r/Anticonsumption • u/didyoubutterthepan • Jan 12 '26
Reduce/Reuse/Recycle Need a reusable mug? Try the thrift store
There’s no need to anyone to buy one of these things new now, the thrift stores are literally overflowing with them. Any brand you could want is here 🙄
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Jan 12 '26
I can second this. I used to work at Easter Seals-Goodwill and we got nice ones often.
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Jan 12 '26
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u/linds360 Jan 13 '26
And I bet that dent didn’t drastically affect your ability to hydrate.
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u/newideal17 Jan 13 '26
I just bought a brand new one with tags, this afternoon, at my local thrift. They have a lot, but not this many. Even though I already have a dozen, I bought it because it's the straw kind. I'm told, and my experience is, that I drink more water when there's a straw and I dont have to tip it or unscrew it.
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u/Knickerbottom Jan 12 '26
I'm convinced humanity could cease production on mugs, t-shirts, and basically anything regularly "personalized" for father's day or whatever and we'd have enough until the heat death of the universe. It's all worthless crap at this point
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u/didyoubutterthepan Jan 12 '26
Yeah, I think we’re set on many things
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u/chocolateboomslang Jan 13 '26
Also if people made good things instead of infinite mountains of crap, what we have would last even longer.
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u/Taswelltoo Jan 13 '26
That's literally antithetical to how our economic system rewards manufacturers and there are multiple instances where creating a solid long lasting product led to a business closing because everyone would buy the product once and not need to replace it.
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u/bepatientbekind Jan 13 '26
Could you point to some businesses where that happened? I'm sure it did, but it seems if you create a quality product at the population is always increasing, you will always have more people to buy the product.
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u/Muddy-Waterz Jan 13 '26
People keep buying it all up
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u/SheetPancakeBluBalls Jan 13 '26
And you can't even blame them.
Some people can't afford a nice pair of shoes that'll last them a decade, because they are expensive as fuck now like everything else. So they buy a shitty pair every year instead.
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u/MuscleManRyan Jan 13 '26
Im sure you were referencing this, but for anyone who hasn’t read it:
“The reason that the rich were so rich, Vimes reasoned, was because they managed to spend less money.
Take boots, for example. He earned thirty-eight dollars a month plus allowances. A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, which were sort of OK for a season or two and then leaked like hell when the cardboard gave out, cost about ten dollars. Those were the kind of boots Vimes always bought, and wore until the soles were so thin that he could tell where he was in Ankh-Morpork on a foggy night by the feel of the cobbles.
But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that'd still be keeping his feet dry in ten years' time, while the poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet.
This was the Captain Samuel Vimes 'Boots' theory of socioeconomic unfairness.” -Terry Pratchett
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u/Asclepius-Rod Jan 13 '26
I upvote this every time it’s posted, so true
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u/KKevus Jan 13 '26
And yet, people still decide to bootlick holy capitalism because they can't imagine that there is a better system.
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Jan 13 '26
yes but think of the shareholder profits that we'd lose to constant predictable buying cycles
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u/xSPYXEx Jan 13 '26
It also just completely ruins trying to find gifts for someone. Looking for fandom related items? Here's 1000 drop shipped and stolen art mugs.
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u/Retsago Jan 13 '26
It's destroyed a lot of artisan and craft industries like.. it's really hard finding folks taking commissions and doing handmade crafts, because they've been bled out by underpriced, mass-produced garbage. They can't compete. So there's no interest or retention in learning crafts as a career. Even folks who design their own stuff outsource to china for production. I was one of the last folks doing handmade items in the local con scene. (And that's also partially because artist alleys prioritize polished, machine-made products too.) And that was 10 years ago. It's all plastic crap now.
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u/USS-Enterprise Jan 13 '26
I'm an apprentice carpenter. Yesterday there was absolutely fuck all to do. So I went hunting in the bin and found some nice reddish pieces of larch (usually used for e.g. terrace boards, so a 40 cm piece is useless). I've been wanting to replace a cutting board we have that is too big and heavy and also IKEA (which is embarrassing at best).
Even if you subtract my time waiting for the glue to dry AND materials AND a profit margin? 5-10 times as expensive as a cutting board from IKEA. Twice as expensive as the absolute most expensive cutting board from IKEA . It would never make sense at scale in a modern society. Literally never.
