Woman Walks in Thrift Store, What She Sees for $13 Gives Her 'Heart Attack'

August 10, 2024

You never know what you'll find while thrift shopping, and one woman hit the jackpot with her recent discovery of a luxury brand for less than $15.

Melbourne woman Mietta, 22, works at a vintage store and has a passion for thrift shopping, or "op shopping" in Australian slang.

And on a recent trip to the Salvation Army, she found luxury brand Vera Wang, hanging on a railing, just waiting to be discovered.

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"I had just finished trying on all my potential purchases, tossing up how much money I was willing to spend and what pieces will make the cut, and out of the corner of my eye I spotted the dress and its sequins, hanging folded in half on a practically empty rack," she told Newsweek.

Vera Wang dresses can be worth tens of thousands of dollars, but this one was even more special, as she believes it's the exact dress worn by character Blair Waldorf in the pilot of The CW show Gossip Girl.

"I audibly gasped but didn't think someone would actually donate something like this," Mietta, who gave her first name only, said.

She initially assumed it would be a fake—until she "looked at the tag and it said Vera Wang."

In a video shared to her TikTok account @miettajane__ on July 17, viewed over 1.1 million times, Mietta wrote she "almost had a heart attack at salvos today (sic)."

She zoomed in on the sequined dress, showed off the Vera Wang tag—and the AU$20 price tag, which in U.S. dollars would be around $13.33.

"Dreams really do come true," she wrote in the caption. "Officially takes the number one spot for best op shop find EVER. This is why I do what I do people SHOP SECOND HAND!"

The second-hand market has exploded in popularity in recent years, and in 2023 the global market value was estimated to be worth $197 billion, according to Statista.

Online marketplaces such as Depop and Vinted, which allow people to buy and sell pre-worn clothes, is adding to its popularity. Being environmentally friendly, and cheaper cost, were other reasons people were leaning into second-hand buys, according to a 2023 survey from Statista.

She told Newsweek: "I have been op shopping for my whole life, and this definitely takes the cake for my best find ever. Finds like these are rare, especially in Australia."

Mietta went on to say she has seen the same dress on second-hand marketplaces for up to AU$800 ($533). Newsweek has contacted Vera Wang for comment.

Hundreds commented on Mietta's video, one writing that they "immediately knew this was the one Blair Waldorf wore."

"There's no way," another said, another admitting they were "so jealous."

And one asked: "Please let me know if you sell it," but Mietta replied instantly: "Sorry girl this is officially an heirloom."

Mietta said it was "validating to have people celebrate your wins," but noted that she received some negative comments when she refused to give the exact location of the shop on TikTok.

"I encouraged people to find their own favorite op shops, as every shopping experience is subjective," she said.

"And I wanted to keep my local free from Tiktokification!"

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