The subreddit founder explained to Bored Panda that moderating the huge community is "fairly simple" and doesn't eat up as much time as you'd expect. Approving new posts, going through spam and reports, and removing posts, as well as taking care of bans eats up around 30 minutes each day. Which is efficient, quality work for a subreddit of this size.

According to the founder, they want to make the community all about the items to make the posts simple and to-the-point. "I don't want people selling or advertising their blog or anything like that. A picture of the thing you got, that is it. That makes the subreddit easily digestible," they said. What's more, this straightforward content feeds into how moderation is simple. In short, focus is r/ThriftStoreHauls' main strength. "We thrive in having a singular focus."

Not having gone to any thrift shops since January, the founder told Bored Panda that they've only heard about how the stores have changed. "There was a lot of talk about how great it would be once they opened since people were stuck at home and probably were cleaning out their garages/attic/closet. From the content I have seen, nobody seemed to get amazing scores. So, other than a limit to how many people can be in a store, I really don't know."

They also had some great advice for anyone and everyone who enjoys the hobby or wants to start things up. It's all about having fun and being social. "There is always the hope of finding something awesome when out thrifting. Not finding anything can take its toll and take away the fun of going. What I tell people is to go and just enjoy looking at stuff. Bring a friend and have some laughs. Buy a random CD and have that be the CD you listen to while out thrifting. Then, if you do happen to find something awesome, it's a bonus." Some awesome advice that's perfect for life, not just thrifting.

The ‘Thrift Store Hauls’ community is all about people coming together and sharing their “thrifty finds” from garage sales, flea markets, and—yes—even pawn shops and estate sales.

However, if you got something at a discount at a department store, found a long-lost heirloom in your attic, or used an online store, the subreddit’s rules state that this is not the place for those photos. Seeing as more and more thrift stores are having to move online because of the coronavirus lockdowns, this might make some of the community members confused.

Bored Panda previously spoke all about the changing face of thrift stores and secondhand shopping during the Covid-19 pandemic with the team of the Weird Secondhand Finds That Just Need To Be Shared Facebook group, another thrifty online leviathan that has 2.1 million members. They confirmed that local thrift stores have moved to online ordering and some are even offering curbside pickup.

Another way to support your local thrift shops while we’re fighting the Covid-19 pandemic is to give them all the support you can on Facebook and other social media channels. This way, you can give them the attention they deserve while also staying up to date on their sales, offers, and newest finds.

Many thrift stores also have plexiglass barriers at registers, require you to wear masks, have a limit on the number of people that can enter, and have a whole bunch of other safety protocols in place. The things they sell might be secondhand, but your health is a priority.