A woman browsing her local thrift store made an unexpected discovery after spotting what she thought was a single standout piece—only to uncover a haul worth thousands.
The 33-year-old from near Toronto, Canada, posted to Reddit’s r/ThriftStoreHauls under the username u/queefersutherland1 with a photo of seven neatly stacked sweaters and cardigans from Brooks Brothers.
“I spotted the cardigan in the back first,” the poster, who chose to remain anonymous, told Newsweek. “I love pastels, so it was the first thing I saw. I’m also someone who goes through categories in my size hanger by hanger, so I grabbed it and naturally checked the next one, and then the next.”
That careful approach paid off. By the time she finished, she had gathered seven pieces—though she said she still left a few behind.
While brands like Brooks Brothers stood out, she said her focus is less on labels and more on fabric quality.
“Fabric composition is the most important thing to me,” she said. “I shop for silk, wool, cashmere [and] cotton, and have no problem finding it at thrift stores. [It’s] often cheaper than fast fashion items they sit alongside.”
Each piece was priced at $5.99, and with a 20 percent discount, her total came to just $33.54.
After researching the items online, she estimated their combined retail value at just under CA$2,750 before tax. Individual pieces ranged from around $128 for a pastel cardigan to nearly $500 for certain sweaters.
Her post is gaining traction on Reddit, with more than 3,000 upvotes. In the comments, users praised the find,
“Omg you lucky duck!!!” one commenter wrote, while another added: “That’s an EPIC haul. Brooks Bros ANYTHING isn’t cheap.”
Others shared their own experiences with secondhand shopping. “Thrifting is the best way to get this stuff,” one user wrote. “I’ve scored so much Brooks Brothers and even a few Zegna pieces. Great finds!”
In her caption, the poster shared that her cat—Jeremy Clarkson—has a fascination with the thrifted clothing.
“Anyone else have a cat obsessed with the smell of thifted clothes?” she wrote. “Jeremy Clarkson can’t get enough, he can smell the savings.”
In response, one user suggested putting them in the freezer for a few days. Another explained this approach is common among knitters, who recommend freezing natural fibers for at least 48 hours to kill any potential moth or carpet beetle larvae that can damage delicate materials like cashmere.
The poster said the response has felt overwhelmingly positive.
“People live thrifting, and they love natural fibers,” she said. “I didn’t expect the post to gain popularity by any means, I just love an amazing deal and wanted to share with the people who understand.”