Buying kitchen appliances secondhand is a great way to save money, especially on high-end brands, but some stores are taking advantage of shoppers looking for deals by raising prices.
In the subreddit r/ThriftStoreHauls, a shopper shared a photo of a beautiful blue KitchenAid mixer — with a hefty price tag of $299.99.
That prompted the would-be thrifter to say, "I think maybe not."
A similar model, brand new from the company, ranges in price from $449 to $499, depending on its specifications.
One Redditor pointed out that the poster could purchase a certified refurbished mixer directly from KitchenAid for $259, or $40 less than the one on the shelf.
As secondhand shopping and thrifting become increasingly popular, stores have challenged what constitutes a reasonable price. Fortunately, these instances are outliers.
Several thrift shoppers have found gently used KitchenAid stand mixers in excellent condition at a fraction of the cost. One lucky thrifter snagged a unit complete with attachments for just $45, and another scored a similar KitchenAid for a scant $6.99.
It's important not to be deterred by the occasional yet rare "thrift grift" experience; thrifting is a great way to save on a wide range of high-end items, from appliances to fashion to furniture.
Thrifting also has environmental benefits that require no extra effort. Shopping secondhand spares resources being used to manufacture new items, which often requires dirty energy.
Shopping at thrift stores keeps perfectly good and usable items out of landfills, where they occupy space and take years to break down, producing planet-warming gases in the process.
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Cheapest option 💰 Commenters were as annoyed by the mixer's shocking sticker price as the original poster.
"I would be so mad if I finally found one at the thrift, thinking it's my turn, only to see the audacity of the price," one person wrote.
Another objected to the wild inconsistency of pricing in secondhand stores, citing an encounter with an identical appliance.
"I kid you not, I found this exact same mixer, down to the same color, for $60," they said.
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