Heading to a secondhand shop or a thrift store is a bit of an adventure! There are so many awesome curiosities you can stumble upon completely by accident, from unique-looking decor and cool furniture to bizarre clothes and funky knick-knacks. All it takes is a splash of patience and a keen eye for hidden treasures.
The Weird and Wonderful Secondhand Finds page on Facebook is a celebration of all of this. We’re featuring some of the page’s most interesting finds to show you just how incredibly lucky you can get and how out-of-the-box some product designs really are. Don’t forget to upvote your faves as you scroll down!
#1 My Son Went Antiquing Today And Found Me The Best Lock Ever!
Image credits: Weird and Wonderful Secondhand Finds
#2 Before And After. Found In A Local Thrift Store. I'm Not A Vase Person Really But The Color Peeking Out From Under The Black Paint Was Just Begging To Be Revealed
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#3 I Found A Tiny Hello Kitty Couch For 4 Dollars At The Goodwill Bins In Hillsboro, OR. Cherry Loves Her New Throne
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The BBC reports that, based on the findings by secondhand fashion retailer ThredUp, a whopping 67% of British millennials shop secondhand, while nearly half of Generation Z’s clothes are pre-owned. It’s estimated that the total value of the fashion resale market is likely to double by 2027 to a jaw-dropping $3.5 billion.
However, this is still just a drop in the ocean compared to the size and breadth of the apparel market worldwide. According to Statista, the revenue in the global apparel market is estimated to reach $1.84 trillion. The largest segment of this market is women’s apparel, predicted to be around $0.96 trillion this year.
#4 A Few Days Ago, My Boyfriend Went To An Estate Sale At His Uncle’s House, And Came Home With This Bronze, Glowing-Eye Cat Lamp. From What He Found Online, It Was Apparently Made In Austria And May Be Over 100 Years Old. It’s A Little Creepy, But We Love It!
Image credits: Weird and Wonderful Secondhand Finds
#5 Does He Go With The Rest Of My Decor? Absolutley Not. Did I Drop Everything To Snag Him Off Facebook Marketplace. Absolutely Did. I'm Tempted To Add A Bunch Of Leaves To The Lampshade So It Looks Like He Is Peeking Out Of Trees
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#6 I Found My Hippo. Found At Goodwill In Owasso Oklahoma, Not Sure It’s For Candy, I Thought My Husband Could Put His Wallet, Keys, Pocket Change Inside. He Bought The Kisses And Filled It Up
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There are some serious issues with the industry, though. For one, the BBC notes that US companies like ThredUp and TheRealReal aren’t profitable, while Lithuanian peer-to-peer fashion resale startup Vinted, which is popular in the UK, also posted a large pre-tax loss in 2022. British brand Depop also lost tens of millions in 2023.
“The problem is one of economics. With the rise of ultra-fast, ultra-cheap fashion brands, the volume of clothing produced and shipped globally continues to explode, and consumers are offloading more of it after just a few wears,” the BBC explains, noting how one 2023 study found that a large Swedish charity has to pay to have around 70% of donated clothes incinerated due to their low-quality.
#7 From Trash To Treasure, Barn Find… A Very Neglected Trophy Saddle From Many Years Ago. Great Accent Piece
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#8 Found This Lightbulb At The Rescue Mission, Was Not Expecting What Happened When I Flipped The Switch. Now I Have To Find The Perfect Lamp For It
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#9 I Found This Grandfather Clock On The Fb Market Place (For Free) The Day Before Mother’s Day. I’d Like To Think It’s A Mother’s Day Gift From The Universe
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Around 40% of the clothes that are exported to Ghana, which is one of the largest recipients of secondhand fashion from Europe, is considered to be waste.
"There's an oversupply of clothes. And it's lowering the perceived value, and the real value, of everything,” said Liz Ricketts, co-founder and executive director of the non-profit The Or Foundation.
"We treat waste as if it is a free resource. Sure, you might give it away for free, but it takes a tremendous amount of effort and labor and skill to try to re-commodify that thing that you gave away. Reuse is based on the quality and the condition of the individual item, which means that it requires a human touch and a human eye to assess that."
#10 I Picked This Up A Couple Days Ago From Second Hand Sale. I'm So Happy, I've Always Wanted A Tiffany Styled Lamp
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#11 Found At A Thrift Store In Sedona Arizona. I Was Explaining To A Friend What A House Hippo Is. I Looked Down To My Left Hand & This Beauty Magically Appeared
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#12 I Was So Excited To Find This Stained Glass Gingerbread House At Goodwill Today!
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Buying things secondhand, rather than getting everything brand new, has its fair share of pros and cons. On the one hand, secondhand shopping can be a wonderful way to save money, reduce humankind’s impact on the environment, and reuse things that are still functional but may require a bit of sprucing up. It’s also fun!
On the other hand, shopping secondhand means that you may not always find what you need and you might have doubts about the quality of certain items. You also need to consider how much time and effort you’re willing to spend hunting down a specific piece of clothing, decor, or furniture. There’s a big element of luck at play here.
