3 days ago
Man Thrifts Louis Vuitton Bag for $19—Then Discovers the Original Price
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Thrifting can certainly be hit and miss, and you just never know what you're going to find. But as one shopper sifted through the range of dupes and fakes, one bag in particular left him speechless.
While shopping at a Goodwill in Georgia on August 10, Reddit user u/p—py was looking through the range of handbags on display. Many of the bags are often fake, but he never misses an opportunity to look through them, just in case he manages to find a diamond in the rough.
Indeed, on this occasion, that was exactly what happened.
As he was perusing the bags, u/p—py told Newsweek that he spotted one that had a "very good, quality feeling" and he knew it must be good. Much to his amazement, the bag looks like a real Louis Vuitton Cabas Piano monogrammed leather tote bag.
The Louis Vuitton bag found in Goodwill.
The Louis Vuitton bag found in Goodwill.
u/p--py / Reddit
"I was very happy to find it because my wife has been looking for a smaller bag since she doesn't carry a lot of things with her and this bag was a perfect size," he said. "The vachetta leather patina and the date code were correct."
A new Louis Vuitton Piano bag can retail for over $2,500, and used ones can be found online anywhere between $300 up to $900. As for u/p—py, he paid just $19.99 at Goodwill for this stunning find.
After looking at the bag properly, he didn't have any doubts that it was real. It's now become one of his top five favorite thrifting purchases.
Although the bag was in poor condition, a thorough clean has helped it look almost brand new and it's "ready to be loved again" by his wife.
He continued: "This is my third vintage Louis Vuitton piece. One of my pieces was authenticated through eBay, and the leather, stitching, canvas, and quality are alike. I also shared it with a hobby authenticator who looked over the bag and let me know it was an employee purchase because of the circle cut out on the interior of the leather."
Since buying the bag on August 10, u/p—py has also put in a repair request with Louis Vuitton's digital care team. He noted that obvious fakes are usually denied, so it bodes well that his request for this bag was assessed and approved.
He couldn't resist sharing images of the "authentic Louis Vuitton" on Reddit, and the post has amazed many internet users. Hundreds of commenters have praised u/p—py for his find, while others questioned the bag's authenticity, leading to over 200 comments so far.
The Louis Vuitton bag after being bought at Goodwill.
The Louis Vuitton bag after being bought at Goodwill.
u/p--py / Reddit
"The bag received plenty of praise from people who also own vintage pieces. But it's very clear that people who have never owned a Louis Vuitton are still adamant in their ability to authenticate bags. It's good to know there is still a knowledge gap of what is real versus fake," he told Newsweek.
What matters most to u/p—py is how much his wife loves the bag.
Among the responses to the Reddit post, one comment reads: "Always a huge dopamine hit to find luxury brands! Tom Ford, Brahmin and Christine Herrera are my latest!"
Another Reddit user wrote: "Great find OP! From what I can see, this bag is almost certainly authentic."
But not everyone agreed, as one person replied: "Normally the patterns line up perfectly at the seam, I'm not fully convinced this is authentic."
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