This thrift shopper went with their gut — then Google revealed their new purchase was worth hundreds.
A Redditor took a chance on a bright yellow side table in a local thrift store, later finding it was well worth the price, so they shared their success on r/ThriftStoreHauls.
"... I had no idea if it was worth anything but it was surprisingly heavy and I love a pop of color, so I lugged this thing almost a mile home on foot," they wrote. "Did a cursory Google Lens when I got back and it turns out it's over $300 brand new (and is 27lbs, made of steel). Not bad for $14.99!"
It looks like the yellow table could be a match for a release from furniture company Room & Board, currently retailing for $329. That's a score of $314 in savings snagged by shopping secondhand.
Savings like these aren't uncommon, either. According to CouponFollow, thrifters can "save an average of $1,760 per year by buying secondhand items."
One such shopper seemed to stumble upon a $2,000 Canada Goose winter jacket for just $25. Another found an entire matching bedroom set — dresser, vanity, nightstand, bedframe — for under $100.
Thrifting is great for your wallet, and it's good for the environment too.
The New York Times reported in late 2022 that every year Americans "throw out more than 12 million tons of furniture, creating mountains of solid waste that have grown 450 percent since 1960, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Bits of tossed furniture can be recycled, but the vast majority ends up in landfills."
Those are U.S. figures only, and they're just for furniture. Each year, millions of tons of appliances, kitchenware, garments, and other home goods end up in landfills around the world too. And not only does this waste potentially usable resources, but degrading materials can release contaminants into the air, soil, and nearby water systems.
By donating your old stuff and shopping at thrift stores, you can save items from meeting an untimely demise in a landfill. You can also be a part of showing that there's less of a need for new item production, packaging, and transportation — all of which can come with environmental costs.
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Cheaper clothes 🤑 Commenters adored this thrifter's new side table — and the savings too.
"You definitely got a great deal on it," one user wrote, "but even if it had only been valued at $20 or whatever, it would have been worth it — it's such a cute table!"
Another said they "would love to find one of those!"
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