A thrift shopper has stunned the internet by showing off the popcorn maker he purchased for just $15—and it's safe to say, snack time hasn't been the same since.
While visiting the Goodwill Outlet bins in Portland, Oregon, Nick Lafrenz, 29, was surprised to find a professional popcorn maker, the likes of which would be used in movie theaters or hospitality locations. He told Newsweek that he "was quite excited" when he spotted it on the floor and couldn't resist buying it.
Lafrenz said: "Popcorn is one of my favorite snacks, so when I saw it was only $15, I knew I had to take the gamble on it. Even if it wasn't working, I was confident it would be easy to fix."
He estimates that the popcorn maker is around 10 to 15 years old, based on images of older models that the company, Gold Medal, has produced. Despite its age, it appears to be in very good condition, leading him to think it wasn't used much previously.
After purchasing it for just $15, Lafrenz was amazed when he searched online and saw similar models listed for over $1,200. Not only can he now make his favorite snack at home, but it was a complete steal too.
"Getting it home wasn't too difficult, fortunately I had help to lift it into the car. We strapped it into the passenger seat and away I went. Not sure if it was used in a theater or an office. It was pretty clean inside, so I don't think it got used a ton," Lafrenz said.
"I gave it a good clean and did a test run the weekend after I picked it up. It's working perfectly, I've made a few batches of popcorn now and everyone loves it," he continued.
The delighted shopper shared his thrifting discovery on Reddit, posting as user u/nlafrenz96. The pictures of the "$1200 popcorn machine for $15 at the bins" stunned the internet and went viral with over 5,900 votes and 100 comments at the time of writing.
Lafrez has subscribed to the Reddit thread r/thriftstorehauls for a long time and loves seeing what other people manage to find. After spotting this popcorn maker, he couldn't resist sharing his very own thrifted treasure online too.
He told Newsweek: "The reaction has been overwhelmingly positive. With around 6000 upvotes, it's my most liked post that I've ever made on Reddit. I'm planning to use it on the blueberry farm that I run in Oregon. I will have it set up for complimentary popcorn for my customers this summer."
Many Reddit users took to the comments section to praise Lafrenz's thrifting find, as one commenter wrote: "now THIS is a quality find."
Another person joked: "This is the kind of item I have no room for and would never use. But for $15 I'd buy it anyways."
"Such a win, omg I'm jealous," another Reddit user replied.
While one comment reads: "That is a FIND and a half. Well done."
Do you have any viral videos or pictures that you want to share? We want to see the best ones! Send them in to life@newsweek.com and they could appear on our site.
.jpg)
English (US) ·