ADVERTISEMENT

Ask any avid thrift hunter and they will tell you tales and stories about the treasures lurking behind the doors of a secondhand shop. From rare antiques to vintage fashion finds, from perfectly new household appliances to hidden gems that turn out to be worth many times more!

And while it takes master skills, plenty of organizing, a solid strategy and a dash of luck to come across any of these, there are things that are more common finds. Think of thrift t-shirts, pieces of clothing that are synonymous with thrift hunting.

And this Twitter page known as “Weird Thrift Store Shirts” is basically an homage to them. Dedicated to sharing the weirdest tees people spotted while thrifting, it’s unmatched entertainment with a fashion twist. Scroll down for the most interesting examples and be sure to upvote your favorite ones!

With so many unusual, quirky and rare pieces hanging around in thrift stores, it’s just fair that the most fashion-savvy have already found their salvation there. For hipsters and fashionistas, a cool thrift store shirt is a must-have that can be resold for many times its original price.

To find out more about the art of thrift shopping and how to get your hands on the most valuable clothing pieces sold there, we reached out to Sean Fowlow, a professional thrift hunter and seller, as well as the creator of the "Ridiculous Thrifter” Instagram page.

Ridiculous Thrifter” shares “the wonderful, bizarre and insanely overpriced items” found at thrift stores, from Facebook marketplace to secondhand stores and charity shops. Bored Panda wrote about it some time ago so check it out right here to find out more about Fowlow’s awesome and fun project!

ADVERTISEMENT

The professional thrift hunter and seller confirmed that clothing and shoes are among the most sought-after items by thrifters and online re-sellers/flippers. “Thrift stores sell more clothes than any other item. It's the bread & butter of the thrift industry,” he said.

Fowlow argues that everyone wants to find those like-new garments for a fraction of the retail price. “It's such a thrill to find a very expensive garment and brag to your family and friends how little you paid for it,” he added.

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

When asked how Fowlow finds valuable pieces of clothing in thrift stores, he said that he only shops for clothing just for himself to wear. “I rarely look for clothing to re-sell/flip online as the competition is too fierce.”

Meanwhile, Fowlow concentrates mainly on video games, electronics and collectables. “Every now and again I will venture into the clothing racks to see what I can find. But most times, I usually come up empty-handed,” he laughed.

“However, in the past, I have concentrated some of my time towards finding retro t-shirts at thrift stores to re-sell online. I did pretty well with 1980s and classic video game-themed ones,” Fowlow recounted. Turns out, they have tremendous popularity and sell quite well. Just like old rock and roll t-shirts and sports teams as well.

ADVERTISEMENT

We also asked Fowlow what’s up with these crazy retro t-shirts sold in thrift stores. “Certainly the funniest t-shirt I have found on my thrifting journeys has to be the one with pro golfer Tiger Woods' mug shot on it. No title, no words or description... just a picture of his downcast & sad face after he was famously arrested,” Fowlow recounted and added that the person who created this was indeed hilarious.

“I thought to myself, ‘Why would you make this and donate it?’ Maybe it was donated on purpose to make the finder chuckle.”

Living in Canada, Fowlow said that it's common to find the prime minister Justin Trudeau displayed in hilarious ways on t-shirts at thrift stores. “Sometimes riding a horse shirtless (Vlad Putin style), in a royal gown, as a professional boxer or one stating that he is a ‘thorough and gentle lover.’” The professional thrifter gets a great kick out of these. “Obviously the people who created these are certainly not fans of his,” Fowlow concluded.

ADVERTISEMENT
#16

Weird Thrift Store Shirts

Weird Thrift Store Shirts Report

Add photo comments
POST
Loki’s Lil Butter Knife
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

BoredPanda needs to start making these shirts because it bans it’s good users for simple downvotes due to its horrible auto moderation system.

pebs
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Totally agree. I see that there are more and more of us to point this out. Good!

Load More Replies...
View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#23

Weird Thrift Store Shirts

Weird Thrift Store Shirts Report

Add photo comments
POST
Shyla Bouche
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Guinea pigs are very social animals. Of course you should take their calls.

View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
#24

Weird Thrift Store Shirts

Weird Thrift Store Shirts Report

Add photo comments
POST
Asriel Dreemurr
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Me too, kid (or anyone regardless of age for that matter-grown ups can enjoy Pokémon too!)

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#25

Weird Thrift Store Shirts

Weird Thrift Store Shirts Report

Add photo comments
POST
T5n
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

For those who don’t get this: rolling a 20 is referred to as a natural or nat 20. Getting a lower number to be 20 with stat bonuses is called a dirty 20

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#28

Weird Thrift Store Shirts

Weird Thrift Store Shirts Report

Add photo comments
POST
Magpie
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why would being gay be bad news ? Or why would being hetro be bad news?

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#32

Weird Thrift Store Shirts

Weird Thrift Store Shirts Report

Add photo comments
POST
Screen_Addict
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"For God so loved the Wii, that he gave his only begotten character, that whoever whistles with him shall not be deleted but have eternal parades." -John Wii-16

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#35

Weird Thrift Store Shirts

Weird Thrift Store Shirts Report

Add photo comments
POST
Headless Roach
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I would not complain if he ate me too. [I know I know I know.. kids watching, I'll shut up now]

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#39

Weird Thrift Store Shirts

Weird Thrift Store Shirts Report

Add photo comments
POST
BasedWang12.7
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

omg I love this shirt ..."It's gonna take some time, to realiiign"

View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
Continue reading with Bored Panda Premium
Unlimited content
Ad-free browsing
Dark mode
#43

Weird Thrift Store Shirts

Weird Thrift Store Shirts Report

Add photo comments
POST
Shayne Randlett
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What are the chances you only like two things and there they are on one shirt? That's a lucky find...

View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#52

Weird Thrift Store Shirts

Weird Thrift Store Shirts Report

Add photo comments
POST
T5n
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The picture combined with the text makes it seem like it would be on a particular website with a black and orange logo

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu