Man finds a $2.99 bracelet at a thrift store — then he realizes it is worth a small fortune

Many people are not privy to the art of thrifting or simply don’t believe in it. Of late, the modern generation has been obsessed with buying secondhand goods, such as clothes and jewelry, among others. A report by Refinery29 says that thrifting feels “emblematic” of the way Gen Z likes to present themselves to the world. While this practice may not resonate with every other being out there, it can surely earn them a little extra pocket money. One lucky thrifter, Matthew Bettencourt (@retrotoyenvy), got his hands on an expensive piece of jewelry from a luxury brand that was collecting dust in a thrift shop for only $3. 

The TikTok user, 37, was exploring a local thrift shop when a shiny silver bracelet caught his eye. He managed to document his valuable discovery and flaunted the cheap price tag of only $2.99 attached to it. He revealed that the bracelet was an original David Yurman bracelet that was originally retailed at $750 and was too valuable to be sitting in a thrift shop. “POV: You find a $750 bracelet at the thrift,” the man from Rhode Island wrote in the overlay text. In a close-up shot, he presented the hallmark at the other end of the bracelet, confirming its authenticity. “David Yurman 18K & Sterling Inside Out Cable Bangle," he identified. 

Soon after, Bettencourt, who is a reseller, managed to sell the sparkly bracelet to a customer for $480. He attached the bill as proof with a verified authenticity guarantee. In the caption, he encouraged people to check out thrift stores. “This is why you always check the jewelry wall! I found a David Yurman 18K Gold and Sterling Silver Cable Bracelet at a thrift store for a steal! Designer jewelry flips can be massive—are you checking for these types of things!?” the lucky thrifter captioned the post. 

He later opened up to Newsweek about his thrifting tendencies and how he has been doing it for more than a decade. "I've been doing this for around 15 years, specializing in jewelry around 2010 and then broadening my market in toys, collectibles, and pretty much anything else I can make money on," Betterncourt said. Even though he sold the bracelet at a lower price than its original price because it was “pre-owned,” he was happy to accept the best offer on the ‘Buy It Now’ eBay listings rather than auction it. 

With over 4,835 likes, the video was a hit and received a mix of reactions from viewers. One person (@user981035762) wrote, “How does it feel to live my dream?” while another thrilled user (@lyndsaymarie84) admitted, “Damn! I never would have noticed it. Reselling again has opened my eyes to so much that others overlook.” A few others shared similar experiences. “I found some 14k, opal gold clip-on earrings last week for $4.99,” mentioned someone else (@mikeniem77). However, there was a fair share of critics raising doubts about the authenticity of the jewelry. “The engraving doesn’t look real, sadly, but regardless, a nice find,” critiqued an internet user (@parishiltonsson).

A professional in the business, this is not one of his first finds that earned him a great deal. He mentioned having struck actual gold with a solid gold jewelry purchased from a thrift store. His most valuable thrift piece yet, Bettencourt managed to sell it for about $2000 in 2010. 

You can follow @retrotoyenvy on TikTok for more videos.