Bringing Home the Birkin: My Life in Hot Pursuit of the World's Most Coveted Handbag
by: Michael Tonello
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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.
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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Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: 
- Hard to evaluate for all concerned......
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 ... Read More
Rating: - Great read by the end I still wanted....
to know more about him.I bought this book because I have been reading up on the Luxury industry. I thought it would be a fun read...and it was. I gained an insight into how Hermes has this whole marketing machine to keep the bag hard to get. It works...just look at the amount of fakes sold on EBay and the prices they get....I think the author gives us insight into the clients that buy...well because they have a passion for the scarves etc..Then there are those clients who buy because of a logo..or because ... Read More
Rating: - WITTY AND WINNING
Many of us probably have an idea of what a dream job would be.How about one that takes you to some of the most beautiful cities in the world where you stay in the finest hotels and dine only at 5-star restaurants?Plus, when you're not in Paris or on Capri you don't even have to go to the office, you simply work at home in your pajamas.
Sound too wonderful to be true?Well, it surely is for most of us but not for Michael Tonello who tells us all about it in the highly amusing, can't ... Read More
Rating: 
- Can't remember when I enjoyed a book more!
From the clever perfection of the title, BRINGING HOME THE BIRKIN, through the last heartfelt pages, I cannot remember enjoying a book more than this memoir by Michael Tonello.
BRINGING HOME THE BIRKIN is fairly short, yet it's packed with every sort of adventure a reader could hope to see. There's romance, there's luxury travel, there's a kidnapped handbag chased by thugs and there's tragedy, each reflected through the unfailingly honest and funny prism of Tonello's point of view.
By ... Read More
Rating: - absolutely fabulous!!
If you love a funny story and are interested in fashion at all, you will likely enjoy this read. Could not put it down and read in a few hours. A great narrative about a fellow who learns how to obtain the elusive and exclusive Birkin handbag from the famous fashion house of Hermes, Paris. A birkin hunter/lover, I was completely lured in at hello; but I think most anyone would enjoy the tale, especially the climax of the Birkin kidnapping, which had me laughing out loud. Tonello's classification of the usual Hermes ... Read More
- Hard to evaluate for all concerned......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 ... Read More
- Great read by the end I still wanted....to know more about him.I bought this book because I have been reading up on the Luxury industry. I thought it would be a fun read...and it was. I gained an insight into how Hermes has this whole marketing machine to keep the bag hard to get. It works...just look at the amount of fakes sold on EBay and the prices they get....I think the author gives us insight into the clients that buy...well because they have a passion for the scarves etc..Then there are those clients who buy because of a logo..or because ... Read More
- WITTY AND WINNINGMany of us probably have an idea of what a dream job would be.How about one that takes you to some of the most beautiful cities in the world where you stay in the finest hotels and dine only at 5-star restaurants?Plus, when you're not in Paris or on Capri you don't even have to go to the office, you simply work at home in your pajamas.
Sound too wonderful to be true?Well, it surely is for most of us but not for Michael Tonello who tells us all about it in the highly amusing, can't ... Read More
- Can't remember when I enjoyed a book more!From the clever perfection of the title, BRINGING HOME THE BIRKIN, through the last heartfelt pages, I cannot remember enjoying a book more than this memoir by Michael Tonello.
BRINGING HOME THE BIRKIN is fairly short, yet it's packed with every sort of adventure a reader could hope to see. There's romance, there's luxury travel, there's a kidnapped handbag chased by thugs and there's tragedy, each reflected through the unfailingly honest and funny prism of Tonello's point of view.
By ... Read More
- absolutely fabulous!! If you love a funny story and are interested in fashion at all, you will likely enjoy this read. Could not put it down and read in a few hours. A great narrative about a fellow who learns how to obtain the elusive and exclusive Birkin handbag from the famous fashion house of Hermes, Paris. A birkin hunter/lover, I was completely lured in at hello; but I think most anyone would enjoy the tale, especially the climax of the Birkin kidnapping, which had me laughing out loud. Tonello's classification of the usual Hermes ... Read More
