If you've got an eye for the weird and wonderful, thrift shopping might just be a real money spinner.
One savvy shopper found that out when browsing the bins at Savers in New York, where they stumbled upon little bags that might as well have been filled with gold.
"They had this flatware in separate baggies, and each bag cost $3.49," the thrifter detailed on the r/ThriftStoreHauls subreddit.
"I looked at the mark and didn't recognize it, but I noticed that the flatware had an unusual appearance and was marked that it was made in Korea, which was also unusual. They were not old and I usually only buy vintage things, but I decided to take a chance."
That chance absolutely paid off. When they got home, they did some research to find out what they had snagged.
"This flatware was made for MoMA in the 90s (if I recall correctly) after a Russel Wright prototype from the 30s," they said. "One of the best finds I've ever hit at a thrift store."
Fellow Redditors were stunned at the find, with the original poster providing an image of the items for sale listed at $3,950.
It's not clear how many cutlery items you could buy for that price, but with 12 dinner forks, five knives, eight spoons, nine starter forks, and four soup spoons, the Redditor picked up a bargain regardless.
While thrifting can throw up some incredibly cheap finds, that's not the only reason to shop for pre-loved clothes, furniture, and homeware.
By buying second-hand — although some items may have never been used at all — you can avoid spending your money on mass-produced, planet-harming products. If it's clothes you're looking for, buying vintage stops you from supporting fast fashion, which is one of the most polluting industries on the planet.
The UN Environment Programme says it is the second biggest consumer of water and is responsible for 2-8% of global carbon pollution.
Meanwhile, the products tend to be made cheaply, meaning they probably won't last long. Earth.org says fast fashion results in 92 million tons of textile waste a year, with much of that ending up in landfills where it will produce planet-warming gas methane.
In this Redditor's case, they found a highly unusual item that is surely coveted by collectors — and that would cost a pretty penny if bought new.
"Holy cow," one Redditor said. "Glad you followed your instincts."
"I love how weird they are, such a common everyday item that nobody thinks much about turned into art," added another.
"My word that's amazing," said one stunned commenter.
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