There are plenty of reasons to shop at thrift stores. They are a tremendous way to support the circular economy, and you can oftentimes spot unique items unavailable at other retailers.
But let's face it. Many people go to thrift stores because they love a good deal. Which makes it all the more confusing when price-gouging makes certain items anything but thrifty.
One Redditor detailed just that with a post that garnered thousands of reactions on r/Mid_Century. The poster shared a picture of two vintage Modeline floor lamps without price tags.
According to the post, an employee at the Virginia-based store said they were waiting on a manager to price the lamps and that the expected cost was $4,000.
That's not a typo. Four thousand dollars for thrift shop lamps, which caused the OP to simply state, "Ooph." Commenters weren't quite as kind, calling the lamps "ridiculously overpriced" and the situation "outrageous."
Others pointed out that they had bought similar lamps for hundreds of dollars, not thousands, making the estimated cost even more eye-popping.
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Fortunately, pricing stories such as this seem to be the exception and not the rule when it comes to thrift stores. Stories abound about the amazing deals people have found at their local thrift stores, such as a "dream" Mandalay dress for just $20 and a KitchenAid stand mixer for about the same price as a loaf of bread.
Buying goods at thrift stores or other secondhand retailers can save shoppers $150 per month, a 2022 study found. The savings for the planet may be even more valuable.
Americans throw away millions of tons of clothes each year, and the rise in fast fashion has made textiles seemingly more expendable.
Thrift stores give those clothes second lives when they may otherwise end up in landfills. Thrifting can also reduce dependence on clothing production, which is one of the world's biggest causes of water pollution.
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