Are Hermès Birkin Bags a better investment than gold?

Forget about putting your money into stocks or gold. The Hermès Birkin bag is a much smarter investment.

According to a study by Baghunter, as reported by Luxury Daily, researchers found that the iconic and highly coveted accessory has increased in value by more than 500 percent since its 1984 debut. And, unlike the S&P 500 and gold, the value of Birkins has never dropped. In fact, the handbag’s value has increased at an average rate of 14. 2 percent annually, making it one of the safest investment markets.“There is a difference between luxury and ultra-luxury. While the luxury market suffers during worse economic times the ultra-luxury market is impervious to economic factors that can affect other industries such as high-street retail and stock markets,” Baghunter founder Evelyn Fox told Daily Luxury. “As such, potential volatility in the economy throughout 2016 will likely have little to no effect on the ultra-luxury collectors market and we expect it to continue to thrive for the foreseeable future, remaining the least risky investment opportunity in 2016.”

But, as we all know, getting your hands on a Birkin isn’t an easy task. Even if you have tens of thousands of dollars to drop on the bag, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get one from an Hermès boutique. Sometimes stores will turn away a potential buyer or place him or her on a waiting list that could span several years. This explains why the resale market for the Birkin is surging, and why prices are expected to double within the next decade. (Luxury Daily)