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?

Of course she has to tell her! I can't believe the amount of posters who wouldn't, shit mates.

But I can't understand how a 4.5k bag ended up being sold for a tenner on a market stall.

Do you like your friend?
If you want to keep her as a friend, you tell her, see what she wants to do

If you don't like her, don't tell her

I don't think you need to tell her. She gave it away so it's not hers or anything to do with her anymore.

I bet it's a Hermes Birkin

When someone gives you something, they give you the item, not the monetary value. If you turn item into money tgen you either split it with them.or give it to them entirely.

I've had tons of baby hand me doens from my sister. I tend to sell on all my baby things bit whatever I was given, I give the funds back to her. Wouldn't be right to profit from someone else's one generosity regardless of the item or value.

It was hers, it became yours when she gave it to you. I think 50/50 would be fair, if you value you the friendship though (if you don’t, meh). Neither of you were expecting it anyway so it’s a bonus. I’d be delighted if I were your friend and you suggested that.

I would tell her she's accidentally given you 4.5k, she'd never have done that if she'd realised.

IF it is real i would be highly surprised it was bought at a market
Ostrich skin in its self is not mega expensive but coupled with the correct brand it could be.
There are things as “super fakes” in the handbag world, which basically mean they look 100% authentic unless examined under scrutiny
There’s many websites that will authenticate a handbag for you for as litttlw as £5. I’d start there then decide (if it is worth some money) to tell your friend or not
If it has been under the eyes of an expert I wold inform her and ask her is she still ok for you to keep it
If she’s worth millions she may not care, if she’s a single mum on minimum wage it could change her current situation ....

People saying they hate the idea of anyone profiting off the dead animal -

I volunteered sorting through donations for a local dogs trust. The amount of real fur garments people donated was ridiculous. Of course, we threw them away, they don't fit the ethos. Real leather, however, was fine...

“If she’s worth millions she may not care, if she’s a single mum on minimum wage it could change her current situation ..”

that’s a really good point, Onepudding, hadn’t considered that angle and it does make a difference.

I think you should tell her and I'm surprised anyone thinks otherwise.

Presumably she gave you the bag thinking it was of little or no value. You now know otherwise.

I would tell her and give it back.

You enjoyed good times with the bag. Now you have an interesting story.

She’s your friend, you must tell her.

“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.”

But the OP had it valued without any supporting documentations and the place who valued it were willing and happy to buy it from her (and I assume resell it).

So your musings are mute, really, if in RL someone is willing to pay her close that price.

True enough. I suppose I was talking from my own perspective, I’d never buy a bag without a full service history, as it were. But someone might, I guess. I’m not saying they wouldn’t have bought it, and not saying no one at all would have bought it from them. Just saying theoretical value isn’t always the same as actual resale value.

But until she sells it, it’s definitely a moot point. Value in monetary terms exists only at point of sale, so if OP doesn’t want to sell it, it doesn’t have any value.

Can you tell us what make it is OP? Love to see a picture but understand it being too outing.

I'm guessing it's a Birkin bag

That's a lot of money. And your friend may be in a position where that money would be very useful? For something more important maybe.

She was kind enough to give you her bag. I think you should be kind enough tell her the truth. She will mostly likely want to sell, and probably split the money.

I was listing over an emerald green mulberry Alexa a while ago. But at £4500 new (ish) it was waaaay out of my price range (and dh’s as he was buying me the bag!) it was ostrich leather.

Give her it back

If you were planning on selling it then I would tell your friend. I don’t think you’d ‘have’ to tell her (she gave it to you, that makes it yours now, regardless of how much it’s worth!) but I think it would be the morally correct thing to do.

If you’re planning on keeping it I wouldn’t tell her. She might be a bit bitter about not having had it valued herself and you wouldn’t want to cause issues in your friendship. It doesn’t matter how much it’s worth if you’re not going to sell it!

But the OP had it valued without any supporting documentations and the place who valued it were willing and happy to buy it from her (and I assume resell it).

Actually she said they offered to sell it for her, not that they offered to buy it.

“If she’s worth millions she may not care, if she’s a single mum on minimum wage it could change her current situation ..”

that’s a really good point, Onepudding, hadn’t considered that angle and it does make a difference."

I don't think it is a good point. I know lots of MNers are wealthy, but can there be many people for whom 4.5k is not a lot of money? Objectively, it's a lot of money so you need to act accordingly.

Something doesn’t add up here. £4.5k bags don’t just show up on market stalls.

To address your AIBU, however - of course you should tell her. I can’t think of a persuasive argument why you wouldn’t.

It's not going to be a real Birkin or whatever if the friend bought it from a market stall. It may be a good copy, but it won't be worth anywhere near that much (incidentally, real Hermes bags are usually valued at much more £4,500 even second hand).

I second what a PP said, the friend probably told OP she got the bag from a market seller to save her embarrassment and knows full well it's valuable, she just didn't like it anymore and knew the OP wouldn't have accepted it had she known its real value.

If it really was bought from a market stall selling fakes then the logical conclusion is... it’s a fake.

People who authenticate designer items aren’t infallible. My assumption would be it’s a good fake and it fooled them.

Or it's stolen goods?

I would tell her, ask if it can be sold. She takes the majority of the money.
Ask for a couple of hundred quid to buy a replacement bag.