Value Village is a thrift store for thousands of Canadian thrift retailers. It has developed a reputation for stocking questionable – and questionable – items in recent years.
A shopper recently discovered a cat litter storage box at Value Village that still had the intestinal contents of its former user inside.
Another saw a dirty, unwashed set of plastic dishes being sold for $10. Many have commented on the fact that thrift stores are selling half-used toiletries and unhygienic cosmetic products – and at absurd prices.
The problem of overpricing and selling strange and broken items is so widespread that Facebook groups and other online communities are dedicated to sharing these experiences.
On Wednesday, a shopper from Barrie, Ontario, shared photos of a very special accessory on the costume jewelry shelves of her local store.
“Wonderful 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 came about after a massive Value Village group with the same name was reportedly taken down on copyright grounds.)
“The dime is from 1987. I can't find a reason why this is even hanging on the wall,” Paterson said in her caption.
The not-so-special coin isn't a collector's item either – we found it selling for $1 on eBay, which raises the question of whether the safety pin is made of sterling silver. How did Value Village rate this item?
“I found an original vintage Beatles pin there (South End) for $2.99, so obviously they don't even look like that!” said one commenter on Paterson's post.
The thrift store chain has often been criticized for seemingly pricing items based on their appeal rather than their value.
Another commenter had a theory that could explain the existence of this strange wearable device.
“A penny and a pin… (diamond pin). A guy I used to work with did them for fun,” Shari Gibson Vezeau said.
Other recent posts in the group show a line of sex toys selling for $10.99 at a Toronto location and a used, boxless Nintendo Switch with accessories missing for a sweet price of $299.99.
The handheld console is priced at $329.99 on Amazon, but you may even be able to find it for less at 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 have a guarantee.
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Value Village rip-off and obscene price increases /Facebook