1.5Mviews
50 Times People Hit The Jackpot When It Came To Secondhand Finds, Shared On This Online Group
Even though hunting for secondhand goods has changed radically over the past year, people’s love for thrift stores and all the treasures that lie there is still burning strong. And the proof is in the pudding—or, rather, this list.
The ‘Thrift Store Hauls’ subreddit is a massive online community with a whopping 1.6 million members. Active since August of 2011, r/ThriftStoreHauls has been drawing in lovers of secondhand things ever since. We’ve collected some of the best pics of interesting, cool, bizarre, and jaw-droppingly nifty finds they’ve featured for you to enjoy. As you’re scrolling down, give the pics that impressed you an upvote, and think about the most awesome things you’ve ever brought back home from a secondhand bargain hunt—we’d love to hear all about your secondhand hauls, dear Readers.
The founder of r/ThriftStoreHauls told Bored Panda that they started the community because, at the time, there were no strong subreddits dedicated to thrifting. "I wanted to have a place where people could share the items they found, but the subreddits that existed at the time were not active at all," they said. Read on for our the founder's insights about the community and the possible future of the hobby after the pandemic.
This post may include affiliate links.
Needed An Emergency Dress For An Event Yesterday And Found One For £6.99 (9 USD) At My Favourite Charity Shop
I've Had My Sassy Green Teapot For Years, Just Found His Baby At Goodwill Yesterday
My Friend Guided Me To A Charity Shop That Had A Donation Of Brand New Wedding Dresses From A Boutique; This Had £1595 On The Tag. I Got It For £25 And It Fits Like A Glove
The subreddit founder explained to Bored Panda that moderating the huge community is "fairly simple" and doesn't eat up as much time as you'd expect. Approving new posts, going through spam and reports, and removing posts, as well as taking care of bans eats up around 30 minutes each day. Which is efficient, quality work for a subreddit of this size.
According to the founder, they want to make the community all about the items to make the posts simple and to-the-point. "I don't want people selling or advertising their blog or anything like that. A picture of the thing you got, that is it. That makes the subreddit easily digestible," they said. What's more, this straightforward content feeds into how moderation is simple. In short, focus is r/ThriftStoreHauls' main strength. "We thrive in having a singular focus."
I Was Told This Was A Green Amethyst, And Haggled To $42. Took It To A Jeweler To Have It Appraised—it’s A Rare Green Diamond, 4.4 Ctw, Over 100 Years Old, Conservatively Worth More Than $8k
Could well have come from someone who passed away, & whoever sorted their belongings didn't realise its value.
Load More Replies...This ring was not " found"-it was bought. So the lady, who purchased this from the " thrift shop", is the rightful owner of this ring. If the original owner can't be bothered to check to see if the item they are getting rid of, is worth anything, that's on them. Note-the original owner "got rid of it", meaning, they did not want the ring. If they wanted it- they would have kept it. The new owner does not owe them anything. The new owner is not being greedy. The new owner is not being dishonest. As for the salesperson, person responsible for pricing/evaluation-they, also, should have done their homework. This lady was told it was something other than what it really was, she did nothing wrong or dishonest. And the pple yelling how greedy this is- are just jealous as hell, and it makes them mad because they are the " why can't something like this happen to meeee"- people, and you know it's true: haters gonna hate.
OOOOOH MY MOONS THAT IS SO PRETTY! THIS IS SUCH A GREAT FIND!!!!🤩
Not allowed when I worked in a UK charity shop, but other countries have "thrift stores" that are essentially for-profit second-hand shops so they may well haggle. If it was a charity shop I would not feel right about keeping that kind of money for myself.
Load More Replies...No way 😳 I call this photoshop, fake news, covfefe. Only believe when I see. Please send to my address.