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u/sourbeer51 Jan 13 '26
What? I NEED my shirt that says
"YES I am a DAD BORN on a TUESDAY in FEBRUARY who loves his KIDS and will PROTECT THEM to the DEATH. YES MY KIDS BOUGHT ME THIS SHIRT"
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u/Ajibooks Jan 13 '26
There used to be a subreddit for those shirts. It's still there but looks inactive. /r/TargetedShirts
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u/Dorkamundo Jan 13 '26
This is why I relentlessly search thrift shops on a weekly basis.
Basically, I channel ever "Consumerism" urge into thrift stores, and while I still end up with more shit than I need, at least it was someone else's shit and not made brand new for me.
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u/pacexmaker Jan 13 '26
Provisioning decent living standards (DLS) for 8.5 billion people would require only 30% of current global resource and energy use, leaving a substantial surplus for additional consumption, public luxury, scientific advancement, and other social investments.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2452292924000493
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u/LuckoftheFryish Jan 13 '26
I've been pretty fatalistic about where we are with all this worthless shit. Had basically just accepted it, people will use "PRODUCT" and then it will get thrown away.
And now we've pushed it even further. I watch cooking/kitchen review channels and TEMU literally produces plastic garbage to be bought for pennies and then put straight into a landfill. Probably with slave labor somewhere in the middle. But sweet christ where in this dystopian hellscape do we address that when people are getting murdered and abducted in our streets by federal agents.
Infuriated with no outlet, no recourse. Perhaps worst of all knowing that some people are cheering for this outcome. Sigh... at least this beer can is recyclable.
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u/Impossible-Book-4060 Jan 13 '26
5k/10k/fun run shirts are on that list. So many of those end up at thrift stores and no one wants them.
At least with corporate swag, some of that stuff is decently made or people buy it for novelty reasons. The run t-shirts are poorly made and often ugly.
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u/Pomengranite Jan 13 '26
I'm so glad I did a lot of thrift shopping in the halcyon days of the early 1990s. The Boomers were clearing out their homes as their kids moved out, and the number of awesome t-shirts from the 1970s I found.. ones for random steak houses, wilderness reserve societies, shark tourism, an all-over ABBA print, inexplicable celebrations of local events from foreign countries that stayed a mystery because Google didn't exist... and they were all printed on the most beautiful cotton, and still holding up after a decade or three.
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u/bunnyshy Jan 13 '26
my mother in law is constantly gifting me (and all her other kids) this kind of crap. She'll get every single one of us a matching reusable mug, customized t-shirt with our names on them, throw blankets, tote bags, useless gadgets. all of mine just end up being donated. feels like such a waste.
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u/No-Newspaper-7693 Jan 13 '26
As a runner in the tech industry, it blows my mind that people buy t shirts. Doesnt everyone have 75 of them sitting around that you got for free from races and tech conferences?
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u/DarkwingDuckHunt Jan 13 '26
you get sent to tech conferences?
also almost every concert/running/whatever tshirt is made from the thinnest worst possible material that was the cheapest.
I buy high quality tshirts that last and dont show my nipples.
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u/Land_Squid_1234 Jan 13 '26
I disagree, because the t-shirts we already have are low-quality garbage and won't even last until next decade lol
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u/603Madison Jan 12 '26
Holy crap, many of these look basically new. What tf are people doing?!?
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u/Own_Reaction9442 Jan 12 '26
I bet a lot of them were gifts. That's how I got most of mine. I also have a few that were promotional swag for one thing or another.
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u/Crazy_Law_5730 Jan 12 '26
Customers frequently leave them behind in my workplace and we eventually dump out lost and found box at Goodwill.
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u/TheOneTonWanton Jan 13 '26
I work in a middle school in a relatively affluent area and you wouldn't believe the amount of this shit and clothing gets donated every semester. 3 weeks after a "purge" and the tables are completely full again. I've even snagged a few Yeti items, these kids could not give a single shit lol.
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Jan 13 '26
Lmao my brother does the same thing for his kids at their affluent school. The day before Xmas break he goes and checks the piles and piles of stuff because it’s all about to be donated the next day anyway.
