£50,000 to spare? Rare Hermès Birkin 25 in sea-green alligator leather goes up for auction in North Wales

Beloved by some of the world's best-dressed women, the Hermès Birkin is arguably the most popular, covetable and expensive handbag of all time, occasionally costing the price of a house in some parts of Britain. They're extremely difficult to buy firsthand, with only customers that have proved their loyalty apparently offered the chance to secure the status symbol, which typically starts at £10,000 but has previously made upwards of $300,000 at auction.Now, the opportunity has arisen for one fortunate, and wealthy, fashionista to own one of the most luxurious totes from the French fashion house.A rarely-seen Hermès Birkin 25 Vert D'eau Matte Alligator has gone on sale at Wilsons Auction, and is expected to fetch up to £50,000 when it goes under the hammer on Tuesday at 6pm at the Queensferry branch in North Wales.The accessory comes in a soft, pale green with gold hardware and is one of the most sought-after handbags in the world thanks to its exotic material.Among the brand's collection of leathers and skins, crocodile and alligator are the 'highest tier of luxury', noted experts at Sotheby's, with only a small amount of Birkins produced in the hides.Each bag in the rare and highly collectible material is handcrafted by a single artisan who is skilled in handling the exotic skins, and only Hermès' most well-thought-of clients are entitled to purchase them, according to the London auction house.The Vert D'eau (sea-green) shade of the bag is also seldom-seen, whilst its matte style is the most popular finish among the three available due to its elegance and durability. Boreal Satin and shiny are the other options. A rarely-seen Hermès Birkin 25 Vert D'eau Matte Alligator (pictured) has gone on sale at Wilsons AuctionFirst introduced in 2004, the Birkin 25 is now thought to be the most sought-after of the Hermès designs, largely thanks to scarcity, long-term value retention and the popular sizing.James Constantinou, founder of Prestige Pawnbrokers who appeared on Channel 4's Posh Pawn, said the Birkin on sale is one of the rarest Hermès bags 'you’re likely to come across', because of the combination of its size, colour and finish.'What makes it so special comes down to two things: its size and its colour,' said the expert. The Birkin 25 is highly sought after in any combination because its smaller size means it can easily transition from day to night.'Couple that with the intricate dyeing process required to achieve the Vert D'eau colour in a matte finish on exotic skin, and you have an exceptionally rare piece.'Vert D'eau is a beautiful pale mint green which requires a highly specialised dyeing process to achieve a uniform colour across the alligator scales. The matte finish is created by manually rubbing the skin with wool felt.'Hermès produces this particular colour and size so rarely that when one does come onto the pre-loved market, prices can reach almost £100,000.'Celebrity stylist Lisa Talbot said the one-of-a-kind UK sale of the Birkin 25 will have caused much 'excitement among Hermès collectors'.She told The Daily Mail: 'What makes this particular bag especially interesting is the Vert D’eau matte alligator. It’s a beautiful, soft, almost watery green that feels very different from the more expected Hermès neutrals, while the matte finish gives the exotic skin a much more understated, sophisticated feel. 'It’s luxurious without being as immediately showy as a shiny exotic skin. This particular combination of size, colour and exotic leather is certainly not something you come across every day.'The Birkin 25 is now considered the most sought-after Birkin size by the major auction market, so to have one in an alligator skin and such a distinctive shade coming up for auction is bound to create excitement among Hermès collectors. 'And because Birkin bags are so difficult to simply walk into a boutique and purchase, the opportunity to acquire one through an auction naturally adds another layer of excitement. 'For a serious Hermès collector, it’s the chance to bid on something that feels genuinely special rather than simply buying another luxury handbag.' The handbag (pictured) is expected to fetch up to £50,000 when it goes under the hammer on Tuesday at 6pm at the Queensferry branch in North Wales The accessory comes in a soft, pale green with gold hardware and is one of the most sought-after handbags in the world thanks to its exotic material. The handbag is offered with dust cover and box and carries a condition rating of AAThe Birkin was created in 1984 when, on a flight from Paris to London, the British actress Jane Birkin sat next to Jean-Louis Dumas, the then-executive chairman of Hermès, and complained she could not find a bag for her needs as a fashionable young mother.Dumas sketched a design for a spacious rectangular leather tote - and the Birkin was born.In exchange for creating the now-famed purse, Jane, who died in 2023, received a royalty from Hermès every year. The birth story of the luxurious bag has alone attracted buyers around the world and contributed to the hype. Depending on the size, colour and material the tote is made from, prices for an entry-level Birkin start at £10,000 but can rise to tens or hundreds of thousands of pounds. Jane's original Birkin sold at Sotheby's Paris for $10.1million in July 2025.The high price tag of the accessory is said to be due to its artisan nature, with each one taking 18 hours to craft. Exclusive clientele also receive a tag with the year the bag was made on it, as well as the name of its designer.Some say the Birkin bag is a 'better investment than gold' or 'like buying a Picasso' as their price dramatically grows over time due to high demand.Unlike