Thrifting is a bit like going on a small adventure. You never quite know what to expect and what treasures you’ll accidentally find. You’d be surprised by how many people have embraced thrifting as a hobby. There are tons of passionate folks out there who can’t wait to bring others into the fold.
That’s where one Facebook group with 3.1 million members comes in. The ‘Weird (and Wonderful) Secondhand Finds That Just Need To Be Shared’ project is an extremely well-known and celebrated online community. It encourages people to go out there and look for awesome secondhand goods and then post about them in the group. We’ve curated a list of recent amazing finds to wow and inspire you, Pandas. Scroll down to check them out.
#1 I Lost My Boston Terrier, Ollie, To Old Age This Summer And I’m Pretty Sure I Found Him At Goodwill Today As Christmas China
Image credits: Sarah Taschetta
#2 I Was Driving In The Neighborhood And Found This Floor Rug Rolled Up At The End Of Someone’s Sidewalk. As I Was Looking Over It, The Owner Of The House Came Out And Asked If I Wanted It. He Told Me It Was A Tapestry Rug That He Hung In His Wall. It Had Never Been Used As A Rug. I Asked Why He Was Getting Rid Of It And He Said He Was Changing His Decor. I Told Him I Couldn’t Lift It In My Car. It Was Super Heavy. He Helped Me Put It In My Car. He Told Me It Was Free, Merry Christmas! I Almost Fainted. I Had Wanted One For So Long, But It Was So Expensive To Buy. I Paid 0 For It! Win!!!
Image credits: Helen Espinosa
#3 Picked Up These Cast Iron Cat Andirons Up From My Buy Nothing Group. I Can't Wait To See Them With The Flames Behind The Eyes!
Image credits: Valerie Marino Horowitz
The Facebook group has been around for a long, long time. ‘Weird (and Wonderful) Secondhand Finds That Just Need To Be Shared’ was first founded all the way back in late 2016. Originally, it was meant exclusively for the founders’ friends and family.
However, over time, knowledge about the group spread among the public. This led the project to become the glowing success it is today.
#4 After Decades Of Weird Gifts From My Cousin, Who Shops Exclusively At Thrift Stores, He Scored A Treasure. I Call Them My "Cavorting Frogs." I Love Them!
Image credits: Susan Murray
#5 I Found This Cup With A Family Of Mice In A Box Of Christmas Decorations In Salvation Army Trift Store, Ns Canada. It's Already On My Tree❤️
Image credits: Oxana Sim
#6 This Was Hand Made In The Seventies And Is One Of A Kind! Bought It Second Hand And Finally Got It Into My Space Today. It's So Gorgeous And The Details Are Amazing. I'm An Herbalist And I'm Going To Use It As A Magical Herbal Storage Hutch. I Thought It Needed To Be Seen And Appreciated Here With All Of You Creative Lovely Treasure Hunters!
Image credits: Kiely Quinn
“We created this group so it would be easier for us to share photos of wacky thrifted finds instead of texting them to each other. We left it as a public group because it simply didn’t occur to us that anyone else would be interested in our quirky hobby,” the Facebook users behind the social media group shared in a recent post.
#7 I'm Pretty Excited The Lamp On The Left Was On The Marketplace In Bullhead City, Az For $25 And I Said I Want It I'll Come Get It. She Said Yeah I Was In My Grandma's Stuff We Have One More And I Said Are You Selling It She Said Sure And She Brought It Out 25 Bucks... They Were Very Very Dirty. But I Think It's An Excellent Score
Image credits: Debbie Devine
#8 Pictures Don't Do Her Justice. I Am Elated With Today's Buy. Found In An Antique Store In South Of UK. ?❤️??
Image credits: Dorothy Alice Van Moppes
#9 Found This Vintage Dress That Was Too Good To Pass Up. Vintage From The 70’s And The Thrift Store Had Everything Half Off
Image credits: Marian Lara
“Pretty quickly, a couple of strangers joined and we thought, ‘What the heck, might be fun. Why not?’ And then it just kept growing and now we have over three million members!” The members of this online community are known as ‘Weirdlings.’ The founders have a huge appreciation for them and their “fabulous funky finds.”
