Sifting through the bins at Goodwill should be classified as an adventure sport. It can require digging, climbing, lifting heavy weights, and even facing the elements. But despite all of the difficulties that come with shopping the bins, some lucky shoppers are rewarded with hidden treasures left over in pockets or even at the bottom of the bins.
One Goodwill shopper shared their latest win at the bins in the r/GoodwillBins subreddit.
"Spent $3.27 today at the bins. Found a target gift card with $10 on it. It's apparently been sitting on that card for over four years to boot," the OP wrote.
The attached image shows the birthday-themed gift card and the $10 value that was verified on the Target website.
Thrifting can be likened to treasure hunting, as it often requires a lot of digging and can yield high rewards. Thrifters may not only stumble upon freebies, such as gift cards and jewelry, but they can also find trendy and designer items marked far below retail value. Previous shoppers have found a gorgeous mid-century lamp, a Nintendo DS with 17 games, Hunter rain boots, and Rag & Bone jeans all priced between $12 and $45, respectively.
Shopping secondhand also benefits the environment, as the fashion industry accounts for 10% of global carbon pollution annually, according to Earth.org. Every year, 92 million tons of textiles end up in landfills, and it is expected to grow to 134 million tons by 2030.
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Goodwill diverts more than 4.2 million pounds of waste every year, so when thrifters choose Goodwill or other thrift stores instead of shopping new, they are making a big impact on the environment. Shopping existing inventory also keeps microplastics out of our waterways.
The Redditors celebrated the OP's find and also shared their own wins.
"I found an $11.72 Starbucks gift card in the bins the other day!" a commenter shared.
"Nice find!! Who leaves gift cards in birthday cards to donate?" another asked.
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The OP responded, "It wasn't even in a card! It was loose at the bottom of the bin with the number scratched off. I assumed it was empty, but you never know!"
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