The past few months, I’ve been attempting to buy an Hermès Picotin bag on the Hermes US website.
It hasn’t gone well.
But let’s start at the beginning…
First of all, I was fairly new to Hermès bags. I mean, I was familiar with them enough to know the Birkin, but that’s where my knowledge ended.
One day though, I stumbled across a picture somewhere (I think in a facebook group) of a Picotin bag.
I was smitten.
It was a gorgeous brown color (which I later learned was called “gold”) with gold hardware. And I needed to have it immediately.
So like any normal person, I head over to the Hermès website to check the price. It wasn’t there. And there weren’t many bags to choose from at all.
I had no idea you couldn’t just buy any bag at any time you wanted. I knew the Birkin was that way, but was clueless that other bags may be that way.
I set out gathering all the info I could – about Hermès in general, the Picotin sizing and colors, etc.
Did you know that Hermès only allows one bag purchase per customer (goes by address) per season? And I’m not talking about the FOUR seasons as in spring, summer, fall, winter.
Oh no, no. In the Hermès world, there are just TWO seasons – January to June and July to December.
All this, especially the fact that you have to basically stalk the website for a bag, made the Picotin irresistible to me.
(If there’s anything you should know about me, it’s that I’m stubborn as an ox)
And so I began checking website multiple times a day. Every now and then, I actually saw a Picotin or another newbie added. Every time I clicked on them, they were already sold. Eventually, I was able to add a few bags here and there to my cart, but they were never the color I wanted.
I know, first world problems. Sigh.
I live in Arkansas and our closest physical store is Dallas, but I haven’t heard the best things about it. (if you’ve been to the Dallas store, let me know in the comments how it is).
So when my hubby, Michael, asked me if I wanted to take a quick trip to Vegas, I was excited to spend some time with him…and the THREE HERMES STORES THERE!
Viva Las Vegas
Attempt #1 – the Wynn
We stayed at the Wynn, so our first Hermès boutique we visited was the two-story one in the Wynn Plaza Shops. This was my first time ever walking into an Hermès store.
I probably wouldn’t have walked into another one if it hadn’t been for the damn Picotin. The Sales Associate (SA) that “helped” me was rude and acted like I had no business being in there. I walked around anyway, and when I glimpsed a Picotin behind the glass, asked if they had any in stock. She quickly told me no, they had no bags in stock, and followed me around as I continued to browse.
Let’s talk about what I was wearing. I was in a Tommy Bahama dress and wearing my favorite pair of Sperry’s. I guess I looked like exactly what I was – an early forties mom on vacation. I was carrying my vintage Chanel bag, which upped the look maybe a bit. *shrug*
I decided to change. We went back to our room and I put on my “travel set” that consists of a black jersey tank and pants (there’s also a long cardi, but it was too hot for that). It’s amazingly comfy, but still looks fashionable.
Attempt #2 – Bellagio
After changing, we headed over to the Forum Shops at Caesars to do a little shopping and have dinner.
After our bellies were full on oysters, we walked next door to the Bellagio.
The store there was much smaller than the one at the Wynn, and they had security at the door to let guests in. I waltzed in like I owned the place and was greeted by a lovely SA named Suky. I told her I was looking for a Picotin and she sadly shook her head and said they hadn’t received a shipment that week. At this point, I was feeling like I wasn’t going to have any luck, so I asked to look at the Twilly scarves.
I figured I might as well purchase something. She patiently helped me sort through them and then showed me the size difference between the Picotin 18 and 22. I explained we didn’t have a store close to home, and she was really understanding about my needing to see the sizes. She showed me two “In the Loop” bags which are similar to the Picotin.
After I checked out, she sent me a text so that I could text her if we came back to visit again and I was looking for something. She was great!
Attempt #3 – The Shops at Crystals
I was deflated, but happy with my Twilly purchase. When Michael asked me if I wanted to keep walking and go to the last store, I almost said no.
My feet hurt. I was tired. But the lure of the Picotin still called. So I walked.
And walked.
It seemed like we’d never get there.
And then there it was. I really no longer cared.
That’s not true – I did care, but I didn’t think that I’d find one.
I walked in and a man asked what he could help us with. I laughed and said, “I already know you’re going to say no, but I’m looking for a Picotin.”
To my complete surprise, he looked at the woman next to him and asked her to check and see what they had.
Huh. I don’t know if it was because I was holding the orange bag with the Twilly in it, or what, but he decided I was at least worth checking for.
I followed the woman up the stairs of this massive store. She begins by telling me she thinks they have a couple. I asked if she had any with gold hardware, and she laughed and said, “oh, no, no. Only silver.”
I replied that I really didn’t want silver, I really wanted gold hardware.
We get upstairs and I ask if they have anything else in stock similar in size – maybe an In the Loop, or I’d even consider a small Garden Party.
She goes, “You only want gold hardware?”
“Only gold,” I said.
She laughed and asked why. I shrugged and said it’s what I like.
She looks at her iPad and somehow, magically, she sees they do in fact have one Picotin 22 with gold hardware. Black, she says.
Of course it’s black. That was one of the colors I had decided I didn’t want. I told her I really wanted a brown, or light blue, or green. She laughed again like I was funny (or dumb) and said black was it.
I stand there and look at her and she says, “Up to you.”
This was the strangest thing I’ve ever encountered. She literally wanted me to tell her if I wanted it or not before she went to get it.
I asked, “Can I see it?”
I’m pretty sure this put her out, but she went and got it and then ushered me into a private room where she unboxed it and put the lock on it for me to look at. The room had a floor length mirror and as I was standing there looking at myself with this black bag that I said I wouldn’t buy, I knew it was going to be mine anyway.
“Let’s do it,” I said.
Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately, depending on how you look at it), the Twilly I’d just bought didn’t look good with the black, so I “had” to pick out a different one to go on the bag. Darn.
I had the bag and Twilly shipped home because it was a huge box and I also had zero room in my carry-on. Of course it killed me to not leave the store with it.
The Homecoming
We arrived home about 12:30am on a Friday morning, and FedEx delivered about 1pm the same day we got home.
The good thing about shipping her home – it was like I got it twice! I was so excited about finding her (yes, she’s a her now) at the store, but didn’t get a chance to really appreciate my purchase until I did my own unboxing.
Vegas may be all about instant wins, but this little victory took its sweet time – and it was worth it!
Forget the slot machines, my jackpot showed up in an orange box, straight to my doorstep.
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