35 Hidden Gems People Found At Thrift Stores
Shopping for clothes in name-brand department stores is cool and all, but do you know what’s better than that? Shopping for second-hand clothes, or as the younger folks call it nowadays: thrifting. Thrifting is a pure form of therapy for both the shopping addict and the environment. The fact that you never know what you might stumble upon when you step foot into a thrift shop is so exciting that more and more people have started to catch on to this fascinating hobby. And the environment loves it, too! Thrifting for clothes and other items means that fewer people are spending money on cheap, polluting fast fashion.
Some savvy shoppers took to the internet to show off some of the most unique thrift store finds. We compiled 35 of the most fascinating ones that we are sure will inspire you to visit your local second-hand shop!
Fairy tale wedding dress
One thing about going to the thrift shop is that every time you walk out, you feel like you’ve accomplished a mission. This Reddit user pictured below sure felt this way when she luckily found her dream wedding dress at her local second-hand shop.
The dress looks like it was custom made just for her and that she paid a considerable amount of money for it. Well, it turns out that this gem was nothing more and nothing less than 40 dollars. Yes, we know. We were shocked too!
A cute suit for only…
Who remembers the 90’s console game called Pac-Man? Those who grew up in the ’90s definitely do. This stylish mom bought her son a suit that brings back really nostalgic memories and stands out from the rest. It looks impeccable, right?
Well, it is actually a suit this mom found at a local Goodwill shop, a.k.a an American second-hand shop. The suit is definitely a gem, and the fact that it only cost her15 dollars is just mind-blowing to us.
Treasure trove
One thing is for sure when visiting a thrift shop: no matter how lucky you are or not, you will always find something in there that you need or simply love, just like this Reddit user who didn’t find a dress but found something better instead.
She found a massive Star Trek bedsheet. Sure, it would have been cute to dress her bed with it, but not many would have been able to give her compliments on it if that was the case. So, she decided to turn it into a unique dress, and it’s fair to say that she did an excellent job.
Another lucky mom
Here is the thrifting story of another lucky mom who found some big yarn at the local second-hand shop. Not only is she fortunate, but she is also talented when it comes to knitting. She combined her talent with her thrift find and… Voila!
She made her son one cool cardigan with an incredible color combination that would have probably cost more than 100 dollars if she bought from a shop that sells new clothes. We can not help but wonder what other clothes this mom has created.
The cream of the crop
Finding treasure when it comes to clothes shopping can differ from person to person. Some consider this to be expensive designer clothes or accessories, while others would rather turn to thrift shops to find something special.
We fit in the latter category, and so does this Reddit user pictured above. She was lucky enough to find this kitty sweater in a second-hand shop, and she automatically fell in love with it. So did we when we first laid eyes on it.
Fine jewelry
Who knew that one could find jewelry in a thrift shop and for reasonable prices? And when we say reasonable prices, we mean it! The lady that found this beautiful piece of jewelry practically paid nothing for it because she only shelled16 dollars!
Sure, this is a decent price for fake jewelry. But what if we told you that the ring pictured above is actually an 18K golden ring with an emerald stone that is worth probably at least 50 times more than what she paid for it. Incredible!
Salvation Army Shop
The Salvation Army is a charity shop that sells mainly second-hand and sometimes new items and other objects. Now, if you have never heard of it, the picture below will probably make you Google search where the nearest Salvation Army shop is.
This black dress was a perfect find for this lady, and not only does it looks splendid, but it cost little to nothing. The dress cost five dollars, but it was 25% off, so she ended up paying less than five dollars for it. This is a flawless find!
Eloping in style
This future bride and her groom decided to elope, and she decided to do it in style. And who said that the wedding dress of your dreams should cost a fortune? Those who think so probably never visited the second-hand shops in their towns.
This beautiful wedding dress was only 40 dollars! One thing about fashion that we really love is that it always comes back. Pro tip: keep those clothes you don’t wear anymore for your kids and grandkids. They will thank you for it eventually!
Office chic vibes
This picture gives us office chic and powerful businesswoman vibes, and we love it. This two-piece outfit was found… well, there is no need to tell you where at this point, and it cost little to nothing. The price this user paid for this gem is mind-blowing.
It was only ten dollars! Imagine if she got this from a shop that sells new clothes. The price would have probably been at least ten times more. She is really lucky to find it, and we are a little bit jealous right now.
Golden find
One golden rule about going into a thrift shop is to never have expectations about what you could or could not find. This is how you leave feeling impressed at the end of your visit. You should have no expectations. Let the items find you!
This is exactly how this Reddit user went into her second-hand shopping trip, and she walked out with a really cool pair of gold hoops. To be honest, even if they were not real, they still would have been an incredible find!
