What's the biggest score you've gotten while thrifting? Have you found a cheap Coach bag? A vintage wedding dress? What about a $1,800 suitcase for $20?
One thrifter was lucky enough to score not one but two luxury suitcases for that big of a steal at their local Goodwill.
Madeline Walden (@madelinejoyw) took to Instagram to post her "luckiest thrift find EVER." The post shows a video of the suitcases she found at a local Goodwill.
The suitcases are by a brand called Rimowa, and the size she found retails for $1,800 apiece new. At only $20 each, albeit slightly beat up from normal traveling usage, that means she got a nearly 99% discount.
The video shows Madeline finding the suitcases and packing them up in her car. After bringing them home, she investigates online to verify their authenticity, saying, "They are legit; I can't believe it."
A little more digging about "Who's out here donating $1,800 luggage?" led Madeline to an interesting discovery about the previous owner. "Turns out it's Perez Hilton's mom because she still had her luggage tag inside," she says.
With the rising costs and inflation, plus a little bit of a backlash to fast fashion, thrifting has grown tremendously in recent years. NPR reported that boosted by Gen Z, thrifting is now a "$28 billion industry that is expected to eclipse fast fashion by 2029."
The move away from fast fashion is a promising development, as the industry is rife with environmental and ethical issues. Garment workers are subjected to terrible conditions and low wages, and the water needed to produce new clothing is staggering.
As Florida State University reported, "It takes 2,700 liters of water to make the average cotton t-shirt and that's enough drinking water for one person for 900 days."
🗣️ If you buy refurbished products, what's your primary motivation?
🔘 Saving money 💰
🔘 Salvaging old stuff 🗑️
🔘 Helping the planet 🌎
🔘 I don't buy refurbished products 🚫
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
In addition to helping alleviate the ethical and environmental impacts of the fashion industry, swapping out your shopping for secondhand can also save you money. Replacing half of your clothing purchases with things from a thrift store can save you nearly $100 annually. Keeping money in your pocket and textiles out of landfills is the type of two-for-one we can get behind.
Folks in the comments were happy for Madeline and maybe a bit jealous.
One person wrote: "What an insane buy for $40 and they belonged to Perez Hilton's Mom! We love a well traveled case and the stories attached to them."
Another commenter said: "This. Is. Amazing. You have no idea how jealous I am right now!!!"
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