A charity shopper was staggered to stumble across a ‘cheap’ bauble in a thrift store that was actually way more valuable than the price tag that was placed on it
You never know what treasures you’ll uncover when you go to the charity shop.
Even though you really have to hunt around for the best deals, it really pays off when you find a hidden gem. And that’s exactly what happened to this savvy shopper recently.
When browsing a thrift store in Colorado in the US, the bargain hunter stumbled across a pretty Christmas bauble that had a marking that said “Times Square 2001”.
It wasn’t just any festive ornament either – it was actually valuable Waterford Crystal being sold for just $5.50 (around £4).
To put this price into context, luxury department store Selfridges is selling Waterford Crystal baubles for around £150-£200 each. While this may seem like a super steep selling point, there’s a reason the items are so sought-after.
Waterford Crystal has been making hand-blown and cut pieces since 1783 and artisans train for years to perfect their craft. The brand is famed for using the finest materials, as well elegant designs such as Lismore.
Gobsmacked by the find, the thrift shopper took to Reddit to post a picture of the bauble in question.
They wrote: “Somebody pinch me… I just walked out of my local thrift store with a Waterford crystal ball for $5.50!
“It was originally priced at $10.99 and it easily would’ve sold for that if they’d put it in the case where people could see it.
“But for some dumb reason they put it into a plastic bag and hid it on the rack with all the other misc bagged Christmas stuff. So it stuck around until I found it on half off day!”
The post garnered more than 1,800 upvotes and people couldn’t believe the charity shop customer’s good fortune.
One Redditor gushed: “This is a stunning find! Nice.” Another said: “That will look amazing on the Christmas tree, day or night!.”
A third wrote: “I thrifted the same one a few years ago. Looks so beautiful with the lights on the tree.” Meanwhile, a fourth added: “Wow! What a lucky find – I hope you enjoy.”
