Value Village is a go-to secondhand store for thousands of Canadian thrifters. It has developed a well-established reputation for stocking questionable — and questionably priced — items over the past few years.
One shopper recently spotted a kitty litter storage box at Value Village with the contents of its former user’s bowels still inside it. Another saw a dirty, unwashed set of plastic dishes selling for $10. Many have spoken out about half-used toiletries and unhygienic cosmetic products being sold at the thrift store — and for absurd prices.
The problem of overpricing and selling strange and busted-up items is so rampant that Facebook groups and other online communities are dedicated to sharing these experiences.
On Wednesday, a shopper from Barrie, Ontario, shared photos of a unique accessory on the costume jewelry racks at her local store.
“Delightful find at the VV in Barrie. It’s a Canadian dime sloppily soldered onto a safety pin,” wrote Rachel Paterson on the Facebook group Value Village Rip-Offs and Obscene Price Hikes (The REAL rant page).
This “REAL rant” variant was created after a massive Value Village group of the same name was allegedly struck down due to copyright issues.
“The dime is from 1987. I cannot find a reason that this is on the wall at all,” Paterson said in her caption.
Rachel Paterson/Facebook
The not-so-special coin isn’t a collectors’ item. Daily Hive found it being sold on eBay for $1, which begs the question: Is the safety pin made of sterling silver or something? How did Value Village price this item?
“I found a vintage original Beatles pin there (South End) for $2.99, so they clearly don’t even look!” one commenter said under Paterson’s post.
The thrift chain has been criticized many times for seemingly pricing items based not on their value but on their vibes.
Another commenter had a theory that could explain the existence of this odd wearable.
“A dime and pin….(diamond pin). A guy I used to work with used to make them as a joke,” said Shari Gibson Vezeau.
Other recent posts on the group show a bunch of sex toys selling for $10.99 at a Toronto location and a used-up, boxless Nintendo Switch with missing accessories for a sweet $299.99 price tag.
The handheld console retails for $329.99 on Amazon, but you might even find it for a lower price during Amazon or Best Buy sales. If that’s too high, you can buy a brand-new Switch Lite for $214.99.
At least the new ones come with a warranty.
Have you found any weird items at Value Village or another Canadian chain thrift? Share your discoveries with us at [email protected].