Pics of My Thrift Store Vintage Dior Collection!

katev

katev

"The Bag Whisperer!"
O.G.
Dec 18, 2009
16,810
18,325
#1
I enjoy looking for vintage bags at thrift stores, flea markets, garage sales, etc. and I am very thankful to the wonderful TPF authenticators that have helped me to identify the fakes and feel confident in the authenticity of the genuine articles!

So far I've picked up 3 vintage Dior items at thrift stores, I wasn't specifically looking for any of them but they just found me! See the pictures below.

The first one is a convertible clutch that KellyNG couldn't conclusively authenticate, but it was her opinion that it is a genuine vintage Dior clutch in excellent condition. I got it at the Goodwill Store for $3.

KellyNG confirmed the second fabric bag as genuine. I bought it at Savers for $5.25 (It's marked $6.99 but I had a coupon!)

The third item is a cosmetic bag that I picked up at the Salvation Army store yesterday for only 46 cents! It has been authenticated by eminere. I am looking forward to cleaning it up and using it for my cosmetics.

So far my Dior collection is pretty small but they are all beautiful and special pieces that I enjoy very much, and the entire collection has cost me a total of $8.71!

I just wanted to share my modest collection and send my thanks to KellyNG and eminere and all the TPF authenticators!

:tpfrox:
 

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#4
miki66 said:
omg, i'm so overwhelmed!!! Love all three pieces and especially the first one!
It's so classic:woohoo: Many Congrats!!!
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Thank you, I am thrilled! I found the first one last June and I figured it had to be a fake, but it was so nicely made that I decided to take a chance on the $3 investment! In such a short time I've already collected 3 lovely and very affordable pieces. I feel so lucky, maybe I should stay out of thrift stores and buy lottery tickets instead! :biggrin:
 
#5
lovemydeals said:
congrats! i need to come to your neck of the woods.
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Thank you, I have been very lucky. I live in a large metropolitan area and I 'm sure that increases the supply of items that find their way to thrift stores.

Thanks to TPF I feel more confident when looking for vintage bags although I try not to spend too much, in case they are fake or if I cannot restore them to my satisfaction.

I haven't gotten stuck with many fakes but when that happens I usually just destroy the bag and consider it a donation to the charitable organization that operates the thrift store.

I mostly find older Coach and D&B bags but I've also picked up a beautiful, large Isabella Fiore bag and a large Kooba bag (that I haven't gotten around to cleaning yet). I also found a nice Michael Kors wallet for $10. And sometimes you find some much older bags, I have a genuine Corde bag from the 1930s or 1940s.

But I consider my Dior items to be the special little gems of my vintage collection!

Recently I picked up a Gucci dustbag and then a large LV dustbag so I am hoping that someday I will find bags that I can put into them! :graucho:
 
#10
LVoeletters said:
do you have any tips on how to locate thrift stores that would hold gems like those?
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based on charity shops in the UK, you would really just have to walk into vintage stores occasionally and charity shops too to see what they have, they constantly change stock depending on what gets brought in so you may get a real bargain in there one day and not the next! I know it's fake, but I found a small pink woven LV handbag in the window display of Oxfam in my area, had a look and was hooked! it was only £3.99! of course i realised it was fake afterwards because the colour was coming off on the handles and the underneath 'leather' was actually white fabric :cry: it still looks nice though and I carry it around occasionally just to give it some use
 
#13
LVoeletters said:
do you have any tips on how to locate thrift stores that would hold gems like those?
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I usually visit a thrift shop once or twice a week. There are several of them in my area so I often manage to work a visit into errands. Most of them keep the "quality" bags in a case, chained down, or on rack behind the counter and you have to ask for assistance. These bags are generally priced higher.

I have seen nice bags, outrageous fakes, and genuine bags in terrible condition kept under "lock and key" and I often think that they are over-priced for a used bag. My rule is $20 or under for a project purse.

I don't want to spend much more in case they are fake or if I am not sucessful at restoring the bag. I usually stay true to my limit but I have spent as much as $45 on a rare bag in good shape that I felt pretty confident was genuine. I convinced myself to buy it with the "after all it's for charity!" argument!

Goodwill and Salvation Army will not accept returns - which is another reason not to spend much. The Savers Stores (called Value Village in some areas) will let you exchange an item if you bring it back with the receipt within 7 days.

For the higher-priced "lock and key" bags, I sometimes get lucky if they are having a sale or a coupon. A couple of weeks ago I stopped at the Salvation Army store and I saw a black leather Coach Rambler Legacy in great condition on the rack behind the counter. I was attracted to it but it was $35 so I passed. I stopped back there the other day and "all items with green tags" were 50% off. It was still there and had a green tag so I got it for $17.50! That bag is still available from Coach for $260.

The bags I see most often at thrift stores are the older style leather Coach bags (but that's okay because I love them!) and the all-weather D&B bags. These more familar items are more likely to be marked with higher prices because they are more recognizable.

I have gotten some great bargains on less common items that were put out with the cheap plastic purses. I figure it is because no one realized that they were designer bags. All of my Dior items were put out with the cheap bags. I found that 46 cent Dior cosmetic pouch in a bin with a bunch of beat-up old wallets.

You have to inspect them carefully before purchase. You don't want to waste money or effort on a fake or on a bag that is just too far gone. Give them the "sniff test" and make sure that they don't smell like cigarette smoke or mildew.

If the bag has bad stains or the leather is damaged (piping worn through on the corners, etc.) it isn't worth trying to rehab. Pay attention to missing straps, etc. If it is missing a hangtag that may be easy to replace. If the stitching has separated (like the strap is pulling away from the bag) you can usually have it repaired at a cobbler fairly inexpensively.

Even if I am almost positive the bag is genuine I always take photos and ask for authentication here on TPF because I have been fooled by convincing fakes a few times.

You have to be willing to put time and effort into rehabbing vintage bags but that's what I like about it. I think it is fun to discover a lost treasure and bring it back to beauty and usefulness!

Just a word of warning, rehabbing is addictive! Good hunting!
 
#14
kellyng said:
you're very welcome and i LOVE your dior vintage pieces!!! all of them look mint!!!:tup:
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Thank you! The 2 bags are in great condition but the cosmetic bag is dirty on the inside and the outside is a little dusty, but I am sure it will clean up nicely. But it's not bad for 46 cents! I can't get over that price, why not just mark it 50 cents?
 
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