This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kristen Boelen, the founder of Lunch Break Vintage. It has been edited for length and clarity.
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.
I scored a luxury designer bag during a recent shopping trip
In December 2025, I was at a thrift store in the San Francisco Bay Area. It was a normal Wednesday, which is the day this particular thrift store opens for the week, and when I always try to go. It was very empty that day.
Courtesy of Kristen Boelen
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. 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.
I know they sort through and send a lot of the higher-end pieces to an online audience. It seemed unrealistic that someone wouldn’t have set it aside. I thought, if they had put it out there, it must not be real.
I used technology to help confirm my suspicions
I took a photo of it and put it into Google Lens, and found on Vestaire Collective there was the exact same bag and color. That clued me into the style name and that it had been retired. There’s a video of me going, “Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God,” once I figured out where the serial tag was. I got out of there as quickly as possible, paying $8 for the bag.
Courtesy of Kristen Boelen
I later had it authenticated through an app I use called Authentic Detective. It will give you a certificate of authenticity. Online research says the bag is valued at around $3,000.
I’m keeping the bag for myself. It’s something that will be passed down for generations. I had so many comments on the video saying that the bag was ugly, but I love it.
Scoring finds at the thrift store takes a little skill — and luck
I thrift all the time because I now do this for a living, but I think consistency is key. I thrift at least three times a week, every week. It’s also important not to just pick up what is trending. A good secondhand item has to check all the boxes for me, and I really care about quality, always looking for natural fibers. I focus on what makes people feel elevated and the kinds of secondhand pieces they can keep in their closets forever.
Don’t believe that middle-of-nowhere places are garbage. Some of my best, coolest, most unique pieces have come from middle-of-nowhere stores.