Finds all kinds of very expensive name brand sweaters, water bottles, books, etc. writes his kids name on it in sharpie as soon as he’s gets home and boom - $60 zip up hoodie for free. Until the kid leaves it, ruins it, or outgrows it himself in a month anyway lol.
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u/TheOneTonWanton Jan 13 '26
Oh for sure, if I had kids I'd be saving so much money on outerwear and lunchboxes.
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u/ItCouldBLupus Jan 13 '26
Same here. I have to actively say no to promotional swag when I go to conferences etc. (The money could be better spent on something else! Like more snacks!). My newest tumbler was a part of my leaving gift, which I guess is because I regularly drink coffee but they saw me use my favourite tumbler EVERYDAY.
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u/Orleanian Jan 13 '26
I've definitely supplied Good Will with a shitload of gifted mugs, glasses, tumblers, blenders, keyboards, speakers, coasters, and the odd set of throw pillows here and there.
I want for very little in life (I'm a gainfully employed single guy living in a small apartment in the city). What I do have is a large and mildly prosperous family. I made the mistake one year of mentioning that I'd gotten into making my own smoothies. BAM three fuckin varieties of Ninja blender for that Christmas. None of which even really fit in my kitchen. I drink whiskey, so the perennial gift is a decanter and customized tumblers. I shit you not I've given four glass tumblers bearing "BEING MY BROTHER IN LAW IS REALLY THE ONLY GIFT YOU NEED", and countless others with mundane dumb phrases.
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u/ItCouldBLupus Jan 13 '26
I've told my husband to try not to mention any hobbies or interests to his family in the months of October-December unless he wants multiple hobby related gifts that are subpar quality! He's been playing pickle ball this year and got himself a nice second hand paddle a few months ago, and then a family member got him a (cheap) paddle for Christmas.
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u/MuhThugga Jan 13 '26
Swag should be banned altogether. I have gotten to the point where I don't even accept it anymore. It's all worthless, branded crap that I do not want. Some vendors respect that, and some get offended.
But there are some people who are absolutely rabid for all of that crap. They will fight each other for it as if having the most swag makes them the king of the corporate stooges.
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u/kylo-ren Jan 13 '26 edited Jan 13 '26
My boss once gave me a nice water bottle made of metal and bamboo that her bank had given her. I googled the model and found that a new one cost $60. The bank had printed her name on it, so I carefully removed the print and sold it on eBay for $45.
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u/IvanNemoy Jan 12 '26
few that were promotional swag for one thing or another.
Ayup. I'm in operations for a MSO, and I get 10-15 travel mugs of various quality from my company and vendors every year.
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u/The_London_Badger Jan 12 '26
Schools have lost and found for cups, if nobody claims them by the end of year, they donate it all. Work places. Conferences and more will print out loads of tat with their company logo on. If its not bought or given away, it goes to donation.
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u/doubleupsidedown Jan 12 '26
This year our school districts declared transparent, plastic drinking mugs are the only ones allowed from now on. Nothing opaque or glass, and water only to drink. If that's the case in your area too, it could be one of the reasons.
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u/Forest_of_Cheem Jan 12 '26
That, or if you know anyone who works in IT or tech, or other office with conferences. All of ours come free from my spouse’s work. Swag from conferences the others bring back or giveaways. Name brand ones, they often have dumb logos on them, but that’s what stickers are for, lol.
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u/bitchinawesomeblonde Jan 12 '26
My husbands company is always giving us insulated coffee cups. I told him to stop bringing them home. we have sooo many!
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u/WayneKrane Jan 13 '26
I worked for a F500 and I had to start giving away all the random cups and shirts they gave me. They gave us branded everything, I wish they would have just paid us slightly more.
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u/astrangeone88 Jan 13 '26
I just ordered some collagen supplements and I apparently spent enough to get a few insulated flask..lol.
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u/Jayn_Newell Jan 12 '26
My spouse’s job gives stuff away occasionally, and the water bottles are generally pretty nice. I think we have one water bottle in the house we bought ourselves, we’ve gotten so many from different places, but the branded swag makes up most of the nicest ones.
