To the untrained eye, the "Paddington" may look like any other slouchy handbag sold in London and other fashion capitals -- except for a brass padlock.

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All 8,000 designer handbags have already been sold before a single one has arrived in any store, reported the Glasgow Sunday Mail.

The handbag, produced by Chloe for the 2005 spring season, has been grabbed -- sight unseen -- despite the approximately $1,400 price tag. It's popularity apparently stems from its exclusivity -- Chloe produced only the number of bags pre-ordered by retailers, with 50 percent going to Europe, 30 percent to America and 20 percent to Japan.

"Having a bag like the Paddington says you've arrived, that you can afford it," Sojin Lee, the retail director of the online retailer net-a-porter.com, told the Telegraph. "Chloe is also the brand of the moment, which helps."

We don't want every girl to be running around town with one, said a Chloe spokesman. "We want it to be the only bag at the party."