A Henredon mahogany sideboard sold for $62? Seriously? According to a post in the r/ThriftStoreHauls subreddit, that's exactly what happened.
"Absolutely insane get," according to the OP — who submitted the winning bid for the item at an auction — and that's a bit of an understatement.
The OP calls it a "buffet cabinet," but these pieces are usually identified as sideboards. Either way, it's a beautiful acquisition and far cheaper than its retail value. Sideboards like this sell on 1stDibs for well over $1,000 regularly.
With a little research, the OP also linked to an identical cabinet for sale on Boyd's. As you can see, $62 is an absolute steal.
In 2024, the U.S. secondhand market was estimated at $50 billion, according to Capital One Shopping. It's a trend that's moving north, too — the economic impact and the growth of online resale platforms are thriving.
The savings are profound, but sustainability and resource conservation are beneficial too. The items purchased from thrift stores, online resalers, or auctions are items that don't end up in a landfill somewhere.
It's very difficult to find the same level of quality in materials and craftsmanship in comparable products today. Prefab furniture that comes with an instruction manual simply can't match the character and artistic appeal of antique furniture.
Thrifting also helps reduce carbon emissions, conserving natural resources and minimizing the environmental impact of "fast furniture." Besides, "new" furniture often utilizes chemicals, such as formaldehyde, paints and adhesives that emit toxic gases, and flame retardants.
There are a ton of rare, valuable, and high-quality items out there on the resale market. You can save money and even make more by reselling closer to actual retail values.
As one comment mentioned, you can find some of these items at absurdly low prices: "In that condition I'm surprised the auction didn't start higher to be honest. It's not everyone's thing to have heavy accents but I'm telling you I'd buy it for just that."
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Cheaper clothes 🤑 However, as the OP suggests, it's a good idea to jump on low prices while they're still available: "I tried to get the matching lit curio cabinets for this at another recent auction, but they ended up going for over $300 each."
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