Shopper sparks conversation after sharing photo of thrift store's unbelievable price tags: 'I'd barely pay $2'

A post on Reddit sparked a discussion about the handling of secondhand magazines and books at thrift stores. 

In the r/ThriftGrift subreddit, Redditors share instances of expensive or unethical secondhand shopping, and one person shared an image of stacks of old car magazines selling for a hefty fee of $4 to $6 each.  

Right off the bat, a couple of commenters took issue with the price stickers. 

One said, "And they destroyed any value they actually had with the sticker placement." 

Another added, "Those GD stickers ruin so much. I found a first edition book with, you guessed it, a sticker on the fragile cover." 

Another noted that aside from the stickers hurting the possibility of maintaining mint or near-mint condition, the magazines in question aren't particularly rare or valuable, either. 

"I collect old car magazines," they said. "There's plenty of ones that are worth that much or more per issue but it's not those. You'd be lucky to get $2 a piece for those."

The thread raises an important point about thrifting. It has become an increasingly popular practice worldwide, with a 40% uptick in the United States alone between 2021 and 2022, according to Capital One. 

However, questionable practices, such as the one mentioned in the thread, can undermine the growth of this eco-friendly form of shopping — and that's not good news for anyone. In addition to providing savings for shoppers, thrifting has positive effects on the environment. 

By choosing to shop secondhand, consumer goods are saved from filling up landfills, which are becoming a major problem for local legislators. Many carelessly discarded items are still perfectly usable, but they will end up on these trash mountains regardless. 

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.

The negative environmental impact of landfills is considerable, including the release of harmful planet-warming gases and the destruction of natural habitats. Moreover, they also have adverse societal impacts, including reduced property values and health consequences for local residents. 

Fortunately, magazines are usually recyclable. The glossy paper usually has no significant impact on the process, according to Recycle Technologies. 

Still, it's best to try to reuse them first, so thrift stores are a potentially good option, though not so much if they're overpriced. 

As one of the comments pointed out, "Huh, I'd barely pay $2 for a thrift store magazine."

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