We Have $38,000 Purse's Like The Tom Ford handbag Oprah Tried to buy, realistic for consumers like Oprah ...

Oprah Winfrey at a special screening of quot;Lee

Photo credit: AP | Oprah Winfrey at a special screening of "Lee Daniels' The Butler" in Manhattan. (July 31, 2013)

Oprah Winfrey and director Lee Daniels discuss the

Oprah Winfrey speaks during Harvard University's commencement ceremonies

Oprah Winfrey

Tom Cruise appears on the Oprah Winfrey Show.

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The Oprah Winfrey Show' memorable moments and guests ...

LONDON - A $38,000 handbag? For most people, it's unthinkable.

But for the richest sliver of the global population, like Oprah Winfrey, it's a realistic option — and buyers aren't short of choices.

In the upscale boutiques of Singapore, New York or Zurich — where Winfrey claims a sales clerk refused to show her a luxurious bag — purses priced in the four figures are common. In fact, they're so common that a higher level of extravagance exists to set the super-rich apart from the merely affluent.

A budget of about $1,000 to $2,000 will buy one of the cheaper bags by luxe labels such as Prada, Hermes, Fendi, Chanel or Louis Vuitton.

But that's just the starter step. Many labels create the same style of bag in a range of fabrics, from leather to more expensive calfskin, snakeskin and crocodile skin. Adding silver or gold clasps or precious stones can increase the price tag, while limited editions and one-off creations can fetch astronomical sums.

The item at the center of the Winfrey dispute was reportedly a Tom Ford Jennifer bag — named for Jennifer Aniston, a fan of the American designer. The version on sale at Zurich's Trois Pommes was one of the higher-end models, priced at 35,000 Swiss francs ($38,000).

Prices for Hermes' Birkin bag — a square, sturdy tote that has become one of the most-coveted luxury handbags since it was introduced in the 1980s — start at about $10,000, but have gone as high as $200,000, for a red crocodile skin Birkin sold at a 2011 Christie's auction.

Hermes also produced a platinum version studded with 2,000 diamonds, designed by Japanese jeweler Ginza Tanaka and valued at almost $2 million.

That, however, is not the world's most expensive handbag. According to Guinness World Records, that honor goes to a heart-shaped gold purse from jewelry house Mouawad covered in 4,500 diamonds and valued at $3.8 million.

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Top 5 Most Expensive Handbags In The World ...

Handbags are woman’s favorite accessory that holds everything we need. But did you know that some handbags and purses costs as much as a house? The first handbags in the world were made from leaves and animal hide in14th century. They were called “pockets” at first, and the term “handbags” emerged in the 1900′s. In 1920′s handbags become very popular and essential accessory of woman’s closets. They were made in different styles, from different materials and in all the colors. The first designer bag was created by Louis Vuitton, and after him many designers saw the opportunity of making a lot of money by turning a regular handbag into luxury item. Take a look at the Top 5 most expensive handbags in the world!

Expensive Handbags ...

1001 Nights Diamond Purse

The House of Mouawad created the most expensive handbag in the world – 1001 Nights Diamond Purse, which costs amazing $3.8 million. The heart-shaped handbag is decorated with 4,517 diamonds (colorless, pink and yellow) and 18k gold. The purse was made by ten artisans who worked on this four months. This luxurious purse set record at Guinness World of Records for the most expensive handbag in the world.

Hermes Birkin Bag

Japanese designer Ginza Tanaka created the Hermes Birkin bag in 2008. This is the second most expensive handbag in the world, made of platinum and over 2 000 diamonds and costs $1.9 Million. You can remove the diamonds strap from the bag and can be used as a necklace or bracelet. The bag also have 8k diamond in pear shape.

Diamond Forever

Chanel made the Diamond Forever handbag from alligator skin leather adorned with 334 white-gold diamonds . This beautifull bag with golden straps is worth $261,000. Worldwide there are available just 13 of them.

Cleopatra Clutch

Lana Marks creates just one white Cleopatra clutch by year. The bag worth $250,000 is made from silver alligator skin, decorated with 1 500 black and white diamonds. Cleopatra clutch is favorite among the celebrities like the actress Helen Mirren. She was seen with the bag at the 2007 Academy Awards.

Margaret Thatcher Black Handbag

The Asprey black handbag was the favorite bag of Margaret Thatcher, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The iconic bag with historical value is expected to fetch $ 159,535. The handbag was worn by the Iron lady during the 1980′s, everytime she had a significant conference.