eBay

quadcitypickers · ‎10-30-2017

Like many of us, I go to yard sales, estate sales, estate auctions, flea markets, and occasionally second hand stores to source my inventory.

I am in my mid twenties and have been "flipping" since I was 13, taking after my father, who is "old school" and doesn't really do eBay, he sets up at flea markets.

When I first started going to auctions with my father, when I was about 8 or 9, he used to come home with an entire truckfull of stuff, not just junk, good quality stuff he could often double if not triple what he paid for it.

Fast forward a few years later and these TV shows like American Pickers, Pawnstars, Storage wars, etc put a huge wrench into the works.

You had people going out trying to earn a living and had little idea what they were doing. They followed TV, but let's be honest..TV is far from reality.

A lot of people who had been going to auctions beforehand could be narrowed into two groups: antique dealers and part-time eBay sellers. Part-time sellers had regular jobs, so they didn't buy as much stuff, they didn't have as much time to list things. Antique dealers bought well...antiques...so this left a huge list of things to make money on. Computers, electronics, trading cards, etc.

When the economy crashed in 2008, it become worse, because you had people literally trying to earn a living selling on eBay. Now granted, their were "full timers" beforehand, but not nearly as many.

Getting back to a "wrench in the works"...these people were desperate to earn a buck, and soon it became harder to make any money. To them, it was either buy a $100 item for 85 bucks and make $15, or go home broke, so profit margins soon started to evaporate.

That is when I received a huge upper-hand...a smartphone. I was one of the first people to have one that went to auctions and other events. It was 2010 and I became old enough to start selling on my own. The "low-hanging fruit" things like old toys, antiques, etc always went for more than it was worth messing with. I started looking at the odd and unusual. Stuff I had never seen before. Often, it was as easy as typing model numbers in. I remember buying some kind of computer for a John Deere combine. I got it for $5, I sold it in 3 days for $950. Then a week later, got a $500 widget for $20.

For the next 3 years, I quit working. I could turn more in a week than I could working a crummy dead-end minimum-wage job. I was hooked.

But that ended pretty soon. About 2 years ago. While the smartphone giveth, the smartphone although taketh away. I used to do quite well at estate sales with unusual stuff. If they couldn't find in in 5 minutes on eBay, they used to give up. But now they could just whip out their smartphone and can find it.

Estate sales became an utter joke. They idiotically never realized selling something in front of 100 people is a lot harder than when you have 100 million buyers. People aren't going to stand in line an hour, and give eBay prices or more. Of course...the next day when everything was half off, all the "good stuff" magically sold. Imagine that. The truth was.. the estate sale companies had their own eBay.

Auctions have become worse too. I live in the Midwest and you have retired farmers, ranch hands, etc with money coming out of their ears. Supposedly 63% of Americans can't come up with $500 in cash if their life depended on it, buy boy..you sure as heck would think otherwise at an auction.

As a matter of fact...of the past 12 auctions I've been too...I could buy stuff on eBay and sell it at an auction and make money, if they didn't charge 35-40% in fees.

The weird thing is....if you ask one of these people who didn't win the bid on something at a local auction if they would like to buy one you have, they won't. You would not believe how many times I've seen two old people run each other up to $100 on something, and I ask the non-winning bidder "Hey, I have one for $50, wanna buy it?" I have had this happen countless times, never had someone take me up on it.

Anyway..times are a changin'. Good quality estate auctions and estate sales that aren't insanely price are getting harder to find. People my age don't really collect stuff, and while I'm sure it's a generational thing, people my age range don't really have the money to collect things, and beyond that, so many people have collected stuff in the 70's and 80's, it will be a long time before that stuff becomes super-valueable. Try getting money out of a 1987 box of baseball cards. 30 years old and worth didly squat.

So in the next 20 years....a lot of people who collect will be dead. Just look at the market on a lot of stuff between the past 20 years. Stuff that was worth $500 in the 90's MIGHT sell for $50 today. Porcelain, glass and china took a huge hit along with other categories.

