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By Alyce Collins
Senior Reporter
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While browsing a thrift shop looking for furniture, one woman was left stunned by the designer bag she spotted on the floor—and it cost less than $5.
Filmmaker and social media creator Alex Bailey is on a mission to decorate her home for less by buying her décor in thrift shops. But during a recent trip to Value Village in West Toronto, Canada, she spotted something on the floor and went to pick it up, only to be left speechless by her discovery.
The moment Bailey picked the small handbag up, she told Newsweek that she knew it was "something special." She could instantly tell that the leather was good quality, and when she looked at it properly, she noticed a Jean Paul Gaultier logo.
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Although she was there to thrift furniture, she couldn't resist temptation and added the bag to her cart.
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"The shopper in front of me ran it over with her cart, so it caught my eye on the ground," Bailey said. "When I looked closer and saw the JPG logo, I almost fell over.
She continued: "What made it even more exciting was that the Gaultier by Ludovic de Saint Sernin fashion show was happening the next day. I couldn't believe I found the bag right before it. It felt like the thrift gods were saying, since you can't be at the show in Paris, here's a little Gaultier in Toronto instead."
Aside from a few scuffs caused by the shopping cart that ran over it, the thrifted bag is in very good shape. Bailey hopes it's nothing that some buffing can't fix.
To make it even better, the bag was listed for just CA$5.79 ($4.09) and she had a dollar off coupon, so it only cost her CA$4.79. Bailey believes it was made in the 1990s or early 2000s but isn't certain how much it would have originally cost.
"I can guarantee it was definitely more than $4 though. It's wild to think it's over 20 years old and in such fantastic condition," she told Newsweek.
The bag is now one of Bailey's favorite thrifted pieces, along with a 1999 Tom Ford for Gucci dress she found for under $20 that still had the tags on.
She regularly shares her thrifting finds on social media (@alexfbailey), and she couldn't wait to show her followers her latest fashion find. She posted a video about the Jean Paul Gaultier bag on January 29, and it's amassed over 25,500 views and 1,800 likes on TikTok.
The caption alongside the video reads: "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! This must be a joke." In the video, Bailey holds up the bag and jokingly asks "I don't know what to do right now, help me."
Bailey shared a subsequent video showing how she styled her new designer bag, and she couldn't have been happier with how it looked. She hopes it will inspire others to give thrifting a try, as they never know what treasures they might find.
"I'm so happy that thrifting is back in style and that more people are hunting for sustainable fashion finds," Bailey said. "It's such a great way to shop, both for the planet and for the thrill of the unexpected.
"People have been really excited about the bag video, which I appreciate so much. I also love that folk are sharing stories of their fun finds in the comments," she continued.
Social media users were amazed by her designer find, as many took to the comments section of the original video to urge Bailey to buy it.
One comment on the post reads: "You absolutely must get the bag."
Another TikTok user wrote: "Are you kidding?? You HAVE to get that!"
While another commenter responded: "please tell me you got it, it's so gorgeous omg."
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