One lucky woman managed to get her "dream" designer bag, believed to be worth around $1,000 Canadian dollars, for a mere fraction of the cost at a thrift store in Canada.
Sydnee Zora shared the story of her rare thrift store find in a short video on her YouTube channel @SydneeZora). The clip has amassed over 4.6 million views since it was posted on February 5.
The footage shows her in a store holding what looks to be a small clutch bag from the luxury fashion brand Christian Dior priced at $9.49 CAD (around $6.60 USD). The bag was found at Value Village, a thrift store chain in Canada, according to the price tag on the item.
She says in the video: "I thrifted my dream Dior bag for 10 bucks and it's time to see if it's real. We're taking her into the store today to see if she's a fraud."
"Just a reminder that if this bag is real, it's selling for $1,000 — crazy," she says, as the video shows a screenshot of the product listed on vintage website Treasures of NYC, labeled as a "Dior Pink Bondage Mini Wristlet" bag listed for $1,011 CAD (around $705 USD).
The viral post comes as thrift store revenue was projected to have increased at a compound annual growth rate of 4.5 percent to $14.2 billion over the past five years, including a rise of 1.4 percent in 2023 alone, according to an August 2024 report by Research and Markets.
"As a result of growing consumer spending for most of the past five years and demand for methods for sustainable consumption, industry revenue has increased," the report said.
'My Best Find Yet'
The woman in the viral video is later seen walking through a store holding the designer bag, later noting that she was "pretty certain" that the bag was a real Dior bag until other YouTubers raised a lot of questions over its authenticity after she posted an initial video about it.
Zora said: "Some people thought it was real some people thought it was fake, actually most people thought it was fake but there's only one real way to find out."
The thrifter is later shown at Oliver's in Toronto, which offers authentication services for different items. They use an application called Entrupy to scan every detail of the item to help verify its authenticity.
"This bag also had a date code, which I didn't know, but it was actually inside the flap, so he input that as well," she noted.
The video later shows the screen of the scanner in a moment of truth, which reveals that the bag is "completely authentic."
"It is a 2003 Dior—John Galliano era, to be exact," Zora said.
"I think this might be my best find yet," she says as the clip ends, adding that "I just think I'm going to get so much use out of it, so I'm so happy."
Thrift lovers on YouTube were obsessed with the find in the viral clip.
User @DeniseCaster said "SWEET! What a wonderful find!" and @xsnoopycharlie12x wrote "omg thrift stores love you."
User @Najla578 noted: "I really really saw immediately that this one is a real one, only the stamp of Dior on the inside it revealed it immediately. love this confirmation!!"
User @RachelSmith-en5oo commented: "There's so much designer and brand name stuff at thrift stores. A lot of thrift stores don't really know what stuff is worth so you can find some amazing things."
Other shared stories of their own amazing thrift stories of designer items, such as @carajaynegunn who said: "I once found a gorgeous black velvet flower brooch at the bottom of a clearance bin in a charity shop. Paid 50 cents for it. It turned out to be an authentic vintage Chanel camelia brooch! Charity stores have some really amazing things."
User @drjewlsy noted: "I got a Hermes Birkin Bag at Salvation Army for $20.. i ALSO had it authenticated. No lie or flex. I'm not even allowed to use it because my husband doesn't want me getting jumped because of my bag. So I had it heirloomed until I want to sell it.. So really happy for your find."
Another user, @frogs_will_rule, noted: "One time I found 1400 doller Gucci pants for 20 bucks at my local thrift store...yes people take there name brand pieces to the thrift store."
Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via email. This video has not been independently verified.
A stock image of a woman looking at handbags at a store. A stock image of a woman looking at handbags at a store. iStock / Getty Images PlusDo you have a thrift-related video or story to share? Let us know via life@newsweek.com and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
