A Hermes Birkin bag is a better investment than stocks or gold

Forget the stock market and skip the gold, because according to a recent study buying a Hermès Birkin handbag could be your best bet for long-term investment.

The study by Baghunter – an online marketplace for buying and selling luxury handbags – revealed that the Birkin bag far outperformed both the S&P 500 and the price of gold in the last 35 years.

Comparing the three types of investment it found that the stock market had a return of a nominal average of 11.66 percent, with a real return average of 8.65 percent.

Gold had an average annual return of 1.9 percent and a real return average of -1.5 percent, while the value of Birkin bags increased at a faster rate than either of them.

Rising by 14.2 percent over the same period, the Hermès bag never fluctuated downwards - instead it steadily and consistently increased reaching a peak surge in 2001 where it escalated by a huge 25 per cent.

The Birkin has only ever experienced various levels of positive fluctuation and saw a record-breaking year back in 2015 when a single pink crocodile-skin version sold for an astounding $223,000 (£177,173).

So what is it that makes them so valuable?

Well the Hermès Birkin bag is a status symbol for the elite and super-rich with its principal appeal lying in its exclusivity.

The waiting list for a new one can often be as long as six years, with a bag costing anywhere between $12,000 (£9,534) to more than $200,000 (£251,820) and, because of their allure, they regularly sell on the secondary market through online stores such as Vestaire Collective.

If you do manage to get your hands on one though, it could be the safest and least volatile investment available to you.