How much thrifting are you willing to do to save money? What kind of compromises are you open to making? Where would you draw the line between sensible and ridiculous?
As you think about the answers to these questions, scroll through the Ridiculous Thrifter Instagram page. These chuckle-worthy images show the lengths people are willing to go to for the sake of frugality.
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This vase is the spokesperson for an entire generation
It's how I envisioned my mother as a child. Hands on her hips with no head.
Scottish actor playing an Egyptian cum Spaniard in a movie with a French guy playing a Scottish dude?
Load More Replies...Just about everything looks good on Sean, except this. (Zardoz.) F7457RWZFB...115bb7.jpg
Once it was cool. Now it might be retro chic. Otherwise, throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, open season for mockery.
Load More Replies...I was super shy and weird but seriously wished I could have expressed myself that way back then. I did as an adult but people focused more on my d**g use than my fashion choices 😂
Load More Replies...I'm looking for something like this, or a cowboy hat - loosing my hair in asymmetric clumps with chemo. Irish living in France, so gotta top them with style! Pmsl.
Many of these images also feature photos people took during their visits to thrift stores, which is apparently a booming business in the United States. According to Worldmetric statistics, the resale industry made $17 billion in sales revenue in 2019, its best year so far. Experts project these numbers to jump to $77 billion by 2025.
But why are thrift stores so popular? According to 62% of shoppers, it’s about the possibility of finding something “unique and antique.” They are excited by the idea of discovering something one-of-a-kind and, if they’re lucky, with a colorful history.
Urologist instructing students at med school on how to give a proper prostate exam
Probably a souvenir shop rather than a thrift store.
Load More Replies...Oh, my word who are you! Lol This is so random, but my name is Jaeger too, and I have yet to meet someone who has the same name as me!
Load More Replies...She is going to need a set of fairy lights for the holidays and maybe a Santa hat
That's Value Village for you. They sell broken Dollar store stuff for more than the Dollar store would
Load More Replies...need a matching one of Crowley from Good Omens, who is also a big fan
Bea Arthur hated cheesecake, which I found funny.
Load More Replies...Anyone else have the Garfield landline phone back in the day. It was da bomb.
I had a birdhouse gord that I ainted like this except he had his mouth open. It was funny watching the bluebirds go in and out.
Stealing would imply that you don't want to pay 4 dollars for it, which is contrary to what you said beforehand. 🤓 I'll take my L and leave.
Load More Replies...Since Mona doesn't have eyebrows, Meowna shouldn't have whiskers LOL
Some people, like TikTok influencer Bridget Brown, shop in thrift shops for sustainability reasons. As she told WhoWhatWear.com, it’s her way of lowering her carbon footprint.
“Thrifting has also been a huge inspiration to me when it comes to fashion—being able to shop for unique pieces that don’t necessarily fit in with the current ‘trends,’” Brown said, adding she shops “80% second hand” and “20% new.”
I'd buy it as a joke gift, recipient yet to be identified!
Load More Replies...Do you mean leaving the grocery store without buying anything? When I go to a grocery store there are usually a few specific things I want, so they'll have some of them at least. When I go to one of these, I might just be browsing.
Load More Replies...our education maybe, a stupid reaction because of something we learn... ?
Load More Replies...More importantly, did they bring enough to share with the rest of the class?
Load More Replies...At least it was a horriblely hilarious shirt and not a horrible tattoo.
I'm glad Gandhi isn't around to see this. I don't really know or care about Ariana.
I actually kind of like it when the air mattress is slightly deflated and you are just sunk into the mattress
I bought an air mattress many years ago. It was pictured with a dog. I had a very young kitten. The mattress was padded on both sides, so it's all good, right? FIRST day the mattress was home, kitten had an attack on the zoomies and landed on the unprotected side, hanging horizontally by his claws. Dead air mattress.
If I was you, I'd just li-lo for a while! (I hope you call them li-los where you are!)
or a new air mattress, in my experience. i've dealt with three or four of them in my life and only one was good for more than one night without fully reinflating it the next day.
over time, the material becomes porous, the valves are no longer watertight, the patches are unfortunately useless
Load More Replies...There's a facebook group for people who alter these and half the time when someone posts "look, I made Wednesday Addams out of this Precious Moment!" there'll be a comment about how these are HOLY and not to tampered with. Barb, I appreciate you love your collection but these are mass produced c**p like anything else.
