A shopper was shocked to find a high price tag on a very worn item at the thrift store, prompting a discussion on thrifting on Reddit.
In a subreddit dedicated to the city of Calgary, the secondhand shopper spied a pair of sneakers that looked very heavily used, with visible dirt and even a piece of hair tied in with the dirty shoelaces.
The asking price? A surprising $17.49. "Shocking quality and pricing," the OP noted.
A store pricing these clearly heavily used shoes even close to $20 is definitely a questionable move. Some stores have started charging higher prices as more and more customers are turning to secondhand shopping and thrifting to try to beat rising costs caused by inflation, but they seem to be doing it on questionable items. One person found Target brand sheets that had apparently originally been on clearance for around $4.75 being sold for $10, while another called out an overpriced vintage lamp.
But it's a turn-off to customers and undermines the overall benefits that can come with secondhand shopping. For one, you can find great high-quality household items for a fraction of the price, like a rare Ralph Lauren sweater, or a high-tech smokeless grill. You can save about $100 a year at least when you shop secondhand, making it a great way to watch your wallet.
It is possible the person who donated them to the store was trying to avoid the sneakers ending up in the landfill, but as one Redditor in the comments noted, they really aren't usable. "Shame on whomever donated those too. Like, dude, those are your lawnmowing shoes now or garbage," they wrote.
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According to the BBC, 23 billion shoes are made every year, while 300 million of those are thrown away in the same time period. Sneakers and other fashion items sitting in landfills contribute to planet-warming gases as they take years to break down, as well as generally contribute to overconsumption and wasted resources. Despite this example, donating items that are more lightly used is still a helpful step in helping toward a cleaner future.
Redditors in the comments were just as shocked as the OP when it came to the dirty sneakers, and let their feelings be known.
"That's disgusting," one person declared.
Another joked, "Ah yes, that 'lived in' look. So hot right now."
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