Buy, Buy Birkin

Have you ever considered paying more than $7,000 for a handbag? One that’s handmade, lined with goat skin, adorned with untarnishable hardware, and more difficult to purchase than an ice-cream cone in Hell? We see you shaking your heads vigorously and wondering who in hell would make such a frivolous purchase, but believe us — women around the world are on waiting lists two years long to do just that. Their aim? To obtain a bag from French fashion house Hermès. And when writer Michael Tonello found a way to help wealthy ladies worldwide bridge the gap between purse-envy and bag-in-hand, he was suddenly as in-demand as the handbags themselves — and rich too.

He chronicled his journey from expat to one of eBay’s most successful entrepreneurs in his book Bringing Home the Birkin, and since an advance copy has already sold on eBay for almost $1,000, we can imagine the gaggle of socialites who will be lined up at Books & Books Friday at 8 to pick Tonello’s brain. Admission, unlike the handbag you’re jonesing for, is free.
Fri., May 2, 8 p.m., 2008