It will be interesting to see what the future of flipping holds.

emerald40 · ‎11-02-2017

@rolenboy01 wrote:
@emerald40 wrote:
@rolenboy01 wrote:
@prescott4 wrote:
@emerald40 wrote:
here we are again...
well...
if re-sellers wouldn't be able to find merchandise cheap enough to re-sell where would sites like;
Amazon, Etsy, Ebay, Ruby Lane... BE...???

________________________________________________

Big differene between resellers getting their merchandise from yard sales and flea markets then from the donated merchandise to a thrfit that is supposed to be used to support the poor.
And when the poor cant afford to shop there, they are doing no one any good
emerald40 would rather all thrift stores in the world go out of business than let resellers shop at them.
If a thrift store is not serving the poor as it is intended, then what does it matter if it stays in business. or not?
The goal of many thrift stores is to raise funds for their charity so they can continue to provide services to the needy, they DO NOT exist to provide direct products for the poor and homeless to buy and I'm sick of you claiming as such, the goal of a thirft store is to make PROFIT from goods that were donated to them FREE of charge so they can continue their mission.

You can be sick of anything you want, but I am still not going to agree with you.

And if what you are saying is true, why have all these thifts now raised their prices.

I understand that some of the items donated would be useless for the poor. And that is why you offer them to the public at a competitive price.

And I agree that they should profit from goods that were donated. And I highlight the word "they."

rolenboy01 · ‎11-02-2017

@emerald40 wrote:
@rolenboy01 wrote:
@emerald40 wrote:
@rolenboy01 wrote:
@prescott4 wrote:
@emerald40 wrote:
here we are again...
well...
if re-sellers wouldn't be able to find merchandise cheap enough to re-sell where would sites like;
Amazon, Etsy, Ebay, Ruby Lane... BE...???

________________________________________________

Big differene between resellers getting their merchandise from yard sales and flea markets then from the donated merchandise to a thrfit that is supposed to be used to support the poor.
And when the poor cant afford to shop there, they are doing no one any good
emerald40 would rather all thrift stores in the world go out of business than let resellers shop at them.
If a thrift store is not serving the poor as it is intended, then what does it matter if it stays in business. or not?
The goal of many thrift stores is to raise funds for their charity so they can continue to provide services to the needy, they DO NOT exist to provide direct products for the poor and homeless to buy and I'm sick of you claiming as such, the goal of a thirft store is to make PROFIT from goods that were donated to them FREE of charge so they can continue their mission.
You can be sick of anything you want, but I am still not going to agree with you.

And if what you are saying is true, why have all these thifts now raised their prices.

I understand that some of the items donated would be useless for the poor. And that is why you offer them to the public at a competitive price.

And I agree that they should profit from goods that were donated. And I highlight the word "they."

They have raised the prices because they felt the market could bare it and I'm assuming because their costs to operate have increased like everyone elses, whether the market will truly bare the increases or not is another story.

quadcitypickers · ‎11-02-2017

@emerald40 wrote:
@rolenboy01 wrote:
@emerald40 wrote:
@rolenboy01 wrote:
@prescott4 wrote:
@emerald40 wrote:
here we are again...
well...
if re-sellers wouldn't be able to find merchandise cheap enough to re-sell where would sites like;
Amazon, Etsy, Ebay, Ruby Lane... BE...???

________________________________________________

Big differene between resellers getting their merchandise from yard sales and flea markets then from the donated merchandise to a thrfit that is supposed to be used to support the poor.
And when the poor cant afford to shop there, they are doing no one any good
emerald40 would rather all thrift stores in the world go out of business than let resellers shop at them.
If a thrift store is not serving the poor as it is intended, then what does it matter if it stays in business. or not?
The goal of many thrift stores is to raise funds for their charity so they can continue to provide services to the needy, they DO NOT exist to provide direct products for the poor and homeless to buy and I'm sick of you claiming as such, the goal of a thirft store is to make PROFIT from goods that were donated to them FREE of charge so they can continue their mission.
You can be sick of anything you want, but I am still not going to agree with you.

