Why This Controversial Walmart Handbag Sold Out for Good in Just a Few Days

You've most likely heard of one of the most exclusive, famous handbags on the planet. It may even be the most famous handbag on the planet simply because of its starting price of $7,000. There used to be a waiting list, too.

I'm talking about the Hermès Birkin bag.

Well, Walmart's "Wirkin" bag, as it was nicknamed, is no longer available, at least for now. Pictured immediately below, it was only available online for a few days, and Walmart STILL couldn't keep up with the demand.

According to Forbes Magazine, Walmart was selling a faux Hermès Birkin bag. As a matter of fact, if you click on the Walmart link to add one of the knock-off purses called the KAMUGO or the Aidrani to your shopping cart, you will see an exclamation point and the words "We Couldn't Find This Page."

These leather bags were a mere $60 to $100.

The Hermès Birkin is a “globally recognized emblem of status and wealth,” with price points between $10,000 and $400,000. These bags have become so expensive—not to mention hard to acquire—that their value has grown faster than both the S&P 500 and the price of gold, with a return on investment of 500% over 35 years.

Walmart never referred to it as a Birkin look-alike at all; rather, the internet came up with the nickname "Wirkin" or just called it the Walmart Birkin because it basically looked identical, which, of course, was on purpose.

By the way, you can't just walk into a Hermès store and buy the actual status symbol owned by the filthy rich or famous. You work with a store associate to design it from start to finish, color to hardware to size, and they do have a right to decide if you're eligible. They often appear on auction blocks, and this photo immediately below shows from one of Christie's auctions.

According to USA Today, if you really search, you may be able to find someone selling the Wirkin at an inflated price, or you just wait it out and see if they return again this year, maybe during the 2025 holiday season.

Meanwhile, faux bags aren't new, and there are plenty of Birkin look-alikes out there, including on Amazon. Clearly Walmart never intended for the Wirkin to be a mainstay, but I wouldn't be surprised if we see it again.