Bottega Beyond Doubt: Goodwill Find is Luxury Leather
A thrift shopper couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw a designer name on a bag she saw at Goodwill but thought the $8 price tag was worth it.
Thrifting enthusiast Kristen Boelen, who curates the online shop Lunch Break, was worried she was in for a disappointing visit to Goodwill. Then she noticed a gray handbag with a woven texture and thought it needed a closer look.
“The leather slouched beautifully, the dark hardware looked really nice, and when I picked it up, I noticed the weight. I could tell it was real leather and well-made,” she told Newsweek.
She posted a video on her TikTok account, @lunchbreakthrift, in December 2025, in which she examines the bag, looks at it from all angles, extends the chain strap, and weighs it in her hand. After looking inside, her mouth drops open as she turns the bag around and moves it close to the camera to show the words “Bottega Veneta” impressed into the interior.
Bottega Veneta was founded in Venice in1966 and has been crafting high-quality, high-fashion leather goods since then. The house introduced its signature Intrecciato woven leather in 1975.
Even with the designer name on the bag, Boelen couldn’t quite believe it was real. After all, duplicates of designer bags can be very convincing, and it’s possible to fake a mark. But since it cost just $8, she decided it was worth the risk.
Once Boelen took her new bag home, she did some online research. Her purchase matched Bottega Veneta’s Olimpia bag visually. Photos of the Olimpia helped her determine where to check for a serial number, a clear sign of authenticity. To her delight, her bag had one. To eliminate any doubt, Boelen contacted Authentic Detective, a luxury authentication service, which confirmed her Goodwill purchase was a true Bottega Veneta bag.
Secondhand Bottega Veneta Olimpia bags are listed online for about $500 to $1,500.
Images from @lunchbreakthrift on TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@lunchbreakthrift)
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