A secondhand shopper was so disappointed by an experience that they were motivated to detail the problem in r/ThriftGrift.
The Redditor shared a photo of the back room at their local Salvation Army store as well as an imperfect article for sale. "Their prices are high on everything, including clothing," they wrote.
Thrift shopping is supposed to be about finding usable items at steep discounts. Sure, you can expect a chipped or cracked knickknack here and there, but if a chunk is missing from a decorative object, it can't be sold for $15.
An impenetrable pile of clothes can't help the charitable organization either, though commenters noted that resellers are often inundated with so much stuff they can't get through it quickly and that donations are sometimes so filthy they can only be discarded.
The problem with overpriced items, however, is that people in need and bargain hunters are turned off or the articles are available only to those with the means to buy them. This can lead to fewer sales and exacerbate the issue.
When thrift stores are run well, they help people get what they need and save money on all kinds of things. Rare and valuable finds are an especially rewarding part of secondhand shopping, as this thrifter showed with a Valentino dress worth thousands of dollars. They purchased it for seven bucks. Another person scored a 100% cashmere sweater.
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Thrifting keeps clothes and other still-good but unwanted items from rotting in landfills and contributing to the production of the heat-trapping gases that are baking our planet.
To take part in this circular economy, resell your old clothes and doodads, donate them, or break up with fast fashion.
Other Redditors had other suggestions too.
"Gotta boycott these big conglomerate thrift stores," one commenter wrote. "Only ma and pa and very local chains for me."
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What's your primary motivation in shopping at thrift stores?
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Cheaper clothes 🤑 Someone else said: "Sickening isn't it? They are supposed to be a charitable organization. If a homeless person comes in looking for a coat and shoes, how can you turn them away?? People need to stop donating to these scammers."
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