It's in the Bag

If men can invest for the future with pricey, exclusive watches, women can do the same with the handbags they faithfully tote about town.

Not so long ago I was invited by Hermes boutique to an afternoon event at the Galeria Grand Hyatt. I took the opportunity to peruse the new collection, especially their must-have Birkin and Kelly bags that give certain members of the Jakarta jet set a uniform look akin to a hospital's nursing staff.

I mused that owning a Hermes bag is perhaps an absolute to gain entry into the inner circle of the affluent, and take one's place in this very rarefied group.

I stopped to take a closer look at a small black handbag - Kelly, of course - no bigger than 20 centimeters or about the same size as my hand. I sized up its cute, small-is-beautiful look, and asked the price.

"It's Rp 75 million," replied the assistant.

Fortunately, my heart is in good condition. For even this was a shock to my otherwise jaded you-get-what-you-pay-for value system. More than US$8,000 for a tiny bag? A friend I ran into during the event quickly set me straight.

"It's not meant for you, my dear. After all, your market is Tajur," she said, referring to the famous counterfeit brand goods haven near Bogor.

A few days later another friend informed me there is now a place to rent expensive handbags. I assumed it was the right solution for people like me, still lacking the disposable income for such purchases.

"But it's not always the case," my friend told me. "It could also be someone wealthy who is loath to part with their money or simply stingy."

That's not to imply the rental is dirt cheap; the rental fee is about Rp 2 million for a night. If Rp 2 million is compared to Rp 75 million, then it may seem a fit and proper fee. But then again spending Rp 2 million in only 24 hours still seems a tad excessive.

Deep down, I understand. Most of us cannot suppress the need for recognition or to constantly bolster our fragile egos. And perhaps both may be achieved by buying that famous brand bag. If I was a latter-day version of Midas, maybe I would have rows of such bags, some made from ordinary leather, some from crocodile skin and others crafted to my own fancy.

When I tired of them, I would set up my own expensive bag rental boutique. It would be the best of both worlds: I would get to keep all those wonderful bags and earn an income from renting them out. Oh, I would be sitting pretty.

"That would be if you were called Bill Gates," my friend said. "And you're not."

+ Samuel Mulia

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