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u/barnfeline Jan 12 '26
My dad’s company gave us a ton of travel mugs, but the real winner was a bluetooth speaker that we’ve used for 15 years. Do I care that it has a company logo on the back? Nahhhhhh it works great esp for free!
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Jan 13 '26
Just get a sticker for a local artist or band or a movie or whatever you like better and put it over it.
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u/dontwanna-cantmakeme Jan 13 '26
Yeah I hate office/conference swag. When I started my new job, I KEPT getting emails from the welcome committee to come pick up my swag bag. Why? It’ll be full of shit I don’t need and won’t use. Eventually I just had to kindly say I appreciate it but I’m declutterring and trying to cut down on “stuff” and thanked them for the thought.
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u/41942319 Jan 13 '26
A relative of mine was talking about their backpack being broken and needing to buy a new one. Their IT sibling was like "please take one of the 15 I have lying around from conferences". The amount of swag is ridiculous.
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u/StasRutt Jan 13 '26
Me and my husband both being in tech. We’re drowning in water bottles. Im on the marketing side and I’ve been leading an anti swag crusade.
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u/SailorMooonsault Jan 13 '26
One time I saw a colleague decline a swag mug with "my bag is full".
The person pointed out that he didn't have a bag and he replied "exactly" and swished away.
I try to capture that energy whenever I get offered that useless stuff.
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u/ReverendDizzle Jan 13 '26
The best place to get brand name/high end thermoses and mugs is on Posh Mark. It's bizarre. I order lots of Yeti mugs and water bottles for dirt cheap. I see lots all the time of like 4 mugs, 10 mugs, 9 bottles, whatever. 90% of the time they are either really ugly colors, have company logos on them from companies I've never heard of, or both. Sometimes I look the names up and it's usually some obscure IT or tech company that you'll only hear of if you're in the sector related to their work.
I buy them, coat them with citri-strip to remove whatever the durable paint compound they use is, wash them, and then give the clean stainless steel ones to friends and family.
It's a crazy good deal. Just before Christmas I bought a lot for $90 and the retail value of all the items, if bought new from Yeti in the base stainless steel configuration, was $850.
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u/rhinokick Jan 13 '26
Man why did I never think of using a sticker to cover the dumb branding. Great idea!
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u/kevosmom Jan 12 '26
I thrifted a 60 oz hydro flask years ago and bought a replacement lid. Still cheaper than a "b list" brand new water bottle. Less than $10 all in.
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u/TKLeader Jan 13 '26
I've now got a collection of Hydro Flasks I bought at thrift stores. I used to work in a fancy kitchen store, so I know their worth.
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u/JustaLittleBitOfLazy Jan 13 '26
You can also warranty claim them straight up and skip buying replacement parts. Done this several times with ones that were stained/damaged
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Jan 12 '26
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Jan 13 '26
There isn’t enough bleach in the midwest for me to trust those straws tho
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Jan 13 '26
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u/Orange_Tang Jan 13 '26
You can, If Stanley doesn't sell them someone else has to since they are so common now. They are also machine washable, or at least I put ours in the dishwasher and it seems fine.
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u/ElusivePukka Jan 12 '26
Thrift stores are drowning in these because everyone bought a Stanley or Hydroflask in the last five years. Just run it through the dishwasher and you're good
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u/Tylith_ Jan 13 '26
Just run it through the dishwasher
This.... this right here is why I won't buy any of these from a thrift store. Most of these are NOT dishwasher safe and I can't know who is unaware or disregarded that....
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Jan 13 '26 edited May 06 '26
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u/Tylith_ Jan 13 '26
They make this recommendation because the dishwasher might cause fading or other cosmetic changes
Yes this is the reason for printed ceramic mugs.... But we're talking about vacuum water bottles. The high heat can break the vacuum seal which not only reduces it's insulation but also potentially leak lead/other toxic materials into your water, then it can build up mold inside which also leaks into your water.
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u/presence4presents Jan 13 '26
I went to a Savers the other day and their prices were outrageous. They had quite a large used bottle section as well and the lowest was 9.99 for an cheapie all plastic one. Some of them were $25-$30. I was looking for a martini glass and they were so expensive I decided to just go buy a new set from Total Wine.
