Wading through a sea of cheap polyester, one thrifter on Reddit knew they had found something good when they saw the shiny silk material and hand-rolled edging. All they had left to confirm their luck was the iconic logo, which they found hidden in the scarf's stunning red, gold, and green design.
That's when they knew: They had just discovered one of Hermès' iconic silk scarves.
Images shared by the lucky shopper on Reddit's r/ThriftStoreHauls showed off their beautiful new Hermès scarf and its price tag, revealing they only paid $2.99 for the highly coveted luxury item.
Users in the comments identified the design on the scarf as a part of Hermès' Splendeur Des Maharajas collection, which is no longer available for purchase on the company website. A quick Google search of the scarf shows it is now only available for purchase through secondhand online retail sites, where it is being sold for a whopping $450.
That is unless one is lucky enough to find one at a local thrift store.
Luxury thrift store finds like this Reddit user's are more common than you'd think. Every day, users on Reddit's r/ThriftStoreHauls share their purchases from thrift stores, secondhand shops, and garage sales, including many items from luxury and premium brands at shockingly discounted prices.
Just recently, The Cool Down has covered multiple jaw-dropping thrift purchases you'd just have to see to believe, including this 100% cashmere Williams-Sonoma throw for $3, an $18 Herman Miller office chair in excellent condition, and an entire, unopened Le Creuset 14-piece cookware set for only $200.
But secondhand shopping isn't just for finding cheap designer-brand items. Consumers can save big on everyday necessities, too. Plus, shopping at such stores is crucial in helping to minimize waste by keeping perfectly good items out of landfills.
One example is clothing, one of the most frequently sent items to landfills. According to the Guardian, approximately as many as 60 billion articles of clothing enter landfills each year, most of it unsold and never even worn, but shoppers can save an estimated 20 pounds of that just by thrifting for even some of their closets.
🗣️ What's your primary motivation in shopping at thrift stores?
🔘 Cheaper clothes 🤑
🔘 Trendier items 😎
🔘 Reduced environmental impact 🌎
🔘 I don't thrift 🚫
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
Fortunately, thrift shopping has been trending in recent years as more and more people adopt sustainable lifestyles. Projections from thredUP suggest that the secondhand market will experience a twofold increase by 2027, soaring to a value of $350 billion. Studies relayed by GlobalData also reveal that 75% of consumers have tried or are willing to try secondhand clothes shopping.
Reddit posts like the original poster's will continue to inspire shoppers — or, at the very least, have them seeing green with envy — as comments in the original post prove.
"I'm not jealous at all," wrote one person.
"I still dream of the day when I'll finally find a silk scarf," another envious user commented.
"This is the first time I am actually jealous from someone's find," wrote another. "You are so lucky."
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