#13 I Was Always Wondering Whats With The House Hippo Trend? Until I Spotted Hyacinth On The Thrift Store Shelf Being Her Absolute Cute And Fabulous Self
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#14 This Beautiful Cabinet I Picked Up On The Side Of The Road In My Neighborhood! I Can’t Believe They Were Just Gonna Throw It Away !!! Can’t Wait To Clean Her Up And Give It Life
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#15 Purchased From An Estate Sale For $30! I Have Never Seen One Like It! It’s Solid Wood And All The Sections Swivel Completely Around! Going To Use It As A Plant Stand!
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If you have plenty of time to spare, like to take things slowly, and genuinely enjoy browsing the inventory at different stores, then secondhand shopping is perfect for you.
However, there are bound to be time-sensitive purchases that you’ll have to make. Sometimes, you don’t have the luxury of not getting something due to bad luck when you absolutely need it. In those cases, online shopping or heading to a store that you know for a fact sells the product you need might be best. However, that approach is sometimes hard to balance with a desire to be eco-friendly.
#16 My Bed That I Paid 100 Dollars For From A Buddy, He Got It Out Of A House In Detroit. The Bed Frame Is Eastlake In Style And Is Solid As A Rock, Very Comfortable Too
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#17 Just Found This Mini Wicker Egg Chair At My Local Goodwill For $25 So I Snagged It For My Cat. She Loves It!
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#18 I Want To Share This Truly Wonderful Marketplace Find! A Handmade, One Of A Kind, Lifesize Piranha Plant! I Am Obsessed With All Things Piranha Plant, And This Was The Perfect Addition To My Collection
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Buying furniture, clothes, tech, or random knick-knacks secondhand means that you’re extending their lifecycle. When you don’t buy new things, that means that the demand for that product falls, which should—at least theoretically—reduce the amount that's produced and then transported worldwide.
If everyone around the world suddenly decided to buy at least some things secondhand, hold on to their tech for longer, or repair what they already have, that would have a massive impact on global production and trade. Companies would pivot to match these new, more eco-friendly, and pro-DIY trends.
#19 Today I Found The Purr-Fect Toilet Brush Holder For My Mid-Century Modern Inspired Bathroom! Found At A Consignment Shop In Tarpon Springs Fl. The Staff Thought She Was A Planter
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#20 I Picked Up This Crocheted Rose Bud Afghan At A Thrift Store In Grand Rapids Mi For Less Money Than Two Skeins Of Yarn!
I hoped it may at least have been a full size but after giving it a wash and dry and spread it out on the queen size bed in our guest room I found it was king sized! So much work went into this afghan. We live in a 1800s farm house so it fits right in!
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#21 Stayed Up All Day After My Midnight Shift To Drive Two Hours To Grab This Gem I Found On Marketplace! I Had To Have It
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Some items are always best bought new, even if you care about the environment. For example, MarketWatch warns people not to buy baby cribs, car seats, or helmets secondhand. To put it simply, you don’t know the history of these items and you generally can’t verify whether they’ve been in accidents before they were given away or sold. There might be undetectable damage. It’s better to err on the side of caution here.
Other things that you should not buy secondhand include makeup, which can be contaminated with microorganisms that can then lead to serious infections. You also want to steer clear of mattresses because they may be infested with bedbugs that can spread to other parts of your home.
#22 I May Have Sprinted To The Table When I Saw This At A Garage Sale Even Though My Husband And I Were The Only Ones There. $5 And You Bet I Brought It Home. My Thrifted Glass Clown Collection
Yes, I know everyone loves the Mosser cats and hates the clowns...which makes me want the clowns even more because I'm a weirdo.
We built the shelves to go in between the kitchen cabinets over the sink, because my clown babies deserved a place of prominence in all their friggin glory.
The chandelier was thrifted in plain white and made rainbow with alcohol inks to be the crowning jewel of the clown army.
Image credits: Weird and Wonderful Secondhand Finds
#23 The Big Cookie Jar Belonged To My Grandma. I Got It After She Passed Away Over 24 Years Ago. I Found The Salt And Pepper Shakers Today At An Antique Store For $8.00. I Was Thrilled To Find Them
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#24 I Couldn’t Believe My Eyes. I Found This Beauty For $2.97 At My Local Thrift On Half Off Day. Now To Find A Wall….
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Used smartphones are also iffy if you’re buying them from a random place. For one, you don’t know if the phone has been stolen. Meanwhile, it’s also possible that there can be malicious software left on the device, whether purposefully or by accident. Generally, it’s best to buy new tech if you’re using it for private communications and photos. Alternatively, if you’re getting a secondhand phone, at least buy it from a reputable, official dealer.
MarketWatch also warns people not to buy secondhand knives, blenders, toy chests without safety hinges, recalled toys, or anything that may have lead paint. They're potentially dangerous. And the few bucks that you save are not worth putting you and your loved ones’ health and safety at risk.
