Thrift shopper sparks debate with photo of bewildering sighting at store: 'Are these any good?'

After discovering a batch of dishware marked for $1,850 at a thrift store, a surprised shopper remarked on Reddit about the unexpectedly high cost — sparking discussion of whether this was a case of overpricing in the generally cost-effective thrift industry.

"Are these any good?" the shopper asked in the subreddit r/ThriftGrift. They included a photo of the dish sets and added, "I never much see dish sets [for] more than $100. This seems crazy."

A commenter said that the dish sets were a Florentine pattern in turquoise by Wedgwood, a fine china brand. Although it's difficult to tell how many pieces were included at the thrift store, the assembled items might sell new for a similar price, which puzzled the viewers of the post.

The commenter who identified the pieces said of the posted items, "They are valuable, but this is excessive."

Thrift stores are usually an excellent solution for finding high-quality, often unique items at low prices. One reason thrifting has grown in popularity over the past decade has been as a reaction to rising prices, in addition to a turn toward sourcing one-of-a-kind products.

Although cases of overpricing are outliers, when thrift stores start marking up items to the same prices they are originally sold for, the advantages that make thrift stores so coveted are nullified.

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According to ThredUp, economic pressures are one reason why the secondhand apparel market alone is projected to reach a whopping $256 billion globally this year.

A research director at Placer.ai told Forbes that "consumers of all backgrounds, even those coming from high-income households, are gravitating toward thrift to round out their wardrobes and embrace treasure hunting. Consumers are looking for the right mix of value and selection that traditional retailers typically can't provide."

Seeing prices go up in one's local thrift store is a recipe for a loss of revenue, as many who flock to thrift stores do so for the affordable prices without sacrificing quality. Without thrift as a cornerstone of the retail industry, a reliance on fast fashion can grow, which can also lead to increased pollution.

Fast fashion is a major contributor to landfill waste. It accounts for a large portion of more than 100 million tons of estimated annual textile waste from the apparel industry. When waste ends up in the landfill, it can amplify the already worrying air, soil, and water pollution that seeps into human food supplies, water sources, and even bloodstreams in the form of microplastics.