I bought a £4 gift box… I only realised it was designer when I got to my car, there was an £100 surprise in there too
A LUCKY shopper has revealed how a £4 purchase from the charity shop ended up being one of the biggest surprises of her lifetime.
Not only do second-hand stores offer goodies that are better for your wallet - and also the environment - but you can sometimes find items that are worth hundreds, and someone who knows a little about this is TikTok user Caroline.
The thrifting enthusiast, 47, recently told her followers what she found inside a basic £4 gift box from the charity shop - and she only made the shocking discovery after she'd left the store.
According to the fashionista, who posts under the username @caroline.shops, she's always on the lookout for second-hand gift boxes, as they can be ''pretty expensive in normal shops''.
Luckily for the thrifting lover, from Norfolk, that particular day she'd got her hands on one that had smaller individual boxes inside.
The Santa Claus-themed box that she'd purchased for a mere £4 had several jewellery containers, including a smaller one for rings.
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However, the biggest surprise was yet to follow, as without Caroline even realising one of the boxes was by the late British designer Vivienne Westwood.
''But don't get excited just yet,'' the lucky shopper said in her video, because that was not the end of the story.
''The box isn't empty - it's got a pouch in there!
''But the pouch isn't empty - inside the pouch is a Vivienne Westwood necklace, the rose gold Vivienne Westwood necklace!''
The delicate and dainty piece of jewellery, which retails for around £100, also featured the iconic orb pendant.
All chuffed with the incredible hidden gem, Caroline said: ''The thrifting gods were surely shining on me today because I'm a massive Vivienne Westwood fan.
''I've got other Vivienne Westwood items which were all thrifted - I've got a pair of boots that I got from Vinted, I've got some Vivienne Westwood jelly shoes I got from a charity shop.
''I also got a beautiful clutch bag that, again, I got from Vinted - and now I have this.''
The fashionista, whose profile boasts close to 52k followers, said that after making the discovery, she'd gone inside the store to inform the staff about the find.
''The manager behind the till knew who had donated the boxes and checked before anything further happened.
''I gave the charity shop extra money for the necklace and it did come home with me.''
Hundreds flocked to comments in total disbelief, with one moaning: ''And I'm still finding bobbled Primark tops at double the price.''
Someone else chimed in: ''Amazing find if it’s a genuine Vivienne Westwood.
''You get copies that come with boxes etc, so that may be the reason it has been given to charity shop.''
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A third shared their incredible bargain find, writing: ''I bought a Thomas sabo jewellery box once, came home and found a vintage Dior watch under the top tray!''
''OMG that Vivienne Westwood necklace is a gem of a find!'' another penned.