Honey, it is worth a LOT more than 8 thousand. First of all it is NOT heat treated, thus the original color. Second it is FOUR CARATS and I would love to be able to buy a four carat solitaire for 8 thousand bucks and third DO NOT TAKE IT TO A JEWELER IF YOU ARE GOING TO SELL IT. Auction only.
I think that jeweller was low-balling her hoping she'd sell it to them. No way a diamond over 4 carats is only worth $8k
Ïncredible luck, more than a Jackpot, it was the pot at the end of a rainbow.
There is a German TV show where experts estimate the value of random items found on fleamarkets or attics etc. Once a woman showed a very small vase made of glass to experts. Turns out it's a rare part of a glassware series comissioned by the Austrian Emperor in the 18th century to a highly respected artist, worth about 9000 €. The lady had paid 50 Cents on a fleamarket.
Um, Graduate Gemologist here trained at Gemological Institute of America. 4.4 ct Natural Green diamond at $8000? I’d probably get a second opinion from a jeweler with some type of gemological training because that price sounds woefully low. I’ve been retired for years and would never speculate without seeing an item, but an expert appraiser or auction house should see that if it’s really a green diamond.
Good for you, to have it appraised. Even if it was a green amethyst it is still beautiful.
Idk man colored diamonds are really rare, I can't believe someone could have actually accidentally given it away. Plus most colored diamonds are small.
You best be giving some of that back to the charity as you got it for so little.... who haggles at a charity shop?!?!
wow. never heard of a green diamond, no wonder it was wrongly classed..
While it is true that the market for stones specially diamonds is controlled, most people outside the trade don't know one stone from another. When it comes to deceased estate jewellery, unless they know a peice is particularly valuable relatives often can't be bothered having outdated styles remodelled and sell it for anything they can get.
Load More Replies...I'd like to think you made an extra donation to the charity shop you got it from...
Frankly, you need to go back and make that right. That is outright dishonest and greedy not making it right And you never know, the seller may agree to let you keep it all. How would you feel if you were the seller in this case?
My Greatest Fb Marketplace Purchase To Date. $300. Do I Have Enough Friends To Fill It? No. Do My Dogs Treat It Like A Racing Track, Absolutely
Drove Home In A Snowstorm With This Hanging Out Of My Trunk But It Was Ten Dollars
Not having gone to any thrift shops since January, the founder told Bored Panda that they've only heard about how the stores have changed. "There was a lot of talk about how great it would be once they opened since people were stuck at home and probably were cleaning out their garages/attic/closet. From the content I have seen, nobody seemed to get amazing scores. So, other than a limit to how many people can be in a store, I really don't know."
They also had some great advice for anyone and everyone who enjoys the hobby or wants to start things up. It's all about having fun and being social. "There is always the hope of finding something awesome when out thrifting. Not finding anything can take its toll and take away the fun of going. What I tell people is to go and just enjoy looking at stuff. Bring a friend and have some laughs. Buy a random CD and have that be the CD you listen to while out thrifting. Then, if you do happen to find something awesome, it's a bonus." Some awesome advice that's perfect for life, not just thrifting.
$30 For The Dresser, $15 For Paint And $25 For Legs And Handles
Went To Goodwill To Pick Up Something, And Saw A Painting That Looked Just Like One My Grandmother Would Have Painted. It Was Her Painting!! To My Knowledge, They Were Sold About 25 Years Ago
75 Cents For This Basket. Cat Was Found For Free At The Dump 5 Years Ago
The ‘Thrift Store Hauls’ community is all about people coming together and sharing their “thrifty finds” from garage sales, flea markets, and—yes—even pawn shops and estate sales.
However, if you got something at a discount at a department store, found a long-lost heirloom in your attic, or used an online store, the subreddit’s rules state that this is not the place for those photos. Seeing as more and more thrift stores are having to move online because of the coronavirus lockdowns, this might make some of the community members confused.
