Shopper sparks jealousy after coming across price tag on unassuming camera gear at thrift store: 'I think my best find'

Shopping secondhand can lead to some incredible deals — from a designer bag to a luxury blanket, you never know what you might find. One thrift shopper found the score of a lifetime, purchasing a camera lens for a fraction of its value. 

Taking to r/ThriftStoreHauls, one Redditor shared several photos of two high-quality camera lenses they found at their local shop. The pictures show one small camera lens and one larger lens, with a case for the larger lens. Two price tags can be seen in the third photo, showing the small lens was only $7 while the case and larger lens were $15.

The Reddit user captioned the photo: "I think my best find."

This poster shared some additional details in the comments, saying the $15 was "for the whole lens" and giving the model number for the larger lens. If the details are accurate, this lens is a long-distance lens from Sony that appears to no longer be manufactured. According to their website, it originally retailed for more than $2,000.

Shopping secondhand is the only way to get a deal like this.

According to our guide, swapping out just half of your clothing purchases with thrifted items could save you around $100 a year. If you add in some home goods, or technology finds like these lenses, those savings can grow exponentially. 

Thrifting is also a great way to be a little gentler to the planet. Research conducted by the Waste and Resources Action Programme found that "extending the average life of clothes by just three months of active use per item would lead to a 5-10% reduction in each of the carbon, water, and waste footprints." 

ThredUp, an online retailer specializing in secondhand clothing, released a report on the state of business. "The U.S. secondhand apparel market grew seven times faster than the broader retail clothing market in 2023." The report also said that "60% of consumers say shopping secondhand apparel gives them the most bang for their buck."

Commenters on this post were impressed with the incredible score. One person wrote: "Def a great find. I'm jelly."

Someone else commented: "Good score, snapper."

Another commenter simply said: "Score!!"

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