And if what you are saying is true, why have all these thifts now raised their prices.

I understand that some of the items donated would be useless for the poor. And that is why you offer them to the public at a competitive price.

And I agree that they should profit from goods that were donated. And I highlight the word "they."

Because they operate under the guise of helping people so they can help the CEO of Goodwill make $729,000 per year. A lot of money for someone who claims to be "helping the poor".

They also pay about 7,300 employees who are disabled UNDER MINIMUM wage because they can! Under a provision of the fair labors standards act.

A 2013 article on Watchdog.org reported that Goodwill's tax returns showed that more than 100 Goodwills pay less than minimum wage while simultaneously paying more than $53.7 million in total compensation to top executives.

One of the district managers for goodwill made over $1M last year. I guess "helping the poor" costs a lot of money.

emerald40 · ‎11-02-2017

@rolenboy01 wrote:
@emerald40 wrote:
@rolenboy01 wrote:
@emerald40 wrote:
@rolenboy01 wrote:
@prescott4 wrote:
@emerald40 wrote:
here we are again...
well...
if re-sellers wouldn't be able to find merchandise cheap enough to re-sell where would sites like;
Amazon, Etsy, Ebay, Ruby Lane... BE...???

________________________________________________

Big differene between resellers getting their merchandise from yard sales and flea markets then from the donated merchandise to a thrfit that is supposed to be used to support the poor.
And when the poor cant afford to shop there, they are doing no one any good
emerald40 would rather all thrift stores in the world go out of business than let resellers shop at them.
If a thrift store is not serving the poor as it is intended, then what does it matter if it stays in business. or not?
The goal of many thrift stores is to raise funds for their charity so they can continue to provide services to the needy, they DO NOT exist to provide direct products for the poor and homeless to buy and I'm sick of you claiming as such, the goal of a thirft store is to make PROFIT from goods that were donated to them FREE of charge so they can continue their mission.
You can be sick of anything you want, but I am still not going to agree with you.

And if what you are saying is true, why have all these thifts now raised their prices.

I understand that some of the items donated would be useless for the poor. And that is why you offer them to the public at a competitive price.

And I agree that they should profit from goods that were donated. And I highlight the word "they."

They have raised the prices because they felt the market could bare it and I'm assuming because their costs to operate have increased like everyone elses, whether the market will truly bare the increases or not is another story.

Or it could be that people like me have been telling them what is happening here on ebay and that is why their donations are drying up.

quadcitypickers · ‎11-02-2017

@emerald40 wrote:
Or it could be that people like me have been telling them what is happening here on ebay and that is why their donations are drying up.

You don't think they already know that? You DO realize Goodwill has its own auction website?

emerald40 · ‎11-02-2017

@quadcitypickers wrote:
@emerald40 wrote:
Or it could be that people like me have been telling them what is happening here on ebay and that is why their donations are drying up.
You don't think they already know that? You DO realize Goodwill has its own auction website?

They do now. But did they always have one on ebay or is it something recent.

But even the yard sellers know about ebay and have priced their items accordingly.

I guess word got through as to what resellers were doing.

prescott4 · ‎11-02-2017

@emerald40 wrote:
@prescott4 wrote:
@rolenboy01 wrote:
@prescott4 wrote:
@emerald40 wrote:
here we are again...
well...
if re-sellers wouldn't be able to find merchandise cheap enough to re-sell where would sites like;
Amazon, Etsy, Ebay, Ruby Lane... BE...???

________________________________________________

Big differene between resellers getting their merchandise from yard sales and flea markets then from the donated merchandise to a thrfit that is supposed to be used to support the poor.
And when the poor cant afford to shop there, they are doing no one any good
emerald40 would rather all thrift stores in the world go out of business than let resellers shop at them.
Some folks need to get truly broke, cold and hungry.

