Bringing Home the Birkin and over 360,000 other books are available for Amazon Kindle – Amazon’s new wireless reading device. Learn more

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
Express Checkout with PayPhrase
What's this? | Create PayPhrase
Sorry!
More Buying Choices
87 used & new from $2.98

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Bringing Home the Birkin: My Life in Hot Pursuit of the World's Most Coveted Handbag
 
 
Start reading Bringing Home the Birkin on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don’t have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here.
 
  

Bringing Home the Birkin: My Life in Hot Pursuit of the World's Most Coveted Handbag (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: incurable romantic, croc bag, bleu roi, New York, Earl Grey, Buenos Aires (more...)
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (61 customer reviews)

List Price: $25.95
Price: $18.68 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $7.27 (28%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Want it delivered Wednesday, November 11? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
42 new from $5.45 39 used from $2.98 6 collectible from $22.00

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
  Kindle Edition $9.59 -- --
  Hardcover $18.68 $5.45 $2.98
  Paperback $10.19 $8.63 $4.98
The "It" Boy of the "It" Bag
Read a letter from Michael Tonello, author of Bringing Home the Birkin.

Check Out Related Media

01:54


Frequently Bought Together

Bringing Home the Birkin: My Life in Hot Pursuit of the World's Most Coveted Handbag + 101 Things to Buy Before You Die + The Official Filthy Rich Handbook
Price For All Three: $38.39

Show availability and shipping details

  • This item: Bringing Home the Birkin: My Life in Hot Pursuit of the World's Most Coveted Handbag by Michael Tonello

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • 101 Things to Buy Before You Die by Maggie Davis

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • The Official Filthy Rich Handbook by Christopher Tennant

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

The Official Filthy Rich Handbook

The Official Filthy Rich Handbook

by Christopher Tennant
4.5 out of 5 stars (17)  $4.78
Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster

Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster

by Dana Thomas
Handbags: The Power of the Purse

Handbags: The Power of the Purse

by Anna Johnson
4.6 out of 5 stars (22)  $11.16
Spin: A Novel

Spin: A Novel

by Robert Rave
4.8 out of 5 stars (29)  $16.49
Bought: A Novel

Bought: A Novel

by Anna David
4.5 out of 5 stars (23)  $10.19
Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. In a funny, whip-smart memoir sure to be a sensation among Vogue and W devotees, erstwhile hair and makeup artist Tonello (now a columnist for HuffingtonPost.com) chronicles a surprising (even to him!) trans-Atlantic move from Provincetown, R.I. to a city he'd fallen in love with on a short trip: Barcelona, where he knows no one and doesn't speak the language. Tonello's initial euphoria dissolves when his new job fails to materialize. To stay afloat, Tonello starts selling items on Ebay with startling results: his first, heart-racing success, a year-old $99 Polo scarf he sold for $430 to a Midwesterner ("I guess he really liked plaid") makes Tonello an instant believer in the resale capabilities of high-end luxury items. Thus his new trade, and his quest for the Birkin, the "it bag" of all time, famous for its impenetrable waiting list ("What do you mean the waiting list is closed? It's a waiting list. So I can't wait?"). After many failed attempts, Tonello plans a weekend drive to Madrid in search of the haute couture holy grail; the result is a both a hilarious raid on fashion's strongholds and a memoir that satisfies like a novel. Fashion die-hards, and many others, will be delighted from beginning to end.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


From Booklist

Lives there a (female) soul so uninformed that heart and head do not flutter at the word Birkin? This luxe handbag, lovingly crafted by the artisans of Hermès, is reportedly sporting at least a two-year waiting list for would-be purchasers until Tonello, eBay reseller and gadabout hair stylist and makeup artist, literally stumbles across a method of Birkin acquisition. In this shopaholic-like memoir, the author begins his across-the-world searches from a humble base in Provincetown, Massachusetts; acquiesces to a Barcelona gig; falls in love with the city and a man; and moves—permanently. With the promise of a real job dissolving in one phone call, Tonello resorts to selling his own considerable wardrobe—and a few first editions—on the Web. Buoyed by success, his focus soon lingers on Hermès scarves—and, eventually, on the prize bag. In search of crocodile treasures, he (and we) meets every character in and out of high-end retail land, from buyers Ellen and Sarah to petty thief Luc and bedecked and bedazzled designer Lakis Gavalas. Chuckleworthy, with a few personal and sorrowful reminders that life simply happens … so enjoy! --Barbara Jacobs

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 272 pages
  • Publisher: William Morrow (April 22, 2008)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0061473332
  • ISBN-13: 978-0061473333
  • Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (61 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #55,570 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category: (What's this?)

    #14 in  Books > Computers & Internet > Business & Culture > eBay

More About the Author

Michael Tonello
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Visit Amazon's Michael Tonello Page

Inside This Book (learn more)

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Bringing Home the Birkin: My Life in Hot Pursuit of the World's Most Coveted Handbag
85% buy the item featured on this page:
Bringing Home the Birkin: My Life in Hot Pursuit of the World's Most Coveted Handbag 4.5 out of 5 stars (61)
$18.68
The Official Filthy Rich Handbook
4% buy
The Official Filthy Rich Handbook 4.5 out of 5 stars (17)
$4.78
Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster
4% buy
Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster 4.5 out of 5 stars (46)
Retail Hell: How I Sold My Soul to the Store Confessions of a Tortured Sales Associate
4% buy
Retail Hell: How I Sold My Soul to the Store Confessions of a Tortured Sales Associate 4.6 out of 5 stars (16)
$15.61

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(27)
(27)
(24)
(20)
(17)
(15)
(11)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

 

Customer Reviews

61 Reviews
5 star:
 (42)
4 star:
 (14)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:
 (2)
1 star:
 (2)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.5 out of 5 stars (61 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
47 of 50 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A Shopping Adventure, April 24, 2008
By M. DeMassa (Connecticut) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This book is the equivalent of all those mountain climbing, desert marching, storm sailing adventure books out there, but in this case the sport is shopping. (A sport I like to participate in myself, but my level is junior amateur in comparison.) It is also very similar to chick lit except that in this case instead of the typical spunky, unlucky in love, career, etc waiting for the big break heroine, this hero(ine?) is an openly gay man. who manages to turn a love and a knack for shopping into a business as well as quite a nice life for himself.