I Was Starting To Lose Hope That I’d Be Able To Thrift My Wedding Dress. I Bought This Today For $60
I Thought I Was Hallucinating, All For Under $25
Brooks Brothers Suit, $10, Community Aid. Tie, $2, Salvation Army. Waited Til Some Nice Weather To Wear It
Bored Panda previously spoke all about the changing face of thrift stores and secondhand shopping during the Covid-19 pandemic with the team of the Weird Secondhand Finds That Just Need To Be Shared Facebook group, another thrifty online leviathan that has 2.1 million members. They confirmed that local thrift stores have moved to online ordering and some are even offering curbside pickup.
Another way to support your local thrift shops while we’re fighting the Covid-19 pandemic is to give them all the support you can on Facebook and other social media channels. This way, you can give them the attention they deserve while also staying up to date on their sales, offers, and newest finds.
Many thrift stores also have plexiglass barriers at registers, require you to wear masks, have a limit on the number of people that can enter, and have a whole bunch of other safety protocols in place. The things they sell might be secondhand, but your health is a priority.
Picked Up This Witchy 1940s Era Coat Today For $20
I’m An Opera Singer. Guess Who Found This $1000 Chiara Boni Gown For $15 At Salvation Army
30 Years Ago My Late Great Grandfather Shut Down His Men’s Clothing Store. Today I Bought A Suit Tailored By Him Nearly 400 Miles Away In A Goodwill
$2. The Lady Had Absolutely No Idea Who These People Are
That's an amazing find that would cost a lot when sold to Harry Potter nerds. that being said, I want it
Thrifted Everything Here. Took Us A Few Years But It Was Oh So Worth It
Got An Old Antique Hardware Store Cabinet From Offerup For $100 - It Has 72 Drawers & Spins
Just Found This Beauty At A Yard Sale For $20
That’s a $200+ toaster. Smeg makes beautiful, 50s retro style appliances- I was window shopping for a retro fridge and theirs go for $4000 (CAD)
Thrifted This Pink Velvet Bench Never Used For $175 And I Am Over The Moon
Found The Perfect Mug Today At My Local Savers! Only 89¢
Went To A Vintage Shop For The First Time Last Week. Found This 1960s Dress For Nye And Couldn’t Leave It Behind
The Best $1.99 I Will Ever Spend In My Lifetime
Got This Amazingly Detailed Rug (Or Tapestry?) For $30 Recently. A Little Pricy And Maybe Not Everyone’s Taste, But I Love It. After A Thorough Cleaning, It’s Classing Up My Closet Floor
Navajo Rug I Found At Goodwill. I Got It For A $1.49. Other Rugs By Same Weaver Are Valued At A Minimum Of $2,500
I Found This Dress For An Upcoming Wedding. The Tags Were Still On And It Has Pockets
Here’s My Mums Entirely Thrifted (And A Little Modified) Mary Poppins For World Book Day - She’s A Primary School Teacher And Likes To Get Involved
I would’ve loved it if my teachers had done something like that. Mine were sadly more blah.