The best one of the "repurposed" ones I've seen is the Weird Al one. Super cute!!
Load More Replies...I used to clean house for a lady who collected these. She had HUNDREDS of them. I had to carefully move and dust every GD one of them while she sat there and watched me, reminding me that they were expensive and to be careful because they were more important to her than her own children. She actually said that. I told her she needed to see a shrink.
Usually, I see the reference reversed (Funko Pops are millennials’ Precious Moments).
Precious Moment figures are like the German version of Hummel figurines.
I don't know why, but the sight of these things actually pisses me off.
There is a main character in a cozy mystery series who gets rid of her frustrations by smashing figurines with a hammer. I always picture her destroying Precious Moments and Hummels.
I used to date a guy who lived close to the Previous Moments museum. A couple times when I was in town he tried taking me there. Like, no thanks I can just go to the Hallmark store in the mall
Not everyone is a fan of buying pre-worn shoes. Brown, however, prefers it to be the case because they no longer need breaking in. She usually shops for shoes and bags together.
“To some, buying used shoes can seem icky, which is understandable, but the nice thing about buying used shoes is that they are most likely already broken in and stretched out, which makes life so much easier. Bags are also great to look for at the thrift. There are always super-fun and unique styles that are great to elevate any outfit."
Wesley Snipes, Al Capone, Donnie Drumpf approve of this t shirt
That second picture looks like a chest burster from the Alien movie. 😲
"OH NO... NOT AGAIN!" --That dude who also appeared in Spaceballs.....
Load More Replies...That's what I thought, which just skeeves me out even more looking at that thing.
Load More Replies...I REALLY hope not because that is nightmare fuel, especially since I saw that movie when I was a kid. It didn't help that 2 of my older brothers and their friends gave me a whole rash of s**t about it.
Load More Replies...I've never had a V-8, but I once owned a car that did.
Load More Replies...I saw a post about this somewhere, apparently the person who took this photo expressed regret over not buying it so their sister went to the store and bought it for them as a surprise, along with the donut patterned one behind it. Story with a happy ending!
This is 2024. Men and women are allowed to be themselves these days.
Load More Replies...No no, we give cryptic warnings because people seeking things from witches are usually idiots and we want you to learn something
Load More Replies...I once had a Ouija board that when I touched it I felt pure evil, I threw it away.
If I saw this and then didn't see any cursed items marked I would leave my cart where it's at and decide I really didn't need any cursed items today
My first was in 1994. I mean, I wasn't aware that it was a knife fight so neglected to bring one with me. I ended up with their knife in my thigh, so I obviously won... y'know, because I ended up with a knife and they didn't.
I know such situation - I got a scar below my collar bone on the left side and he received a few broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder and a bad knee in return
Load More Replies...I have a few of the shirts from this brand. Always get compliments on them :)
I babysit a 6 year old girl who looks just like this. Evil tinkerbell
Too simple. I'm pretty sure ghosts aren't bound to haunting items of furniture.
Ghosts can attach to non-moving objects (houses etc), moving objects (furniture etc), or people (I don't have an example for this at the moment lol)
Load More Replies...Wait what happens am I going to sit down and poo suddenly appears in my lap... I don't want that then
Many of you readers are probably rookies when it comes to thrift stores, so here’s some of Brown’s advice. Her very first tip: be patient.
“The thrift store can be overwhelming and disorganized, so if you’re not patient, you probably won’t enjoy yourself.”
Your mom's not wrong tho, nobody wants to watch "Return of Jafar" on any medium.
Those are VHS tapes...good luck with that DVD player
Load More Replies...Those pants must be made for warm weather, unless they have a more solid backing inside. They remind me of certain sweaters when I was a kid. The cold winds would find every miniscule gap and hole.
Wow that's in a thrift shop? That was just on the runway in Milan last month. For over $3K
Very Project Runway. This is ugly as...can you imagine the time it took?
Of all the slang that has come about since I was young enough to speak slang, 'yeet' has to be one of my favourites, and I think this image captures why. It looks like it could be an old 12th century English word.
Same. I still think it's funny after all this time.
