A budget-minded Australian has been rewarded for her dedication to shopping after unknowingly buying a $995 luxury bag for just $12.
Brisbane woman Heidi Eiser visited North Ryde Vinnies while on holiday in Sydney over the Christmas holidays and found a Mansur Gavriel handbag in near-perfect condition.
“I had an absolute victory,” Ms. Eiser told her followers.
‘The moment I found this bag I thought, ‘This is cute, really good size, I like it.’
“It was only twelve dollars, so I grabbed it and took it home, and I already wore it out, but then I looked at the brand.”
After searching Mansur Gavriel on Google, Ms Eiser discovered she had scored a Bucket Bag worth $995 at the charity shop.
The brown version of the Bucket Bag is no longer available and there is a waiting list to order it in black.
Many commenters were happy that Ms. Eiser found the bag and shared their advice on how to care for it.
Heidi Eiser found a Mansur Gavriel bucket bag (pictured) in near-perfect condition for just $12
‘Nice work! It is wonderful as a girl’s handbag, make sure to condition and waterproof it. My bags won’t leave the house until that’s done,” one person wrote.
“I’m so glad you and this bag found each other, you deserve nice things,” said another.
‘I knew immediately what that bag was. She is absolutely beautiful. What a great find!’ another wrote.
Ms Eiser is known for her container-to-couch series in which she collects cans and bottles to exchange for cash in Queensland’s Return and Earn program.
Being a strict budgetist, Mrs. Eiser was thrilled to add a quality piece to her wardrobe.
She told me Yahoo she and her partner moved in together a year ago and bought most of their furniture in stores.
Mrs. Eiser is also fond of second-hand clothes, crockery and vases.
One disappointing trend she has noticed, however, is that many charity shops have started marking their goods in response to the growing trend of buying used items.
“It’s disappointing to see because I feel like stores are there to be accessible to a lot of people, but every now and then you can still find a really good bargain,” Ms Eiser said.
‘My tips for finding a bargain are to go to stores regularly and search Marktplaats and Depop regularly. Good finds happen quickly. So if you get there first, you’re in.
‘You can discover incredible things. And I’ve had such heartfelt experiences buying from people and hearing the backstory of their pieces.”
Consumer specialist Professor Gary Mortimer from Queensland University of Technology (QUT) said many stores have increased their prices in response to growing demand for second-hand products.
‘What we are seeing is the growth in demand for second-hand clothing, charity shops and second-hand luxury goods. I think sustainability is still at the top of the agenda for consumers this year,” he told the outlet.