Top 9+ Thrift Finds Shoppers Regret Not Buying (Including a Brand New Le Creuset Set!)

Anyone who thrifts knows that figuring out what to buy and what to leave behind can be a delicate balance. Do you really love it? Will you actually use it? Or will it just sit in the corner collecting dust, inevitably landing back at the thrift store one day?

While we do our best to leave with zero regrets, some lost opportunities may inevitably haunt us along the way. Any seasoned thrifter is bound to have at least one skeleton in their closet. 

We turned to Reddit to find the wildest (and rarest) thrift finds that shoppers ultimately left behind (and regretted not buying). From the vintage to the luxurious to the unique and downright quirky, here are nine thrift finds real Redditors regret not buying.

Original Lennox Spice Village Houses

Lennox Spice Village houses are back in the spotlight. Not only are they a hot item on the vintage and reseller’s market, but Lennox also re-released its famous Spice Village collection in 2024.

Finding genuine vintage Lennox spice village houses at the thrift store is like finding a needle in a haystack, yet it happened for one lucky Redditor. However, it was not meant to be. 

“I was with my brother's toddler, and the store didn't have shopping carts, so I was worried about her throwing a fit and having to carry her out," said Redditor vivisecting. I got to the parking lot, sat in my car for a minute or two, messaged a few friends about it, then went back in. I held the door open for someone to leave, and they were holding my houses."

6-Piece Le Creuset Set

Finding Le Creuset at the thrift store seems like a thrifting myth that everyone has heard about but nobody has experienced, except, apparently, for Reddit user No_Builder7010.

They didn’t just find a Le Creuset; they found a six-piece set in like-new condition for just $100 and ultimately left it behind. 

“I wanted it soo I much but there was a redundant piece and another I'd never use," they said. "Talked myself right out of it because I didn't need it. I almost cried when someone else gathered it all up and took it home."

That’s the tricky part about thrifting—balancing the wants with the needs while practicing self-restraint so your home doesn’t become a storage unit for items you might use one day.

KitchenAid Stand Mixers

Can you imagine finding a working KitchenAid stand mixer at your local thrift shop? According to several Redditors, that happened to them, but they left it behind for one reason or another, only to have serious regrets about it later.

Of course, when they realized their mistake and went back to look for it, the mixer had already been snatched up by another happy buyer. 

Original Artwork

Passing up on original artwork only to regret it later was a common theme among Redditors. From unique cross-stitching to delicate watercolors and everything in between, many thrifters admitted they were haunted by a piece of art they left behind.

Most of the time, the artists weren’t particularly well-known (or known at all), but the piece just resonated with them. For one Redditor, TheRealYeastBeast, it was an intricate paper sculpture piece by artist Jack Eisner that they left behind and have regretted ever since.

“At the time, I'd never seen anything like it, and still haven't seen another, similar paper sculpture since," they said. "I ended not buying it and kept a photo of it on my phone for years just because it was so damn unique. Really, really wish I'd bought it."

Apothecary Cabinet

Here's a painful lesson about making assumptions. One Redditor, Granny_knows_best, passed up an antique apothecary cabinet at a local garage sale because it had no price tag, and they assumed it would be out of their price range—only to discover later that that wasn’t necessarily the case. 

“I went back the next day and was talking to them, they were pretty much sold out," they said. "They told me a story of a woman who did by the cabinet for $5............FIVE DOLLARS! I imagine it was probably worth at least $500. That's why I did not ask the price, I sooooooooooo regret not asking,” they said. 

Vintage Tinsel Christmas Tree

As if the apothecary cabinet wasn’t enough, Redditor Granny_knows_best has another missed thrift find that haunts them: a vintage tinsel Christmas tree.

Vintage, kitschy Christmas is enjoying a comeback, so genuine vintage tinsel trees are a hot commodity, often going for hundreds at antique stores. This thrifter came upon a seemingly brand-new one from the '60s at a garage sale for just $40.

However, they decided to pass on it because they were short on cash and had several more sales they planned to stop at. 

“I was at an antique store shortly after that, and the same kind of tree was on display for $300," they said. "Seeing it up, in all its glory, and so very pretty, it hurt, like actually physically hurt, that I did not get it."

Griswold Cast Iron Skillet

For those who don’t know, Griswold is like the holy grail of vintage cast iron skillets. In good condition, these pans can sell for hundreds or even thousands on the reseller’s market. Plus, if you’re a fan of cooking with cast iron, you can’t do much better than a Griswold. 

In the early 2000s, before cellphones were standard, Redditor Buddy-Sue found a large cast iron skillet at their local thrift store with the iconic Griswold logo stamped on the back. Unfortunately, they didn’t know the value of their find and went home to do some research before purchasing.

After a quick Google search, they drove back the seven miles to the store, only to find the skillet had been snatched up in the hour they were gone. Twenty-two years later, and this lost opportunity still haunts them.

Stained Glass Lamp Shade

Stained glass never goes out of style, but it's less common now than it once was. This is especially true for large statement pieces like lamp shades, making them a valuable vintage find at thrift stores.

Several Redditors mentioned they passed on a gorgeous stained glass lamp shade only to regret it later on.

A Genuine Louis Vuitton Trunk

The biggest thrift catch and release, though, has to be a genuine Louis Vuitton steamer trunk found by Redditor No_Yogurtcloset6108 in 1986—for$200.

For reference, these steamer trunks can sell for up to $55,000 today, depending on the condition and when they were made.