I am always finding great deals at thrift stores. Mostly craft items and housewares. But once in a while, I will find things that are "over the moon deals!"
Just before a recent visit to a friend in Missouri, I dashed into the local Goodwill for a bag I could fit in the overhead compartment. I didn't have much time so I just grabbed something I could afford. It was 3.99 and the right size, with a strap that would fit over my shoulder.
Not until I went, came back, checked it under a bus and got it home that I realized it was a Giorgio Armani. The bag I just spent under $4.00 for was worth $275.00.
Yes, I am going to try and sell it for at least $100.00 but, even if I can't, it will be another example of the wonderful deals we find when we look and even when we don't!
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That is a terrific find! Nice, even if you keep it for yourself.
Enjoy!!
Thanks. I am heading to Salem OR to see my friends and family over the holiday. I will use it again for the same reason!!
The Goodwill stores in my area charge quite a bit more than $3.99 for bags like this, especially, when they are designer bags. Great buy!
Goodwill Stores in my area are all called "boutiques" because their prices are just too high for the average person that is looking for a bargain. Sometimes there may be a special need that would be worth the cost but most people look elsewhere before going to Goodwill.
it is also kinda weird as we very rarely see a handicapped person working in this store - only regular paid employees. I do not believe it is what it purports to be (at least not in my area).
I am glad that may not be the case everywhere as Sandi was able to find a great bargain. Good!!
There are amazing deals to be had, especially when someone dies and was a pack rat. Things are brand new and go for next to nothing.
So - Sandi - what did you do with the purse?
Sell it or keep it?
A problem that I've found with buying 'name brand' purses at some thrift stores is so many are 'knock-offs' and can be inferior quality.
Hi Sandi, I just want to piggyback off of cybergrannie's post speaking from experience.
If you are planning to sell, it will need to be authenticated.
Armani has their own service:
www.armani.com/
although I have never used it (you will see below why I have nothing to do with big name purses). There are other services, so you could shop around, but be wary that the service is real and reputable and one that your selling venue will accept.
All of the services to authenticate that require you to send the purse to them and they verify and return will destroy the purse if it is a fake. Then you are purse and the shipping. There may be services where you can go in person, but we don't have any where I am...maybe you do? I am sure the in person ones confiscate the purse also if it is not real also. They would have to.
If you have a high end consignment store in your town, my best suggestion is to contact them and see what authentication they require to sell it for you. This is the safest best for selling all the way around. You get the authentication they need (since you have to pay for it), they sell it, and you get the money when it sells.
You would be breaking the law to sell a fake anywhere and that can lead you to getting a cease and dissent letter from the company and being fined.
Yes, this happens. I had it happen to me on a watch and it was awful and terrifying and borne, in my case, of a totally innocent mistake in NOT knowing what I had was not a "real" item (it was something I inherited and was told was real) and not even thinking I had to have it verified because I thought I had "primary source" verification--which was the purchaser.
Here are the three reasons not to sell online, even if it is verified as real:
First, if you are not an experienced seller, it opens you up to a whole bunch of scammers trying to hack your PayPal account and try to scam you out of the purse. This is crazy, but is some new thing going on with sellers who have under 100 feedbacks on eBay.
Second, even if you are an experienced seller, there is a bait and switch fraud that happens where the buyer buys an expensive purse, gets it (the real one), they tell the seller its damaged or not what they ordered or a fake and then they request a return, so seller has to take it back per eBay (eBay is more buyer friendly than seller).
Third thing that can happen is eBay pulls the ad even if it is verified to be real, because the verification is not one they use to authenticate purses. Facebook Marketplace does the same thing, and so does Etsy, so they often make it impossible to sell.
As cybergrannie stated, you can use the purse and that is not a crime, but selling it if it is not real, is a crime.
Last thing I will tell you is to be careful when out shopping. I purchased a purse from a church flea market--I loved it--it was a black purse with an over the body strap like I like and several months later, I was carrying it at the mall and sales woman in a department store approached me and said "do you know your purse is a fake Coach". "Coach what", I asked.
At that time, I had no concept of purses so I was not sure what she was even talking about..."Coach...the brand she says...you see the logo on the bag...(I had no clue...the 'pattern' on the bag was even a logo), its all wrong it should be this"...and she points to one behind the counter nearby. "This is a real one, yours is not."
She told me I should burn it because if I was caught wearing it, I could be arrested. That is not true, I can use it, but I can't sell it...it was just so bizarre.
After that experience and then the fraud my friend went through, I boned up on purses. OMG...I was shocked at all of this stuff that happens. I had no clue.
So my best advice...safety first in purses!!
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