# Is Hermés overpriced?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hermes-overpriced/573037
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [March 1, 2011, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hermes-overpriced/573037 "2011-03-01T06:04:44Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@No\_Wikipedia\_Cites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_Wikipedia_Cites)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2011, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hermes-overpriced/573037/1 "2011-03-01T06:04:44Z")
The stuff at Hermes Paris is out of this world expensive.
BUT it also, unless I am biased or foolish, the best I’ve seen.
So is it really overpriced or not? Are ferrari-'s overpriced? It seems like Hermes scarf is like a Ferrari scarf, if it were a car.
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### Author:  [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2011, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hermes-overpriced/573037/2 "2011-03-01T06:11:04Z")
I have a couple of Hermès ties. They were pricey, but the quality is beautiful.
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### Author:  [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2011, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hermes-overpriced/573037/3 "2011-03-01T07:17:45Z")
Don’t both your poll choices agree that they’re overpriced?
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### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2011, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hermes-overpriced/573037/4 "2011-03-01T07:27:04Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#):
>
> Don’t both your poll choices agree that they’re overpriced?
But the question is is Hermes worth the overprice.
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### Author:  [@hammos1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hammos1)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2011, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hermes-overpriced/573037/5 "2011-03-01T12:55:21Z")
> [@runner pat](#):
>
> But the question is is Hermes worth the overprice.
Nothing that is overpriced is worth it- by definition. The second option should be ‘Hermes is expensive, but worth it’.
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### Author:  [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2011, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hermes-overpriced/573037/6 "2011-03-01T13:22:52Z")
Their perfumes aren’t so very expensive, comparatively, and are definitely worth it–Jean-Claude Ellena is their house perfumer, and the man is a genius.
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### Author:  [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2011, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hermes-overpriced/573037/7 "2011-03-01T13:53:39Z")
The markup on their stuff is almost certainly a lot higher than for other brands. That’s an argument they they are overpriced - but not a convincing one.
To the gentleman who’d like to get to know his lady friend a bit better, this sort of thing can be worth every penny. And in this sort of transaction it’s typically important that the lady understand this stuff is hideously expensive - the exact same item for less money might be much less appealing.
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### Author:  [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2011, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hermes-overpriced/573037/8 "2011-03-01T14:18:34Z")
Mr. Athena got me an Hermes scarf for my birthday a couple years ago, and it’s absolutely gorgeous. The detail is amazing, and I love it. Yes, it was expensive, but for an occasional splurge, why not? I’m about the least fashion-conscious person I know, and it makes me happy.
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### Author:  [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2011, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hermes-overpriced/573037/9 "2011-03-01T14:25:45Z")
There are 4 people in this thread defending Hermes prices, but only one of them voted for option B.
Brilliant.
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### Author:  [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2011, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hermes-overpriced/573037/10 "2011-03-01T14:45:04Z")
I didn’t vote at all.
The \*purpose \*of luxury goods is not to optimize price/performance.
The \*purpose \*of luxury goods is to convey status.
What does “overpriced” even mean for a status good? Imagine two brands, X & Y. Both have identical objective quality of materials, design, and workmanship. X’s retail price is triple Y’s. Is X overpriced?
Only if the status conveyed by X is less than 3 times the status conveyed by Y. And status is a social construct, so the answer may well differ for two different buyers. Brand X could easily be seen by the social crowd as more than 3x better than Y. In which case it’s underpriced.
I suspect for many folks in the middle of the pack amongst the seriously rich, status is measured exactly by the retail price. So for them, X can’t by overpriced compared to Y no matter what their relative prices are. Because the price \*is \*the status.
If the OP is really asking “Does the objective quality of Hermes goods justify the price?”, the answer is almost certainly “No, because the price definitely includes some status premium which is above the price commanded solely by virtue of the goods’ objective quality.”
And the same thing could be said of all Hermes’ competitors as well.
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### Author:  [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2011, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hermes-overpriced/573037/11 "2011-03-01T14:56:40Z")
Well, I think the designs are kind of ugly and old-ladyish myself.
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### Author:  [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2011, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hermes-overpriced/573037/12 "2011-03-01T15:22:40Z")
> [@even\_sven](#):
>
> Well, I think the designs are kind of ugly and old-ladyish myself.
Really? Granted, I think some designs are not to my taste, and could be described as old-ladyish, but there’s so many of them that it seems like at least a few would appeal to most people.
Mine is blue, with elephants and cheetahs! How can blue-with-elephants be old-ladyish? 😃
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### Author:  [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2011, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hermes-overpriced/573037/13 "2011-03-01T15:25:04Z")
I’m not sure if its the best I’ve seen. I prefer silk art scarves - scarves made by artists where each one is individual. I have a few (and I’ve paid - not Hermes prices for them - but art house prices for them). In terms of quality, many of them are as good quality as Hermes (some of them are not, depends on the artist).
On the other hand, if you have the money to blow on $500 scarves, are you really worried about the price? This is one of those things that if value is part of the equation, you probably shouldn’t buy it.
And yeah, there perfume is pretty reasonable as far as high end perfume goes.
