Full-sale prices in a supposedly "half-price" store are raising concerns anew on overpricing in secondhand shops — something that affects not just shoppers' wallets but the planet as well.
A Reddit post has reignited a heated conversation about how some thrift shops are marking up secondhand items to outrageous levels. Sharing photos of a locked display case with VHS tapes tagged as high as $100+, the original poster asked, "How did they even get to this price?"
Other Redditors wondered the same thing, noting that many of the VHS sets on display weren't rare collector editions and could be bought online for under $10.
One commenter explained that the jacked-up prices may be due to the internal database the store uses, which often bases pricing on how much similar items sold for in other branches. So, if one shopper buys a collectible set for $100, even common reissues of the same title might get tagged at similarly high prices.
While some shoppers really do pay a premium price for rare finds, excessive markups can discourage people from secondhand shopping — even if it's still one of the easiest ways to save money and reduce waste.
Buying secondhand clothing, for instance, can save shoppers an average of $1,700 per year. Deals like a $300 Faherty sweater for $6 or a $200 Bleu de Chanel bottle for $5 show how quickly the savings add up.
Not only that, but thrifting also saves the planet from more waste. By choosing to buy and donate secondhand items, shoppers keep usable products in circulation instead of sending them straight to landfills, reducing unnecessary waste.
This matters because, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, landfills generate about 72% of the heat-trapping gases produced by the entire waste sector.
Besides, where else can you score a $20 vintage record player, a $7 uranium glass cup, or a $20 camera bag filled with branded cameras and lenses? Although shoppers may encounter occasional inflated price tags, thrift shopping remains a budget-friendly way to find quality items while helping the planet.
When shoppers encounter over-the-top pricing, some ask stores to review tags against sold listings. Others share experiences in community groups.
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What's your primary motivation in shopping at thrift stores?
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Cheaper clothes 🤑 Collective feedback — just like the Reddit comments that sparked this discussion — helps remind stores that shoppers expect thrift-store prices to stay true to thrift-store values.
"Never thought I'd see the day where VHS is being marked up," wrote one commenter.
"It's so sad to see the collector prices," another added.
"I miss going in there and being able to walk out with a handful of things for like twenty bucks. Crazy how this is going," a third said.
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