Found a $3,000 Bottega Veneta bag at a thrift store for $8

Kristen Boelen, founder of Lunch Break Vintage, began thrifting as soon as she could drive and turned the habit into a business after selling on Whatnot while working as an art director. She went full time with Lunch Break Vintage in February 2025 and now thrifts at least three times a week.

In December 2025, Boelen was at a San Francisco Bay Area thrift store when two woven leather bags caught her eye. Noting the hardware, the weight and the soft, slouching leather, she opened one and saw the logo, then paid $8. She used Google Lens and found the exact bag on Vestiaire Collective, which helped identify the retired style and the location of the serial tag.

Boelen later had the purse authenticated through the Authentic Detective app and says online research values the bag at around $3,000. Boelen plans to keep the bag as an heirloom.

United States, San Francisco Bay Area

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