An incensed Redditor recently posted a photo of overpriced, used bathroom cabinetry to r/ThriftGrift.
"$300 vanity at a Habitat Restore," wrote the original poster from Atlantic Canada. "Still would be overpriced if it had a top, sink and faucet."
Sure enough, the picture showed a vanity that was scuffed and dirty. This kind of hardware can be bought new for $125 CAD or less.
Thrifting is typically a great place to find deals, but increasing costs are clearly showing up in increased pricing. Similar price hikes have been a major turn-off for would-be thrifters elsewhere. It even becomes a social problem when lower-income households can't even afford used items on sale.
While some thrift stores may have rising cost barriers, alternatives are still available. Buy-nothing groups are great places where you can find perfectly serviceable household items that are otherwise bound for landfill.
Acquiring what you need this way also prevents the needed use of energy and resources to make something brand new. It also stops those items from emitting pollution when they're tossed in the dump. This can include atmospheric pollution, local soil pollution, and microplastics finding their way into waterways big and small.
Watch now: How bad is a gas stove for your home's indoor air quality?
The Reddit comments were full of anecdotes about similarly disappointing experiences.
"Habitat for humanity stores are rife with grift," said the top commenter. "I visited various restores in different regions. They're universally overpriced for what they offer. And if I were going to do home renovation I wouldn't buy the random leftover damaged dirty stuff there. I simply stopped shopping there."
"I've visited my local HFH store twice. Nothing really appealed to me price wise. I could go a couple of miles away to two home improvement stores or retail and get brand new for the price HFH had for used," said another commenter.
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What's your primary motivation in shopping at thrift stores? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
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