#10 Trigger Warning: Loss Of Pet About A Month Ago My Baby Passed Away. Peanut Was More Than Just My Cat- He Was My Emotional Support, My Confidant- My World. Last Night Was A Particularly Rough Night. I Fell Asleep Missing Him So Much And His Sleepy Self. I Decided To Take The Day Off Work And Go Thrifting. I Walked Into A Goodwill And Immediately Found This. It's Nearly Identical To Peanut
Image credits: Mikey Adams
#11 Walked Into The Thrift Store And Walked Out With 3-Foot Tall Silverware. As One Does
Image credits: Emily Sigsby
#12 My $8 Thrift Find From The Di Yesterday…not Sure I’ll Ever Use It But It Was Too Unique To Leave. Deviled Egg Christmas Tree…
Image credits: Henry Olson
Why someone loves thrifting in garage sales and secondhand shops will depend a lot on the individual. However, there are tons of reasons why you might want to get into thrifting as a hobby, from socializing and adventuring to saving money and finding small ways to help the planet.
#13 My Absolute Wonderful Thrifted Find!!! The 3 Fairy Godmothers From Sleeping Beauty. I Have A Few Of These Disney Characters From The 50-60’s So I’m Always So Excited When I Find Different Characters!
Image credits: Victoria Rivera
#14 Found At My Apartment Garbage Can
Image credits: Max Lamm
#15 I Found This Gang At A Church Thrift For .50 For The Whole Gang … They’re Amazing!! ?
Image credits: Jennifer Figueroa Singerline
For one, thrifting is simply a fun activity to get into. You’re checking out places you’ve likely never been to before. You’re getting lots of movement. You’re talking to new people all the time. And you’re on the lookout for cool stuff, whether you have something particular in mind or you’re just browsing.
It gets you out of the house. It sure beats binging social media or lying on the sofa all day long.
#16 Bought This Stock Pot At A Thrift Store 2 Days Ago, And I'm Not Joking When I Say I Keep Opening The Cabinet Just To Look At It! Me And My Sister Made Up A Fun Little Story About It, We Imagine We Run An Animal Rescue, And I Live In The Yellow House, She Lives In The Red House, And The Blue House Is A Barn For Our Animals. Really Is The Best $10 I Ever Spent ?
Image credits: Maggie Bequette
#17 Found This A Few Years Ago At Renningers Flea Market In Mount Dora, Fl For $2 And It’s My Most Favorite Christmas Decoration
Image credits: Jessie Mattos
#18 Handed Down From My Grandmother - She's 82, I Absolutely Love These ????
Image credits: Alexandria Paige
On top of that, there’s the thrill of discovery to keep you engaged. Curiosity is a wonderful thing to have, no matter what aspect of our lives we’re talking about. By going thrifting, you’re opening yourself up to new opportunities and possibilities. Look at it like a small adventure where you’re never quite sure how it’ll end. There’s a lot of fun to be found in the unexpected. But only if you’re open to being surprised.
#19 Found At A Local Flea Market
Image credits: Mason Sousa
#20 I Was Visiting My Friend In Paignton Devon And Found This In A Charity Shop. The Price Was 10p. He Really Cost Me 9p If You Consider The Penny Inside. The Date Of The Penny Is The Year I Was Born. He Was Meant To Be Mine. My Lucky Pig ? ? Thank You All So Much For Your Kind Words But I Must Add This Bit! Someone Asked If I Happened To Be Born Under The Chinese Zodiac- Year Of The Pig? You’ve Guessed It…1971 My Year Of Birth Was Indeed A Year Of The Pig! The Coin Inside Is Also Dated 1971. My Mind Is Officially Blown ?
Image credits: Keely Morris
#21 My Great, Great, Grandmothers Table From Mexico. My Great Grandmother Brought It To Tx When She Came To The Us And She Gave It To My Grandmother When She And My Abuelo Bought Their First House. My Grandma Passed It On To My Mom When She Bought Her First House. I've Lived All Over The Us And The Table Was Too Delicate To Ship But I Knew Some Say I'd Get That Table. I Bought My First House (20 Years After My Travels) Last Year When I Moved Back Home And This Was One Of The First Items I Moved Into The House. My Mom And I Cried As We Brought It In And Set It Up. My Family Had So Little When They Came To The Us But This Table Was Always There. To Drink Cafe Con Pan And Talk Chisme (Gossip), To Cry, To Discuss Difficult Decisions And To Celebrate Anything And Everyone. Oh The Stories This Table Could Tell. Makes Me So Proud To Be A Part Of This Long Line Of Strong Resilient Amazing Women. ?
Image credits: Angelica Mendoza-Carrillo
Meanwhile, when you’re buying secondhand goods, you’re helping the environment. What this means is that you’re not purchasing new products that have to be manufactured, shipped, and then transported to the shops. This saves a lot in terms of water and fuel.
For instance, the fashion industry uses more than 79 trillion (that’s ‘trillion’ with a ‘t’) liters of water every year. Though buying a secondhand sweater won’t save the planet, it’s small steps like this one that can quickly add up over time.
