A Philadelphia woman goes to Goodwill in New Jersey and picks up a pair of boots. When she leaves the store, she realizes she scored big after finding a Rolex at the bottom of one of the shoes.
In a video with over 454,000 views, TikToker and thrifting influencer Sabrina (@sabrinasecondhand) sits in the car holding up a small gold and silver watch. The face of the watch shows the Rolex logo.
On-screen text reads, “Just found a Rolex inside a pair of boots at the bins. Today’s a good day.”
Goodwill Bins contain a variety of products that many shoppers dig through to find rare clothing items donated to the thrift store.
Did she find an authentic Rolex at Goodwill?
In the comments, viewers urge her to get the watch authenticated. Some warn against going to a Rolex store, as they may try to find the original owner.
“Congratulations – looks legitimate and from the late 90s / early 00s! Don’t need to worry about stolen serial unless you take your piece to a Rolex Service Center (RSC). If you service your watch at your local mom and pop jeweler you’ll be fine,” one says.
“Girl go get it authenticated and don’t tell them where it’s from,” another suggests.
In a follow-up video, Sabrina takes the watch to a jewelry repair store for authentication. A worker looks at the watch closely.
On-screen text reveals that the watch is an authentic Rolex. In the comments, she says the Jewelry store worker appraised the watch for around $3,000, as it requires some cleaning and repairs.
Many Rolex watches sell for upwards of $10,000, according to Watch Charts. However, some models are valued close to $500,000.
In an Instagram direct message to The Mary Sue, Sabrina says she hopes her video will encourage others to try thrifting.
“You never know what you’ll find! Everyone should be shopping secondhand and sustainable instead of contributing to clothing pollution,” she writes. “Some people think thrifting is only for the less fortunate, but my TikTok shows that you can find amazing and high-quality things if you have the patience to look.”
Have other thrifters found luxury items?
In the comments, other thrift store shoppers share their best finds from Goodwill’s bins.
“I found a Chanel bag at the bins, I think people assumed it was fake because it looked like what was leather peeling off, but really it was just dirt needed to be cleaned up and it definitely was real!!! had it repaired and everything. It’s my prized possession!!!” one says.
“I once found a gucci suitcase from the 70s for 25€, i was so happy ran home and there was a lv weekend bag in it,” another writes.
However, others say they’ve lost designer items while donating to thrift stores.
“Accidentally donated my ‘strictly designer’ label bag when moving. They were unloading my trunk. I swear they did it on purpose,” a commenter shares.
@sabrinassecondhand update: it’s real mfs ?????#thrift #y2k #goodwillbins #vintage ♬ som original – WE SUPPORT BEY
The Mary Sue reached out to Goodwill and Rolex via email for further comment.
Update Oct. 16, 2025:
In an email to The Mary Sue, a Rolex spokesperson encourages Sabrina to contact the watch brand’s Client Relations team.
“Rolex Watch USA, Inc. has processes in place to assist our end-customers in similar situations,” the statement reads. “We would recommend that the individual who found a timepiece at a thrift store contact our Client Relations team for specific guidance.”
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