My husband and I worked 2 jobs each most of our lives. He could have retired already but is still working. I have health issues and could retire, but I am still working.

We always lived below our means and saved, saved, saved.

In other words, we did everything we could so that would not happen.

And as said in another thread my family owns a Jewelry store. Yes in New York. I chose to not live off my family and moved to Rhode Island.

Everything we have we earned ourselves.

Yet you still act like the poor are icky and dont want to work...yeah ok

rolenboy01 · ‎11-02-2017

@emerald40 wrote:
@rolenboy01 wrote:
@emerald40 wrote:
@rolenboy01 wrote:
@emerald40 wrote:
@rolenboy01 wrote:
@prescott4 wrote:
@emerald40 wrote:
here we are again...
well...
if re-sellers wouldn't be able to find merchandise cheap enough to re-sell where would sites like;
Amazon, Etsy, Ebay, Ruby Lane... BE...???

________________________________________________

Big differene between resellers getting their merchandise from yard sales and flea markets then from the donated merchandise to a thrfit that is supposed to be used to support the poor.
And when the poor cant afford to shop there, they are doing no one any good
emerald40 would rather all thrift stores in the world go out of business than let resellers shop at them.
If a thrift store is not serving the poor as it is intended, then what does it matter if it stays in business. or not?
The goal of many thrift stores is to raise funds for their charity so they can continue to provide services to the needy, they DO NOT exist to provide direct products for the poor and homeless to buy and I'm sick of you claiming as such, the goal of a thirft store is to make PROFIT from goods that were donated to them FREE of charge so they can continue their mission.
You can be sick of anything you want, but I am still not going to agree with you.

And if what you are saying is true, why have all these thifts now raised their prices.

I understand that some of the items donated would be useless for the poor. And that is why you offer them to the public at a competitive price.

And I agree that they should profit from goods that were donated. And I highlight the word "they."

They have raised the prices because they felt the market could bare it and I'm assuming because their costs to operate have increased like everyone elses, whether the market will truly bare the increases or not is another story.
Or it could be that people like me have been telling them what is happening here on ebay and that is why their donations are drying up.

Donations aren't drying up where I live so what is your point? they bring out carts and carts of fresh merch daily at a local store, you can't apply a one size fit's all excuse to every situation just because it fits your narrative that's why you are angering a lot of people.

emerald40 · ‎11-02-2017

@prescott4 wrote:
@emerald40 wrote:
@prescott4 wrote:
@rolenboy01 wrote:
@prescott4 wrote:
@emerald40 wrote:
here we are again...
well...
if re-sellers wouldn't be able to find merchandise cheap enough to re-sell where would sites like;
Amazon, Etsy, Ebay, Ruby Lane... BE...???

________________________________________________

Big differene between resellers getting their merchandise from yard sales and flea markets then from the donated merchandise to a thrfit that is supposed to be used to support the poor.
And when the poor cant afford to shop there, they are doing no one any good
emerald40 would rather all thrift stores in the world go out of business than let resellers shop at them.
Some folks need to get truly broke, cold and hungry.

My husband and I worked 2 jobs each most of our lives. He could have retired already but is still working. I have health issues and could retire, but I am still working.

We always lived below our means and saved, saved, saved.

In other words, we did everything we could so that would not happen.

And as said in another thread my family owns a Jewelry store. Yes in New York. I chose to not live off my family and moved to Rhode Island.

Everything we have we earned ourselves.
Yet you still act like the poor are icky and dont want to work...yeah ok

What? You really got that wrong.

I support those that are ill and cannot work.

