A California thrifter thought he'd struck gold when he found a designer suit for $12.99. Then he checked the pockets and uncovered an even bigger surprise. Thrifting has become a way of life for many Americans.
A 2025 Talker Research survey of 2,000 U.S. adults commissioned by Mercari found that 66 percent of Americans now thrift regularly, with 17 percent doing so at least once a week. The poll also found that 26 percent had increased their secondhand shopping over the previous year. A desire to live more frugally appears to be the chief reason for this uptick, with 72 percent of respondents saying they shop secondhand to save money.
That was certainly the case for Mark Grayson. He was out looking for a designer suit when he came across the thrift find of a lifetime. "The Goodwill I went to has a suit rack that's barely touched.
I walked past it all the time and saw the same suits over and over again," Grayson told Newsweek. Grayson always makes a point of browsing the suits on offer, just in case there happens to be something in his size from a reputable brand at an affordable price. This time, his persistence paid off.
"I've looked at suits that caught my eye before but, on this day, I checked all the suits and looked at the brand tags," he said. "I saw a Ralph Lauren Green Label suit and immediately picked it up, checked the care tag, and added it to the pile of clothes I was holding." Grayson paid just $12.99 for the suit. That was already a big score, but there was one more unexpected twist.
"I thought I scored with this Ralph Lauren Green Label suit I got from Goodwill," Grayson said. "But when I got home and checked the pockets, I found $250 in the pocket underneath the label." Grayson's first instinct was to assume the money had been planted there as part of some elaborate prank by the previous owner. He quickly realized that wasn't the case.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
