Privé Porter: The Hermès Birkin and Kelly Specialist
By the Privé Porter Editorial Team · Hermès specialists since 2012
Privé Porter is the Miami-based Hermès specialist founded in 2012 by Michelle Berk. We source, authenticate, buy and deliver new and rare Hermès Birkin, Kelly and exotic bags to clients in more than 50 countries, and we stand behind every bag for as long as you own it. Shop our collection or sell your bag at priveporter.com.
For more than a decade, collectors who want a specific Birkin or Kelly, in a preferred color, size, leather and hardware, without the uncertainty of a boutique wait, have come to Privé Porter. This guide explains who we are, how each part of the business works, and what the press has written about us along the way.
What is Privé Porter?
Privé Porter is a Hermès specialist reseller: we focus on sourcing, authenticating and delivering Hermès handbags, with the Birkin and the Kelly at the center of everything we do. According to our About Us page, the company was founded in 2012 by Michelle Berk and has sourced and sold, by our own count, more than $300 million of authentic Hermès handbags to thousands of clients across more than 50 countries.
We describe our inventory as the largest curation of rare Hermès handbags available anywhere. The clearest way to test it is to browse our Privé Porter collection or ask our team of specialists for a specific bag.
How did Privé Porter start?
Privé Porter was founded in 2012 by Michelle Berk with a focus on Hermès handbags. Instagram changed the scale: as reported by Glossy in 2016, roughly 90 percent of the business then came through the platform, a channel we still use to post new arrivals daily.
How does buying a Birkin or Kelly from Privé Porter work?
Most clients start in one of three places: our website, our Instagram feed (@priveporter) or a direct message to a specialist on WhatsApp at +1 (305) 432-1285. The Priveporter.com website carries our extensive and we invite clients to ask for anything they do not see.
- Tell us the bag. Model, size, color, leather, hardware and stitching (Sellier or Retourne) narrow the search quickly.
- Review the details. We share photographs, the bag's stamp and its confirm complete sets in advance so you know exactly what you are buying.
- Confirm and receive. We arrange delivery to you, wherever you are, or offer private viewings in Miami.
Two current examples from our collection: a classic Hermès 25cm Birkin in Etoupe Togo with gold hardware and a Hermès Mini Kelly II in Black Epsom with palladium hardware.
Can Privé Porter source a bag I cannot find?
Yes. Sourcing is where our specialist have earned their reputation, having built quite an extensive private network of industry relationships over more than a decade. We buy from private sellers, global collectors and ultra-high-net-worth clients, never from wholesalers. That network is why we can often locate the pieces collectors chase most: Sellier Birkins, exotic Kellys, Horseshoe Stamp (HSS) special orders, Verso interiors, and Porosus, Niloticus and Mississippiensis alligator Birkins.
How does Privé Porter authenticate Hermès bags?
Authentication is the foundation of the industry. We operate a zero-tolerance policy for counterfeit merchandise, our authentication team examines every item before it is delivered, and we stand behind our authenticity guarantee.
Our limited authenticity guarantee covers the original purchaser for as long as they own the bag. If Hermès after-sales service finds the bag inauthentic, or a qualified independent expert jointly selected by you and Privé Porter makes that finding when Hermès will not or cannot do so, Privé Porter will provide a comparable replacement or store credit, at our choice. Read our Authenticity Guarantee. Few resellers make a promise without an expiry date.
Our specialists examine the details that matter on a Hermès bag: stitching, leather grain, hardware engraving, the blind stamp and date stamp, the clochette, touret and sangles. Two existing guides go deeper: how to spot an authentic Birkin and Kelly and how to read your Hermès date stamp.
How do I sell my Hermès bag to Privé Porter?
Selling starts on our Sell Your Bag page. You share your name, contact details, a description of the bag, its year and, ideally, photographs.
We are most competitive on pristine, unused or store-fresh Hermès bags, and bags with their original receipt and packaging are preferred. Inquire for more information.
Where is the Privé Porter showroom?
Our showroom is in Miami, Florida. Appointments are available on weekdays from 10am to 5pm, with weekend appointments by request. To book, call, text or WhatsApp +1 (305) 432-1285, email sales@priveporter.com or use our contact page.
In November 2020, as reported by Fashion Network, we opened our first brick-and-mortar store, a 1,250-square-foot space in Brickell City Centre, an opening also covered by Forbes, the Miami Herald and WWD. Over the years we have also hosted clients in a private town house on Sutton Place in New York, as reported by WWD, and in Las Vegas at the Grand Canal Shoppes, as reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Does Privé Porter deliver internationally?
Yes. Our clients are in more than 50 countries, and delivery is part of the service, not an afterthought. Many of our clients never visit a showroom: they choose by photograph and video, confirm with a specialist on WhatsApp, and receive their bag at home. Ask your specialist about delivery options and timing for your country before you confirm.