I do not support those who are able bodied and too lazy to work.

emerald40 · ‎11-02-2017

@rolenboy01 wrote:
@emerald40 wrote:
@rolenboy01 wrote:
@emerald40 wrote:
@rolenboy01 wrote:
@emerald40 wrote:
@rolenboy01 wrote:
@prescott4 wrote:
@emerald40 wrote:
here we are again...
well...
if re-sellers wouldn't be able to find merchandise cheap enough to re-sell where would sites like;
Amazon, Etsy, Ebay, Ruby Lane... BE...???

________________________________________________

Big differene between resellers getting their merchandise from yard sales and flea markets then from the donated merchandise to a thrfit that is supposed to be used to support the poor.
And when the poor cant afford to shop there, they are doing no one any good
emerald40 would rather all thrift stores in the world go out of business than let resellers shop at them.
If a thrift store is not serving the poor as it is intended, then what does it matter if it stays in business. or not?
The goal of many thrift stores is to raise funds for their charity so they can continue to provide services to the needy, they DO NOT exist to provide direct products for the poor and homeless to buy and I'm sick of you claiming as such, the goal of a thirft store is to make PROFIT from goods that were donated to them FREE of charge so they can continue their mission.
You can be sick of anything you want, but I am still not going to agree with you.

And if what you are saying is true, why have all these thifts now raised their prices.

I understand that some of the items donated would be useless for the poor. And that is why you offer them to the public at a competitive price.

And I agree that they should profit from goods that were donated. And I highlight the word "they."

They have raised the prices because they felt the market could bare it and I'm assuming because their costs to operate have increased like everyone elses, whether the market will truly bare the increases or not is another story.
Or it could be that people like me have been telling them what is happening here on ebay and that is why their donations are drying up.
Donations aren't drying up where I live so what is your point? they bring out carts and carts of fresh merch daily at a local store, you can't apply a one size fit's all excuse to every situation just because it fits your narrative that's why you are angering a lot of people.

It is a conversation. I am not angry so no clue why others would be.

And it may be fine where you are, but not where I am. According to the calls I get weekly they are desperate for donations.

And of course I can onyt tell you based on my findings here as you just did about your home town.

So if there is no one size fits all why are my findings based on what I see an excuse?

rolenboy01 · ‎11-02-2017

@emerald40 wrote:
@rolenboy01 wrote:
@emerald40 wrote:
@rolenboy01 wrote:
@emerald40 wrote:
@rolenboy01 wrote:
@emerald40 wrote:
@rolenboy01 wrote:
@prescott4 wrote:
@emerald40 wrote:
here we are again...
well...
if re-sellers wouldn't be able to find merchandise cheap enough to re-sell where would sites like;
Amazon, Etsy, Ebay, Ruby Lane... BE...???

________________________________________________

Big differene between resellers getting their merchandise from yard sales and flea markets then from the donated merchandise to a thrfit that is supposed to be used to support the poor.
And when the poor cant afford to shop there, they are doing no one any good
emerald40 would rather all thrift stores in the world go out of business than let resellers shop at them.
If a thrift store is not serving the poor as it is intended, then what does it matter if it stays in business. or not?
The goal of many thrift stores is to raise funds for their charity so they can continue to provide services to the needy, they DO NOT exist to provide direct products for the poor and homeless to buy and I'm sick of you claiming as such, the goal of a thirft store is to make PROFIT from goods that were donated to them FREE of charge so they can continue their mission.
You can be sick of anything you want, but I am still not going to agree with you.

And if what you are saying is true, why have all these thifts now raised their prices.

I understand that some of the items donated would be useless for the poor. And that is why you offer them to the public at a competitive price.

And I agree that they should profit from goods that were donated. And I highlight the word "they."

They have raised the prices because they felt the market could bare it and I'm assuming because their costs to operate have increased like everyone elses, whether the market will truly bare the increases or not is another story.
Or it could be that people like me have been telling them what is happening here on ebay and that is why their donations are drying up.
Donations aren't drying up where I live so what is your point? they bring out carts and carts of fresh merch daily at a local store, you can't apply a one size fit's all excuse to every situation just because it fits your narrative that's why you are angering a lot of people.
It is a conversation. I am not angry so no clue why others would be.

