Shopper sparks outrage with photo of baffling item at local thrift store: 'On what planet?'

A Reddit post highlighting a thrift store's pricing for a fake designer jacket has captured a growing frustration with secondhand stores for price gouging.

The post, shared to the r/ThriftGrift subreddit, shows a black puffer jacket tagged "faux" priced at $400 and has spurred an important conversation about resale markups and the motivations of secondhand sellers.

The poster wrote in their title that the jacket was a "fake Canada Goose," and the store (or perhaps a fellow thrifter on the lookout for others) had identified it as such, but it was still priced as though it were authentic.

Steep markups at thrift stores are not new, and they undermine the core appeal of secondhand shopping: low prices.

A commenter on another viral Reddit thread about the increased cost of thrifting summed up the situation, saying: "What I think is more likely is that thrift shops are increasing their prices to pad their bottom line." 

Studies show thrift stores have become increasingly popular for consumers trying to cut costs. About 52 percent of Americans bought secondhand goods in 2023, according to a ThredUp resale report. 

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that textiles make up more than 11 million tons of United States landfill waste annually, and buying used clothing is an important way to reduce demand for new production. Canada Goose jackets typically retail for more than $1,000, and one commenter wrote that a used Canada Goose "shouldn't be $400 even if it's authentic." 

Sticking to reputable secondhand platforms that authenticate items before listing them is a solution to a conundrum like this one for shoppers worried about overpriced pieces or counterfeits.

One user was puzzled by the outrageous pricing and exclaimed: "On what planet?"

Thankfully, on planet Earth, shoppers can still find affordable basics and valuable collectibles in the secondhand market. 

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.

If you're lucky, you can also reap the spoils of other people's items before they make it to the thrift store, as evidenced by one comment that said: "If I had an expensive item that I couldn't use anymore, I'd give it to someone I know before donating to a goodwill or a thrift place that I knew was for profit."

Whether you're a lucky recipient of hand-me-downs or buying your favorite brands for less, even falling victim to the occasional "thrift grift" does not outweigh the everyday wins of secondhand shopping.

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