One shopper sparked disbelief online by sharing a photo of a strange item on sale at a Goodwill store: a power cord plug — without the cord attached — for $9.99.
The image was posted on Reddit’s r/ThriftGrift community, a forum dedicated to highlighting questionable prices and thrift store listings. Users tried to wrap their heads around why a single plug — with no cord, device, or obvious use — would be worth such a price. “I’d love to hear the thought process of the employee who priced this,” one commenter said booksand capture the confusion that others share.
Photo It shows the plug end of some type of power cord, cleanly cut and unconnected, and labeled as a functional product. For many shoppers, the list embodies a growing frustration with rising prices at thrift chains, especially when items appear unsaleable, incomplete, or destined for the trash. For example, one thrift store priced an old flower pot at $28.
With a wave of skeptical comments, the topic touched on a broader conversation about how companies price donations — and where the line lies between fundraising and exploitation.
While moments like these fuel anger, it’s important to point out that these are extreme cases, not typical experiences you can expect. Thrift stores are still one of the best ways to save money on daily necessities, reduce waste, and keep usable goods out of landfills.
Many people Shop at thrift stores To find high-quality clothing, furniture, electronics, and even rare or valuable items at deep discounts. From historical items like this presidential gift to valuable pieces of designer jewelry, some thrifters are finding items that can turn a profit on the resale market.
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Plus, for every item given a second life, it saves another one from ending up in a landfill. With many landfills already full, this helps reduce planet-warming methane pollution and prevent more microplastics from entering our waterways, the food chain, and our bodies.
Commenters roasted the list. “Charges wirelessly,” one person said Jokingly. last books“This deal really shows how helpless prices can feel.” third He added: “Employees take all the good stuff. They also mark up the value of things too much. That’s why I stopped donating to them.”
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