And it may be fine where you are, but not where I am. According to the calls I get weekly they are desperate for donations.

And of course I can onyt tell you based on my findings here as you just did about your home town.

So if there is no one size fits all why are my findings based on what I see an excuse?

An excuse for what? an excuse assumes that there is a problem and the problem is in your own mind, you are assuming people don't work or are too lazy to work just because they sell things on eBay I'm not sure why, but again that angers people when you make assumptions about their life you cannot prove and are false, many small sellers here are supplementing their income any way they can I'm not sure why that is any of your concern.

emerald40 · ‎11-02-2017

@rolenboy01 wrote:
@emerald40 wrote:
@rolenboy01 wrote:
@emerald40 wrote:
@rolenboy01 wrote:
@emerald40 wrote:
@rolenboy01 wrote:
@emerald40 wrote:
@rolenboy01 wrote:
@prescott4 wrote:
@emerald40 wrote:
here we are again...
well...
if re-sellers wouldn't be able to find merchandise cheap enough to re-sell where would sites like;
Amazon, Etsy, Ebay, Ruby Lane... BE...???

________________________________________________

Big differene between resellers getting their merchandise from yard sales and flea markets then from the donated merchandise to a thrfit that is supposed to be used to support the poor.
And when the poor cant afford to shop there, they are doing no one any good
emerald40 would rather all thrift stores in the world go out of business than let resellers shop at them.
If a thrift store is not serving the poor as it is intended, then what does it matter if it stays in business. or not?
The goal of many thrift stores is to raise funds for their charity so they can continue to provide services to the needy, they DO NOT exist to provide direct products for the poor and homeless to buy and I'm sick of you claiming as such, the goal of a thirft store is to make PROFIT from goods that were donated to them FREE of charge so they can continue their mission.
You can be sick of anything you want, but I am still not going to agree with you.

And if what you are saying is true, why have all these thifts now raised their prices.

I understand that some of the items donated would be useless for the poor. And that is why you offer them to the public at a competitive price.

And I agree that they should profit from goods that were donated. And I highlight the word "they."

They have raised the prices because they felt the market could bare it and I'm assuming because their costs to operate have increased like everyone elses, whether the market will truly bare the increases or not is another story.
Or it could be that people like me have been telling them what is happening here on ebay and that is why their donations are drying up.
Donations aren't drying up where I live so what is your point? they bring out carts and carts of fresh merch daily at a local store, you can't apply a one size fit's all excuse to every situation just because it fits your narrative that's why you are angering a lot of people.
It is a conversation. I am not angry so no clue why others would be.

And it may be fine where you are, but not where I am. According to the calls I get weekly they are desperate for donations.

And of course I can onyt tell you based on my findings here as you just did about your home town.

So if there is no one size fits all why are my findings based on what I see an excuse?
An excuse for what? an excuse assumes that there is a problem and the problem is in your own mind, you are assuming people don't work or are too lazy to work just because they sell things on eBay I'm not sure why, but again that angers people when you make assumptions about their life you cannot prove and are false, many small sellers here are supplementing their income any way they can I'm not sure why that is any of your concern.

I assume nothing. Some sellers have readily admitted it here that they do not want a 9 to 5 job.

rolenboy01 · ‎11-02-2017

@emerald40 wrote:

It is a conversation. I am not angry so no clue why others would be.

And it may be fine where you are, but not where I am. According to the calls I get weekly they are desperate for donations.

And of course I can onyt tell you based on my findings here as you just did about your home town.

So if there is no one size fits all why are my findings based on what I see an excuse?
An excuse for what? an excuse assumes that there is a problem and the problem is in your own mind, you are assuming people don't work or are too lazy to work just because they sell things on eBay I'm not sure why, but again that angers people when you make assumptions about their life you cannot prove and are false, many small sellers here are supplementing their income any way they can I'm not sure why that is any of your concern.
I assume nothing. Some sellers have readily admitted it here that they do not want a 9 to 5 job.

