Some people shop at secondhand stores for the thrill of the thrift, while others rely on thrifting to keep a well-balanced budget. Either way, thrifters benefit both their wallets and the environment by buying used.
But some thrift stores take advantage of people by overpricing used goods.
One Redditor ran into one such circumstance at a local thrift shop. They shared their annoyance on the r/ThriftGrift subreddit.
A framed picture of a sailboat was priced by Mission Thrift Store at $125. Comically, another sticker near the price tag read: "Research shows this is valued at $180."
"Local thrift store admittedly does research before pricing," the poster wrote.
That $55 difference between the item and its supposed "value" amounted to a 30.6% discount — a weak cut for thrifters who are trying to shop sustainably.
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Thrifters who may not care most for value still want to find affordable treasures, and $125 is a steep price for those who want to decorate their homes with affordable art and furniture or find inexpensive clothes and accessories.
Overpricing items steals these opportunities from people and pushes thrifters to step away from secondhand stores. This loss of business can land items in landfills, which is the exact problem thrift stores are meant to solve.
The world's landfills are on the brink of overflowing, according to RoadRunner, and they emit excessive amounts of polluting gases.
Eventually, more land will have to be taken from animals, LJP Waste Solutions says, to create space for human waste.
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What's your primary motivation in shopping at thrift stores?
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Cheaper clothes 🤑 While thrifting does not solve this problem, the act is a stone in the sustainability pond.
Commenters were outraged by the poster's experience.
"I hate this," one said. "I go to thrift stores for the dopamine high of finding something great for cheap. Not to feel s***** for dropping over $100."
Another commented: "I feel like thrift stores lost their purpose. … Now it's all about reselling and maximizing profits."
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