given a cast off that’s worth a lot of money

[Bagitup]

I’ve name changed for this.

About two years ago my friend was having a clear out and asked me if I wanted a bag. She hated it but I really liked it. I use it lots and have been given loads of compliments on it.

A woman I work with is really into bags (mulberry, Pravda etc) and was always going on at me that she thought the bag was worth a lot of money because she thought it was real ostrich skin

I never paid heed to her but my mum commented recently that she had looked at the bag and she was convinced it was real ostrich.

Cut a long story short and the bag has been checked and valued and it’s real and worth thousands.

I have absolutely no plans to sell it. My friend bought it at a market abroad and thought it was a fake.

Do I tell her it’s real? Do I keep schtum?

I'd sell it. I would not want a bag worth all that, and anyway ostrich farming is an extremely cruel industry.

Don't put your head in the sand about this ..

Pics or I didn’t happen

Sell the bag, buy yourself a nice replacement bag and then surprise her with the rest of the money 👍

She didn’t like the bag. It isn’t worth that money to her because it’s not what she paid for it. You’re not going to sell it because you love it. So all things are equal to what they were before you were given this information. If you ever do sell it I would give her half the profits at that point.

If she bought it at a market abroad then I’m guessing it’s not actually authentic, no matter what the people you consulted said.

Maybe she just told you it was fake...

Was the person who gave it to you, let's say, of a certain age?

Do you know how much she paid for it?

How much difference would £4500? Make to her life?

Keep quiet and keep the bag and love it even more. She hasn't lost out - probably paid buttons for it.

I doubt it's worth that unless it's a genuine brand name. Ostrich skin is expensive but not that expensive.

I'd give it back.

She gave you a bag she thought was worthless because you loved it. She didn’t give you a £4500 that she could have sold and bought herself 5 new designer bags she might love.

WTF does someone's age have to do with this?!

I reckon this will be in the DM tomorrow.

I’d keep it. It was a gift. Why does its value change anything? Why should you have to return a gift just because it turns out to be expensive?

Here’s a Fendi one

Is she very wealthy?
Could the market tale be nonsense- she knows it's real and valuable; she wanted you to have it, but knew you wouldn't accept if it was £££££.

I’d tell the friend and tell them that, whilst you have no intention of selling, you’d understand if she wanted it back to sell herself. I mean it’s your friend and she was being nice to give you the bag in the first place, but she didn’t know the value of what she was giving away. I don’t think I could not tell her, I would feel bad

How many people have recently given an ostrich bag away? Name changing will not help OP.

I think I'd tell her.

I would check if its authentic first, it may have a seriel number on it or came with an authentification card, a lot of high end manufacturers do this. You can then call the company and ask them to check if it's genuine, alternatively you could probably take it into a stockist and they could help you check. If its fake then no problem, if its genuine and worth a lot of money then do what your conscience tells you and what you'd like to do if the situation were reversed.

If it doesn't have the verification card that came with purchase and a serial number, plus potentially it's original box, then it is realllllyyy not worth that much. People who buy these things aren't shelling out for possible fakes - they demand certification of authenticity. I was gifted a couple of Louis vuitton bags when I was younger that I later found a relative had stolen from the production line - they were real but they were worthless.

If she's a good friend I think I would tell her.

I'd say morally you only need to tell her if you plan to sell it. You have had it for two years, which makes it half yours I would say.

However, if she's broke or really could use the money (i.e. for anything other than shopping for more bags etc) if it would make a difference to her life at this point, then you probably should say something.

And yes, what the poster above said is true, without supporting documentation it’s really not going to be worth anywhere near that figure in real terms. So it’s a moot point really.