Thrifting in Paris
Here is a cool activity to do when visiting another country: go thrifting! This is precisely what this beautiful lady did, and she walked out of the shop wearing a stylish halter dress with a very playful strawberry pattern. Really chic, right!
And it looks really retro too! So is the price because it turns out that she paid only five Euros for this article that she bought from a thrift shop in Paris. We need to know the address of this place ASAP!
Sentimental findings
These next items are what we mean by sentimental finding. The Reddit user that posted this picture below took a trip to her local Goodwill to see what she could find. She went in with no expectations, and she was lucky enough to find a treasure.
She found a sweater exactly like the one her mom has owned for a very long time, a couple of decades to be exact. Now she can match with her mom on Christmas morning or holiday occasions. This kind of find is nothing short of rare!
Lemon dress
If you have some change on the bottom of your purse, we have a perfect solution if you feel like spending. Go thrifting! Chances are that you will find fabulous pieces for just a couple of dollars. You will be impressed at what you can buy with some pocket change.
The lady pictured below found this cute lemon dress at a second-hand shop, and she only paid five dollars for it. This is the price we all want to pay for a beautiful dress. It reminds us of fresh lemonade on a hot summer day.
Vintage wedding dress
This beautiful wedding dress pictured below might be older than most of us. Let’s say it looks like it was trending in the ’30s. So, it is fair to say that this is an actual antique, and it looks like it was kept in perfect condition.
This dress was found at an Estate Sale and it only cost 15 dollars. Some people are lucky enough to find their wedding dresses at prices like this, while other people pay a fortune for them to wear only once.
What we call a haul
This is exactly what a couple of bucks can get you if you decide to spend them at a thrift shop. All these clothes were found in the same shop on the same day, and it is fair to say that it was this lady’s lucky day.
She found skirts, pants, and even shirts that are still in style for prices that were under five dollars. Now, this is exactly what we’re talking about, and we really want to find the location of this shop so we can go on a shopping spree too.
Kinky pants
When you go inside a thrift store without expectations, this is exactly what you end up with – random articles of clothes. While these pants are not really our style, there are people out there that will definitely wear them.
The person who took this picture realized that she would actually wear them after she left the store and got home empty-handed. Well, that was a hit and miss. But who knows, maybe the pants will find their way back to her one day.
Prom dress
This teen girl made an intelligent choice when she decided to expand her shopping horizons when it came to searching for her prom dress. She added some thrift store destinations to her list, and here is what she found.
A very beautiful Allan Schwartz red dress that is usually worth 350 dollars. This is such a rare find, and when you think about the fact that she only paid seven dollars for a dress like this one, your jaw will drop!
Eloping in style
This couple also decided to elope, and the bride really wanted to do it in style without having to pay a lot of money. So, she was lucky enough to find her dream dress at a local second-hand shop.
The beautiful dress cost nothing more than 25 dollars, and it needed a couple of alterations in order to fit her perfectly. The total price was under 50 dollars, and it is fair to say that it fit her like a glove.
Professional attire on a budget
Who said that your professional attire should leave your wallet stripped of hard-earned money? Sure there are some stores that sell expensive blazers, fancy shoes, and pants, but if you know where to shop, your wallet will be safe.
Here is an example of a business outfit that this woman found at Goodwill, and that is worth no more than three dollars. The blazer was 99 cents, and the pants were 99 cents as well. The shirt was six cents. Now that is a good-looking and cheap outfit. We love it!
Bag painting
Painting on furniture is awesome, but what about painting on old purses just to bring them back to life and make them more trendy? This is exactly what the following Reddit user who bought this bag did, and the result is wow.
She decided to paint Pokemon characters, and she did such a great job that we think she should actually start a business doing this. We will probably be among the first of her clients. The amount of talent she has is obvious!
Handmade jumpsuit
The jumpsuit pictured below was found at a Goodwill outlet, and it was handmade by, as you can see, a very talented seamstress because the result is just wow! The jumpsuit looks like she bought it from an expensive shop.
There is no need to say that it looks like the jumpsuit was custom-made just for the beautiful lady above. It fits her like a glove from every point of view: shoulders, pants, length, and the waistline too.
Passing it on
Here is a lesson that all these beautiful clothing articles that we’ve seen here so far should give us. If you love your clothes, the moment you start loving them a little less, just let them go to someone who will appreciate them as much as you did!
This is precisely what this Reddit user is doing. She confessed that she loved the dress, but she stopped wearing it so she decided to return it to the place she got it from, the second-hand shop, to give it another chance.
Monochrome outfits
Every single outfit that you see in the collage below is made out of clothes that this beautiful blogger found at the second-hand shop for next to nothing. There is no need to mention that some of the articles are made by famous brands.
One thing is for sure: besides the luck you need when going thrifting, you also need a taste for fashion and an artistic eye to make and combine clothes into beautiful, trendy outfits. And this, people, is a real talent.