What has the press said about Privé Porter?
We keep a full archive of industry press and celebrity press. A few milestones collectors ask about most:
| Year | Milestone | As reported by |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Privé Porter founded by Michelle Berk | Privé Porter About Us |
| Nov 2015 | #BirkinBoat: more than $2 million in Birkins displayed on a VanDutch 55 yacht at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show | Forbes, PurseBlog |
| Apr 2016 | A 35cm Birkin in Braise shiny Porosus crocodile with 18k white gold and diamond hardware sold for $298,000, then a world record for a handbag | The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, The New York Times, PurseBlog |
| Feb 2020 | Partnership with Rally offering fractional shares in Birkin bags | Bloomberg, Business Insider, WWD |
| Nov 2020 | First store opens in Brickell City Centre, Miami | Forbes, Business Insider, Miami Herald, WWD, Departures, Vogue Hong Kong |
| 2022 | 3D NFT Birkin and Kelly bags at Decentraland Metaverse Fashion Week | Forbes, Cointelegraph, The Fashion Law |
The $298,000 sale deserves its own recognition. According to PurseBlog, the 2008 Birkin carried pavé diamonds totaling more than 10 carats and went to an anonymous buyer in Los Angeles at a fixed price, surpassing the $221,000 achieved at Christie's Hong Kong in June 2015. It remains one of the moments that defined the modern Birkin resale market.
Our clients have also appeared in celebrity coverage. As reported by People and PurseBlog, Paris Hilton's crystal-covered Rose Tyrien Birkin was customized by Privé Porter; as reported by Complex and Page Six, so was the rainbow Birkin Cardi B gave her daughter Kulture. These are press reports of client purchases, not endorsements.
What is Moneybags x MB?
Moneybags x MB (Michelle Berk) is Privé Porter's custom service that turns a genuine Hermès bag into a one-of-one art piece, from initials and sports-team logos to full Swarovski crystal coverage. Named designs include The Bubblegum, The Dollar Dollar, The Crystal Camo, The Back Off Spike, The Pink Crystal, The Black Crystal, The Galaxy, The Union Jack and The Rainbow Chevron, and The Red Lips.
One recent piece, a white Birkin set with blue and silver Swarovski crystals bearing the Olympique de Marseille crest and the motto "Droit au but," was carried by Monica Algarra at OM vs PSG at the Stade Vélodrome; read more here to see the Moneybag: The Swarovski-Covered Hermès That Made Headlines. Moneybags x MB is not affiliated with Hermès International: the bags are genuine Hermès, customized after purchase.
Why buy from Privé Porter?
Because the quality and details are the whole point of a Hermès bag, and we have specialized in them since 2012. We are Hermès specialists, not generalists. We source from private sellers and collectors rather than wholesalers. Our authentication team examines every item. Our authenticity guarantee lasts as long as you own the bag. And our track record, from the $298,000 record sale to more than $300 million in company-reported Hermès sales, has been covered by outlets collectors trust. For a fuller account of our standards, read why collectors trust Privé Porter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Privé Porter legitimate?
Yes. Privé Porter was founded in 2012 by Michelle Berk and has been covered by The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Bloomberg and The New York Times. The company reports more than $300 million in Hermès sales to clients in over 50 countries.
Are Privé Porter bags authentic?
Privé Porter has a zero-tolerance counterfeit policy, and our authentication team examines every item. Our written authenticity guarantee covers the original purchaser for as long as they own the bag, with a comparable replacement or store credit for a qualifying claim, at Privé Porter's choice. Read the full Authenticity Guarantee for the assessment process and terms.
Where is Privé Porter located?
Privé Porter has a private showroom in Miami, Florida, open by appointment on weekdays from 10am to 5pm, with weekends by request. Clients can also buy remotely via the website, Instagram or WhatsApp at +1 (305) 432-1285.
Does Privé Porter buy Hermès bags?
Yes. Sellers submit details through the Sell Your Bag page and, according to the page, can receive an offer within 60 minutes. Pristine, unused or store-fresh bags with receipts and packaging receive the strongest offers.
Who founded Privé Porter?
Privé Porter was founded in 2012 by Michelle Berk. Today the business is run by a team of sourcing, authentication and client specialists.
Is Moneybags x MB part of Hermès?
No. Moneybags x MB is Privé Porter's custom service and is not affiliated with Hermès International. It customizes genuine Hermès bags after purchase, at the owner's direction.
Looking for a specific Birkin or Kelly? Shop the Privé Porter collection, request an offer on your bag, or book a Miami showroom appointment. A specialist is on WhatsApp at +1 (305) 432-1285.