Load More Replies...To yeet or not to yeet... Also, as someone who cross stitches, this is a whole day of work (maybe a few hours, but it would definitely take up my day)
it's a word that you use when you throw something or use to describe throwing something: https://youtube.com/shorts/2Bjy5YQ5xPc?si=tHhUlsmkFSAFgsM3
Load More Replies...Bus driver here. Not by the sea, but can confirm that's about the right color scheme.
Load More Replies...I thought of Spongebob when I read Rene Sauer's comment, but on buses. Now wondering if they have buses 'under the sea'!
Load More Replies...So you're ready to go to the beach bar, and look smart to chat someone up, lol
Load More Replies...Exactly what I was thinking. It's been a great visit but your times up, bring more change next time.
Load More Replies...Ok seriously, if I were to run a second hand store and we found money in an object that we got in stock (and had no way to contact the original owner) that money would go to the tip jar. This is ridiculous.
The difference here is these are now collectors items because Canada has no pennies anymore.
Load More Replies...Depending on the value of the coins (I can't tell what they are), this may not be such a bad deal.
The prices at Value Village are ridiculous. I have seen items from the dollar store priced at $6 & $7 in there. I can buy a new t shirt from Walmart for less than a wrinkled used one ay VV.
When your horse is in the shop but there's a line dance-off happening at the bar downtown.
I simply cannot find the words to express how badly I want those right now!
Omg! Perfect! Hahaha! One time I told my ex my mood was "Taco Bell". He said, "You feel overpriced and popular with drunk people?" I said, "No. I feel like a disgusting dissapoinment."
Being a first-time thrift store visitor could already be daunting, and there’s the added challenge of shopping alone. Brown says it’s best to dump everything that catches your eye into the cart and then sort later.
“A big thing, especially when thrifting alone and not having a second opinion, is sometimes not knowing if something is cool and unique or just straight-up ugly. I will put anything in my cart or basket that catches my eye, and over the course of my shopping, I will go through the cart and look everything over.”
Especially if it functions as it is outwardly designed.
Load More Replies...Every time I hear that song I think of that scene
Load More Replies...I'm not sure writing on a photo of van with a Sharpie qualifies as art
The thrifted hose wouldn't be a punishment, though. Too many leaks.
I was going to say the devil's fingering tool, but🤷♂️
Load More Replies...One does not scratch, one rolls between the fingers. WYKYK
Load More Replies...Costume piece. You see it a lot at Renaissance Faires and cosplay conventions.
I saw a shirt at vinnies recently, was thinking of buying it. Vinnies tag: $50. The store tag that they hadn't bothered removing: $9.
Load More Replies...Love it when you see Dollar Tree stuff with Givenchy prices and the Dollar Tree sticker is still there.
thou shall not lie, thou shall not cheat, thou shall not pay rental prices at thrift storesss OH-OH KARMAS A BEACHHH
I like it, but it'd need some serious cleaning before I brought it home.
That's original.... Don't want it, but interesting nonetheless.
Obviously, not THE Michael Jackson. But maybe there is a Prince doppelganger with that name
Prince was WAY more talented than Michael Jackson. singing. dancing, instruments. record production, the lot.
Michael Jackson liked to be called the King of Pop. Therefore at some point before, he was the Prince.
He looks less than impressed at being put on a shirt with the wrong name.
Three months from now it'll be 10 Stanley Cups for $10 they'll have so many.
Probably a carbonater or whatever their called. There was a trend probably a decade ago with the whole Soda Stream thing. You buy the machine, buy the syrup, and you get carbonated drinks whenever you want
Load More Replies...My kid wanted an Air Fryer SO BAD! So she bought me one for Christmas...
Load More Replies...these will be because Soda Stream changed their bottles and the new bottles won't fit into these machines
I got a Sodastream as a prize. Had bought the syrup, thinking this will be great. Maybe operator failure, but I had a b***h time getting it to work without making a mess. It would not stay carbonated long at all. I'll stick to buying cases of sparkling water. I should add my Sodastreamer to a thrift store collection somewhere.
Shopping for sustainability is a big thing among Gen Zs today. 26-year-old Clarissa Whiting shared her motivation for thrift shopping with the Columbus Dispatch.
“If ever I need something, I usually will go to the thrift store. It’s really cheap and I like how environmentally friendly it is because you’re just reusing something instead of purchasing a new product.”
