It's no secret that thrift stores will often sell items for more than their original asking price as a way to incur more profit. Catching these stores in the act, however, is endlessly entertaining—especially for bargain-hunters, thrifters, and restoration enthusiasts online. And that's what happened here thanks to an eagle-eyed TikTok user.
Gorgeous Boutique (@GorJesBoutique on TikTok) has become tremendously popular on TikTok and Instagram for her restoration projects, thrifting skills, bargain hunting tips, and of course noting when "the math ain't mathin'."
While on a recent trip to Goodwill, the boutique owner noticed an adorable red teapot on the top shelf of a kitchen decor shelf.
Though she thought the item would look cute in her kitchen, she also confessed to not knowing how much an item like this should cost compared to Goodwill's asking price of $7.37.
She looked at the original tags still strung to the stem of the teapot, noting the brand, before checking the bottom for additional tags. On the bottom, she found the original asking price, which was lower at $6.99.
The bargain hunter simply said:
"The math isn't mathing at Goodwill today."
And in the caption, she declared:
"TJ Maxx [is] cheaper than Goodwill!"
You can watch the video here:
@gorjesboutique TJ Maxx cheaper than Goodwill! #thrifthaul #hardgoods #Resellercommunity #ebayreseller #poshmarkreseller #poshboss #ebaylife #poshbabe #thriftyfinds #poorpeopleproblems #goodwillfinds #goodwillqueens
Fellow TikTokers were amused by the comparison between Goodwill and TJ Maxx, as well as how the boutique owner caught the reseller in the act of driving up their prices. The video so far has garnered more than 550,000 views on TikTok alone.
Some TikTokers noted their similar experiences at Goodwill and thrift stores like it.
@gorjesboutique/TikTok
@gorjesboutique/TikTok
@gorjesboutique/TikTok
@gorjesboutique/TikTok
@gorjesboutique/TikTok
Others advised that it was time to seek out better shopping conditions, especially in this economy.
@gorjesboutique/TikTok
@gorjesboutique/TikTok
@gorjesboutique/TikTok
@gorjesboutique/TikTok
After the pandemic and given the state of our current economy, we can all understand that businesses are doing what they can not only to stay afloat but to make some kind of profit so they can forge ahead. We get that.
That said, there's something fishy about taking what appears to be a brand new item—with its original brand tags and store tags intact—and reselling it for approximately half a dollar more.
Forty cents may not be much in the grand scheme of things, but when it comes to customer loyalty, the road goes both ways.
@jaketapoer/Bluesky
@BillAckman/Twitter