Bonhams Lists Designer Handbags and Fashion Auction Scheduled to End on 1 October 2026

Bonhams lists the Designer Handbags and Fashion: including a private collection of Costume Jewellery auction on its official calendar^[1], scheduled to end on 1 October 2026. This online sale highlights the enduring demand for rare and collectible luxury accessories, specifically focusing on the premier creations of Hermès. Among the most notable objects presented is a Black Swift Leather and Ecru Toile H Goéland Cargo Birkin 35, which represents a highly functional, multi-pocketed interpretation of the classic Birkin silhouette. This piece features palladium hardware and is graded at Condition Grade A+^[2] by the house, coming complete with its cup holder, card holder, padlock, keys, cloche, protective felt, booklet, dust bags, rain jacket, copy of original receipt, and box. Another contemporary masterpiece is a Dune Swift Leather Birkin 25, featuring permabrass hardware and also boasting a Condition Grade A+ rating^[3]. It is accompanied by its padlock, keys, cloche, felt protector, copy of receipt, dust bags, care booklet, and box. These modern leather pieces are accompanied by exceptional exotic skin lots, such as a Shiny Black Porosus Crocodile Birkin 35 with gold tone hardware^[4], and a Shiny Graphite Porosus Crocodile Sellier Kelly 32 with palladium hardware^[5]. Both of these exotic lots carry CITES export and import restrictions, meaning they can only be shipped to addresses within the UK or collected directly from the London saleroom.

The upcoming close of this auction follows several notable sales on the Bonhams calendar. In September, the house presented The Cellar of Dr Remington Norman: The Legacy of a Pioneering Wine Writer, which realized £652,761 across 298 lots sold^[1]. Also in September, the Old Master Paintings sale brought in £340,124 with 72 lots sold^[1], while The Autumn Automobilia Auction, also in September, achieved £152,051 with 282 lots sold^[1]. These specialized single-owner and category sales demonstrate the broad footprint of the house across diverse collecting categories.

To understand the scale of this event within the broader luxury market, it is useful to look at the market context. Across all categories, the global market for collectible handbags has realized $46,521,786 across every house^[1] tracked this year. This highly active category maintains a strong average sell-through rate of 91.2%, with Christie's^[1] leading the category globally. For Bonhams, this sale represents an opportunity to capture a share of this high-performing sector. Across all of its sales this year, Bonhams has achieved a total of $381,957,430 in realized value^[1]. Looking at the house's performance in British pounds, Bonhams has realized £101,478,782 year to date^[1], maintaining a solid sell-through rate of 80.2%.^[1]

The practical shape of the sale reflects a carefully curated selection of luxury items designed to appeal to both seasoned collectors and new buyers. The estimates for the leading lots are positioned to attract competitive bidding, with the top-estimated Hermès Cargo Birkin 35 carrying an estimate of £20,000 on the low end to £25,000 on the high end. The Dune Swift Leather Birkin 25 is estimated at £16,000 to £22,000, while the exotic crocodile pieces, including the Shiny Black Porosus Crocodile Birkin 35 and the Shiny Graphite Porosus Crocodile Sellier Kelly 32, each carry estimates of £15,000 to £20,000. Other notable lots include a Vert Emeraude Shiny Alligator Constance 18, estimated at £14,000 to £20,000, alongside a Bleu Zanzibar Swift Leather Birkin 25, a Matte Bleu Ciel Alligator Retourne Kelly 40, and a Bleu Nuit Togo Leather Birkin 25, each carrying an estimate of £12,000 to £18,000^{[9][9][8][8][7][7]}. This range of estimates offers a comprehensive view of the current secondary market values for premium Hermès leather and exotic goods.