If you ever want to subject yourself to fits of jealousy, check out the r/ThriftStoreHauls community on Reddit. Folks share incredible deals they find, everything from Le Creuset pots to Coach bags, and one lucky shopper shared one of their favorite thrift store finds.
"Wacom tablet for $8 - can't complain!" they wrote above a photo of the find.
The post includes a photo of the tablet box where the $7.99 Goodwill sticker is visible. "This one had everything in the box except the driver CD, but I can download the drivers from Wacom's site anyway," the original poster explained. "Whoever previously had this didn't seem to use it much!"
Wacom tablets are a tool that illustrators and hobbyists use to draw while creating a digital image. A similar tablet is available on Amazon for over $100, giving this shopper more than a 90% discount.
According to Global Market Insights, "second-hand electronic products market size was valued at $222 billion in 2023." Buying some of your electronics secondhand is a great way to save money.
"You can get Black Friday prices year-round while also helping the environment," Lucas Rockett Gutterman, director of U.S. PIRG's Designed to Last Campaign, told Yahoo News. He said buying a used smartphone could reduce its environmental impact by 91%.
Making new phones, computers, and other technology uses rare minerals that are found in sensitive habitats. Coltan, for example, is found in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and mining it threatens endangered gorillas and causes armed conflicts for the people who live in the region.
Working to reduce your impact by keeping your tech as long as possible and buying used and refurbished items is an easy and affordable way to be a bit more eco-friendly.
Commenters were happy for the OP, with one person saying: "Amazing deal as they last a very long time, good find!"
Another person wrote: "I've found two of them before for great prices."
Finding a fun new toy at the thrift shop is one of the many reasons to keep going back.
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