Full Length 100% Wool Ralph Lauren Coat For $12
Thrifted Vintage Gown That Resembles The Lamé Dress Marilyn Wore. I Did Not Nail The Pose, I Know
The Thrift Gods Were Once Again Gracious To Me, I Got That Suit Jacket Several Months Ago And Just Yesterday Found The Matching Pants At Goodwill
A Friend's Student Housing. Everything Is Thrifted/Acuired From Family. Every Piece Of Furniture Was Under 20€
My Wife And I Bought Our First Home, A 70s Mod House, And I Can Finally Put My Collection Of Almost Entirely Thrifted 70s Space Age Furniture In It. Here Is The Upstairs Living Room, Plenty More Rooms To Work On Now
Probably My Favorite Purchase Ever! $3 Vintage Wedding Dress
Calvin Klein Slim Fit Suit And John Valvatos Shoes For $16.00
I Found This Gorgeous Green Dress At My Local Arc For $15 And Knew I Couldn’t Leave The Store Without It
1960s Zenith TV. We Took Out The Tube. Books, Bimorphic Dish, And Glazed California Pottery Plant Pot Were Thrifted Too
I Got A Banana Dog
Newlyweds First Thrift Trip Since Quarantine Started. Scored An Almost Complete Dansk Mesa Sky Blue Set For $300
This 70s Coat For $10
Just Found The Missing Piece To My 1978 Creators Hanging Rain Lamp, At The Same Thrift Store, A Month And A Half After I Found The Lamp Itself. Here Is It, Complete With The Swinging Couple And Original Foliage
This Honestly Shook Me To My Core. Never Worn, Just My Size Docs For $10
Went With My Friend To The Thrift Store And He Found 3 Version Of His Favorite Shirt In Different Colors
Ok Not A Thrift Shop, But Found By The Side Of The Road For Council Cleanup, Minor Fix Required To The Arms
That looks like an Eames knock-off. Originals sell for thousands of dollars. The knock-offs are often $500 or more.
The Find Of A Lifetime! I Got All Three Pieces For $235
Thrifted This 1960s Honeymoon Set Back In February For $10
Found Some New Pictures For My Bathroom. $1 Each
Under $20 For The Full Suit
I understand the cigerette... it's you're wearing that suit, you have to smoke
My Thrifted Rainbow Record Wall
Since My Thrifted Coat Went Over So Well, I Thought I'd Share One Of My Favorite Thrifted Corners Of My Home
Mugs In Soft Muted Colours For $0.25 A Piece
Note: this post originally had 152 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
I really wish I had the patience for this sort of thing. I get tired of searching through all the “meh” stuff and never find the treasures.
Right? I used to thrift shop more often. I have found some awesome things that way, but it's like I have to be on vacation, since that's when I have time.
Load More Replies...People find amazing deals. I find cool items but they are so expensive!
It's a lot harder now, with "resale boutiques" also on the scene (and swooping in to pick everything good up) and many thrift store workers educating themselves on brands/styles/etc. But it's still possible. Best to just go looking for something inexpensive you need, and being happy if you get really lucky.
Load More Replies...I am really envious of all these wonderful finds! I never find anything even remotely interesting. Except one time I found this dress: a huge dress made to be worn with the accompanying hoops. It was straight out of GWTW. I gave it to a girl I knew and she got married in it, her daughter got married in it and her niece got married in it. Lots of use for $12.
I'd say that's an amazing find, a great story and saved a lot of time and miney.
Load More Replies...More submissions like this! Less politics, mad Karens, maskholes, and someone getting revenge.
Absolutely love thrift stores!! Grabbed so much cheap stuff while in college & living out of state. Majority of my wardrobe (mostly fun tshirts, jeans & sweaters) comes from there. They were a blessing when my son was born & started growing like a weed! I still use them for books, clothes, board games, & puzzles. Its not a win every time BUT if you have the time to look around & really explore your local ones, you'll find tons of useful stuff! Maybe not great finds every time but damn, if you need a serving bowl & oil container & walk out with good ones that you like, you've found your gems!
I live in Berlin and the prices are insane. The other day (understand before everything shut down) I found basic black shirt from H&M for 10€!!! I just buy second hand on ebay -_-
Load More Replies...I'll never understand why some people think they're too posh to go to thrift stores. Hunting for stuff and coming up with a great bargain is so much more fun than just buying brand new all the time. Over the years, I've created one of those miniature house villages - I found almost all of them for a dollar! I looked a few up and many of them are being resold for at least $50 so I definitely feel like I scored :)
Bought Scottish Artist-Alfred De Brenski's oil painting for $5, and sold for $1500
What I learned from this: 1. need to find a thriftstore. 2. need to start buying only from there
In Germany we don't have these stores. Not that I know of anyway. But we have lots of big Flohmaerkte (fleamarkets). I love them!
