When Amanda DeWitt (@itsamandadewitt) spotted the Loius XVI buffet on Facebook marketplace, she knew it had to be hers.
For a shocking price equal to one-ninth of its retail value, the cabinet was hers. However, the biggest surprise came when Amanda finally brought it home and unlocked one of the cabinet doors.
@itsamandadewitt When I say I unlocked that cabinet and my jaw hit the floor!!! #facebookmarketplace #louisxvi #antiques #storytime #hermes #hermeschina #facebookmarketplacefinds #louisxvifurniture ♬ original sound - Amanda DeWitt
In a video posted to TikTok, Amanda reveals what she never expected to find in her new buffet: a brand-new, full set of pristine Hermès china.
"When I say I unlocked that cabinet and my jaw hit the floor!!!" says Amanda.
Finding a little extra something inside a newly thrifted or secondhand purchase happens more often than you might think.
For example, one thrift shopper recently found a limited edition Monopoly timepiece sure to make collectors jealous inside a $3 Monopoly game. Another person discovered three extra items wedged between the pages of a recently purchased 100-year-old book: a railroad bank note, a newspaper clipping, and a business card for a shoe repair shop — all from the early 1900s.
Unexpected bonuses like these are just one of the perks of thrifting. Shoppers can discover cash bonuses, too. Those who shop secondhand, even just partially, can expect to save around $100 every year. The more that shoppers thrift instead of buying brand new, the more they can expect to save.
These bonuses and money-saving deals are enough to persuade some people to shop secondhand, but many thrifters also make the decision to shop used goods because it is a more sustainable way to consume in a hyper-consumerist society.
When people decide to buy secondhand, perfectly functional goods are saved from joining the 2.12 billion tons of waste that enter landfills every year. Shopping for used goods instead of brand-new items also helps to decrease demand for the overproduction of goods, as well as pollution and toxic byproducts associated with mass production.
Although Amanda achieved any thrifter's dream — a beautiful new (to her) piece of furniture, a killer deal, and some extra luxury goods to top it off — all while helping the environment, she decided to contact the seller after discovering the Hermès china.
"I did message the woman that I bought it from and I was like 'Hey…'" said Amanda. "I better have some good Karma coming my way for telling her."
Users on the video applauded her for doing the right thing and congratulated her on the stunning buffet.
"You're a wonderful person for reaching out," wrote one person. "I hope she lets you keep it and you get all the good [Karma]."
"That buffet is dreamy! What a lucky find!" commented another user.
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