many of its competitors, Hermès doesn't gift its bags or pay ambassadors and influencers to endorse them, either.'We have celebrities who buy our bags, but we've never had a celebrity [ambassador], because everybody is seen as a client,' Hermès CEO, Axel Dumas — a sixth-generation member of the Hermès family — told The Telegraph in 2017: 'Everybody's welcome, no one is judged.'Although everyone is welcome in theory, there are a few steps to buying one of the most sought-after bags in the world.Auction house expert Max Brownawell previously explained: 'Your average woman can't just walk into Hermès and buy one. You'd have to have a long-standing relationship with one of their sales associates.'However, purchasing one of the most coveted handbags in existence might get a little easier as Hermès pledged earlier this year to make sales policies around purchasing a Birkin more transparent.The French fashion house will improve the customer experience in America following a class action lawsuit filed by frustrated consumers in California, who claimed the conditions of securing a Birkin breached fairness laws.Despite the lawsuit being dismissed twice, Hermès pledged to improve the availability of information and reduce waiting time for some items, French publication Glitz reported. The plaintiffs lodged an appeal last October. Model Jerry Hall also owns the coveted bag (pictured at the Goal premiere in London, 2005)Hermès was accused of restricting sales of its most desirable items to customers with a history of spending large sums at the brand, and of enforcing a 'hidden lottery system', making customers spend more without any guarantee of securing a Birkin.The change follows an investigation by Glitz that found employees of the luxury fashion house use Google to 'analyse' the addresses of prospective Birkin buyers to ensure their homes are prestigious enough.Staff also reportedly 'scrutinise' potential owners' social media accounts, the investigation claimed. If workers later spot a customer listing the bag for sale on their social media, both the client and employee responsible for the sale are allegedly blacklisted. It comes in addition to the other hurdles that customers must jump over to secure the status symbol.To additionally help eliminate rumours of a hidden lottery system, store assistants will now share more information with customers regarding product availability and waiting time frames. Some stores will also display signs explaining which items can be bought without any prior purchase history.Earlier this month, following the initial Glitz investigation, journalist Louis Pisano wrote on X: 'Hermès is allegedly stalking their clients. A Glitz investigation has revealed that Hermès employees are Googling clients' home addresses to determine whether they have a prestigious enough address to be deemed worthy of a Birkin or Kelly.'Hermès is also allegedly scrutinizing clients' social media accounts and the content they post. After a quota bag is purchased, they continue to monitor for resale activity, which, if detected, results in an immediate blacklist for the client.'One sales associate told Glitz, "Every new client is automatically a suspect". Signals associates use to identify the "right" client for a quota bag include wearing an Audemars Piguet or Richard Mille watch, while a flashy Rolex can spark mistrust.'Customers are additionally thought to require a long, consistent shopping history with the French brand before being offered a Birkin, meaning thousands may be indirectly spent on the bag.Once in store, customer attire and behaviour is also judged - with specific items, including an extravagant Rolex, serving as an instant red flag for sales associates, the outlet reported. It's loved by stars, including Heidi Klum, pictured with a Birkin in 2022 Singer Katy Perry out in London in May 2019 - holding a bright orange BirkinDespite the intense requirements, it costs Hermès around just $1,000 to make the bag, analysts told The Wall Street Journal. Insiders told the Journal that Hermès shoppers must spend $10,000 on other goods, like shoes and scarves, before they're invited to purchase a basic model.To be considered for a rare, limited-edition purse, Hermès regulars must spend around $200,000 on other items in-store, it is claimed. Even when the coveted offer is made, shoppers are shown a single bag they've been invited to buy and are not allowed to specify its colour.The bag, however, wasn't always so hard to get, and it was originally sold on the shelf at Hermès boutiques in the early 90s. The drastic economic shift arrived between 2008 and 2009, during the financial crisis, Matthew Rubinger, a chief commercial officer at 1stDibs, an online marketplace, said.'Once (the limited edition versions) started getting above $100,000, things got more serious,' Rubinger explained, adding that the idea of a no-logo bag was easily available to rock during every season - never going out of style.For many fashion aficionados, these iconic accessories are an ultimate status symbol reserved only for celebrities, socialites and the ultra-wealthy.Some of Hollywood's most elite actors, singers, and models, including Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez, have been spotted clutching a Birkin bag. Kim, a Birkin mega-fan, is said to have a collection of bags ranging from $50,000 to $500,000.The 'it bag' has caused such hysteria that people have done nearly anything to get one. Some people have gone as far as to bring in freshly baked cookies, offered Beyoncé tickets, a trip to the Cannes Film Festival in a private plane, and even handed over a wad of cash to the associates - just to get a Birkin for themselves.In March, two Californians, Tina Cavalleri and Mark Glinoga, hit the brand with a class-action