#25 Hard To Believe. Went To A GW Out Of My Area. Found This “Blue” Atlantis Fenton Hand Painted Glass Bowl Hand Signed By Peggy Lane. Wait For It…….$7.99
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#26 One Of Favorite Finds While Thrifting
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#27 Only People Here Would Understand Why I Just Had To Have These. Found On Antique Marketplace
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The Facebook page was first created in the middle of the summer of 2023. Over the past year and a half, Weird and Wonderful Secondhand Finds has amassed 86k followers and 7.6k likes.
The curator constantly shares new updates and photos of interesting finds in the page’s feed, and people love it. Many of the items are very creative and in terms of imaginative design, they stand head and shoulders above anything you’d find at a ‘regular’ store.
#28 Found These At A Friend's Grandmas Estate Sale. So Cute. Had To Get Them. Has No Markings Just Adorable
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#29 Someone Down My Street Had A Free 'Sale' At His Mother's House When She Passed
He gave me this lamp that his uncle made for his mom back in the late forties early 50s. I had to get it down from the place it's hung since new, along with the dust lol i had to reglue several pieces back in by the time I got it home and rewire it for safety. It now hangs in my castle room and reminds me of dragon scales lol and collecting a new layer of dust.
Image credits: Weird and Wonderful Secondhand Finds
#30 I Found My Holy Grail Of Vintage Christmas. I Couldn't Believe It. Found At A Local Antique Mall For $12.00. Made Of Safety Pins And Plastic Beads But Oh So Beautiful
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Which of these secondhand finds did you love the most, dear Pandas? Which ones would you be happy to bring home with you? What are the coolest and weirdest things you’ve recently spotted at your local thrift stores, charity shops, and garage sales?
What’s the most bizarre thing you’ve ever given away at a secondhand shop? Let us know!
#31 Here's Another I Found At The Arc In Loveland Co! Yes I Did Take It Home
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#32 One Of My All Time Favorite Garage Sale Finds, And Only $4! I Don’t Have A Banana, So Cats For Scale
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#33 My Sister Found This Recently For Free. Roadside In Seattle WA
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#34 My Daughter Likes To Play A Game Of Finding Something Weird At A Thrift Store And Just Place It In My House And See How Long It Takes For Me To Notice It!!
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#35 When People Ask Why A Girl Needs A Big Truck?........well.... For A Variety Of Various, Assorted Reasons..... Someone Was Throwing Them Out And Said I Could Have Them I Think I'll Paint Them All Sorts Of Fun Ways
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#36 Drove 4 Hours To Get This Big Boy Off Facebook Marketplace. Best Find Yet. No I Don't Own An Ice Cream Shop Hehe
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#37 My Friend Found This At A Yard Sale Years Ago And Gifted It To Me
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#38 I Found This Cast Bronze Sculpture Under A Pile Of Construction Garbage Many Years Ago. I Call Him Bob. His Origin Is A Mystery I May Never Solve. Very Heavy, No Feet???
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#39 My Husband & I Rode Our Tandem Bicycle Over To Canada (From Minnesota) To Run Some Errands And I Found An Old Singer Featherweight Sewing Machine At The Salvation Army Store In Fort Francis!
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#40 I Can’t Tell You How Many Gallons Of Kool-Aid I Drank Straight From The Pitcher!  My Fave Was Cherry. Of Course I Bought It, I Haven’t Had Kool-Aid In 30 Some Years
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#41 This Has To Be One Of My Favorite $1.00 Flea Market Finds! It’s Called A Sugar Plum Tree. It Was In The Original Box. So Fun For Christmas! All I Had To Add Was Gumdrops. Pretty Sure It’s From The 60’s
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#42 My 3 Years Of Thirfting And Yard Sale Vintage Frogs Got Their New Teeth Today
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#43 Saw An Opportunity & Had To Take It At Our Local Flea Market. Now We're Serving Up All The Vibes With This Throwback Taco Bell Sign
My husband even ran lights behind it. He didn't want it at first because it was his first job, but now he loves it!
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#44 We Call It The Ugly Cat. My Mom Bought It At An Auction In England In The Early Nineties
It now sits in my dining room. We all joke about the ugly cat being worth a ton but we know nothing about it other than she bought it for a pound at an auction years ago. I have always thought it was beautiful and weird.
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#45 Found At My Local Thrift Store. Loved This! It’s From 1964
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#46 $79.99. It Did Not Come Home With Me From Goodwill
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#47 Left At Goodwill, Kirkland WA. But If I Were A Carolyn, It Would Have Absolutely Come Home With Me!
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#48 I Have Come Across A Lot Of Strange And Unusual Items Over The Years, But Today's Find (From An Estate Sale In Indianapolis, In) May Just Be My Favorite! Behold My Kewpie Head Tea Set!!!
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#49 Found This Tissue Box Holder From Goodwill For Only 2.99!!
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#50 I Left These At Goodwill But I’m Tempted To Go Back For Them
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