Load More Replies...i wanted everything from these kinds of posts. i dont have a house since im still 15, but my love for houses and designs anddddddddddddddddd furniture is overwhelming. Bc were broke lol
Bought this for 5 dollars spent 2.00 on the paint. It was brown and pretty marred up. 20210518_1...3244b0.jpg
I found a coffee table at a Habitat for Humanity store for $25. Got it home and opened the drawers to clean it up. It’s a Hooker brand table. I googled it. Couldn’t find the coffee table, but the matching end tables were $739 each when they were new 5 years ago. Two weeks later I found 2 end tables for free on the NextDoor app. Bassett Furniture. Originally $479 each.
I bought a painting by Wendell Rogers for $35 from a thrift store in Huntington, NY. It sold for $1200 four days later. I bought an unworn Christian LaCroix suit for $15.00 - I will never sell that. Bought four Queen Lace champagne glasses for $1.50 each from a thrift store - they sell for about $100 each. Got an entire set of Wedgwood for $75.00, a 300 year old pitcher for $3.00. The blanket on my bed is cashmere - $18.00 from Goodwill. Pair of LK Bennett shoes (new! price tag read $325.00) for $15.00. I know thrifting inside out.
I live in Las Vegas NV . . . and EVERY thrift and resale shop I have ever been in here has ICE SKATES! A lot of ice skates in EVERY shop. What were people thinking when they moved to the desert -- and there's usually skis and snow boards, just not as many as ice skates. I don't know anybody who ice skates, here or anywhere else!
OMG amazing! and at such a good price too? the sellers were generous, and the items good. Where did ya get this, I want this stuff! some of it.
I rarely find anything so great, although I can't say never as I found a black sheepskin flying jacket in my local Oxfam, my size, for £25. Keeps the wind out utterly. Most retro stuff I see in charity shops are nylon or chipboard rubbish
I got a large complete formal dinnerware set, punch bowl +4 cups and ladle, and 29 non breakable plates that have the same exact pattern as the plates my grandma has all from one of my neighbors for free last fall when they were cleaning out their shed. The dinnerware set fills an entire 30 gallon tote box. When I finally get a place of my own I won't have to get much in the way of dishes.
I searched. found a book. took it home. got bed bugs. my thrift story is an unfortunate one
Okay, I liked this post, enjoyed looking at all the cool stuff, and am duly envious. I've got a question though. Why is everyone posing staring into their phones? Is this yet another hip thing that I missed?
Oddly enough I asked about this earlier today on social media. I don't understand why people continue to look at their phone once they see they are framed properly
Load More Replies...I usually like the "thrift store finds" posts better; this one had a lot of upscale, expensive stuff instead of just cool/interesting things. Not as fun when prices and brand names get dropped every other post...
I really wish I had the patience for this sort of thing. I get tired of searching through all the “meh” stuff and never find the treasures.
Right? I used to thrift shop more often. I have found some awesome things that way, but it's like I have to be on vacation, since that's when I have time.
Load More Replies...People find amazing deals. I find cool items but they are so expensive!
It's a lot harder now, with "resale boutiques" also on the scene (and swooping in to pick everything good up) and many thrift store workers educating themselves on brands/styles/etc. But it's still possible. Best to just go looking for something inexpensive you need, and being happy if you get really lucky.
Load More Replies...I am really envious of all these wonderful finds! I never find anything even remotely interesting. Except one time I found this dress: a huge dress made to be worn with the accompanying hoops. It was straight out of GWTW. I gave it to a girl I knew and she got married in it, her daughter got married in it and her niece got married in it. Lots of use for $12.
I'd say that's an amazing find, a great story and saved a lot of time and miney.
Load More Replies...More submissions like this! Less politics, mad Karens, maskholes, and someone getting revenge.
