Reseller Pulls What Looks Like Curtains Out Of A Goodwill Bin And Pays Just Over $10, Then Learns The Gown Is Listed For $1,032

Jane Clark

5 hours ago

A vintage reseller was elbow-deep in a Goodwill Outlet bin in St. Paul when she spotted what looked like a set of curtains. She pulled it free, found a gown, and walked out having paid just over $10 for a dress that sells online for $1,032.

Stephanie, who shares her finds on Instagram as @stephxthrift, sells vintage and secondhand clothing. Parenting Patch reported her story, which shows what a patient eye can turn up in a pile.

She Thought It Was Curtains Until She Pulled It Out Of The Bin

Stephanie’s video shows a dark floral piece sitting among the clothing in the bins. At first glance, she said, the fabric looked like drapery. Only after she tugged it out did she realize she was holding a dress.

Shoppers at Goodwill Outlets sort through large bins of unsorted items, and clothing is sold by weight. At her location, Stephanie said, clothing cost $2.59 per pound.

The dress weighed about 4 pounds, so her total came to just over $10.

The Tag Said Fanciful Doll, A Brand She Had Never Heard Of

Judging by the style, Stephanie assumed the dress came from another label. The tag told a different story. She said in the video that the dress was from Fanciful Doll, a brand she did not recognize.

So she did what any good reseller does and searched online. A quick look led her to the company’s website, where the piece, called the Ophelia Epic Romance Gown, was listed at $1,032.

Compared with the roughly $10 she paid, the outlet calculated that was a markup of nearly 10,000%.

“You Literally Never Know What The Thrift Gods Will Bestow Upon You”

Stephanie shared the discovery in her Instagram video and laid a screenshot of the website listing over footage of the dress. Her caption was upbeat: “You literally never know what the thrift gods will bestow upon you.”

The post drew a wave of reactions. Many viewers said they were stunned by the luck of the find, and some wondered how a designer dress ended up in the bins at all.

One commenter thought the dress looked like “a ’90s comforter” but called the cut “gorgeous.” Another wrote, “I’d honestly try and track it. How did it get there, who did it belong to and just…Why?”

For Stephanie, The Payoff Was More Than The Price Tag

She later shared another video of herself posing in the gown and wrote, “And yes, I’m living a dream.”

The money was only part of it. “I am always learning about new brands when I thrift,” she said in an interview.

She also told the outlet that bins are essentially the last stop for clothing before it reaches a landfill, so she tries to rescue as many good pieces as she can.

How A Goodwill Outlet Works

If you have never been, an outlet store is a different experience from a regular thrift shop. Items are piled in large bins rather than hung on racks, and shoppers dig through them. Clothing is sold by weight, which is why Stephanie’s dress cost so little even though the brand’s own listing is far higher.

Because everything is unsorted, finds depend on patience and a bit of luck. At $2.59 a pound, even a four-pound piece stayed near $10.

Bin Shopper Tips That Come From Her Playbook

Do not judge by the first glance. Stephanie mistook a gown for curtains, and the dark floral fabric in her video could have been passed over by someone moving quickly. Pull items out and look at them in good light.

Check the tag every time. A label can turn out to be a designer or a small brand with a big price. Stephanie did not recognize Fanciful Doll, but a tag gave her the name to search.

Search before you decide. A quick online search of the brand and style can show current prices on the company’s website, which is exactly how she learned the gown was listed at $1,032.

Keep in mind that a listed price is not the same as a selling price. The listing shows what the brand asks, and what a used piece sells for can be very different.

Bring gloves, a bag and a bit of patience, and check the policies of your local outlet, since rules and prices differ from one location to the next.

Why Rescuing Clothes Matters To Her

For Stephanie, the bins are also about keeping good clothing in circulation. Her comment that bins are essentially the last stop before a landfill explains why she keeps digging.

That gives a shopper a second reason to take a closer look at the pile. A $10 bargain for you is also a piece of clothing that stays out of the trash.

The Takeaway For Every Bargain Hunter

Stephanie’s story is a happy one for anyone who loves the thrill of the hunt. She went in looking for clothing, spotted something that looked like curtains, and left with a gown that sells for more than 100 times what she paid.

The next time you are digging through a thrift bin or flipping through a rack, remember her caption. You really never know what the thrift gods will bestow upon you.