How our shop reports are made
SpotThrift publishes inventory reports to help people discover secondhand finds at individual stores. Each report uses public listing photos, item descriptions and store information already available on the platform.
Sources and automation
Reports are automatically assembled from structured inventory records. They do not describe an independent reporter’s visit. Items may be photographed by store staff or signed-in visitors; visitor submissions wait for review. AI can help identify objects and estimate retail prices. An estimate is not the shop’s asking price, a valuation guarantee or proof of authenticity.
Publication and updates
A store gets one continuing report when its first public listing is published. Its original publication date stays the same. The update date changes when public inventory, photos, visitor notes or displayed store details change. Simply opening a report does not refresh its date. Inventory dates show when finds were published to SpotThrift in UTC, not delivery dates or a restocking schedule. Sold finds are labelled, and removed or private listings do not appear. An empty inventory does not imply the store has closed.
Visitor observations
Reports may quote up to three recent public Thrift Wins posts linked to that store. Each observation includes its author's public display name, posting date and a link to the original post. Long posts are excerpted. These are contributors' accounts, not an independent shop review or proof that an item was purchased. A post disappears from the report when it is removed or its author becomes inactive.
Which reports appear in shop news?
We feature reports with a street address, city and state, plus at least three described finds with distinct photos among the twelve finds shown. A report can also qualify with one described, photographed find and a public contributor observation. This is our minimum content check, not a guarantee of accuracy or a search engine rule. Sparse reports remain accessible from their store page but are excluded from the news feed and sitemap, with a request that search engines not index them. We add evidence as it becomes available rather than padding reports with generic text.
Store information and availability
Store details come from the SpotThrift directory, which includes OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps data and administrator corrections. An admin check date appears only when the displayed details still match a reviewed directory record. Unchecked details are labelled, and supporting sources are linked when available. Listings reflect submitted sightings, not a real-time reservation system. Reports flag when the latest listing is over 30 days old. Confirm opening hours, availability and actual prices before making a special trip.
Corrections
To report incorrect information, email hello@spotthrift.com with the store or listing link and the correction. Store administrators can also correct listings through their review tools.