#22 Found This Wonderful Room Divider At An Antique Shop, Still Had The Little Pots And It Still Lights Up. I Love It!
Image credits: Carrie Farris
#23 Got This Beauty At A Yard Sale For .50 !!
Image credits: Jessica Leighton-Goodrode
#24 After Work, I Went Into A Goodwill I Don't Normally Stop In. I Think I Went Because This Toymaker Was Calling Out To Me. I Picked Him Up And Looked Him Over In Awe. He Was Wrapped In Tape, Which I Was Confused By. I Mean, Obviously, I Was Going To Get Him Either Way Because Just Look At Him, But What Was His Purpose? Finally, On The Bottom, I Found A Handwritten Sticker That Explained He Is An Incense Burner. You Lift Him Up Off His Bench And Place A Cone Incense There And His Mouth/Pipe Will Smoke. There Is No Indication Of A Company Or Date This Amazing Object Was Made. I'm Not Sure If He Is Handmade And Unique Or What Era He Is From. All I Know Is This Is The Best $6 I've Spent In A Very Long Time. I Haven't Put An Incense In Him Yet. I Will Update When I Make Sure I Have Cones. Merry Christmas To Me. ?
Image credits: Steena Mittel
Buying secondhand goods is also easier on the wallet. You’re giving clothes, furniture, and knickknacks a second chance. Instead of ending up in a landfill or having to shell out for something new, you end up getting more use and happiness out of them. If money’s tight, secondhand shopping can be a real lifesaver. However, times are changing… and not necessarily for the better.
#25 Found This Gorgeous Piece In An Antique Shop In The Republic Of Ireland. Cost All Of €70. My Favorite Piece Of Furniture. The Rug We Found At An Auction House And Paid €15 For It And Another One
Image credits: Cheryl Webb Clair
#26 I Love Seeing Everyone’s Collections ???✨ Mine Has Changed A Bit Over The Years As I’ve Gifted Trees And Been Given More, This Is The Majority, Though There Are A Few Strays Around The House. ♥️ It All Started With The Large One On The Left That Was Given To My Family When I Was A Little Girl, (Our Neighbors Owned A Ceramics Shop) It’s My Favorite Decoration And Is Always The First To Come Out Of Hiding. Every Tree Here Was Either A Gift Or Thrift. Eventually I’d Love To Find A Large White Tree In The Wild ✨✨
Image credits: Jennifer Seme
#27 Thank You All For The Lovely Comments On My Previous Post About The Thrifted, Donated, And Inherited Jewelry Trees I Made For My Mum And Sisters. I Had One More Tree I Was Working On But Needed A Frame And Found This Sweet Antique Frame At Arc In Broomfield, Co For $1.50! This Is The Fifth Vintage Jewelry Tree For My Eldest Sister ?❤️?
Image credits: Lauri Filar
People living in the United States are increasingly finding that stores known for their secondhand goods have been hiking their prices in recent years. As thrifting continues to increase in popularity thanks to social media and TikTok, some shops use the extra attention as a way to increase their profits even more. Or, to put it bluntly, secondhand shopping isn’t so cheap anymore because some businesses got greedy.
Goodwill, in particular, with all of its charitable aspirations, has been called out time and time again on internet forums and in the media for jacking up its prices. Some folks wonder why they should even bother shopping there if mainstream realtors offer cheaper unused clothing.
#28 Found This Sign At An Antique Store In Negaunee, Michigan. It’s Definitely Old, Heavy Brass, And I Have A Lot Of Questions. ??
Image credits: Mindy Kantola
#29 After Giving Up On Getting A Christmas Tree I Found This At A Local Thrift Store And It’s Brand New! A True Christmas Miracle❤️ It’s My Son’s First Christmas (Where He Knows What Christmas Is) And He Points Out Every Christmas Tree He Sees. I Was At A Thrift Store With Only $50 In My Bank Account And This Was The Last Tree There. He And I Both Love It ?
Image credits: Christa Lilley
#30 Found And Left At Goodwill, This Would Be Awesome For A Library
Image credits: April Rojas
What’s the coolest thing you’ve ever found while thrifting, Pandas? Which of the finds in this list did you think were the weirdest and most wonderful? Tell us all about it in the comment section. In the meantime, for some more secondhand inspo, check out Bored Panda’s previous article about ‘Weird (and Wonderful) Secondhand Finds That Just Need To Be Shared.’
