Iconic '90s Bags Are Selling for Pocket Change at This Unexpected Retailer

Laura Reilly

Wed, August 25, 2021 at 2:00 AM UTC

3 min read

Hanna Lassen/Getty Images

instyle - 18 Available at Walmart

instyle - 396 Available at Walmart

instyle - 63 Available at Walmart

instyle - 750 Available at Walmart

instyle - 44 Available at Walmart

instyle - 460 Available at Walmart

Some things just get better with age. A bottle of Barolo, perhaps, or a pair of Levi's 501s weathered in all the right places. Designer bags of the '90s and early '00s, patinated by years of pop culture, fall squarely into this category. The trouble with items whose value requires patience, though, is that they don't come cheap — there's no way to manufacture the passage of time, after all.

It's something of a miracle, then, that we've found some of the most legendary names in handbags of the era selling their vintage pieces for prices we might find on today's fast fashions. But unlike the low quality, high volume accessories designed to fall apart after a couple of wears, these bonafide bags have already lasted decades.

Iconic, era-defining pieces that equally dominated fashion glossies and teen movies like Coach wristlets, Furla clutches, and Kate Spade satchels can be spotted for less than $35. Purses from heavy-hitting luxury labels like Chanel, Gucci, Prada, and Burberry can be hard to find in good vintage condition, but at this unexpected retailer, mint bags that embodied the decade's aesthetic and occupied space in every It girl's closet abound (at rates undercutting other major resale platforms, no less).

You'd never guess, but this unlikely source for nostalgic, star-powered handbags is Walmart. Let us explain: While you might know and love Walmart already as your destination for cookout essentials, vacuum cleaners, and Black Friday TV deals, a recent partnership with used clothing giant ThredUp has opened up a whole new future for the company that involves looking to the past.

Think back to the media dominating screens at the time, from Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie's The Simple Life to Lindsay Lohan-starring Mean Girls to the pivotal Sex and the City, and you'll immediately recognize all the best bags from Walmart's ThredUp partnership. With over 1,000 bags in the collection, it can be hard to know where to start. Fortunately, we've taken the time to pull out some especially great pieces (at astonishing prices) and gathered them all below.

Shop the best authentic designer '90s and '00s handbags from Walmart below.