On a big baking kick and in search of tins, pans, and whatnot, TikToker Devon (@meowmeowtimee) shared their thrilling experience at a Salvation Army in Chicago.
"I cannot believe what just happened to me," she said in her video recap with great enthusiasm. "... I'm walking around the kitchen aisle. I turn the corner. What do I see? What do I see? I see a standing KitchenAid mixer in the color I have always wanted. Just there. I run over, I throw it in my cart."
@meowmeowtimee Can I fix this kitchen aid mixer?? FINGERS AND TOES CROSSSSSEEDDD #kitchen #kitchenaid #kitchenhacks #thrifted #chicago #cookingathometiktoktv ♬ original sound - Devon
A tag said to ask an associate for any attachments, so Devon spoke to one and learned it came with the bowl, whisk, bread hook, and paddle — the full set of accessories that come with the mixer when purchased new. The price was $149 but was 75% off on this particular Saturday for $37.
She plugged it in for a test run before buying, and it worked but with "a bit of a stutter when it spins," which she looked up at the store and felt confident was fixable based on the YouTube videos that came up describing the same issue.
"If I can't fix it, I will cut my losses," Devon said. "But in the event that I can, this might be the best thrift find I have ever come across."
A mixer is just one of the many kitchenware items that are best bought secondhand.
This was not the first KitchenAid found at a great discount by a thrifter, and it's common to stumble on other fancy appliances as well, including expensive espresso machines.
A few benefits of thrifting are reduced consumption of resources, decreased waste, and less chemical pollution. You also save money, of course.
Some TikTokers were appalled at the thrift store's pre-discount sticker price of the mixer, and the increased popularity of secondhand shopping is creating concerns about those who rely on the practice.
However, this should be a minimal issue since there are so many hand-me-downs that we don't need to produce more clothing for six generations and because the sticker prices at the store may be designed with the knowledge that there will often be deep discounts on them — like the 75% one the customer participated in.
Commenters called for popular YouTube and TikTok repairman Mr. Mixer to come to the rescue, and Devon posted a series of videos detailing her attempts to fix the problem. The last of them showed she was successful, and since then, she has posted some videos of her using the mixer to make various dishes.
@meowmeowtimee WE DID it JOE !!!! Shout out @Mr.Mixer for his comment NOW I CAN START BAKINGGG #kitchen #kitchenaidmixer #cookingathometiktoktv #homedepot #taylorsversion #thrifting #diy #fixerupper #glossier #chicago ♬ original sound - Devon
Buying electronics from a thrift store does come with its risks for defects or need for repairs, as this case illustrates, but Devon did take the right step of testing it in the store and buying it knowing it would require some repairs to get her dream mixer in the color of her choice at a deep discount.
"You totally hit the jackpot," one commenter said. "That's the larger, more expensive model."
Someone else wrote: "I was about to be jealous but then remembered I got TWO vitamixes at the thrift this year. For $60."
"I have the same mixer in the same colour!" a third person stated. "Great find. Mine was almost $1000 new."
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