#31 Absolutely Could Not Leave This Globe Lamp Behind At Goodwill For Only $5.99. I’m So Happy It Works ✨ I Can’t Find Much Info On It Other Than It Was Made In Mexico By An Eagle Company
Image credits: April Rojas
#32 Could Never Make Out The Writing On This. Picked It Up At A Flea Market Market Because Of My Love For Horses
Image credits: Nanette Griffin
#33 Thought I'd Share My .75 Garage Sale Find As I'm Going To Use It On Christmas
Image credits: Pamala Roland
#34 I Got This Beautiful Sink For $20 On Fb Marketplace And Had To Share!!! It Will Be Amazing For Our Bathroom!! I'm Thinking About Mounting On A Wash Stand For That Vintage Feel. Look At Those Knobs!!! ?
Image credits: Jessica Riley
#35 6ft Lamp I Got On Facebook Market Place For 50$!!! ??? I Had To Get It
Image credits: Lexii Garcia
#36 The Thrift Score That Keeps On Giving! 25+ Pounds Of Vintage Wrapping Paper. Found At A Salvation Army In Tallahassee Florida Last Year
Image credits: Jessica Lauren
#37 I Bought This From An Online Estate Auction 100% Out Of Curiosity. Its A Cute But Strange Little Guy. 925 Sliver
Image credits: Alexis Marie
#38 Look What I Found At Goodwill Today ($9)! ?
Image credits: Amanda Davis
#39 Found My House Hippo Today At Unity Resale Thrift Store In Green Bay, Wis. What Should I Name Her?
Image credits: Bonnie Annarumma
#40 Completely Wonderful, Not Exactly Weird Except For The Circumstances. Found On The Side Of The Road In A Box Full Of Very Gross Kitchen Items. I Couldn’t Believe It, With The Lid And Everything!! I’ve Wanted A Zodiac Pyrex For A Long Time!! Wanted To Share My Happy Moment
Image credits: Moira Tracey
#41 I Bought This At A Second Hand Shop Recently. I Have No Idea If It Is Old Or Not But Loved It
Image credits: Patti Havlat
#42 Saw This Beauty At America's Thrift Store In Marietta, Ga
Image credits: Veronica Wright-Daniels
#43 Ahhh? Found At Goodwill?
Image credits: Jayda Kay
#44 Just Found This Incredible Walnut Cupboard From The Late 1800s. It Was Used In A General Store To Sell Thread. I Spoke To The Woman Who Had Put It Out On The Curb, And Her Great Grandmother Had Made The Base That It’s Crookedly Sitting On. She Used To Use It To Store Her Children’s Artwork. Not Sure What I’ll Do With The Very Shallow Drawers, But I’m So Thrilled To Bring This Piece Into My Home
Image credits: Jenni O'Reilly-Jones
#45 Purchased At Svdp And Embellished By Me To Qualify As W&w
Image credits: Brady Keepers
#46 I Think I’ve Acquired My Best Thrift Yet From Our Local Town Page? I Am Now The Owner Of This Beautiful 1974 Firefly Hot Air Balloon Basket For Free??? Edit: Since My Comment Is Buried Amongst Everyone Else’s I Figure I’d Update Here ? I Plan To Make A Reading Nook Out Of It And Eventually Make A Stained Glass Globe To Have Over The Top And Place A Light In The Dome. My Oldest Daughter Is Always Reading So It’ll Be Put To Good Use. I Love To Hear All The Suggestions But We Have To Remember These Baskets Aren’t Made To Stay Out In The Elements Especially With Me Living In Wisconsin. The Snow And Rain Isn’t Good For The Wicker And Would Make It More Brittle Over Time. I Want To Keep It In Its Best Condition As Much As Possible?
Image credits: Taylor Gardner
#47 I Am The Proud Owner Of This Macaroni Now ? Found On Facebook Marketplace!
Image credits: Conor Ball
#48 Found This Weird Sculpture While Thrifting. Don't Know What It Is, But It Will Be A Gag Gift For My Husband. I Have A Feeling He Will Like It. Update: It's Not Wood. It's Plaster Or Stone And Weighs Over 13 Pounds
Image credits: Christine Jeszeck
#49 My Biggest Thrifting Treasure Yet ?? Found At Habitat For Humanity. I’m In Love. I Still Have Three More Months Before Finishing My Master’s And Moving Out Of Student Housing, But It Will Live In My Childhood Bedroom Until Then As A Reminder To Push Through The Rest Of Grad School So I Can Enjoy It ? Edit To Add: The Brand Is Dyrlund. I Believe It’s From The 60’s But It Does Look Very 80’s! A Little Over $200 For The Couch And Loveseat Combined Made For A Pretty Great Deal
Image credits: Hannah Smith
#50 Chicken Purse At Antique Mall. Didn’t Come Home With Me
Image credits: Lisa Ann
