Woman buys $7 designer bag from charity shop and ends up with somebody else’s inheritance money

The beauty of charity shops is people never know what they might find – and sometimes, they could end up with way more than they bargained for.

TikTok user @marthainfused picked up an old Coach bag for $6.99 (£5.80) at Salvation Army. Her viral clip revealed how she discovered a wild note hidden in a compartment while cleaning it up.

She told the 8.1 million viewers: "I thought I could clean up, so I start working on trying to take this flap out, at the bottom of a purse, and there is an envelope."

In a surprise turn of events, the envelope contained $300 (£250) and a confessional note addressed to the new owner.

"I have three children, they will give my things to Goodwill when I die. So I am putting their inheritance inside all my favourite things," it read.

The woman, who signed the note off as "Martha", said her husband's mistress left the bag behind. "I came home early from a visit to my parents' house in Connecticut. She must have left quickly because she forgot her bag and shoes."

"I carried it daily, and I am giving it away because my kids don’t want it. So go buy yourself a new bag," the note continued.

Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter

The TikToker's newfound discovery prompted her to return to the store and ask whether anybody knew Martha. One employee said she last saw her in December 2021.

One user joked, "One thing about Martha, she gonna hold a grudge. Even until death lol," while another said, "Martha was clearly a badass woman. The fact that she included all the tea along with the cash."

A third added: "Be a Martha in a World of Karens."

Even the brand Coach reacted to the TikTok story.

Users have since started coming forward with similar "Martha" notes hidden in charity garments.

In a follow-up clip, the TikToker said she was meeting up with a woman who also found a note and $100 (£83) hidden in her charity shop jeans.

She said she will update her TikTok followers once the pair have shared stories.

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.