The book is subtitled My Life in Hot Pursuit of the World's Most Coveted Handbag. That handbag being the Hermes Birkin. I have heard a few stories of the famous Birkin waitlist and there was even an episode of "Sex and the City" that featured the same. I have only seen a few Birkins in person on the arms of clearly wealthy women, but they are distinct enough to be instantly recognizable. They are the ultimate elite status symbol.

Mr. Tonello's business involved luxurious travel to major European destinations to purchase Birkins from Hermes shops and then re-selling them on E-Bay from his envy-inspiring apartment in Barcelona. His trials and triumphs are amusing and the hotels and dining he describes could serve as a travel guide. The story works because the author never takes himself to seriously or fails to realize what a charmed life he's leading. Mr. Tonello has an amazing positive attitude self described as "Always half-full, that glass, always." Which is from a section describing a stay in a hospital where he was treated for severe anemia.

A family tragedy brings about the eventual end of his Birkin hunting in the way that kind of thing can do by making you take a look at what you're actually spending your time doing. He could no longer deal with "people who lacked for nothing, but who longed for more" and got himself out before he became that way himself.

So, if you're in the mood for a light-hearted romp through the luxurious side of Europe I think you'll enjoy this one. I definitely did.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Charming Book, June 1, 2008
By Dr Alexander Elder (New York, USA) - See all my reviews
  
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
I casually picked up a copy after seeing a review in WSJ - and could not put the book down. Michael Tonello's taut narrative held my attention from the first page to the last. I am not a 'fashion person' and would not know a Birkin bag from a sow's ear. What gripped me was the story of how one man constructed his life - moving acress the ocean, creating a business, and enjoying life in the process. I have been recommending this book to my friends.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Fun read, very informative, but at its heart, it's an Hermes expose, September 26, 2008
While reading reviews for this book, one thing you rarely see is the mention that it's also a scathing expose of Hermes' business practices. I also don't think their customers, and in particular those that pay ridiculous secondary-market prices, come off all that well. I'm sure that wasn't the primary intent of the author, but it is silly to pursue a status symbol to the point where you're willing to pay many thousands of Dollars over the regular price just to get a handbag.

What do you get for those thousands? The most well-known symbol for women to say "I've arrived" that's at least marketed by a major luxury firm. It has to be universally recognized, right? It reminds me of teens that say how individual they want to be, but they're really dressing like all of their friends. If everyone wants the same bag, and some women have dozens, does it really retain it's "status" or purported rarity? Doesn't the sheer number of bags that some collectors own prove the fact that they're not rare but rather marketed efficiently?

Hermes, of course, isn't alone in marketing this way, but they must be extremely irritated to have their secrets exposed so easily.
Comment Comment (1) | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars bringing home the birkin
anyone who is into fashion or follows the fashion trends will enjoy this book. I recently saw a financial expert on television and silly me thought he was going to discuss the... Read more
Published 29 days ago by michael candy

5.0 out of 5 stars Read this fascinating, hilarious book!!
Michael Tonello has brilliantly written a captivating memoir/travelogue chronicling his thrilling adventures as a Hermes reseller. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Josie Jean

4.0 out of 5 stars A very fun read
Ok, what I was first bothered why was how he got the money to pay for everything? He was making purchases left and right. Was it from his previous business? Read more
Published 2 months ago by Joseph Limandri

5.0 out of 5 stars Favorite read on fashion... and human relationships, really
I was both pleased and a bit sad to finish Bringing Home The Birkin by Michael Tonello this evening. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Lila Thanh

5.0 out of 5 stars Can't put it down
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. An eye-opener. Attempted to score a Kelly in Paris at one of the Depots Ventes, I could relate to a smart part of his experiences. Read more
Published 3 months ago by ChicLitJunkie

4.0 out of 5 stars Delightful Read
I just finished reading this book and i gotta ask Mr Tonello one thing, please sir if you read Amazon reviews hire me to be your new assistant so i can experience a fabulous,... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Roho Nono

5.0 out of 5 stars Bubbly, fun, great story!
Totally 5 stars, hands down! This book was so much fun to read. Michael weaves his humor throughout the story, and knows how to engage the reader. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Happy Shopper

5.0 out of 5 stars I want a Birkin!
I was familiar with Birkins before this, but, of course, did not know that much. As they run into the thousands, I won't be buying one anytime soon. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Haley Johnson

5.0 out of 5 stars adventure, humor, love and sorrow; all the ingredients for a great story
`Bringing Home the Birkin' by Michael Tonello is a delightful story about his adventures traveling to the swankest places in the world in search of Hermes treasure. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Catherine Healey

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous!
This is such a fun book to read! It is addicting - I read it in 1 day!! I recommend this for anyone who loves handbags and fashion.
Published 7 months ago by Christine

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   



So You'd Like to...


Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)


Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject

 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.