the doors to the highly secretive world of Hermes, and maybe that's what all the fuss is really about!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Hilarious!
Comment: I love this book. Very funny. I find his writing very witty and entertaining. It's such a good look at fashion industry where, yes, every cent and it bags count. :)
If you like a little bit of adventure, seeing "the real" people, and don't really believe any hype about "It Bag", then this is the book for you.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Bring Home the Birkin
Comment: All I can say about this book is this guy is Brillent, and Hermes should have hired him, I only wish I would have thought of it!! Great laughs and a touching story. JOB WELL DONE !!!! He had every angle covered !!
Cameron Ponce de Leon
Customer Rating:
Summary: Hard to evaluate for all concerned......
Comment: This book was hard for me to evaluate because the evaluation depends on who will be buying this book & for what purpose.
For example, if you are buying this book to learn a bit about the HERMES Birkin handbags, then you will get something out of this book, since the author (through his travels) became an expert Birkin buyer during his years as a Birkin "re-seller" . With this in mind, Tonello explains the HERMES bags in this book throughout the chapters, and he even shows some nice color photos of the major "coveted" bags, along with a few photos of the main characters mentioned in the stories.
The nice thing is that while the reader is learning about the BIRKINS, the reader will also be extremely entertained in the process. Tonello's writing style is easy and fun! Each chapter flows nicely from one to the other. I read the book in two days.
Or.....if you are buying this book to learn EXTENSIVELY about the Hermes label, then you may want to buy anhother book more specific to HERMES (eg: maybe look into a HERMES reference-buying guide). The reason I say this is because this book is not only about HERMES, but it is also about Tonello's life during his life as a re-seller.
If the reader is looking for an entertaining book on the life of an actual "re-seller", then the reader will enjoy this book because Tonello explains the learning curve he experienced---from beginner to highly experienced. The world of the 'secondary market' will be appreciated by reading this book, because Tonello experienced many of the ups and downs typical of re-sellers' lives. Example, Tonello would travel all over the world looking for specific Birkin bags to re-sell on Ebay... And by doing this, he met many wealthy buyers of the highly coveted Hermes bags & products (eg: the famous HERMES scarves).
If the reader is not prepared to appreciate what this book is truly about, then, yes, he-she may be dissappointed in reading this book (as a few reviewers were).
However, if the reader is ready to accept the purpose of this book (ie: a person's experiences as a re-seller of a famous product), then the readers will enjoy this book & get something out of it.
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Editorial Reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Story of a true Ebay powerseller
Comment: Sad but true fact - I will probably never own a Birkin. But reading this book was a fun read about those who covet and can actually afford to own such a bag. The adventures of the author as he procures these bags for the wealthy is impressive and I admired his devotion to the task of tracking down the Number One Hermes fashion statement (and then sells them on the not so elusive or upmarket world of Ebay).
Good reading, especially for those of us who can only admire the bags from afar.
Customer Rating:
Summary: If you Love Handbags, You'll Love this Book!
Comment: As an avid lover and collector of designer handbags, I had to read this book. I found it thoroughly enjoyable and actually learned a few "secrets" to buying "luxurious" goods! What the author tells you about how he "scored" his first Birkin bag, can actually be applied to almost anything you want that may seem illusive.
The author appeared down to earth and "realistic" and his adventures over the years made for a fun, light read. My only complaint about this book is that the ending seemed a bit abrupt and almost rushed. I don't know if he was writing this as he was going along and lost momentum once family tragedy set in, but I would have liked a more complete conclusion to his adventures (for example, has he kept up his friendships with his acquaintances along the way?)
I know there are critics of this book and more particularly, Mr. Tonello, but I see no reason not to buy this book and form your own judgment. If anything, he opens the doors to the highly secretive world of Hermes, and maybe that's what all the fuss is really about!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Hilarious!
