Handbag collecting


Handbag collecting is a hobby in which people collect different types of purses.

Growth of handbag collecting

Handbag collecting has become increasingly popular in the 2000s.
In 2014, the auction house Christie's started a handbag department, which now has several staff, headed by an "international head of handbags".In June 2017, Christie's had its first sale devoted exclusively to handbags.
According to The Daily Telegraph, the most sought-after and valuable brand is Hermès, followed by others including Céline, Chanel and Louis Vuitton.

World records

In June 2015, a Christie's handbag sale in Hong Kong saw a pink crocodile skin Hermès Birkin bag made only in 2014, sell for a then world record £146,000.
In May 2017, Christie's Hong Kong sold a white crocodile skin Hermès Birkin bag with 10.23 carats of diamonds for a world record HK$2.9 million.

Museums

The Museum of Bags and Purses is in Amsterdam, the Netherlands; the Simone Handbag Museum is in Seoul, South Korea; and the ESSE Purse Museum is in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Notable collectors

owns over 200 Launer London bags, and has kept all of her mother's Launer bags.
Other notable collectors include Victoria Beckham, who has over 100 Birkin bags, Katie Holmes, Rita Ora and Kelly Brook. Cara Delevingne, Miranda Kerr, Lauren Conrad, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Beyoncé, Mary-Kate Olsen, Ashley Olsen, Lady Gaga, Olivia Palermo, and Rihanna are also collectors. Others include Kim Chiu, KC Concepcion, Kris Aquino, Heart Evangelista, Marian Rivera, Bea Alonzo, Kathryn Bernardo, Lovi Poe, Megan Young, Gretchen Barretto, Camille Prats, Sarah Lahbati, and Jefree Star.