bringing home the birkin by michael tonello

Whether he's relating his wining and dining, buying and selling, dodging and weaving, laughing and crying, or schmoozing and stammering, Michael is a master raconteur who weaves together tales of hunting Birkins in the world's most posh locales, memories of meals that would make any gastronome salivate, anecdotes of obsessed collectors with insatiable desires, and sweetly intimate stories about his family, friends, and finding true love. 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.

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. 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. But soon the resourceful Michael discovered the truth about the waiting list and figured out the secret to getting Hermès 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 Hermès scarf sold on eBay to generate some quick cash. Unless, of course, she happens to know Michael Tonello. 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 Hermès, and the average fashionista has a better chance of climbing Mount Everest in Prada pumps than of possessing one of these coveted carryalls. An insider's hilarious, whirlwind account of his years spent globe-trotting in search of the holy grail of handbags: the Birkinįor more than twenty years, the Hermès Birkin bag has been the iconic symbol of fashion, luxury, and wealth.

Bringing home the birkin by michael tonello