Christie’s sets six world records in the category New world record for an online handbag sale: €5,836,666 New category world record: €635,000 for an Hermès Faubourg model New world records for Dior models 98% sold, with 83% of lots exceeding their high estimate On the left, a special order matte béton alligator & feathers Kelly …
Christie’s sets six world records in the category
- New world record for an online handbag sale: €5,836,666
- New category world record: €635,000 for an Hermès Faubourg model
- New world records for Dior models
- 98% sold, with 83% of lots exceeding their high estimate
On the left, a special order matte béton alligator & feathers Kelly pochette 2023, sold for €190,500; right, an exceptional Hermès Birkin Faubourg Rouge Sellier, a limited 2024 edition, sold for €635,000, setting two world records for the category.
Paris – The 2026 edition of the sale Handbags Online: The Paris Edit has set a new world record for an online handbag sale, totalling €5,836,666. The sale sparked intense competition among collectors from 47 countries worldwide, with 98% of lots sold and 83% achieving prices above their high estimates.
“This sale sets a new benchmark for Christie’s and confirms the strength of the international market for collectible handbags. The exceptional results achieved reflect the growing interest of collectors in the rarest, most innovative and most iconic pieces, making handbags one of the most dynamic categories in the luxury market today.”
Lucile Andreani, Head of Handbags & Accessories, EMEA Region, Christie’s
A 2024 Hermès Birkin 20 Faubourg Rouge Sellier, an ultra-limited edition of fewer than 10 examples, achieved a new world record for the category at €635,000. This spectacular result reflects the growing appetite of collectors for the house’s most exclusive models, as well as a strong level of international interest sustained throughout the sale.
The sale was also marked by a world record for a rare sterling silver Hermès Mini Kelly from the 1990s, which achieved €228,600, nearly three times its high estimate, setting a new benchmark for this model.
Another highlight of the sale was a world record for a Hermès Kelly clutch, a 2023 special order combining feathers and alligator, which sold for €190,500.
Further world records were established for a Hermès Birkin Sellier, which achieved €127,000, more than double its high estimate, and a Hermès Kellydole Picto, which reached €101,600, more than three times its low estimate.
Also for Hermès, several exceptional models delivered remarkable results, including a 2021 Birkin Faubourg ‘Sous la Neige’, which achieved €355,600, significantly exceeding its high estimate.
Several Saddle models created to celebrate John Galliano’s tenth anniversary at Dior surprised the market by reaching record prices. A lot of two sold for €76,200, or 38 times its high estimate, while another lot achieved €50,800, more than 25 times its high estimate. These results set new world records for Dior handbags at auction.
These strong results confirm the robustness of the handbag market, now fully established as a category of collectible objects. They also highlight a generational shift among buyers, with 43% of purchasers belonging to the Millennial and Gen Z generations, underscoring the growing interest of younger collectors in this field.
This edition of Handbags Online: The Paris Edit confirms Christie’s leadership in the international market for collectible handbags, a position built on its unique and longstanding expertise in showcasing the rarest and most sought-after pieces, supported by an unparalleled team of specialists.
A series of world records
1. AN EXCEPTIONAL LIMITED EDITION, MATTE ROUGE SELLIER ALLIGATOR, ÉBÈNE EPSOM, ROUGE H SWIFT, ORANGE H SWIFT, ÉBÈNE SOMBRERO & CRAIE SWIFT LEATHER FAUBOURG SELLIER BIRKIN 20 WITH PALLADIUM HARDWARE
Price realised: €635,000
World record for a handbag at auction, excluding historic or celebrity provenance pieces
2. A LIMITED EDITION MAUVE SYLVESTRE, CHAI, LIME & NATA EPSOM LEATHER KELLYDOLE PICTO WITH PALLADIUM HARDWARE
Price realised: €101,600
World record for a Kellydole Picto Hermès model
3. A RARE, MATTE BÉTON ALLIGATOR, WHITE TOGO, SWIFT & SOMBRERO, ORANGE H & CRAIE SWIFT & BLEU BRUME CHÈVRE LEATHER FAUBOURG SOUS LA NEIGE SELLIER BIRKIN 20 WITH PALLADIUM HARDWARE
Price realised: €355,600
4. AN EXCEPTIONAL SPECIAL ORDER MATTE BÉTON ALLIGATOR & FEATHERS KELLY POCHETTE WITH PALLADIUM HARDWARE
Price realised: €190,500
World record for a Hermes Kelly Pochette
5. A RARE, STERLING SILVER MINI KELLY
Price realised: €228,600
World record for a Sterling silver Mini Kelly
6. A GROUP OF TWO: A LIMITED EDITION JOHN GALLIANO’S 10th ANNIVERSARY AT DIOR 50/100 EMBROIDERED FLOWERS BLACK SILK & LEATHER SPAIN SADDLE BAG WITH TORTOISESHELL LUCITE & STRASS GOLD HARDWARE & A LIMITED EDITION JOHN GALLIANO’S 10th ANNIVERSARY AT DIOR 42/100 GOLD-THREADED DRAGON PINK SILK CHINA SADDLE BAG WITH LACQUER & COPPER TONE HARDWARE
Price realised: €76,200
World record for a Dior handbag
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