‘I am in shock’: Woman goes to auction in rural Pennsylvania. Then she spots boxes labeled Chanel, Hermes, Cartier

Thrifting’s been all the rage for literally ages. There’s also been a bit of a thrifting renaissance thanks to the advent of TikTok popularizing thrift hauls. But when’s the last time you heard about an auction?

Well, it turns out there’s a whole, wide world out there for the auction-attending community. From Goodwill allegedly auctioning off its items to horror stories involving auctioned mystery meat, there is truly a lot going on, auction-wise.

Now, one auction-going woman is going viral for apparently striking gold—or rather, designer.

‘I am literally shaking’

In a video first posted on Feb. 17 that has since gotten over 600,000 views, professional thrifter Jessie (@jessiefindsstuff on TikTok) shared her wildly fruitful finds at a seemingly ordinary auction.

“I am literally shaking,” Jessie starts in her video. “I’m at an auction. Rural Pennsylvania. Nobody here really knows or cares about the stuff that is here sometimes.”

But Jessie does.

She goes on to say she saw a couple of tables covered in “Hermes boxes, Cartier boxes, and the boxes were real” with receipts “still inside.” Collectors did end up purchasing the boxes themselves “for a lot of money,” but they apparently assumed the purses and shoes inside them “weren’t real.”

“They were,” Jessie reveals, showing her haul to the camera. “… I am in shock. I bought this box of shoes. See, this box still has the Neiman Marcus tag. $550, two pairs of Chanel flats. Real. They’re real.”

Jessie also found Ferragamo and Stuart Weitzman boots, as well as Prada, Coach, and Fendi bags. Moreover, all the items were precisely her size. While this may seem too good to be true, Jessie says this sort of thing “happens all the time.”

“People get rid of their aunt or grandma’s stuff and they don’t realize,” Jessie says. “They’re dirty, but look at these Ferragamo rain boots. They were just sitting outside on the ground … I got three totes of clothes and purses. Do you wanna know what I paid? I paid for all the purses, $3. For all the totes of clothes,
I maybe paid $5. And then for the shoes, I paid $2.”

Jessie closes out her video singing the auction’s praises, saying she “cannot wait to get home and unpack everything.”

“Some people do drugs and some people just thrift,” Jessie finishes. “And it’s heaven.”

Commenters seethe with jealousy

Jessie’s comments section was, understandably, filled with shocked viewers. Some commenters chimed in with their own top-tier thrifting/auction experiences, while many simply expressed envious outrage at Jessie’s incredible luck.

“For my mental health, this is fake,” one viewer commented with a crying emoji.

“How does it feel to be a chosen child of the thrift gods?” demanded another.

One fellow thrifter noted that Jessie’s “part of the country” (Pennsylvania and surrounding areas) is a “wild” and perfect place to find such gems.

“I scored new Stuart Weitzman 5050 boots, Jimmy Choo heels, vintage carhartt stuff and all sorts of other items at the GW outlets for like $2 a piece,” the thrifter commented. “Like whaaaat?! I live in AR, we don’t see this stuff here.”

“Yesterday at an estate sale, I found a first edition vintage 1983 Martha Stewart coffee table book,” shared another thrifter. “It was autographed and everything! I found the same one on eBay for 2500! I paid four dollars.”

@jessiefindsstuff I’m still shaking. #thrifting #thrifthaul #vintagehaul #chanel #prada ♬ original sound – jessiefindsstuff

Tips for finding treasure at auctions

There are a couple of key things to keep in mind when on the hunt at an auction or a thrift store: sharp eyes and research. No matter what you’re looking at, always do an internet search to verify that an item is actually authentic (for example, not a knockoff Chanel bag) and worth some real cash. This can prevent you from overspending and/or overbidding.

Also, if you’re going the auction route, some auction companies actually allow you to attend what’s called a “pre-auction.” Home auctioning company Smith & Co states on its website that “auction previews give you an opportunity to take a close [look] at the items ahead of the auction.”

“Since items purchased at auctions are rarely covered by any warranty, it’s your job to make sure the purchase is worth your while,” Smith & Co advises. “During a preview you can closely inspect the items, so make sure you test as many features as possible. Consider taking photos of the items as well so you can make sure they are in the same condition on the day of the auction.”

The Mary Sue has reached out to Jessie via TikTok DM and comment.

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