
Original Hermès Birkin Sells for Staggering $10 Million USD
The ultimate symbol of luxury and an icon born from a serendipitous airplane encounter,Jane Birkin's originalHermèsbag has sold at auction for an astounding $10.1 million (8.6 million euros), including fees. The sale, conducted by Sotheby's in Paris, has shattered previous records, making it the most expensive handbag ever sold at auction and the second most valuable fashion item in auction history.
The prototype, famously sketched out on an air sickness bag by Birkin during a 1981 flight with then-Hermès head Jean-Louis Dumas, was handcrafted for her in 1984 and delivered in 1985. Birkin used the battered black leather bag daily until 1994, even adorning it with stickers from Médecins du Monde and UNICEF, and incorporating practical details like a nail clipper. These personal touches and its unique origins distinguish it from all subsequent commercial Birkin bags, which became a global symbol of exclusivity and high fashion.
The 10-minute bidding war saw nine collectors vying for the piece, with a private collector from Japan ultimately securing the legendary bag. Its sale price eclipses the previous record for a handbag, a diamond and crocodile Kelly bag that sold for $513,040 USD in 2021, and far surpasses a white-diamond Himalaya Birkin that fetched $450,000 USD in 2022. Before the bidding, auctioneer Aurélie Vandevoorde said, 'Today, the Birkin has become a veritable fashion icon,' calling it 'the most famous bag of all time.'
Sotheby's Global Head of Handbags and Fashion, Morgane Halimi, called the sale 'an important milestone,' stating, 'It is incredible to think that a bag initially designed by Hermès as a practical accessory for Jane Birkin, has become the most desirable bag in history.' The staggering price reflects not only the bag's rarity and provenance but also its deep cultural significance as a piece of fashion history intertwined with the life of its muse, Jane Birkin, who passed away in 2023.

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Focus on Combine, Self-Propelled Forage, Robots, Guidance & Steering System, GPS, Yield Monitoring System, Robotic Arm, Sensors, Cameras
DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Precision Harvesting Market by Combine Harvesters, Self-Propelled Forage Harvesters, Harvesting Robots, Guidance & Steering System, GPS, Yield Monitoring System, Robotic Arm, Sensors, Cameras and Region - Global Forecast to 2030" report has been added to offering. The global precision harvesting market is estimated to be valued at USD 29.79 billion by 2030, up from USD 21.52 billion in 2025, at a CAGR of 6.7% during the forecast period. The report will help the market leaders/new entrants in this market with information on the closest approximate revenues for the overall precision harvesting market and related segments. This report will help stakeholders understand the competitive landscape and gain more insights to strengthen their position in the market and plan suitable go-to-market strategies. The report also helps stakeholders understand the pulse of the market and provides them with information on key market drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges. Several important factors are driving the strong growth of the precision harvesting market. As wages and farm hand labor increase, more farmers are choosing to rely on robots for harvesting. Besides, using AI, the Internet of Things (IoT), and imagery in agriculture is making sure crops give more and that leftovers from harvest are low, generating more profit for the business. Assistance and new campaigns from the government are pushing more farmers to adopt advanced farming technologies. However, the high price of automated harvesting machines prevents many people from taking advantage of them. On top of that, in some areas, weak online services, worries about sharing data, and incompatible systems are blocking the use of blockchain in agriculture. The major players in the precision harvesting market with a significant global presence include Deere & Company (US), CLAAS KGaA mbH (Germany), CNH Industrial N.V. (Netherlands), AGCO Corporation (US), KUBOTA Corporation (Japan), and others. By offering, Software is expected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The software segment is projected to register the highest CAGR within the precision harvesting market during the forecast period; driven by up-to-date analysis, smart production processes, and sound choices, which are important, this industry is growing. Yield monitoring, field mapping, data analytics, and machine learning technology are now helping farmers to plan and control their harvests effectively. By bringing together crop health, soil statistics, and weather predictions on the same platform, these tools make farm harvesting more accurate and help farmers reduce crop loss. The rising adoption of cloud-based farm management software, subscription-based services, and mobile applications is also boosting accessibility for small and medium-sized farms. Also, using AI and IoT on these systems increases their ability to predict problems and automate tasks. Companies such as Trimble (US), Raven Industries (US), and Hexagon Agriculture (Sweden) are leading the way with full software suites for precision farming. As more farmers realize that technology can improve their farming methods and resource use, demand for precision harvesting software is set to drive its growth within this part of the market. By application, the horticulture segment is projected to account for the second-largest market share during the forecast period. Horticulture is expected to hold the second-largest share of the application segment in the precision harvesting market during the forecast period. The rising global demand for fruits, vegetables, and other valued crops is behind this growth. Horticulture produce does not grow on a large scale; hence, precision is very important, which makes robotic arms, vision machines, and automated harvesters very useful for harvesting. With these technologies, the harvesting process causes little harm to the produce and keeps the result uniform and top-quality. Due to rising labor rates and a decreased number of skilled workers, horticultural industries now depend more on precision harvesting. For this reason, farmers use smart machines and updated harvesting technology to increase their productivity. Both governments and businesses invest in research, creating harvesting solutions that work for each crop, further encouraging farmers to adopt these technologies. Europe and North America have already started to bring these technologies into their greenhouse and open-field horticulture systems. Higher awareness, better technology, and demand for fresh goods will make horticulture a major player in driving the growth of the precision harvesting market. Americas are projected to account for the largest market share during the forecast period. The Americas region is predicted to lead the global precision harvesting market within the forecast period due to the established position of this region in innovative farming methods and practices. For instance, in Canada and the US, the farming community has been amongst the earliest adopters of smart farming technology in a wide-ranging spectrum of practices, from advanced combine harvesters to autonomous equipment and intelligent software systems. Many organized farms across North America and South America practice large-scale farming, which requires tools that allow them to work as effective, accurate, and cost-effective farmers - key factors driving demand in this area. 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Taken together, the evidence shows that the Americas region is leading the advancement of precision harvesting. Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 211 Forecast Period 2025 - 2030 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2025 $21.52 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2030 $29.79 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 6.7% Regions Covered Global Expand Market Dynamics Drivers Rising Wage Rates and Labor Shortage Growing Emphasis on Optimizing Agricultural Yield and Reducing Waste Mounting Adoption of Advanced Technologies to Enhance Food Security Rising Integration of AI, IoT, and Imaging Technologies into Harvesting Equipment Restraints High Upfront and Ownership Costs Limited Interoperability and Equipment Compatibility Data Privacy and Connectivity Issues Opportunities Surging Demand for High-Value Crops Expansion of Leasing Models and Custom Hiring Centers in Emerging Economies Challenges Lack of Skilled Operators and Technical Expertise Uneven Adoption Across Geographies Supply Chain Analysis Ecosystem Analysis Impact of AI/Gen AI on Precision Harvesting Market Impact of 2025 US Tariff on Precision Harvesting Market Introduction Key Tariff Rates Price Impact Analysis Impact on Countries/Regions US Europe Asia-Pacific Impact on Applications Company Profiles Deere & Company Cnh Industrial N.V. Claas KGaA Mbh Agco Corporation Kubota Corporation Topcon Corporation Sdf Group Pellenc AG Leader Technology Trimble Inc. Hexagon Ab Teejet Technologies Dickey-John Bernard Krone Holding SE & Co. KG Harvest Croo Robotics LLC Fjdynamics Ripe Robotics Pty Ltd Sentera Metomotion Bonsai Robotics Octinion Gamaya Tersus Gnss Inc. U-Blox Swift Navigation, Inc. For more information about this report visit About is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.