Bringing Home the Birkin
"[A] memoir of ā¦ madcap travels, triumphs and humiliations. [Tonello] peels back the layers of pretension at the eminent design houseā¦ . Anyone who's ever stepped into a luxury boutique and felt the sting of the doorman's disapproval will find a hero in Tonello." -Miami Herald
The hilarious, whirlwind account ofĀ an insider'sĀ years spent globe-trotting in search of the handbagĀ called "a better investment than gold": the Birkin.Ā With a life that reads like a heist novel, Michael Tonello reveals the secretĀ to bagging this legendary purse, coveted by celebrities and status-seekers around the world.
For more than forty years, the HermĆØs Birkin bag has been the iconic symbol of fashion, luxury, and wealth. Though the bag is often seen dangling from the arms of celebrities, there is a fabled waiting list of more than two years to buy one from HermĆØs, and the average fashionista has a better chance of climbing Mount Everest in Prada pumps than of possessing one of these coveted carryalls. Unless, of course, she happens to know Michael Tonello ā¦
Michael's newfound career started with an impulsive move to Barcelona, a vanished job assignment, no work visa, and a HermĆØs scarf sold on eBay to generate some quick cash. But soon the resourceful Michael discovered the truth about the waiting list and figured out the secret to getting HermĆØs to part with one of these precious bags. Millions of dollars worth of Birkins later, Michael had become one of eBay's most successful entrepreneurs-and a Robin Hood to thousands of desperate rich women.Ā
With down-to-earth wit, Michael chronicles the unusual ventures that took him to nearly every continent, from eBay to Paris auction house and into the lives of celebrities and poseurs. Flirting with danger, Michael recounts the heady rush of hand delivering his first big score to famed songwriter Carole Bayer Sager in Paris; how he had to hire thugs to rescue a bag that one of his "shoppers" held for ransom; and the story of the Oscar-worthy performances that allowed him to snag "reserved" bags from other, less dogged Birkin seekers.
Whether he's relating his wining and dining, buying and selling, dodging and weaving, laughing and crying, or schmoozing andĀ stammering, Michael is a master raconteur who weaves togetherĀ tales of hunting Birkins in the world's most posh locales, memoriesĀ of meals that would make any gastronome salivate, anecdotes ofĀ obsessed collectors with insatiable desires, and sweetly intimate stories about his family, friends, and finding true love. The result isĀ a memoir that is distinctive, fun, page-turning, and as addictive asĀ its namesake.
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Bringing Home the Birkin
Bringing Home the Birkin
"[A] memoir of ā¦ madcap travels, triumphs and humiliations. [Tonello] peels back the layers of pretension at the eminent design houseā¦ . Anyone who's ever stepped into a luxury boutique and felt the sting of the doorman's disapproval will find a hero in Tonello." -Miami Herald
The hilarious, whirlwind account ofĀ an insider'sĀ years spent globe-trotting in search of the handbagĀ called "a better investment than gold": the Birkin.Ā With a life that reads like a heist novel, Michael Tonello reveals the secretĀ to bagging this legendary purse, coveted by celebrities and status-seekers around the world.
For more than forty years, the HermĆØs Birkin bag has been the iconic symbol of fashion, luxury, and wealth. Though the bag is often seen dangling from the arms of celebrities, there is a fabled waiting list of more than two years to buy one from HermĆØs, and the average fashionista has a better chance of climbing Mount Everest in Prada pumps than of possessing one of these coveted carryalls. Unless, of course, she happens to know Michael Tonello ā¦
Michael's newfound career started with an impulsive move to Barcelona, a vanished job assignment, no work visa, and a HermĆØs scarf sold on eBay to generate some quick cash. But soon the resourceful Michael discovered the truth about the waiting list and figured out the secret to getting HermĆØs to part with one of these precious bags. Millions of dollars worth of Birkins later, Michael had become one of eBay's most successful entrepreneurs-and a Robin Hood to thousands of desperate rich women.Ā
With down-to-earth wit, Michael chronicles the unusual ventures that took him to nearly every continent, from eBay to Paris auction house and into the lives of celebrities and poseurs. Flirting with danger, Michael recounts the heady rush of hand delivering his first big score to famed songwriter Carole Bayer Sager in Paris; how he had to hire thugs to rescue a bag that one of his "shoppers" held for ransom; and the story of the Oscar-worthy performances that allowed him to snag "reserved" bags from other, less dogged Birkin seekers.
Whether he's relating his wining and dining, buying and selling, dodging and weaving, laughing and crying, or schmoozing andĀ stammering, Michael is a master raconteur who weaves togetherĀ tales of hunting Birkins in the world's most posh locales, memoriesĀ of meals that would make any gastronome salivate, anecdotes ofĀ obsessed collectors with insatiable desires, and sweetly intimate stories about his family, friends, and finding true love. The result isĀ a memoir that is distinctive, fun, page-turning, and as addictive asĀ its namesake.
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"[A] memoir of ā¦ madcap travels, triumphs and humiliations. [Tonello] peels back the layers of pretension at the eminent design houseā¦ . Anyone who's ever stepped into a luxury boutique and felt the sting of the doorman's disapproval will find a hero in Tonello." -Miami Herald
The hilarious, whirlwind account ofĀ an insider'sĀ years spent globe-trotting in search of the handbagĀ called "a better investment than gold": the Birkin.Ā With a life that reads like a heist novel, Michael Tonello reveals the secretĀ to bagging this legendary purse, coveted by celebrities and status-seekers around the world.
For more than forty years, the HermĆØs Birkin bag has been the iconic symbol of fashion, luxury, and wealth. Though the bag is often seen dangling from the arms of celebrities, there is a fabled waiting list of more than two years to buy one from HermĆØs, and the average fashionista has a better chance of climbing Mount Everest in Prada pumps than of possessing one of these coveted carryalls. Unless, of course, she happens to know Michael Tonello ā¦
Michael's newfound career started with an impulsive move to Barcelona, a vanished job assignment, no work visa, and a HermĆØs scarf sold on eBay to generate some quick cash. But soon the resourceful Michael discovered the truth about the waiting list and figured out the secret to getting HermĆØs to part with one of these precious bags. Millions of dollars worth of Birkins later, Michael had become one of eBay's most successful entrepreneurs-and a Robin Hood to thousands of desperate rich women.Ā
With down-to-earth wit, Michael chronicles the unusual ventures that took him to nearly every continent, from eBay to Paris auction house and into the lives of celebrities and poseurs. Flirting with danger, Michael recounts the heady rush of hand delivering his first big score to famed songwriter Carole Bayer Sager in Paris; how he had to hire thugs to rescue a bag that one of his "shoppers" held for ransom; and the story of the Oscar-worthy performances that allowed him to snag "reserved" bags from other, less dogged Birkin seekers.
Whether he's relating his wining and dining, buying and selling, dodging and weaving, laughing and crying, or schmoozing andĀ stammering, Michael is a master raconteur who weaves togetherĀ tales of hunting Birkins in the world's most posh locales, memoriesĀ of meals that would make any gastronome salivate, anecdotes ofĀ obsessed collectors with insatiable desires, and sweetly intimate stories about his family, friends, and finding true love. The result isĀ a memoir that is distinctive, fun, page-turning, and as addictive asĀ its namesake.
