Woman with Huge Beaded Handbag Collection Defends Her Passion — and She’s Blocking the Haters (Exclusive)

Some people may call it an addiction, others may call it a collection. But for Maya Valentino, her over 150 beaded purses are a goldmine.

The 28-year-old San Francisco Bay Area native, who recently went viral for her “Crazy beaded bag jackpot at TjMaxx” TikTok video, is no stranger to shopping hauls. In fact, her bubbly personality and unique finds have gotten her nearly 260K followers on TikTok and 13.5 million likes.

She recently made waves when she spent almost $400 buying beaded purses at T.J. Maxx, which, for her, was like investing in “little pieces of art that you can carry” and “won’t cost you your entire life savings and firstborn child.”

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“When I finally find the exact one I’ve had my eye on, sometimes after months of searching, it gives me a huge rush,” she tells PEOPLE. “It may sound a bit dramatic, but it’s my own version of seeing the Mona Lisa for the first time.”

“The excitement of walking into the Louvre, walking through multiple hallways to reach the room she’s in, then BOOM…in all of her glory,” she continues. “There she is! Petite, intricately crafted, and the one girl that EVERYONE is talking about!”

Valentino says that every single one of her beaded bags “sparks joy, and the treasure hunt that leads me to it makes the moment even better.”

And she doesn’t care what people think.

Her viral video is filled with mixed reactions, with some people claiming it is a bit “embarrassing,” “not at all practical,” and “consumerism at its finest.”

She tells PEOPLE, however, that she’s reached a point “where negativity feels more like curiosity and projection more than anything.”

“I don’t let it take root anymore,” says Valentino, noting that “the block button is a beautiful, necessary tool.”

“My joy is sacred. I’ve fought too hard for my peace to let anyone chip away at what I’ve worked so hard for,” the content creator says.

Valentino tells PEOPLE that while her “collection-to-wear ratio is about 50/50,” some of the purses in her collection have been bought to be “admired.”

“What I love most is the individuality they all bring,” she says. “No beaded bag is the same, no matter the manufacturer, because a lot of them are actually handmade. Each design also has its own energy and spunk!”

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“There’s truly no other purse that can compare to the beauty of a beaded bag, but I might just be a bit biased,” Valentino continues. “These beautiful bags also give me a great deal of joy. Each of them tells a story and has a way of reminding me of how much I love fashion!”