Thrifter Spots Jacket Listed for $3.50—Then Staff Realize Its True Value
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
A savvy thrifter has gone viral after nabbing a high-end Arc'teryx jacket for just $3.50—prompting staff members to allegedly attempt to block the sale once they realized the item's true value.
Baylee Kirk (u/UncleVoid), 24. from Georgia, shared the story in the Thrift Store Hauls subreddit, where the post earned over 9,300 upvotes. The jacket is a rare steal considering similar models retail for $380 or more on Arc'teryx's official website.
"When I saw the tag and researched, I was quite shocked to see the same exact make/model/color jacket was priced brand new at $400,' Kirk told Newsweek.
The Reddit user said that they discovered the jacket around 11 a.m. during a visit to a Goodwill store in Oakwood, Georgia. "I went looking for winter jackets I could be a little careless and reckless with for an upcoming off-roading/camping expedition this upcoming winter," they said.
They spotted the jacket as an employee was wheeling out new inventory. Upon closer inspection, they were surprised to find the Arc'teryx label, though initially skeptical about its authenticity.
"Arc'teryx released an article last year for being aware of the increasing amount of fakes and dupes flooding the market," they noted, adding that the price was also suspiciously low—"$3.50 which is very unusual as that's the typical price for shirts and usually jackets aren't priced lower than $6."
After authenticating the jacket using Arc'teryx's official label ID tool, they headed to the checkout. That is when things allegedly got tense.
A split image of the thrifted Arc'teryx jacket.
A split image of the thrifted Arc'teryx jacket.
u/UncleVoid/u/UncleVoid
Kirk told Newsweek: "The worker looked extremely displeased and asked where I found it. When I told her, she immediately called for a manager and claimed someone in the back misplaced this item for 'floor inventory' instead of sending it out to their warehouse to be sold online." The manager, after examining the coat, began typing on a handheld device and attempted to walk away with the jacket.
Kirk said: "I told them, 'No, I'd like to purchase this item as it's already price-tagged and now would be considered floor inventory since it was put out." The manager disagreed, saying it was mispriced and needed to be reevaluated before sale. Then, Kirk said another employee tried to convince the customer the jacket was fake.
"At that point, I stated the consumer protection laws against situations prohibiting companies to change an item's pricing during or noticing it being incorrect," u/UncleVoid wrote. After a tense exchange, including what they described as "a few more choice words," the manager "looked visibly irritated and relented but sold me the item."
Founded in Canada, Arc'teryx is known for its minimalist design and performance-focused outdoor gear. The brand has built a loyal following thanks to its durable, high-tech materials and sleek aesthetic—traits that have led it to be widely imitated in the resale market.
The viral post sparked a flood of comments from fellow thrifters sharing similar experiences.
"I've never had a goodwill cashier care how much I am paying for something off the sales floor no matter the brand other than say 'oh, this is nice' while they fold it into the bag," said one user.
"Last month I found a 70s/80s sterling silver, Navajo made, concho belt for $5.99 at Goodwill. Same kind of belt goes from $600 to $2,000 online. Somebody either screwed up or was very, very nice," said another.
"Oh my gosh! I had this happen to me in the 90s! I found a sterling concho belt like that for $. 50 cents at the Salvation Army. I can't believe it happened in this day and age. So happy for you!," a third added.
Another thrift fan recalled: "I found a vintage Coach bag at my local DAV thrift for $18, a black leather hobo bag, and the only thing the cashier said was 'girl I knew this was gonna go fast!'"
And Emily chimed in with her own designer score: "I scored an hermes wallet for $5.50 and the only thing the clerk said was 'wow, you're so lucky, how did you even find it cuz it looks real!'"
A spokesperson for Goodwill of North Georgia told Newsweek: "Our aim at Goodwill of North Georgia is to ensure a positive experience for our guests. It is our policy that any item available on the sales floor is sold for the price as marked.
"We have worked with the store team to ensure all policies are properly followed. We are happy that this guest was able to purchase their found item at the ticketed price and was able to support our mission to put people to work."
Do you have any amazing thrifting finds that you want to share? We want to see the best ones! Send them in to life@newsweek.com and they could appear on our site.
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