This would be good for a haunted house. Paint it black. See how many kids put quarters in lol
Load More Replies...Johnny Longtorso! Johnny Longtorso! The man who comes, in pieces! *whichew
Been there, it's a bitter pill to swallow but if you do Ariana Ghandi will appear.
I missed a beautiful ceramic bisque doll, she was a mermaid, about a foot and a half tall. I was crossing the shop toward the shelf she was on, I sort of turned into a clothes rack to allow a lady by, they had the clothes racks quite close. As I stepped back my jeans button had somehow snagged in some fringe on a shirt, by the maybe one minute it took me to untangle, I looked up to see a lady picking it up and walking to the register, I was five feet from the shelf. My heart broke.
I stalked a woman around the thrift store for 30 minutes last week hoping she’d change her mind and put it back. She did not 😣. Not one of my proudest moments 🤣🤣
I did this with a leather jacket. I told her if she decide, not to buy it, to find me. ( it was the right size and had a discount colored tag). She actually saught me out to give it to me! SCORE
I loved this when I was little. The bell bottoms flapping in the breeze like Farrah Fawcetts feathered hair. The harsh horn sections in the background music is jarring sometimes.
I volunteer at a thrift store. When we close, at 3 p.m. sharp, I play the song "Closing Time", sometimes several times in a row. I usually get some smiles!
I loathe that song... Worked at a bar and they'd play it every night...
Load More Replies...Oh no... Fairly priced really... It's all pyrex.... It's specialized..... And if you get the tubing you'll have everything you need 😂
Load More Replies...Fk it. I can buy meth for less than that. Or maybe make enough meth to be worth it. Either way it's better than working.
Lab-quality glass is incredibly expensive it the States & Canada. Lab glass is expensive because it is made from high-quality materials that are resistant to chemicals and extreme temperatures. These materials must also be far more durable and able to withstand repeated use, making them more expensive to produce than regular glass. (When my husband started working in a lab, the university employed a glass blower just to make the customised glassware each department's needed in addition to the glassware they ordered from catalogues.) Reference: https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/why-is-lab-glass-more-expensive-and-made-differently-than-other-glass-products.422080/
Uhm did somebody forget how pricing in thrift shops works or can they come up with the proof that those are really from the set of Breaking Bad
Your REALLY don't want to try his next book, "The Ultimate Scratch & Sniff Guide to Loving P0rn."
But despite the lucrative returns and support from the younger generation, the resale industry has its critics. Longtime thrifter Tina Koeppe spoke to the New York Times in 2022, expressing her disappointment, stating, “There’s just less and less desirable items.”
“I’d go into thrift stores thinking I could find a few things for my wardrobe or for my family, and it would just be absolute, you know, garbage on the racks. Like stained fast-fashion clothes that nobody wants."
1 Across: Singular used before plural nouns that are preceded by a quantifier singular in form. 1 Down: Preposition for each; every; per
Load More Replies...A guy invited me out on a date in college and then showed up wearing these exact shoes. 🙄🙄🙄
Converation starter! Was the date a success . . . or a flop?
Load More Replies...I lucked into a stunning silk halter dress. Looked up the designer on the tag and though I didn't find the print I had they had several that were the exact cut/style and they were $150.00. I couldn't afford that, but I walked out of the shop with it for $9.99! Probably the best bargain I've made.
Really?! No comments for sleeping bag Urkel. I'm disappointed BP community.
I think we're all just a little speechless.....
Load More Replies...Client: You know what a toddler looks like Painter: Yes, of course. Client: And you also know what a kitten looks like? Painter: ...sure do, sir. Client: Then get to it! Painter: *creates that*
surprise twist, they were going for a demon holding a baby but used that face swap technology
Load More Replies...Experts see overindulgence as a downside of thrift shopping. 25-year-old sustainable fashion educator Megan McSherry also spoke to The Times, noting how social media makes buying something tempting and almost inevitable.
“Those hauls just encourage overconsumption. And there’s no way that all of those items are going to be constantly worn.”
I'm 62 and Eeyore still makes me sad. I'd buy this to give him a home.
the fact that any store out there actually accepts and then sells stuff like that is amazing, i had no idea
Where do you think the Chinese food restaurant gets them from? It's the circle of life!
Is the "commit tax fraud" shirt their uniform, because this feels awfully fraudy to me.
