I found a Bottega Veneta bag at the thrift store. I paid $8, and it's worth $3,000.

"I have been thrifting since the moment I could drive. Back then, I was into higher-end things that were out of my budget, and I'd go thrift shopping to find similar items that I could afford. That habit carried on through college and beyond, including when I was most recently working as an art director for a wine and spirits company. While working there, I'd thrift on my lunch breaks."

"I'd find stuff for myself, as well as one-of-a-kind items that didn't fit. I wanted someone to take that stuff. So I began selling items on Whatnot. I'd thrift on my lunch break from work, and then on the weekends I'd go live and sell my pieces. My business grew from there, and I named it Lunch Break Vintage, which I began full time in February 2025."

"Two woven leather bags caught my eye. You see woven leather bags all the time. There are so many Bottega Veneta dupes. I didn't really think much about it, just that one of them looked exceptionally nice. I first noticed the hardware, then the leather slouching and hanging. I could tell it was soft leather. When I picked it up, it was heavy - designer leather bags have a weight to them because of the hardware."

"When I picked it up, it was heavy - designer leather bags have a weight to them because of the hardware. I opened it up and saw the logo. You can see in the video that I posted that's the moment my jaw drops. The leather inside was really soft and buttery too; that's always a sign a bag is legitimate."

The founder of Lunch Break Vintage began thrifting as soon as she could drive, seeking higher-end looks she could afford. She thrifted during lunch breaks while working as an art director and started selling unique finds on Whatnot on weekends. The business grew and became full-time in February 2025. In December 2025, she found two woven leather bags at a San Francisco Bay Area thrift store and identified one as a genuine Bottega Veneta by its hardware, weight, logo, and soft buttery interior leather. She purchased the authentic designer bag for $8.

Read at Business Insider