A woman almost put back a designer bag in a charity shop until she analysed the details of it, and it became more obvious to her that it may have been ‘hidden’ in store for a reason
When a woman spotted a designer bag at a charity shop, she was left floored by the price tag, instantly assuming that it must be fake. However, she thought that the people at the store had made the wrong call about the authenticity of the bag, after checking the key signs that meant the handbag was genuine.
Sydnee wrote on Facebook: “My lucky girl syndrome at the thrift store has reached a new level,” unable to believe that she’d found herself a Chanel handbag in a charity shop for just $10.49 (£7.80). “I almost left a real Chanel bag at the thrift store, and I need to tell you the story,” she said at the start of the video.
Sydnee said that she’d been thrifting for quite some time, but this was the “craziest” thing that had ever happened to her when she was out hunting for bargains at a fraction of their original price. She was shopping at a “brand new” Value Village location in “downtown Toronto,” but bargains are to be had across the UK as well.
She found a cute pair of gloves that she knew she needed to put in her cart, and then she headed over to the handbags, where she immediately spied a Coach bag and a Prada as well. Sydnee noted that there were a lot of fake bags, but she was just filming what she thought was cute. However, someone in the comments quickly said that they thought the Prada bag, which was being sold for $6.29 (£4.68), was “genuine”.
But it was the Chanel bag she found “on the bottom rack, kind of hidden in the corner” that really got her excited. She said that she “immediately” thought that it was fake because of the patent leather, because not many Chanel styles feature that.
However, despite the fact that she thought it was a knock-off bag, Sydnee put it in the cart and continued browsing the other sections in the store, hoping to find more goodies. She found some Armani glasses for $8 (£5.95), noting that they were prescription, so she’d have to get the lenses switched in them.
Sydnee then tried on a leopard print fur coat, “which was a yes, for obvious reasons”. She also got a grey jacket with fur around the collar, saying she thought the “sleeves were too short” at first, until she realised they were just “bracelet length”.
She tried on the gloves with the jacket, and the length was perfect to just show a little bit of skin. “I don’t wanna hear it if you think they’re too short, okay?” she joked with her social media followers, as she thought that the coat looked good.
Then, after she’d decided to buy both the jackets, she said that she went back to “looking at the bag” and trying to decide whether it was worth paying $10.49 for and taking a chance on. “In my mind, I was ready to put the Chanel bag back at this point,” she shared, as the video showed her looking inside it.
“But the more I look at it, the more green flags I see,” Sydnee admitted, showing that there was a serial number on the Chanel, and also an embossed Chanel logo in the bag, and the hardware also featured the logo of the brand, which is often a detail missed on counterfeit items.
She said that she was going to get them authenticated, but in the comments section, people reassured her that the bag did indeed look genuine. “The Chanel is authentic 100%,” someone wrote. Another penned: “The Chanel bag is authentic based on what you’ve shown”.
A woman said: “I’m not a Chanel girl, but the one you found is such a fun, sweet vintage find. I love it! Good find!” But there were some people who thought it was fake, writing: “The Chanel is absolutely a fake, the way the hardware on it does not match up”. “Fake, fake, fake,” a man criticised; however, others praised her for the “great haul”.
Charity shops are often excellent places to find secondhand designer items because they receive a wide variety of donations from people in the local community, including those who may have owned high-end clothing, accessories, or homewares.
Many individuals donate designer pieces that are still in good condition, sometimes because they no longer fit, their style has changed, or they simply want to clear out their wardrobes. Charity shops typically price these items lower than specialist vintage or consignment stores, making them more accessible to shoppers looking for a bargain.
Additionally, since charity shops are not focused solely on designer goods, there is less competition from resellers or collectors, increasing the chance of stumbling upon a hidden gem. Shopping at charity shops also supports good causes, so buyers can feel good about their purchases while enjoying the thrill of discovering unique and high-quality designer items.