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### Author:  [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2011, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hermes-overpriced/573037/14 "2011-03-01T15:40:01Z")
> [@Athena](#):
>
> Really? Granted, I think some designs are not to my taste, and could be described as old-ladyish, but there’s so many of them that it seems like at least a few would appeal to most people.
>
> Mine is blue, with elephants and cheetahs! How can blue-with-elephants be old-ladyish? 😃
I can find a few I don’t think are outright ugly, but on the whole I find them too busy and the whole horse schtick to be pretty tacky. Even the whimsical stuff seems “whimsical in a way that would tickle my grandmother’s fancy.” I guess it’s just not my thing.
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### Author:  [@miss\_elizabeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miss_elizabeth)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2011, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hermes-overpriced/573037/15 "2011-03-01T15:49:56Z")
I think it’s overpriced, and I agree with **even sven** that it isn’t my style at all, but I also think it’s _supposed_ to be overpriced, and I don’t have even the slightest problem with people spending their money on what they want. As someone else said (don’t feel like scrolling up) luxury goods are meant to convey status. A great many people (most, i would say) care about that in one item or another. Maybe you have to have the nicest cell phone, or you want a lovely scarf, or you need the finest hand dyed yarn (me!). So, yeah, overpriced, but by design, and there’s nothing wrong with that! If you can afford it, enjoy it!
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### Author:  [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2011, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hermes-overpriced/573037/16 "2011-03-01T19:57:12Z")
I really don’t see how the scarf/Ferrari analogy holds up. The only function a Hermes scarf performs that a $5 scarf from Target doesn’t is impressing people who both know and care what Hermes scarfs looks like and cost (I personally wouldn’t know you were wearing one unless you told me; I’m not very familiar with the brand). The only difference between the two is appearance. The Ferrari, on the other hand, is an extremely specialized high-performance machine. It absolutely functions differently than a Ford Taurus, or whatever.
Edit: which isn’t to say no one should buy one; it’s your money, I couldn’t care less. I just don’t think it’s the same thing as a Ferrari.
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### Author:  [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2011, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hermes-overpriced/573037/17 "2011-03-01T20:03:52Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#):
>
> The \*purpose \*of luxury goods is not to optimize price/performance.
>
> The \*purpose \*of luxury goods is to convey status.
>
> What does “overpriced” even mean for a status good?
I agree with this. For some people, luxury items are a complete waste of money and could never be thought of as being “priced reasonably”. For others, luxury items are important to them for their status/exclusivity, and price is not even part of the equation.
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### Author:  [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2011, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hermes-overpriced/573037/18 "2011-03-01T20:17:17Z")
Even if I had a shitload of money, I wouldn’t pay that much for a bag or a scarf. Their scarves are downright ugly, and although some of the bags are cute, they’re hilariously expensive. (I mean, I like [this little red bag](http://usa.hermes.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10202&catalogId=10052&langId=-1&categoryId=168039&leftCategoryId=168027&topCategoryId=127525&parentCategoryId=168039&productId=65952). But it’s a thousand fucking dollars! And that’s cheap compared to [this very pretty blue bag](http://usa.hermes.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10202&catalogId=10052&langId=-1&categoryId=168037&leftCategoryId=168026&topCategoryId=127525&parentCategoryId=167593&productId=58405) that runs nearly $8000.) So I voted for “overpriced”.
However, if they can get people to pay outrageous amounts for that stuff, then economically speaking, it’s the correct price. Clearly I am not their target customer.
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### Author:  [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2011, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hermes-overpriced/573037/19 "2011-03-01T21:05:16Z")
Well, if there’s one thing this thread has taught me, it’s my fashion sense is really out there. I pretty much live in pajamas and t-shirts; I don’t care at all what I wear, as long as it’s comfortable. About the only high-fashion thing that’s ever caught my eye are Hermes scarves, and here I find out they’re old-ladyish and ugly! :eek:
Seriously, they remind me of a Persian rug or some kind of super-detailed tapestry. At least some of them do - I think [this one](http://usa.hermes.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10202&catalogId=10052&langId=-1&categoryId=56952&leftCategoryId=10707&topCategoryId=127524&parentCategoryId=127531&productId=81104&nbItem=0) is pretty cool, as is [this.](http://www.houseofscarves.com/sold%20scarves/1108.htm)
[This](http://www.jillsconsignment.com/proddetail.php?prod=hermeschasseenindesilkscarf&PHPSESSID=f784195f084dce409f0a8f5dd1ea0b76) is a detail of the one I have - couldn’t find a pic of the whole scarf. And just in honor of this thread, I put it on. It goes great with my ripped t-shirt and pajama pants.
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### Author:  [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2011, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hermes-overpriced/573037/20 "2011-03-01T21:10:58Z")
> [@even\_sven](#):
>
> I can find a few I don’t think are outright ugly, but on the whole I find them too busy and the whole horse schtick to be pretty tacky. Even the whimsical stuff seems “whimsical in a way that would tickle my grandmother’s fancy.” I guess it’s just not my thing.
I feel the same about about them.
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