A lucky shopper may inspire others to begin incorporating casual walks around thrift stores into their exercise routines.
In the subreddit r/ThriftStoreHauls, the shopper explained that they usually walk to several thrift stores near their office during their lunch hour and circle the shops to peruse the merchandise. This led to what they called their "best find ever" — even though they've already "had some good ones."
The item? A Louis Vuitton Speedy 30 that typically retails for more than $1,500. The original poster ended up purchasing the bag for just $25.
"Usually I don't blink when I see a Louis Vuitton bag at a thrift store because they are always fake. Well, almost always," they wrote. "After feeling the handle and inspecting the canvas, leather and stitching I felt pretty good about purchasing it. I don't know how they missed this one but their loss is my gain."
The quality find was further confirmed after the OP took the bag to a Louis Vuitton store, where the salesperson pointed out a verification mark. One commenter also observed that "the stitching gives it away as real."
"My wife is over the moon to add this to her collection. It will take 8 to 10 weeks for Louis Vuitton to repair the zipper and we're going to have them replace the rivets, but for the next couple weeks, my wife is going to take some time cleaning and conditioning the bag before we send it off," the OP shared.
More and more people are turning to thrift stores to purchase products, and stories like these make it easy to see why. An authentic Rolex, an espresso machine, and designer duds are among the items people have snagged at steep discounts.
Thrifting doesn't just benefit people's wallets. It can cut down on waste that's harming our planet. In fact, according to the 2023 ThredUp resale report, sustainability is a major motivator for a secondhand market that is expected to grow to $350 billion in worth by 2027.
The fashion industry is responsible for more than 20% of water pollution worldwide, per Earth.org, as chemicals used in dyeing and finishing make their way into our systems.
That's probably enough to give most people pause, but there's also the fact that more than 100 million tons of textiles are sent to landfills each year. As they decompose, these textiles release methane, a powerful heat-trapping gas that has contributed to rising global temperatures.
In a comment, the OP said that the cost of repairs would be more than $400, but other Redditors were quick to affirm it was still an amazing deal.
"It's such a perfect bag and a great size!! Congrats!!" one person wrote.
"Oh, man, so lucky! I'm looking for a 1984 bag for my 40th this year, and coming across one at a thrift store is like my white whale!!" another person said.
"You are such a good husband!" wrote another. "Thrifting hauls are a great love language!"
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