What does a super wealthy husband buy his wife as a gift when that wife already has everything? The world’s rarest handbag, if you’re multimillionaire David Beckham.
As seen on CNBC’s “The Filthy Rich Guide,” Beckham, who is worth $350 million, once bought his clothing designer spouse, Victoria, an albino Nilo crocodile Himalayan Hermès Birkin bag that cost a reported £80,000 (or about $100,000).
The simplest of Birkin bags start at about $10,000 and are famous for their often months- or years-long waiting lists to purchase.
Mrs. Beckham reportedly has 100 of these regular five-figure handbags in a collection that’s estimated to be worth $2 million.
But the Himalayan version (so named because the colouring resembles the mountain range) that Beckham splurged on is no ordinary Birkin.
It’s “possibly the rarest and most desirable handbag in the world,” according to Hermès expert Jane Finds.
Such pale or albino crocodiles are hard to come by and the dying process for the bag is painstaking.
“Hermès only very rarely-and very thoughtfully-creates unique pieces of this calibre,” says Finds. Christie’s estimates only one or two of the bags are handmade per year.
The Himalayan bag also has 18-karat gold hardware that is encrusted with about 245 diamonds.
In 2016 a similar bag sold at auction for $300,000, which means Beckham got hers for a bargain. And luckily for the Beckhams, Birkins only appreciate in value with time.