🤣 awfully fraudy, brilliant, that’s my personal challenge set for today, must use it in a conversation
Load More Replies...Lol what?!? Why are they selling our money like that? This has to be fake.
Our paper money is rainbow coloured... $5 is blue with Sir Wilfred Laurier, $10 purple with (this one) Sir John A. MacDonald others have Viola Desmond and another has 4 people on it (but I haven't seen it in a while so don't recall who is on that one), $20 for now had queen Elizabeth 2, $50 has Makenzie King, and $100 has Sir Robert Borden.
Load More Replies...Maybe if you have a chicken farm or want to make firestarters....
Load More Replies...Or even just storing odds and ends in a water resistant container. Matches? Q-tips (some bottles)? Tiny screws? Heck, you could fill it with ketchup for your picnic.
Load More Replies...Gotta do something with them... the pharmacies don't take them and I don't think they can be recycled. I'd wash the heck out them before using them though.
These are are perfect for mini first aid kits, fishing supplies, sewing kit, camping etc. I unfortunately have an endless supply of med bottles lol maybe I should start selling them? 🤔😂
okay but actually though, look up any of the multitude of places who accept bottles like this to redistribute to places and countries that need them to package prescriptions to people in need, there are many and they usually do flat-rate containers that you can fill with as many bottles as you can, that's much more helpful
Sprite is far superior, in my opinion. However, if you want a 7-Up substitute, try Aldi's white soda. It's very close.
Load More Replies...the person who assembled this, or the person who had to put a sticker on it and put it on a shelf?
That doesn't make it any less traumatizing to any 3-year-old who comes across it! Thanks for the warning, I guess.
I'm well into my 40s and am feeling a bit traumatized myself
Load More Replies...I can attest to the power of these things. Someone gave me a talking Father Christmas one year. The dog disappeared for three hours.
But regardless of the downsides, Gen Z's fascination with thrifting could mean that it is here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future. It’s the latest “cool thing” that kids these days are into.
“Since so many people are doing it, it’s now seen as cooler,” 21-year-old Eve Perez told NPR. “It’s seen as better than going to the mall. Younger people find it fun, like a game. A hunt for something unique.”
How ironic the clock's missing its arms, considering Kenny's time has folded...
And somewhere in the darkness, The gambler he broke even. But in his final words, I found an ace that I could keep.
Load More Replies...That's cool, you can get the clock kit at most craft supply stores. Perfect for that KR fan in your life!
That's why you look at the clothing carefully before you buy it.
Darn them up, and they'll be fine for anyone who needs them, but don't sell them for so much, please.
How can you buy a bag without looking inside? Even a brand-new bag in a proper shop, I'd open the bag to check for inside pockets, etc. A second-hand bag might have all kinds of things left inside.
Not for ears! The grayish paper sticks are tortillons, used by artists to blend/shade colored pencil marks. I presume the Q-Tips are similarly used, perhaps for pastels.
because some people still seem to not get it: those have not been used in noses/ears. These are for artists, and they help with smudging, blending, etc. Read the others comments before you write someone gross!
I get that bit, but why would anyone want to buy them?
Load More Replies...Thankfully as many thrift stores that we've owned and ones we've went to, I've never seen any that dirty or over priced before.
I support mom-n-pop thrift stores that are directly connected to a reputable local charity.
The used $25 Camelback. Replacement tubing are $12 or $15. And often on sale.
That goodwill and savers are for profit corporations who treat their employees like s€#t!
Isn't there a difference between goodwill and savers? What you call 'goodwill', we in the UK call charity shops. Some people are paid employees, but most are volunteers, wanting to help the charity and the local community. Also helping the environment because things are being re-used/recycled instead of new items being manufactured.
Load More Replies...Thankfully as many thrift stores that we've owned and ones we've went to, I've never seen any that dirty or over priced before.
I support mom-n-pop thrift stores that are directly connected to a reputable local charity.
The used $25 Camelback. Replacement tubing are $12 or $15. And often on sale.
That goodwill and savers are for profit corporations who treat their employees like s€#t!
Isn't there a difference between goodwill and savers? What you call 'goodwill', we in the UK call charity shops. Some people are paid employees, but most are volunteers, wanting to help the charity and the local community. Also helping the environment because things are being re-used/recycled instead of new items being manufactured.
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