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My Life in Hot Pursuit of the World's Most Coveted Handbag
William Morrow
May 2008
On Sale: April 25, 2008
272 pages
ISBN: 0061473332
EAN: 9780061473333
Hardcover
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Humor
An insider's hilarious, whirlwind account of his years
spent globe-trotting in search of the holy grail of
handbags: the Birkin For more than twenty years, the Hermès Birkin bag has been
the iconic symbol of fashion, luxury, and wealth. 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. Unless, of course, she happens to know Michael
Tonello . . . 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. The result is a
memoir that is distinctive, fun, page-turning, and as
addictive as its namesake.
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