Comment: I love this book. Very funny. I find his writing very witty and entertaining. It's such a good look at fashion industry where, yes, every cent and it bags count. :)
If you like a little bit of adventure, seeing "the real" people, and don't really believe any hype about "It Bag", then this is the book for you.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Bring Home the Birkin
Comment: All I can say about this book is this guy is Brillent, and Hermes should have hired him, I only wish I would have thought of it!! Great laughs and a touching story. JOB WELL DONE !!!! He had every angle covered !!
Cameron Ponce de Leon
Customer Rating:
Summary: Hard to evaluate for all concerned......
Comment: This book was hard for me to evaluate because the evaluation depends on who will be buying this book & for what purpose.
For example, if you are buying this book to learn a bit about the HERMES Birkin handbags, then you will get something out of this book, since the author (through his travels) became an expert Birkin buyer during his years as a Birkin "re-seller" . With this in mind, Tonello explains the HERMES bags in this book throughout the chapters, and he even shows some nice color photos of the major "coveted" bags, along with a few photos of the main characters mentioned in the stories.
The nice thing is that while the reader is learning about the BIRKINS, the reader will also be extremely entertained in the process. Tonello's writing style is easy and fun! Each chapter flows nicely from one to the other. I read the book in two days.
Or.....if you are buying this book to learn EXTENSIVELY about the Hermes label, then you may want to buy anhother book more specific to HERMES (eg: maybe look into a HERMES reference-buying guide). The reason I say this is because this book is not only about HERMES, but it is also about Tonello's life during his life as a re-seller.
If the reader is looking for an entertaining book on the life of an actual "re-seller", then the reader will enjoy this book because Tonello explains the learning curve he experienced---from beginner to highly experienced. The world of the 'secondary market' will be appreciated by reading this book, because Tonello experienced many of the ups and downs typical of re-sellers' lives. Example, Tonello would travel all over the world looking for specific Birkin bags to re-sell on Ebay... And by doing this, he met many wealthy buyers of the highly coveted Hermes bags & products (eg: the famous HERMES scarves).
If the reader is not prepared to appreciate what this book is truly about, then, yes, he-she may be dissappointed in reading this book (as a few reviewers were).
However, if the reader is ready to accept the purpose of this book (ie: a person's experiences as a re-seller of a famous product), then the readers will enjoy this book & get something out of it.
An insider's hilarious, whirlwind account of his years spent globe-trotting in search of the holy grail of handbags: the Birkin For more than twenty years, the Hermès Birkin bag has been the iconic symbol of fashion, luxury, and wealth. Though the bag is often seen dangling from the arms of celebrities, there is a fabled waiting list of more than two years to buy one from Hermès, and the average fashionista has a better chance of climbing Mount Everest in Prada pumps than of possessing one of these coveted carryalls. Unless, of course, she happens to know Michael Tonello . . . Michael's newfound career started with an impulsive move to Barcelona, a vanished job assignment, no work visa, and an Hermès scarf sold on eBay to generate some quick cash. But soon the resourceful Michael discovered the truth about the waiting list and figured out the secret to getting Hermès to part with one of these precious bags. Millions of dollars worth of Birkins later, Michael had become one of eBay's most successful entrepreneurs—and a Robin Hood to thousands of desperate rich women. With down-to-earth wit, Michael chronicles the unusual ventures that took him to nearly every continent, from eBay to Paris auction house and into the lives of celebrities and poseurs. Flirting with danger, Michael recounts the heady rush of hand delivering his first big score to famed songwriter Carole Bayer Sager in Paris; how he had to hire thugs to rescue a bag that one of his "shoppers" held for ransom; and the story of the Oscar-worthy performances that allowed him to snag "reserved" bags from other, less dogged Birkin seekers. Whether he's relating his wining and dining, buying and selling, dodging and weaving, laughing and crying, or schmoozing and stammering, Michael is a master raconteur who weaves together tales of hunting Birkins in the world's most posh locales, memories of meals that would make any gastronome salivate, anecdotes of obsessed collectors with insatiable desires, and sweetly intimate stories about his family, friends, and finding true love. The result is a memoir that is distinctive, fun, page-turning, and as addictive as its namesake.
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