A vintage reseller dug through bins at a Goodwill Outlet in St. Paul, thinking she had found a set of curtains. Instead, she walked away with a gown that retailed for more than 100 times what she paid.
The shopper, Stephanie posted a video on her Instagram account, @stephxthrift and found a dark floral piece among the clothing in the store’s bins. She sells vintage and secondhand clothing.
Thrifter’s Goodwill Bin Find Turned Out To Be a $1,000 Designer Dress
In an interview, she revealed apparel cost $2.59 per pound at her location. The dress weighed about 4 pounds, bringing her total to just over $10.
At first glance, she revealed that the fabric looked like drapery. Only after pulling it free did she realize she was holding a dress.
Judging by the style, she assumed it came from another label, however, the tag told a different story. She revealed in the video that the dress was from Fanciful Doll, a brand she did not recognize.
Goodwill Outlets reportedly operate differently from standard thrift stores. Shoppers sort through large bins of unsorted goods and clothing is sold by weight.
Stephanie Mistook Dress For Curtains
A quick online search led her to the company’s website, where the piece, called the Ophelia Epic Romance Gown, was listed at $1,032.
Compared with the roughly $10 she paid, that was a markup of nearly 10,000 percent.
Stephanie shared the discovery in the Instagram video and placed a screenshot of the website listing over footage of the dress.
“You literally never know what the thrift gods will bestow upon you,” she wrote in the caption.
The post drew a wave of reactions. Many viewers said they were stunned by the luck of the find, and some questioned how a designer dress ended up in the bins at all.
“I would’ve dry cleaned that shit about 10 times before wearing it,” one user wrote.
Another user said, “It looks like a ‘90s comforter’ but the cut is gorgeous.”
A third commenter added, “I’d honestly try and track it. How did it get there, who did it belong to and just…Why?”
$10 Find Became Nearly 10,000% Surprise For Stephanie
For Stephanie, the draw went beyond the payoff. She shared another video, posing in the dress and wrote, “And yes, I’m living a dream.”
“I am always learning about new brands when I thrift,” she said in the interview.
She revealed that bins are essentially the last stop for clothing before it reaches a landfill, so she tries to rescue as many good pieces as she can.
