Thrifter’s Incredible Find at ‘Rich People Goodwill’ Stuns Internet

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Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. She covers various lifestyle stories, specializing in travel, health, home/interior design and property/real estate. Soo covered the COVID-19 pandemic extensively from 2020 to 2022, including several interviews with the chief medical advisor to the president, Dr. Anthony Fauci. Soo has reported on various major news events, including the Black Lives Matter movement, the U.S. Capitol riots, the war in Afghanistan, the U.S. and Canadian elections, and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Soo is also a South Korea expert, covering the latest K-dramas—including the breakout hit Squid Game, which she has covered extensively, including from Seoul, the South Korean capital—as well as Korean films, such as the Golden Globe and Oscar-nominated Past Lives, and K-pop news, to interviews with the biggest Korean actors, such as Lee Jung-jae from Squid Game and Star Wars, and Korean directors, such as Golden Globe and Oscar nominee Celine Song. Soo is the author of the book How to Live Korean, which is available in 11 languages, and co-author of the book Hello, South Korea: Meet the Country Behind Hallyu. Before Newsweek, Soo was a travel reporter and commissioning editor for the award-winning travel section of The Daily Telegraph (a leading U.K. national newspaper) for nearly a decade from 2010, reporting on the latest in the travel industry, from travel news, consumer travel and aviation issues to major new openings and emerging destinations. Soo is a graduate of Binghamton University in New York and the journalism school of City University in London, where she earned a Masters in international journalism. You can get in touch with Soo by emailing s.kim@newsweek.com . Follow her on Instagram at @miss.soo.kim or X, formerly Twitter, at @MissSooKim .Languages spoken: English and Korean

Soo Kim

Life and Trends Reporter

A post about an unbelievably “rare” find at a Goodwill thrift store has gone viral on Reddit, sparking excitement in the thrifting community.

The post, shared by u/aplanetkid on February 11, has since amassed 16,000 upvotes, drawing admiration from users who dream of discovering such bargains.

The post, titled “This, my friends, is why I drive 45 minutes to the rich people Goodwill,” includes an image of a Dyson V8 animal stick vacuum, partially wrapped in plastic.

The caption reveals the astonishing price, saying: “The thrift gods smiled upon me. I found a Dyson V8 Animal stick vacuum in a bin waiting to be unloaded at Goodwill…for 20 bucks. I feel like I’ve gotten away with a crime.”

The poster explained that, upon returning home, they tested the vacuum and it worked perfectly. However, they discovered some debris inside the vacuum head, which provided a possible explanation for why the device ended up at Goodwill in the first place.

“There was some debris stuck in the vacuum head, mainly pine needles, which makes me think someone vacuumed up their Christmas tree debris, clogged up the head, and then assumed the vacuum was no longer working, so they took it to Goodwill and got a new one. Welp, my cat and I are endlessly grateful,” the poster wrote.

Kelly Handley, founder of UltimateThrifting.com and author of Ultimate Thrifting: The Complete Guide to Finding Secondhand Treasures, told Newsweek that such finds are rare, but they represent the thrill of thrifting.

“With over 20 years of experience in the thrifting world, I can tell you that finds like a fully functioning Dyson vacuum for $20 are rare—but they’re exactly the type of goldmine that keeps dedicated thrifters on the hunt.”

The find comes at a time when thrifting is growing in popularity, fueled by an increased interest in sustainable shopping and budget-friendly alternatives to buying new products.

According to an August 2024 report by Research and Markets, thrift store revenue has been on the rise, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.5 percent, reaching $14.2 billion. The report noted that the trend is driven by both increased consumer spending and the growing demand for eco-conscious shopping.

Handley noted that many high-quality items end up in thrift stores simply because their previous owners didn’t know how to fix them.

She said: “While gems like this don’t come along every day, they remind us why we love thrifting—the thrill of discovery and the joy of turning an overlooked item into a fantastic bargain. All too often, items end up at Goodwill and other thrift stores because donors don’t know how to fix them or they don’t know what else to do with them.”

“In many cases, a minor issue—in this case, pine needles clogging the vacuum head—can be easily remedied, turning what looks like junk into a prized treasure,” she noted.

For those hoping to score similar deals, Handley offers practical advice. “Be patient, watch for new stock, and inspect items carefully. Sometimes an item that might seem broken is just waiting to be rescued with a little cleaning or repair.”

Many Reddit users were amazed by the deal and shared their own thoughts on thrift store hunting.

One user, u/Far-Education8197, commented: “That’s amazing! I had to buy a new one of these after my last one conked out on me…cost me over £100 [around $126] but one of the best vacuums I’ve ever used. Great find!”

U/Total-Guava9720 pointed out: “My son lives in an affluent neighborhood, and the nice things these people throw away is incredible.”

Others were particularly impressed with the completeness of the find, as u/Sailor_Callisto noted: “The fact that it came with the instructions and attachment pieces is awesome.”

Some users expressed envy and admiration for the poster’s thrifting luck, such as u/thelaststarebender, who wrote: “I need to find a rich people Goodwill!”

Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via the Reddit messaging system.

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