Woman Discovers Mysterious Handwritten Warnings Hidden at Thrift Store

A woman has gone viral for discovering handwritten warning notes hidden inside items at a thrift store.

Jenni Hissong, 41, a school worker from Maryland, was shopping at her local 2nd Ave thrift superstore when she noticed pieces of paper hidden inside glass jars for sale.

“When I read it, I almost fell over laughing,” she told Newsweek. “I stopped and thought, definitely the world has to see this.”

Hissong took to her TikTok account @happyvibes1983 where she removed the pieces of paper tucked inside the jars. One read, “You can buy this brand new for $1.28,” before showing the price tag at $2.99.

Another said that the item was cheaper brand-new at Walmart, while one particularly sassy one said: “This is literally a used jelly jar, like from a recycling bin. You could literally pull this out of the trash.”

In response to a request from Newsweek, Sara Gaugl, vice president of marketing and communications at Savers Value Village, of which 2nd Ave is a part, said: “Our typical store puts 35,000 fresh items out each week for an average price of around $5 (and most under $10).

“Our team works very hard to be accurate, but we might not always get it right. We always encourage our customers to speak with a store manager if they believe something is mispriced so we can quickly address it. We’d be more than happy to take a second look.”

Hissong saidshe has “always loved to shop at thrift shops since I was a kid,” and, as an adult, “was not paying full price for things so always found a good deal at thrift shops.” But in the last few years, she “noticed a huge shift in pricing.”

“The prices are insane for used items,” Hissong said, “especially what I found this day the video blew up.”

She wrote in the caption that “whoever did this was a genius,” and TikTok users agreed, as the video has been viewed more than 1.4 million times and liked over 244,000 times since being uploaded on July 7.

“I’ll be honest, this may be my new hobby,” one commenter wrote, with another adding: “This person is out here saving lives.”

“Thrifts really be trying us,” a third posted. “I kept finding SHEING at my local thrift shop priced more than it is online.”

And one comment read: “I have joked about doing this for about two years and this is giving me the validation that I should.”

Hissong herself said she had “always thought about doing this, but when I saw it with my own eyes, I knew someone wore that adventurous cape.”

“I wanted to record it because I have heard so many talk about how thrift store prices have gotten so outta control. Someone decided to do what we all thought. I would love to find the person who did this.”

Hissong went on to remind all thrift stores that, among their customers, are “families in need,” and added “no one wants to buy a $6.99 shirt when they can get it brand new for $4 at Walmart.”

Secondhand shopping has soared in popularity in recent years, with the market forecast to hit $84 billion by 2030, according to Statista; a rise of $56 billion in a decade.

With the likes of thrift shops as well as online markets like Depop and Vinted, it’s predicted secondhand fashion may overtake fast fashion.

As for the massive reaction her video has had online, Hissong said her videos usually only get 200 or 300 views, and she “never thought it would surpass 1.3 million, ever.”

“I would love if the note writer sees it, but I am hoping a sweet old grandma did it who doesn’t even know what TikTok is!”

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