The Downside of Thrifting

United States
February 17, 2025 3:50pm CST
I love thrifting for jewelry to give as gifts to my family. My parents, brother, his kids, and my grandma wear jewelry on a daily basis, and aren't picky as long as it's good quality and they are not allergic to the metals. I always buy jewelry when I'm at thrift stores and antique stores because they have really good stuff for cheap. Most are in pristine condition and even have the retail tags on them and come with the original gift boxes. I don't have to find extra gift boxes to put the jewelry in. I always have such a pleasant experience buying jewelry from these kinds of stores so I continue to do so to purchase gifts because I can't afford to pay retail price at other stores and need to keep costs low. The only downside to thrifting is that sometimes the jewelry can have a stamp on it, but it turns out to be fake. I bought my grandma a necklace that was stamped 925 which stands for 92.5% silver, but when my grandma tested it out by taking it to a jeweler before she wore it because she is allergic to other metals and can only wear silver jewelry, it turned out to be made of brass and someone just stamped 925 onto it. That was a shame. I was able to return it to the store because I still had the receipt and my grandma didn't take off the tag yet. She always checks what metal her jewelry is made of with the jeweler she knows because she has known him for decades and he doesn't charge her any fees just to check using a machine that scans the jewelry. That's the only downside of thrifting, but hey, at least you can return something that has an inaccurate label/stamp as long as you kept the receipt and it's in the condition you bought it in. If the thrift store doesn't have a return policy, donate it back, keep it for yourself, give it to someone else and let them know that the label/stamp is inaccurate. I will continue thrifting for my family's gifts! And no, I don't wear any jewelry myself so I didn't mention myself.
9 people like this
6 responses
@RasmaSandra (82591)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
17 Feb
A long as it works for you. I have a jewelry box full of jewels I will never wear again.
3 people like this
• United States
17 Feb
Yes, that's all I can afford. What kind of jewels are they? Costume, fine, heirloom?
2 people like this
@RasmaSandra (82591)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
17 Feb
@lilacskies a mix of this and that but wearable
2 people like this
• United States
17 Feb
@RasmaSandra And you wear jewelry regularly or just leave them in a jewelry box?
2 people like this
@BelleStarr (61225)
• United States
20 Feb
I love shopping for jewelry at thrift and antique stores too. For some reason I am attracted to Victorian style small broaches even through it is not something I wear lol. I like estate jewelry too. It allows me to get a unique piece and save money.
2 people like this
@BelleStarr (61225)
• United States
21 Feb
@lilacskies I never spend much never more than $100 and most often a lot less. I am incredibly frugal about some things and jewelry is one of them, but I love it anyway.
1 person likes this
• United States
20 Feb
I love shopping at thrift and antique stores for gifts. I checked out their Victorian style jewelry many times, but they were always so expensive so I never picked up any for my family. Estate jewelry is unfortunately out of my budget as well. I love buying secondhand because I can save money on pieces that are still in pristine condition with original price tags.
1 person likes this
• United States
21 Feb
@BelleStarr Wow, I can't imagine paying $100 for a single piece of jewelry. I think the most I paid was $25 before and I remember having an internal panic attack due to my tight budget. I am the same way. I don't buy jewelry for myself, but I do buy it for family as gifts. Only from thrift stores and antiques stores though. I can't afford other stores.
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (92068)
• United States
18 Feb
You are such a great little shopper.
1 person likes this
• United States
18 Feb
Haha Thank you! I try. I'd rather buy a brand new ring for $1.99 at a thrift store than $50 for the same ring at the mall.
@sallypup (62900)
• Centralia, Washington
20 Feb
My daughter made a pretty bracelet for me this last Christmas. Plastic beads but very pretty. She also made tree ornaments with some beads.
1 person likes this
• United States
20 Feb
I hope you enjoyed the bracelet. Did she give you the tree ornaments too?
1 person likes this
@sallypup (62900)
• Centralia, Washington
20 Feb
@lilacskies Yes my daughter made the tree ornaments I loved seeing what beads she thought I would enjoy. She put a green paw prints bead in the bracelet.
1 person likes this
• United States
20 Feb
@sallypup Where did she buy the beads? All from thrift stores or other stores? Sounds adorable!
1 person likes this
@porwest (96319)
• United States
19 Feb
I save a ton of money on jewelry. I don't wear it and I don't buy it. lol
1 person likes this
@porwest (96319)
• United States
19 Feb
@lilacskies She has a couple of things. But generally, no. To me it's a waste of money.
1 person likes this
• United States
19 Feb
Your wife doesn't wear it nor buy it?
1 person likes this
• United States
19 Feb
@porwest Did you buy her an engagement ring and a wedding ring when you proposed to her?
1 person likes this
@grenery8 (13526)
• Zagreb, Croatia (Hrvatska)
19 Feb
in this time, i think every store should have a return policy but i know some german chain of stores that doesn't and they only permit changing one item with another. being allergic to metals, that's not fun but it's good to have a guy for this kind of things you're a real giver
1 person likes this
@grenery8 (13526)
• Zagreb, Croatia (Hrvatska)
21 Feb
@lilacskies welcome
1 person likes this
• United States
21 Feb
• United States
19 Feb
I don't think the franchise thrift stores have a return policy, but I only shop locally and they all have return policies as long as you have the original receipt and the price tag attached to the item you are trying to return. Yes, it can be dangerous to wear metals that you cannot wear due to allergies. Thank you! I try.
2 people like this