There was a Cigna health sponsored bobble head (def given out for free at a hockey game) for $9.99. They were selling random shot glasses in packs of 3 for 7.99 per pack.
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u/hockeymisfit Jan 13 '26
The current state of Savers is such a shame. I picked up 20-30 film cameras from Savers over the last 5-6 years and never paid more than $10 for a single one. You'll be lucky to find a used up disposable for twice that price these days!
I also tried to find some glassware there recently and couldn't believe how expensive everything was. At those prices I might as well go to an antique store and buy something that will actually hold it's value until I decide to phase it out in 10 years.
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u/alienblue89 Jan 13 '26
A private equity firm purchased the controlling interest in the Savers/Value Village brand like a year ago and made it a publicly-traded company.
Not only did they jack prices through the roof almost overnight, it now operates as a 100% for-profit business.
Do NOT give them a cent of your money. Private equity ruins everything it touches and now they’re coming for fucking thrift stores.
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u/Many-Wasabi9141 Jan 13 '26
Just run it through the dishwasher and you're good
Nah, I'd still know. They don't make water hot enough.
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u/tboy160 Jan 12 '26
Had mine for over 15 years, thanks though
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u/enbychichi Jan 12 '26
Is yours still in good condition? I had one for about 10 years and because I dropped it so often it eventually messed with the insulation lmao.
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u/crazycatlady331 Jan 12 '26
I have one that will reach double digits this year. It's a plastic one that has been dropped off my parents' porch (outside is scratched).
Still going strong.
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u/decadent-dragon Jan 13 '26
I have one of those stainless steel yeti style tumblers (RTIC brand) I’ve been using everyday since 2016. It’s a bit beat up looking I’ve dropped it on concrete a few times but still works great
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u/PreviousMarsupial Jan 12 '26
I’ve got two stainless steel commuter cups that I’ve had for about the same amount of time. They are great for the dishwasher and seal up so they are totally spill proof!
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u/No_Barracuda_3758 Jan 12 '26
The problem is the thrift stores around me charge more for them then the price is new in most cases. They've lost their minds. Is it possible they are owned now by larger corporations hoping to get people to spend on new items instead
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u/Ok-Study-8474 Jan 12 '26
ive heard that goodwill has set requirements for some if not all stores to reach certain $ per day when tagging items. i’ve seen a lot of staff state they agree some of the prices are ridiculous, but sometimes they have too much $ left in the required daily amount, resulting in things being overpriced 😖
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u/gnenzi Jan 13 '26
I worked briefly at a Goodwill and that's definitely correct. Ours had a certain quota they had to meet and emphasized that at the start of every shift.
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u/imisstheyoop Jan 13 '26
Well that definitely goes a long way to explaining how they have fallen so hard the last 5 years or so.
Can't have shit no more!
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u/nickiter Jan 13 '26
Goodwill isn't a very good store if you're shopping for deals any more, sadly. Locally owned thrift stores and more resaley type shops are often better.
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u/IM_PEAKING Jan 13 '26 edited Jan 13 '26
The Goodwills near me removed the fitting rooms and changed their return policy so now they only give store credit instead of a refund.
I was interested in a pair of jeans the other day, but I’m not going to gamble $10 on a pair of used pants that might not fit.
Also store credit at Goodwill makes zero fucking sense. I’m 6’3 250lbs, there’s never more than 4-5 pants in the entire store that are around my size. I often leave empty handed because there just isn’t anything that works, so what good is store credit gonna do? Shit is absolutely infuriating.
Goodwill should be fucking nationalized, people give them so much shit for free. We could keep so much stuff out of landfills and distribute items to ppl who really need them.
Oh and they also started lumping kitchen items into assorted bags. The other day I needed a lemon squeezer. I found one but it was bundled with 5 other random kitchen items I didn’t need. So instead of getting what I needed for $1.99, I paid $4.99 for a handful of random shit plus the juicer. Still cheaper than new, but frustrating nonetheless.
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u/TheBadGuyBelow Jan 13 '26
That's exactly what it is. I used to work for Goodwill and they make you price things stupidly so that the manager gets their fat production bonus.
Think selling is only a secondary concern, and the only thing that really matters is that a certain dollar value is priced every day, no matter what you have to price.
