We’ve all heard the phrase “one person’s trash is another’s treasure,” and the kinds of things laying around in thrift shops throughout the world can both confirm that wisdom and fly in the face of it.
After all, some of the bizarre items that a staff member accepted for whatever reason can seem like you would only buy them if you’re trying to bring a curse on yourself.
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At the same time, it can be just as hard to imagine why someone would ever dream of parting with some of the amazing finds that lucky bargain hunters have uncovered. So while thrift shopping can be real gamble with your time, everyone showing off their goods on this list feels like they hit the jackpot.
At first glance, it’s not too hard to see why this mineral chunk only cost $8.
Most of this is simply quartz with some pyrite mixed in and since pyrite is commonly known as “fool’s gold,” that says a lot about how valuable it isn’t.
However, someone at the counter apparently missed that this chunk also has pieces of actual gold in it as well.
For only $5, this person was able to get their hands on a genuine Hermès Silk Scarf.
More specifically, they found a part of the brand’s “Les Legendes de l’Arbre” collection, which is known for detailed, artistic scenes like this.
This person also said that this scarf still had the tag indicating that it was made from 100% silk, which brings its value up to at least $300-$400.
Of course, thrift shopping doesn’t have to be about finding something of monetary value.
This guy might not be worth much more than the $3 someone paid for it, but its condition and the fact that it’s machine washable made it a perfect bedtime buddy.
This “chonky” pearl necklace wasn’t bought as-is, but the parts to make it only cost about $2.
And that’s a staggering value considering that both the pearl and the gold in the necklace are genuine.
The pearl was originally part of a different necklace, but this person considered that one hideous, so they replaced it with this thin, gold one.
For only $27, this young man was able to get his hands on his new favorite thing to wear.
what we’re looking at is a Ralph Lauren button-up that he sadly doesn’t have many opportunities to wear because he recently had to move back to a tropical country.
Although I suppose that would sound like a pretty comfortable problem to a lot of us.
I think it’s easy to appreciate why somebody considered this the best $25 they’ve ever spent.
For that, they managed to acquire a whole laptop with six gigabytes of RAM and a 500 gigabyte solid state drive. All they needed was a charger, which just set them back another $10 on Amazon.
It’s mind-blowing to think that the charger’s price came out to over a third of what they paid for the laptop itself.
This person was literally able to smell the silver in this dish, which was definitely good news for them.
That’s because they bought it for about $3, but were able to sell it to a refiner for $120 through a friend who runs a jewelry store.
You wouldn’t be likely to get this outfit for such a good deal in most places, but one thrift shopper spent only $35 for everything you see here.
Better yet, the $15 Adidas jacket had apparently never been worn, while the $20 Lacoste shoes were only lightly used.
The owner of this plate has been using it for their house plants for years, but that was before they noticed this inscription on the back.
This had them worrying that they were “abusing an antique,” but others didn’t think it was too likely that it was all that expensive to make at the time.
One shopper passed by this Levi’s denim bucket hat for about three weeks before they realized it had an orange label.
If you’re not sure why that’s significant (don’t worry, I wasn’t either), the orange label denotes that Levi’s designers were able to get more experimental and move away from the strict design standards the brand sets for their red label clothing.
This practice started in 1969 and older orange label designs have become collectibles in the years since. And lucky for the thrifter, this hat was made back in the ’70s.
Most people don’t expect to find Gucci stuff in a thrift store, but that’s exactly who made this watch.
Although it’s considered pretty reasonable to resell this for over $200, they were able to snag it for only $50.
It’s obviously not very common, but it’s also not impossible to find fine art hanging from a thrift store wall.
For instance, one lucky shopper was able to buy an original Alice Scott Morris etching for $8.
The artist apparently said it insures for $800-$1,000.
Until they happened upon this Dyson vacuum cleaner, the uploader’s partner apparently hated thrift shopping.
However, even they had to admit they were amazed by the fact that they picked up a unit that normally retails between $200 and $300 for only $40.
And it works very well, too.
This person didn’t find this in a thrift store, but they also didn’t have to pay a cent for something that could’ve fetched quite a few dollars.
And no, that’s not because they stole this Lafayette 148 Tweed Blazer that normally retails between $600-$800.
It’s because somebody on the Facebook marketplace gave away two garbage bags of clothes for free and this happened to be among them.
For $8, someone was able to come home with these glasses that we can definitely call classics.
Not only were these antiques apparently made all the way back in 1895, but they’ve also got some gold in them.
Burberry clothes are normally pretty expensive, but that wasn’t how things turned out for one shopper in Spain.
Even though it was in mint condition, they only had to spend about 10 euros on it because thrift shopping apparently isn’t that popular in less metropolitan areas of the nation.
This picture may not be of the best quality, but it shows off something that definitely is.
For about $19, somebody was able to pick up this little decorative tree made with 14 karat gold and an array of genuine gems.
One thrift shopper found this bag for $8, but they wouldn’t be likely get that price for it anywhere else.
Because in addition to featuring a pretty rad skull, this bag was apparently designed by fashion icon Alexander McQueen.
One shopper acquired this jar of jewelry for $25, and these earrings alone were more than worth that price.
They aren’t sure what exactly those stones are made of, but cubic zirconia seems to be the most likely candidate because it failed their diamond tests.
However, the real star here are the earrings themselves, which are 18 karat gold.
Although they normally retail for over $250, one bargain hunter was able to get a much better deal on these Stuart Weitzman boots.
Thanks to a garage sale runner who was either extremely generous or didn’t know what they had, the uploader only ended up paying $5 for these.