Now that’s pure fortune
Talk about luck and finding something unique. This Reddit user who posted the picture and the description below really made us go, “Wow!” So it turns out that this person bought these two pieces below more than one year apart.
She brought them from the same store, and when she got home, she realized that they were actually an ensemble! So she decided to make an outfit with the two pieces. Now, this is what we call pure luck.
A whole collection
The men’s shoe section at this Goodwill store was lit this one day. It looks like either someone left the world and their relatives had to do what they had to do. Or even worse, a wife got fed up with her husband’s things!
No matter the case, it is fair to say that the shelf was popping with all these bright colors. We are sure that someone, a very lucky someone, found the collection and got it for a price way below their value.
Lapis Lazuli + Gold
Someone was lucky enough to stumble upon this piece of jewelry at their local Goodwill consignment shop. She listened to her instinct and received the piece for a reasonable price, 20 dollars. When she took it to the jeweler, the result of the examination impressed her.
It turns out that the piece was made out of 18K gold, and the stone is Lapis Lazuli. The stone is a semi-precious stone, but the energetic benefits of it are amazing. It promotes wisdom, attracts love and kindness, and improves creative expression.
The emerald dress
This beautiful dress was found at, you guessed, a second-hand shop! It is made out of silk, and it looks really expensive with every look this girl put together. They all look so fabulous on this beautiful lady. We love it!
And the price of it was only eight dollars. She paid this amount of money for a dress that is worth at least ten times more. Not to mention the number of ways she can rock this dress, from boho chic to rock girl to elegant beauty. This dress is a must.
Pendletlon jacket
This jacket pictured below was a hit in the ’50s and ’60s, and last autumn, they came back in style. They are actually trending right now. But the jacket below is a one of the OGs in the category of lumberjack shirts known as “shackets.”
This piece was found in a second-hand store, and it only cost 25 dollars. Not only does it look amazing for its price, but this guy actually found it new with its tags still on and intact. Now, this is what a vintage gem looks like.
Three dollar find
This beauty’s mama found this stunning dress in a thrift store for only three dollars. The dress looks like it was custom made for her daughter, and according to the mom, it is perfectly made with its cuffs, collar, and heart buttons.
The dress makes this little lady look exactly like a princess. And she knows it because her attitude and her pose show it. It looks like we might be dealing with a fashionista in the making. She is feeling this beautiful dress as much as we do.
You’ve been chosen
The person who took this picture went to Goodwill to look for a pair of jeans. She found them, she paid for them, and when she got home and wanted to wash the jeans, she found exactly what all of us dream of finding in our pockets: a 20 dollar bill!
The gods of thrifting picked her. She was the chosen one, and they rewarded her. A reward like this can only make you want to go thrifting again. Now, this is a perfect technique to make people want more. It’s like an addiction.
A 90’s print mix
This outfit pictured below really gives us ’90s vibes. We not only love it, but we also love how seamless and harmonious the two crowded prints go together. Putting different patterns together is not an easy task at all.
And this chic lady did it so effortlessly. Not to mention that she is rocking this outfit with such confidence. It is really inspiring – so inspiring that it makes us want to try mixing different patterns, too. Let’s see if we get the same result.
A unique sweatshirt
This lady found this incredible gem at a local Goodwill, and we are so here for it. Not only does it look so fabulous on the person who is wearing it, but we adore the fact that it has indigenous patterns on it.
It is awesome when fashion incorporates traditional patterns from different cultures. It is a way to celebrate those cultures, and we are so here for it. We are here for it, even more so when the creator mentions the cultural inspiration behind it!
28 years of thrifting
The man pictured below confessed on this thrifting thread on Reddit that he has been going second-hand clothes shopping for 28 years. Imagine the amount of experience he gained when it comes to buying thrift items! We need to ask him for some advice.
After 28 years of thrifting, the green shirt that he is wearing in the picture above it’s his favorite. And we can see why because the shirt looks cute and apparently it is of exceptional quality too. After all, he’s been wearing it for about ten years.
1993 Jurassic
These awesome, radical pants were discovered in a thrift shop, and the person who owns them found a very vintage surprise in one of their pockets. Let’s say that the surprise was as vintage as these cool shorts are.
In one of the pockets, they found a movie ticket to the premiere of Jurassic Park from… wait for it… 1993. That was exactly 29 years ago, and this little ticket right here is extremely valuable for those Jurassic fans or the nostalgic millennials out there.
Dope message
Here is one dope sweatshirt that this user found at the thrift store. We love how minimalist it is! But what makes this sweatshirt really special is the little message it portrays that says, “Protect our nocturnal pollinators.” From the picture, we assume they mean bats.
Not many know that when bats are not hanging upside down in cold, dark caves, they are pollinators just like the bees are. Bats pollinate flowers by taking the pollen that sticks to their fur from flower to flower.