Chanel is the type of brand that you’d hardly expect to find at a thrift store, and though it’s certainly a rarity, it’s definitely a possibility. I’ve stumbled across my fair share of “Chanel” items at thrift stores – most either grossly overpriced, utterly destroyed, or laughably fake. Though the pickings are slim, in my many years of thrifting, I’ve been able to snag a few authentic Chanel goodies at what I consider fair prices.
1. Chanel “In the Business” Flap
Price purchased for: $40
Estimated retail: $2,650.00
I spotted this bag hanging inconspicuously amongst a slew of dusty, black leather handbags. It’s a Chanel “In the Business” flap. Skeptical about authenticity from the get-go, I inspected the date code, tags, hardware markings, and quilting. Thrift store Chanel fakes are usually pretty blatantly bad…but this one was shockingly good. Still, I remained wary – I’ve seen my fair share of superfakes (fakes so good that even the little details are right). I fervently opened Fashionphile and searched up previously sold “In the Business” flaps to compare details through photo after photo after photo.
Ultimately, the bag proved to be authentic, but the conspicuous tears remained an obvious caveat. The bag was heavily damaged and scratched up on the front and back. Given the fact that I’d been eying Anya Hindmarch’s leather sticker collection for quite some time, this seemed like the perfect opportunity for a little project. I’ve since redecorated this bag to conceal the gashes with leather stickers I got on sale (pictured left).
2. Chanel Sunglasses
Price purchased for: $50
Estimated retail: $400
3. Vintage Oversized Chanel CC Gold Clip-On Earrings
Price purchased for: $45
Estimated retail: $200 – $250 at a consignment store
4. Chanel Rings
Price purchased for: $24 each
Estimated retail: $200 – $250 at a consignment store
These rings were $24 each. The left ring, with ruthenium hardware and tweed, is a simple classic. The black sparkly camellia ring was missing the center portion. It’s not very noticeable – I plan to adorn it with something else.
5. Vintage Caviar Chanel CC Wallet
Price purchased for: $100
Estimated retail: $400
6. Vintage Chanel Patent Calfskin Wallet
Price purchased for: $75
Estimated retail: $500+
This wallet was an incredibly shocking find for me – from the corner of my eye, I glimpsed a familiar quilting pattern, held my breath, asked the sales associate to take a closer look – and voila, it was ~Chanel~. After a hasty authentication inspection, I headed for checkout with my $75 Chanel treasure. Thrifting Chanel is so exhilarating!
7. Vintage Chanel Caviar Red CC Yen Wallet
Price purchased for: $300
Estimated retail: $700
This wallet had a much heftier price tag, but came with box and authenticity card. In retrospect, it was still somewhat expensive/overpriced for what it is (in my opinion, at least), but I loved it so much, I simply had to have it. I’ll probably be gifting it to my mom, as the black epi leather Louis Vuitton Eugenie wallet I thrifted way back when for her (I think it was $60! Amazing) is looking a little worse for wear.