Shopper shares photo of unbelievable sighting at local thrift store: 'This is hilarious'

A Reddit post has sparked a wave of disbelief after one shopper discovered an "almost new" appliance at a local thrift store — with a jaw-dropping price tag that left commenters laughing. 

The moment, shared in r/Thrifting, shows an old, broken washing machine being marked and sold as a dryer for nearly $200. It had a huge hole in the right-hand corner, as well as multiple scuffs and dirt marks. 

"This is hilarious," one commenter wrote, while another joked, "But it's like new, it still has the label on it!"

While thrift store overpricing happens (and can understandably frustrate shoppers), these incidents are generally outliers. 

Secondhand stores have historically offered some of the most affordable ways to shop for appliances, clothing, and household necessities — often saving shoppers up to $1,700 a year. 

Even better, thrifting keeps usable items out of landfills. These waste sites are overflowing across the United States, and they are notable producers of planet-warming pollution.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, municipal solid waste is the third-largest source of methane gas, which is much more potent than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere. 

Meanwhile, thrifting gives everyday shoppers access to quality goods at discount prices, which is increasingly important as the cost of living is rising. 

Many shoppers report finding unexpected treasures — including brand-name clothing and valuable electronics. One shopper found a luxury handbag, while another stumbled upon Bose-branded headphones while thrifting. 

These surprise discoveries are part of what makes secondhand shopping so fun — and why many thrifters keep coming back, even after the occasional eyebrow-raising price tag.

What's your primary motivation in shopping at thrift stores? Cheaper clothes 🤑 Trendier items 😎 Reduced environmental impact 🌎 I don't thrift 🚫 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

This type of shopping also reduces reliance on fast-fashion, which pushes out low-quality clothing that has a huge negative environmental impact.

In the case of the broken washer, one Redditor made light of the situation: "It's 'upcycled,' you see. It's no longer a broken washing machine, as they labeled it a dryer machine, and it has that big vent for air circulation."

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