Absolutely love thrift stores!! Grabbed so much cheap stuff while in college & living out of state. Majority of my wardrobe (mostly fun tshirts, jeans & sweaters) comes from there. They were a blessing when my son was born & started growing like a weed! I still use them for books, clothes, board games, & puzzles. Its not a win every time BUT if you have the time to look around & really explore your local ones, you'll find tons of useful stuff! Maybe not great finds every time but damn, if you need a serving bowl & oil container & walk out with good ones that you like, you've found your gems!
I live in Berlin and the prices are insane. The other day (understand before everything shut down) I found basic black shirt from H&M for 10€!!! I just buy second hand on ebay -_-
Load More Replies...I'll never understand why some people think they're too posh to go to thrift stores. Hunting for stuff and coming up with a great bargain is so much more fun than just buying brand new all the time. Over the years, I've created one of those miniature house villages - I found almost all of them for a dollar! I looked a few up and many of them are being resold for at least $50 so I definitely feel like I scored :)
Bought Scottish Artist-Alfred De Brenski's oil painting for $5, and sold for $1500
What I learned from this: 1. need to find a thriftstore. 2. need to start buying only from there
In Germany we don't have these stores. Not that I know of anyway. But we have lots of big Flohmaerkte (fleamarkets). I love them!
Load More Replies...i wanted everything from these kinds of posts. i dont have a house since im still 15, but my love for houses and designs anddddddddddddddddd furniture is overwhelming. Bc were broke lol
Bought this for 5 dollars spent 2.00 on the paint. It was brown and pretty marred up. 20210518_1...3244b0.jpg
I found a coffee table at a Habitat for Humanity store for $25. Got it home and opened the drawers to clean it up. It’s a Hooker brand table. I googled it. Couldn’t find the coffee table, but the matching end tables were $739 each when they were new 5 years ago. Two weeks later I found 2 end tables for free on the NextDoor app. Bassett Furniture. Originally $479 each.
I bought a painting by Wendell Rogers for $35 from a thrift store in Huntington, NY. It sold for $1200 four days later. I bought an unworn Christian LaCroix suit for $15.00 - I will never sell that. Bought four Queen Lace champagne glasses for $1.50 each from a thrift store - they sell for about $100 each. Got an entire set of Wedgwood for $75.00, a 300 year old pitcher for $3.00. The blanket on my bed is cashmere - $18.00 from Goodwill. Pair of LK Bennett shoes (new! price tag read $325.00) for $15.00. I know thrifting inside out.
I live in Las Vegas NV . . . and EVERY thrift and resale shop I have ever been in here has ICE SKATES! A lot of ice skates in EVERY shop. What were people thinking when they moved to the desert -- and there's usually skis and snow boards, just not as many as ice skates. I don't know anybody who ice skates, here or anywhere else!
OMG amazing! and at such a good price too? the sellers were generous, and the items good. Where did ya get this, I want this stuff! some of it.
I rarely find anything so great, although I can't say never as I found a black sheepskin flying jacket in my local Oxfam, my size, for £25. Keeps the wind out utterly. Most retro stuff I see in charity shops are nylon or chipboard rubbish
I got a large complete formal dinnerware set, punch bowl +4 cups and ladle, and 29 non breakable plates that have the same exact pattern as the plates my grandma has all from one of my neighbors for free last fall when they were cleaning out their shed. The dinnerware set fills an entire 30 gallon tote box. When I finally get a place of my own I won't have to get much in the way of dishes.
I searched. found a book. took it home. got bed bugs. my thrift story is an unfortunate one
Okay, I liked this post, enjoyed looking at all the cool stuff, and am duly envious. I've got a question though. Why is everyone posing staring into their phones? Is this yet another hip thing that I missed?
Oddly enough I asked about this earlier today on social media. I don't understand why people continue to look at their phone once they see they are framed properly
Load More Replies...I usually like the "thrift store finds" posts better; this one had a lot of upscale, expensive stuff instead of just cool/interesting things. Not as fun when prices and brand names get dropped every other post...