It's true that one person's trash is often another person's treasure — and nowhere is this more accurate than in the secondhand community. There, savvy sidewalk shoppers look for discarded furniture and clothes, expert dumpster divers snatch up still-fresh foods, and frequent thrifters take advantage of deals on everything from cult-favorite appliances to clothing commodities.
And for one lucky person, a trip to the thrift store wasn't even necessary for her to win big. She shared photos of a ring she had recently been given in the subreddit r/jewelryidentification, asking for help in identifying what, exactly, she had just acquired.
"My father-in-law bought one of those bulk grab bag type bags of jewelry from Value Village in Ontario, Canada," she explained. "He let us all choose a piece and this is the one I selected. Can anyone tell me the maker or any other information about this ring?"
While the commenters weren't able to identify the maker or the precise value of the ring with any real certainty, it was seemingly apparent that it was made of gold and a — presumably real — pearl.
"Epic find," one person wrote.
Finding the diamonds — or in this case, the pearls — in the rough is one of the draws of thrift shopping for many people. The ability to discover a designer label or an artist's stamp on an otherwise unassuming object is a thrill; it's often lucrative, too, for those who opt to resell the high-value items they find.
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"Beautiful ring," another commenter enthused. "I hope it is on tight! You did well!!"
In addition to the possibility of scoring major discounts on rare items, many shoppers opt to buy secondhand for the consistent savings on more everyday items. After all, with many thrift shops marking down their goods by anywhere from 25-50% off the retail price, there's almost nothing that wouldn't make more sense to buy secondhand — from clothes to home decor, kitchenwares, shoes, and accessories.
The secondhand lifestyle is also beneficial to the planet. In contrast to the wasteful practices of fast fashion — which generates staggering amounts of textile pollution each year, much of which ends up in our oceans — buying secondhand keeps items out of landfills. And that's even more valuable than gold.
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