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u/SeasonPositive6771 Jan 13 '26
That is exactly it. My local thrift stores are picked over by resellers pretty constantly so anything that's a decent deal gets sold right away but quite often they are selling items for more than the original price. Especially water bottles or anything they think is "popular."
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u/TheBadGuyBelow Jan 13 '26
That stuff is already gone before the resellers get there. Most thrift stores send stuff out the back door, before anyone has a chance at it, and the rest is stolen by employees.
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u/romafa Jan 12 '26
I just get mine from the lost and found at my kids’ various activities. There are regularly like 50 unclaimed cups at gymnastics.
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u/wildferalfun Jan 13 '26
My daughter's sports team donated 10 or more water bottles each season. There is an entire parent volunteer position each season for "lost and found" where they take pictures of all the items each week and send via email. With all this extra emphasis, two items with our name on them have never been found even though we know the exact day/time they were lost. One had our name and number 🤣
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u/otter_759 Jan 12 '26
I would have no problem with buying a secondhand standard coffee mug or glass cup, but there is something about reusing someone’s water bottle that gives me the ick (unless it is a screw-on top) because many of those tops with mouth pieces/straws can’t get fully clean.
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u/Impossible-Book-4060 Jan 13 '26
I honestly think that's one of the reasons why there are so many of these things at thrift stores. Especially the ones with straws - I think people just don't like the idea of using it secondhand. Even if practically speaking, for the ones without the straws, it's not really different than buying a mug since you just wash it once and it's fine. I think psychologically, there's something more "personal" about these things.
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u/AliceDiableaux Jan 13 '26
An industrial designer once told me we associate different amounts of cleanliness or more importantly ability to be cleaned to different materials, even though it has no basis in reality. We experience things like metal, glass and ceramic as more clean and plastics as less clean. I suggested porosity as an explanation but apparently there really isn't much difference nowadays. Still, I also wouldn't like a plastic second hand cup.
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u/sumknowbuddy Jan 13 '26
The amount of gunk under the seals that people never clean...
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u/leroyksl Jan 12 '26
I used to work in a thrift store; we would get incredible stainless, aluminum, and ceramic mugs that were incredibly well made. I hate to say the cliche, but they don't make them like that anymore.
I still have a double-walled stainless thermos that was made in the 80s. It's amazing. It's traveled across the country with me a few times.
Plus, you can't beat the absurd novelty prints on some of these things.
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u/leroyksl Jan 12 '26
I also have a *ton* of very nice barware -- nice martini glasses, weird cocktail glasses, shakers, etc. It's all great quality. I don't know why people would spend hundreds of dollars on this stuff now.
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Jan 12 '26
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u/Just-Goofy Jan 13 '26
This regularly happens to me! I don't say it out loud so how does it know?!?
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u/Arborgold Jan 13 '26
Them: ew somebody else drank from that!
Every glass in every restaurant everywhere:
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u/crazycatlady331 Jan 12 '26
90% of my tumblers/water bottles are thrifted. If I want to try a new trend, I hit up the Goodwill.
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u/cl0udmaster Jan 12 '26
I think "try a new trend" is anathema to this sub
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u/adsq93 Jan 13 '26
Oh the irony, creating something to avoid waste and it ends up creating an even worst waste.
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u/-S-M-E-G-M-A-6-9 Jan 12 '26
Wait until you pick one up it's half broken and Good Will wants $30 for it.
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u/jajapax Jan 13 '26
I blame hydroflask, yeti, and stanleys. Too many companies trying to follow them.
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u/aaerobrake Jan 13 '26
The goodwill near me was selling used mugs for $25!!! Def go with a real thift store and not goodwill grift store
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Jan 12 '26
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u/slinky2 Jan 12 '26
I'd say it depends on the style. If it's got a straw of any kind, i agree with you. Many people chew on those and it's gross. If it's got a top that just screws off to reveal a normal metal or plastic edge, I don't see why you can't just clean/disinfect the entire thing. If you've ever eaten at a restaurant with metal utensils, objects used by hundreds of other people has been in your mouth.
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u/Odd_Ostrich6038 Jan 12 '26
Either you can wash them clean, or you can't. That goes for the ones in your cabinet too.
