A man struck gold during an ordinary thrifting day when he found a genuine Louis Vuitton purse for only $5 to give to his wife.
Brandon (u/@p--py), a devoted thrifter, shared his excitement in the "Thrift Store Hauls" subreddit, where his story quickly racked up 8,300 upvotes.
"A normal start to my day begins with a cup of coffee and typically an omelette. I ride my bike five times a week and while I ride around town I visit three thrift stores," he told Newsweek.
Halloween weekend had Brandon feeling extra drained from his retail job, but he decided to power through. After a fruitless stop at Goodwill, he hit up a small, church-run charity thrift store where he stumbled upon the find of a lifetime—a Louis Vuitton bag hidden in a "mountain" of other purses.
"I assumed it was a fake Louis Vuitton because 99 percent of the time they are fake. However, when I got my hands on the bag, I could feel the immediate difference," he said, recalling how the bag's sturdiness, subtle gloss, and leather patina stood out among typical counterfeits.
With tax, he paid just $5.40, the store's flat fee for all purchases is $5. Unsure but hopeful, Brandon reached out to collectors on the Louis Vuitton subreddit. "Every collector that I reached out to has verified my photos. I have full confidence in its authenticity since collectors say it is something they would pay full price for," he added.
After some research, Brandon learned that similar bags from the same year and model often sell for around $300-$400 on eBay, depending on their condition and this bag even had the original Louis Vuitton padlock. "There are some signs of wear, but overall this bag has aged beautifully," he explained.
When he surprised his wife with the purse, her reaction was priceless. "She screamed when she saw the bag and immediately kissed me and then hugged the bag.
"I told her I loved her and all about how I found it and had reached out to collectors to verify its authenticity. She started filling up the bag and was talking about how much she has always wanted this EXACT bag and never thought she would own one because of how expensive these things can be," he said.
Thrifting has become a booming trend across the U.S., now the world's top-rated country for secondhand shopping, as shown in a recent study by Fashion United.
The allure of finding quality, high-value items at a bargain price is captivating a growing number of Americans, who are embracing the joy of the hunt.
Reddit Reacts
Reddit users shared in Brandon's joy, with comments celebrating his thoughtfulness and luck.
"Such are the perils of being a Thrift Legend," said one user.
"She is going to be over the moon! How thoughtful to always be on the lookout for her. I love it!!!!" one commenter wrote.
Another fan noted, "That thing look clean as hell."
A long-time thrifter with an eye for spotting fakes chimed in, saying: "I was carefully inspecting every single stitch and detail on this bag and was prepared to burst your bubble. But I did not find a single indicator that this is fake. Really huge come up, OP. I have been authenticating designer bags for over a decade now (as an amateur) and see countless fakes on this subreddit where the OP will argue to the death that it's real."
English (US) ·