WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Thirteen one-of-a-kind Hermes handbags valued at a total of nearly $1 million were stolen from Only Authentics boutique in Palm Beach during a smash-and-grab incident earlier this month.
Store owner Virgil Rogers said the handbags were stolen when the window where they were displayed was shattered sometime during the night of Dec. 14.
Several of the bags are worth more than six figures each, Virgil said, putting the total value of the missing items close to $1 million.
The storecarries a 30-year curated collection of Hermes and Chanel handbags, jewelry and accessories, an employee said. Only Authentic credits itself as “the world’s most trusted independent dealer of Hermes and Chanel handbags and accessories,” according to its website.
Hermes handbags come in a variety of styles and lines made up of one-of-a-kind pieces. The Kelly and the Birkin are the most expensive handbags in the line.
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Eight Birkins and five Kellys were stolen, with the most expensive being a 40-centimeter green crocodile skin Kelly listed at $89,000 and a 32-centimeter Vert Bosphore Birkin listed at $110,000, according to a store employee.
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What are ‘smash-and-grab’ thefts?
These incidents, which have been dubbed “grab and go” or “smash and go” thefts, involve people taking expensive items and running off, rather than traditional shoplifters who snag items here and there while shopping around.
Some of these thefts are also considered organized retail crime, referring to professional shoplifting rings. They have cost U.S. retail stores and companies as much as $30 billion a year, according to the FBI.
Retailers and experts from the National Retail Federation say thefts have gotten more violent amid the pandemic and have moved from cities to the suburbs. Retailers say they’re worried more robberies may be on the horizon.
Contributing: Christine Fernando