Bringing Home the Birkin by Michael Tonello

What’s more, I found Tonello’s lack of concern for practical matters such as obtaining a work visa to be concerning. I was hoping for a more critical examination of the industry and its impact, but instead got a shallow glimpse into the superficiality of the wealthy elite. The book is essentially a collection of anecdotes about his experiences buying and selling Birkin bags, with very little analysis or insight into the world of luxury fashion. Tonello’s writing style is conversational and easy to read, but it lacks depth and substance. While the premise of the book is intriguing – a man making a living buying and selling the most coveted handbag in the world – the execution falls flat. “Bringing Home the Birkin” by Michael Tonello is a book that could have been so much more, but ultimately left me disappointed. With down-to-earth wit, Michael Tonello chronicles the unusual ventures that took him to nearly every continent and from eBay to Paris auction houses and into the lives of celebrities and poseurs alike on the road to becoming a successful entrepreneur and Robin Hood to thousands of desperate rich women. Unless, of course, she happens to know Michael Tonello. With a fabled waiting list of more than two years to purchase one, the average fashionista has a better chance of climbing Mount Everest in Prada pumps than of possessing this coveted carryall. 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.For more than twenty years, the Hermes Birkin bag has been the iconic symbol of fashion, luxury, and wealth. 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. But soon the resourceful Michael discovered the truth about the waiting list and figured out the secret to getting Hermes to part with one of these precious bags. Michael's newfound career started with an impulsive move to Barcelona, a vanished job assignment, no work visa, and an Hermes scarf sold on eBay to generate some quick cash. Print Bringing Home the Birkin: My Life in Hot Pursuit of the World's Most Coveted Handbag

Bringing Home the Birkin by Michael Tonello