lawsuit, alleging that they were required to purchase other luxury items from the retailer in order to obtain a Birkin.According to The Fashion Law, Hermès was accused of antitrust and unfair business practices after taking advantage of the 'unique desirability, incredible demand and low supply' of the designer bags.The pair accused Hermès of using the hard-to-get bags to boost their sales of other products.They claimed that shoppers are often told to develop a close relationship with their sales associate and work their way up to eventually procuring the handbag by purchasing other items first.In response, the company said in a court filing that it does not require its customers to buy other products in order to get one of the famed bags. The case was dismissed in September 2025. All the convoluted steps shoppers must allegedly take to secure a coveted Hermès bagIt would appear that one does not simply walk into Hermès and buy a coveted model - like the Birkin or Kelly - which will already see them parting with, potentially, as much as $250,000.There are, reportedly, complicated 'games' one must play just to be offered a chance to buy one, let alone get anywhere near securing the It-girl accessory.While there are no real formal steps, insiders and fashion influencers have over the years offered their insights into shopping at the luxury brand...1. Build a 'relationship' with the sales team In 2022, TikTok influencer Audrey Peters said that 'essentially what you do is pick one sales associate, you text her how she's doing, you check in with her and see what new stock they have'.This, she alleged, puts you in good stead with the brand - and you can start your bag-buying journey.'Go visit basically as often as you can that's realistic for your bank account and for your schedule,' she said.'And whenever you go, it's suggested that you buy a little something -something. Basically every item that you're buying is getting you closer to getting an offer for a Kelly or a Birkin. 'Because the more you buy, the more likely a sales associate is to give you an offer for one.'However, as per the Glitz investigation, even this claim has sparked suspicions in recent years, with Hermès associates reportedly being wary of being seen as too pally with prospective buyers, lest they get accused of favouritism.2. Buy different types of 'things' Once you've secured a sales associate who you enjoy working with, the next step is, reportedly, to start buying items to indicate that you're serious about your future as a potential Birkin or Kelly owner. 'You should focus on ready-to-wear, high-end jewellery and furniture,' influencer Roma Abdesselam told the Daily Mail in 2024.'The easiest way to get what you want is by being an Hermès customer that actually enjoys what the store has to offer besides Kellys and Birkins.'Anaya, another content creator, agreed, reporting that she often purchased her personal items and even gifts for others from her sales associate.However, the most important thing to keep in mind here is 'consistency,' when it comes to purchasing. And, per many of the threads on the The Hermès Game subreddit, it's rumoured that items like fine jewellery (watches in particular), homeware and furniture can earn the sales associates an alleged higher commission.'Hard to sell' items, like bookends and chess sets, are also a high commodity for commission, one Reddit user alleged.Sales associates do not earn commission for any quota bags. Even after you score the Birkin, too, it's important to keep buying, especially if you 'want access to upcoming items,' Anaya told the Daily Mail. 'I personally like many of their goods for gifting so I'm always buying something… big or small,' she said. 'This keeps the relationship.'3. Don't buy too many bags Glitz said the other 'red flags' associates reportedly keep an eye on are shoppers who purchase less revered 'non quota' bags just to rack up their presence in the store.This, the outlet said, simply comes off as 'opportunistic'. On the contrary, furniture comes across positively. 4. Get a 'leather appointment'According to Glitz, clients must - at some stage of the journey, but it is elusive when - get a 'leather appointment'. This lets them put in a request for a bag. As of 2019, this has been operating on a lottery based system in Paris, which replaced long heaving queues at physical locations.However, even such an appointment doesn't guarantee a Birkin or Kelly. 5. Accept that you may not get exactly what you wantAlthough the excitement of getting offered any Birkin or a Kelly may be absolutely tantalising for some customers, the truth is - according to past reports - that you often have little control over what your sales associate will have available for you.Hermès boutiques around the world can, it is understood, only purchase a certain amount and style of Birkin bags bi-annually, and rarely know what they will look like ahead of time, according to Sotheby's.So, what happens when you get offered a neon-yellow Birkin instead of the brown crocodile one you were hoping for? According to Anaya, it's not bad form to turn down a Birkin or a Kelly offer from your sales associate. 'Not everything is for everyone,' she admitted. 'I've had instances where I thought I want something and when it came in... I had changed my mind and it didn't hurt our relationship in any way.'6. Wear the right accessories Much like you have to spend money to make money, it appears you have to spend money on other designers just to prove you're worthy of a Birkin.Glitz's investigation claimed that as well as Hermès reportedly scrutinising their home addresses and online presence, there are other tastemarker signals.For instance, Audemars Piguet or Richard Mille watches are a go - but Rolexes appear 'flashy and vulgar'.