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u/quantumcosmos Jan 12 '26
Yeah, assuming you can break it down to clean thoroughly and any rubber seals look ok/not discolored, I can’t see how it’s any different than drinking from a clean restaurant glass.
ETA: I’d also wager that at least some are unused. People can be picky about cups; I could see gifted ones going straight to the thrift.
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u/No-Possibility2443 Jan 12 '26
Sometimes the cups at my thrift shops actually still have drinks residue/moisture in them.
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u/wegl13 Jan 12 '26
I mean, I’ve bought several- and they were all completely unused (which I can almost bet at least 10% of the ones in this pic are, as well).
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u/siazdghw Jan 13 '26
It's good that people are using reusable mugs instead of disposable water bottles and one time use coffee cups.
But... I feel like some people go overboard and treat these mugs as fast fashion. They buy what is trendy then in a month they get rid of it for a new design, which completely ruins the point of using a reusable product
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u/augustfolk Jan 12 '26
Tumblers overflowing the shelves but coffee mugs are five dollars secondhand, make it make sense
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u/BunkySpewster Jan 12 '26
Another great place is summer day camps. Kids leave them constantly and parents never remember/are distracted. Some camps close up completely on the last day and throw/put everything out.
Source: ran a day camp.
Edit: raincoats too. So many rain coats.
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u/Warren__ Jan 13 '26
Test for lead. It's likely why many of those were no longer wanted. That goes for all dishes and drinkware.
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u/IcestormsEd Jan 13 '26
I am all aboit saving and reusing but I draw the line here. The chances, despite being slim, of drinking from a trucker's piss bottle are still there..
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u/b0n2o Jan 13 '26
I second but with caveats. Try to pick ones made of glass, stainless steel, or commercially produced ceramic. Avoid plastic (breaks down) and homemade ceramic (glaze can contain lead).
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u/EatTheAndrewPencil Jan 13 '26
Unfortunately thrift stores are often way over pricing stuff now because of resellers
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u/1995-Braves Jan 13 '26
Teacher here in a very wealthy school district. I added up our lost and found in Stanley’s alone and it was over $4,000. Not counting the amount of Lululemon jackets, sweatshirts, Air Force ones, etc.
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u/luckytulipgirl Jan 14 '26
found myself a stanley at goodwill! pros of living near college towns lol
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u/wanzerr Jan 13 '26
yeah, hard no
bacteria buildup on the rubber seals
kitchen appliances, shoes, and water bottles are no-go's at the thrift store
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u/Pinku_Dva Jan 12 '26
Who could have predicted that this would happen once the trend dies /s next is all those labubu dolls.
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u/doyouknowthemoon Jan 13 '26
It’s kind of funny finding so many of them that are new and unused, the only thing is that most have some random company logo on them.
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u/Bobgjr Jan 13 '26
This honestly looks like the lost and found table at my kids’ school. It’s basically 99% lost Stanley cups and winter coats
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u/Impossibly_Gay Jan 13 '26
My goodwill has a bunch of mugs like this but whoever does the pricing there is an absolute idiot and thinks people will buy them if they charge more than what the Walmart down the street does...
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u/milf-hunter_5000 Jan 13 '26
i would put serious money on most of these having moldy seals and o-rings that are proprietary and no longer available (or never were purchasable separately). #1 thing i look for when buying a new water bottle is if i can get replacement seals/gaskets.
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u/Shatophiliac Jan 13 '26
The problem (at least for me) is that I get like 10 of these a year as gifts and swag from corporate events. Nobody needs that many of them, I go through like 1 every 4 years lol. I have an entire cabinet full of unused ones that I’m working my way through but I have several lifetimes worth.
Stop buying these for people. And use the ones you have before you toss them.
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u/Fragrant_Ad_4037 Jan 13 '26
Murica deluxe.
This type of shi does not exist in scandinavia. I really want a mug but whatever.
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u/Odd-Marionberry5999 Jan 13 '26
Yuppp, the thrift stores around me are all exactly like this lol. I also got a new lunchbox and new food containers at the thrift store, incredibly marked down.
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u/soingee Jan 12 '26
My Salvation Army is like 98% clothes. This is quite the sight.