A recent post on Reddit's r/ThriftGrift community has thrift shoppers doing a double take and sparking conversations about quality control at secondhand stores. In the photo, a standard plastic hairbrush is marked for sale at $3.49 — with visible hairs still tangled in the bristles.
"Hairbrush with somebody else's (blonde? grey?) hair in it, only $2 more than brand new at dollar tree," the user wrote in the caption.
The post got big reactions from the community, with some people grossed out that anyone would donate a used hygiene item. Others pointed a finger at the store's standards and audacity to sell the item — especially at a high price.
"Insanity; how was this not thrown out? What are the lines on judging what's saleable?" one user commented. "Charging that much for a used hairbrush with hair IN IT is criminal," said another.
Another user added: "Eww. On top of this being gross, it looks like a Wet Brush which I just bought a new one online this week for $4.98."
While this kind of find is far from the norm, it's a reminder that not all donations are handled equally, especially as some thrift chains keep jacking up the prices without necessarily improving quality control. Bad experiences like this can discourage new shoppers from trying secondhand stores, even though thrifting is one of the best ways to stretch your budget and find one-of-a-kind items.
Beyond saving money on everyday items, thrifting helps reduce waste and keeps perfectly usable goods out of landfills — something we desperately need, considering the U.S. sends over 12 million tons of textiles to the dump each year.
Despite this unsavory find, thrifting still reigns supreme as one of the best ways to score amazing finds like this art discovery worth thousands and these luxury designer rain boots marked down to just $10. To improve your next thrifting adventure, check out these tips for shopping at thrift stores.
Commenters seemed to be both shocked and somewhat unsurprised at the same time. "Man, these thrift stores have lost their damn minds when they price stuff! It's getting ridiculous!" said one user.
Another user chimed in, saying: "That's just unbelievable and gross! I only thrift in Europe and have never seen anything like this! If there's combs and hair brushes, they're directly new from a company who donated excess stock or discontinued a product."
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