Collectors adore their acquisitions with an enthusiastic vigor. But when an umbrella collector walks out of a thrift shop with a Hermès Parasol, excitedly posting it in the r/ThriftStoreHauls subreddit, that's something special.

"Pardon my French, but that is so f****** chic and I'm not even a huge Hermès fan," came from the "Top 1% Commenter," and it's hard to argue.

Hermès parasols are not exactly cheap on the best of days, running anywhere from $150 to $500, oftentimes just for the "silk scarf" material, not including the mechanical, functional part of the umbrella.

The OP scored this parasol for just $4.99. If that's not enough to convince fence sitters to start shopping at thrift stores, nothing will. Of course, not everyone will bag an item like this for such an extremely low price.

In fact, most people won't. However, what thrifting will do is keep items out of landfills and counter rampant product consumerism. It does this by diverting the focus from acquisition, purely for the sake of it, to purchasing items that have real-world impacts.

It's a side effect, but there are too many positives to ignore, especially considering the massive amount of waste in America and abroad. According to Environment America, the United States is responsible for 12% of the world's trash. More than half will end up in a landfill.

This brings the conversation back to consumerism, which often leads to disposal. People purchase far more than they need, discarding with little understanding of where it will end up.

Fortunately, thrift stores are growing in popularity, helping facilitate a slow but steady reversal in wasteful behavior.

The U.S. Market Research Report, covering 2014 to a projected 2029, indicates a slow and steady growth in the thrifting industry and environmentally conscious shopping. The last five years have seen a significant 3.7% compound annual growth rate (CAGR).

IBISWorld admits that economic factors impact thrift store growth, but also projects industry growth over the next five years. That's good news for thrifters and would-be thrifters alike, as well as parasol collectors the world over.

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.

Fellow Redditors were excited about this particular find, even if they weren't umbrella collectors themselves.

"Absolutely stunning!" echoed the sentiments of most.

"Oh wow … I don't care about umbrellas, but this is gorgeous," wrote one commenter who sums up the general feeling over the find, hopefully encouraging many more.

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