But you are applying it to huge swaths of people instead of directing it at those who have said so and thus it's going to anger people it doesn't apply to.

emerald40 · ‎11-02-2017

@rolenboy01 wrote:
@emerald40 wrote:

It is a conversation. I am not angry so no clue why others would be.

And it may be fine where you are, but not where I am. According to the calls I get weekly they are desperate for donations.

And of course I can onyt tell you based on my findings here as you just did about your home town.

So if there is no one size fits all why are my findings based on what I see an excuse?
An excuse for what? an excuse assumes that there is a problem and the problem is in your own mind, you are assuming people don't work or are too lazy to work just because they sell things on eBay I'm not sure why, but again that angers people when you make assumptions about their life you cannot prove and are false, many small sellers here are supplementing their income any way they can I'm not sure why that is any of your concern.
I assume nothing. Some sellers have readily admitted it here that they do not want a 9 to 5 job.
But you are applying it to huge swaths of people instead of directing it at those who have said so and thus it's going to anger people it doesn't apply to.

Or are you assuming something that is not directed at you?

quadcitypickers · ‎11-02-2017

@emerald40 wrote:
@rolenboy01 wrote:
@emerald40 wrote:
@rolenboy01 wrote:
@emerald40 wrote:
@rolenboy01 wrote:
@emerald40 wrote:
@rolenboy01 wrote:
@emerald40 wrote:
@rolenboy01 wrote:
@prescott4 wrote:
@emerald40 wrote:
here we are again...
well...
if re-sellers wouldn't be able to find merchandise cheap enough to re-sell where would sites like;
Amazon, Etsy, Ebay, Ruby Lane... BE...???

________________________________________________

Big differene between resellers getting their merchandise from yard sales and flea markets then from the donated merchandise to a thrfit that is supposed to be used to support the poor.
And when the poor cant afford to shop there, they are doing no one any good
emerald40 would rather all thrift stores in the world go out of business than let resellers shop at them.
If a thrift store is not serving the poor as it is intended, then what does it matter if it stays in business. or not?
The goal of many thrift stores is to raise funds for their charity so they can continue to provide services to the needy, they DO NOT exist to provide direct products for the poor and homeless to buy and I'm sick of you claiming as such, the goal of a thirft store is to make PROFIT from goods that were donated to them FREE of charge so they can continue their mission.
You can be sick of anything you want, but I am still not going to agree with you.

And if what you are saying is true, why have all these thifts now raised their prices.

I understand that some of the items donated would be useless for the poor. And that is why you offer them to the public at a competitive price.

And I agree that they should profit from goods that were donated. And I highlight the word "they."

They have raised the prices because they felt the market could bare it and I'm assuming because their costs to operate have increased like everyone elses, whether the market will truly bare the increases or not is another story.
Or it could be that people like me have been telling them what is happening here on ebay and that is why their donations are drying up.
Donations aren't drying up where I live so what is your point? they bring out carts and carts of fresh merch daily at a local store, you can't apply a one size fit's all excuse to every situation just because it fits your narrative that's why you are angering a lot of people.
It is a conversation. I am not angry so no clue why others would be.

And it may be fine where you are, but not where I am. According to the calls I get weekly they are desperate for donations.

And of course I can onyt tell you based on my findings here as you just did about your home town.

So if there is no one size fits all why are my findings based on what I see an excuse?
An excuse for what? an excuse assumes that there is a problem and the problem is in your own mind, you are assuming people don't work or are too lazy to work just because they sell things on eBay I'm not sure why, but again that angers people when you make assumptions about their life you cannot prove and are false, many small sellers here are supplementing their income any way they can I'm not sure why that is any of your concern.
I assume nothing. Some sellers have readily admitted it here that they do not want a 9 to 5 job.