THRIFT STORE BUYER/RESELLER? - HAVE YOU BEEN TREATED RUDELY BECAUSE OF IT?

[stonevintage]

I have, multiple times.  I am not sure why the discrimination but it's real.  Most thrifts are fine and realise that what we don't resell, likely gets donated right back to them. It's a constant source of income, even in the slowest months.

Any one else been treated less than courteous manner when shopping the thrift stores just for the simple reason they know you are a reseller?  Please share your experiences.  Happened to me again today.  I will be calling the director of operations tomorrow when I've calmed down.

[stonevintage]

This manager... chased me down the street a year ago acusing me of stealing!  I was at the front counter with an 11.00 vtg leather jacket.  Per usual, because it was "only me" at the counter - they didn't bother coming up from the back room behind the curtain until they were good and ready....

When I layed the jacket down on the purchase counter, the collar flapped back and I saw how filthy the neckline was.  So... I put it back on the rack where I got it and walked out.   She chased me down wanting to know where the jacket was.... I walked her back into the store to the exact rack where it was hanging and explained to her why I put it back.  No apoligie, just as today. I'm going to get her out of that job... she's not fit.  I was in there 3 days ago and she was screaming at a new employee about taking lunch 45 minutes late - on the sales floor with customers...

[retrose1]

I've been combing through rummage sales and thrifts for well over 20 years and have even had articles written about me and my finds.  Never had a problem with the employees, mostly because I am honest about it, especially when I had my B&M vintage clothing store, and I rarely argue or negotiate. 

They are there to make money and so am I, if their prices are too high I leave it and occasionally come back and bag sale it, I do not haggle about it.  And since I am very well known in the area, because of my store, most employees know who I am and what I am there for and occasionally ask my opinion about some things.

When I had my store, church sales would call me to let me know that their sale is tomorrow - would I be there, or to give me an invite for early shopping.  Thrift shops would bring in items to get advice about pricing or to just sell to me direct.  The same is true today, if I miss the first day they will make sure that I am given a notice of their next sale and I make sure that they all have my business card.  And if I tell them about the fundraiser section in the newspaper, they always have their next sale listed there.

I have found that being a considerate and helpful customer gets me advantages that others miss out on.  Yeah, I might miss out on something because they grabbed first or the employees didn't put something out, but when I am behind a haggling dealer that is making the volunteer employee's life miserable, they pay full price and I often get a discount.  In fact I sometimes let a dealer go first, because after dealing with a snarly buyer that is trying to knock off $5 off a $9 item, when it's my turn, I smile and sort my items out and ask how they are doing and suddenly the little known senior discount gets applied.

[stonevintage]

I have a "friendly competator".  I saw his van out front of one of the thrift stores once... just before they opened.  I walked to the back alley and busted them both.

I told the new store ass't mgt that that man is no friend of yours and he's going to get you fired because I'll make sure it happens.  I told him later - I've been listening to you say how corrupt these thrift store employees are and you're getting scooped by another reseller cause he's paying them off.... Shame - you're busted bro and I'll get her fired and you banned if I ever see it again.

Yes, he and I are still friends. He knows my walk and I have not seen him pull that carp again.

[mistwomandancing]

Thumbs up! 

Competition is competition, but when it comes to donated goods at thrift shops, FAIR is FAIR. 

Sounds like it's more than time for some of the thrifts in your area to get some help in cleaning up their acts!

[ersatz_sobriquet]

I don't even shop at that thrift anymore where the squishy faced woman pays them off.  I'm good enough I can find $100 in the dirtiest shabby looking picked over pile of junk. Stuff other dealers walk right past and yesterday I picked up such an item for a buck, listed it, sold it in the afternoon for $40 while I was visiting another thrift, and I found two of them! 

My phone just went off just now, cha-ching! I've had a good week and almost everything I've sold I'm the only one on ebay who has it...doing more listings of the same tomorrow, I just go through my hoard and find something nobody else has listed. 

I watch the dealers around me grab the mixed bags of lego, what a hassle and possible snad, I put it back on the shelf. Watch them grab a green glass banker's lamp...there's over a thousand of them already on ebay. Watched one grab the cast metal eagle I put back, there's 500 on ebay right now...slow sales? Don't sell what is already listed by the hundreds and thousands. 

So the greedy ones who have deals in the backroom and out the back door might get the easy stuff, but I know I can do this anywhere, anytime. I've had to learn to, they rob the thrifts of anything they think is good....but I bought something for a buck last week and sold it for $350.00 already....

[rolenboy01]

I've overheard idle chatter about "resellers" and "dealers" but most of them know at the local thrift stores that a lot of people are going to be reseller or are hoarders isn't really their business, quite frankly I don't think a lot of these places would still be in business if it wasn't for all the resellers.

[livadia]

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@ersatz_sobriquet wrote:

Now I want your sundae banana split you have for sale. Just the glass? Oh pooh! Window will be open all night, this breeze is fantastic now that the sun has gone down. There is Hagen daaz in the freezer.....hmm.....brb! 

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@ersatz_sobriquet

Lucky you...  Haagen Dazs AND a breeze!  Breezy here, but hot and humid.  About killed me, but I had to turn on the A/C tonight just to get take get the stickiness down to a manageable level.  Unreal for May, but at least (so far) no tornadoes which I absolutely hate.   😞

[ersatz_sobriquet]

They need the resellers cash for sure! 

I don't judge hoarders, they're into what they do because they get some kind of satisfaction from it....it's their business. They're interesting. Hoarder cars are a sight how they fill them up and there's only the space to sit in the driver's seat left, even the dashboards are full of stuff. One woman I saw her car was filled ONLY with scrabble games to the roof..

[ersatz_sobriquet]

@livadia

I just looked at where you are....I'm on the east side by Lake St. Clair ! 

[jerzee908]

I'm in New Jersey and if anyone knows anything about New Jersey, it is the most densely populated state and an old state.  That being said, we have a lot of people in the state constantly getting rid of stuff.  If it weren't for dealers and re-sellers, this stuff would end up in the trash.  There is probably over 100 estate sales every weekend across the state.  There is thrift stores all over the place (Unique, Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc.).  Year round flea markets (except winter, Englishtown, Collingswood, etc), garage sales, town-wide garage sales, rummage sales, swap meets, monthly flea market sales, auction houses, etc., etc.,........

New Jersey is a re-sellers paradise!   Nobody hides it either!  It's pretty common to hear a cash register sound go off on someones phone during an auction or at an estate sale. 

[livadia]

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@ersatz_sobriquet wrote:

@livadia

I just looked at where you are....I'm on the east side by Lake St. Clair ! 

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@ersatz_sobriquet - Ahh, small world!  No wonder you're getting a fresh breeze if you're that close to the lake...  🙂

[ersatz_sobriquet]

South east Michigan is the same way.....population 4.6 here, I don't think that's counting where Lividia is in the capital which is also another densely populated area. Half of Michigan's population is in this area, the rest of the state is like vacationland. 

I went on vacation to NM and AZ and found stuff even there, population NM is 2 million for the entire large state, yet still I brought two things home with me and would have brought more but it was heavy stuff like Pyrex. 

Yes Livadia, it's not just a breeze, it's windy! 

[tweetystwades]

Funny you should ask this question. I went to a consignment shop on Monday, I rarely go to these places because I usually buy wholesale. I wanted to look at some vintage purses. I had some passed down to me from a family member that passed away, now I'm interested in them.  When I was looking at them, a man that worked there asked " are you looking for something to go to a special event"?  I didn't know what to say, so I said "no, I inherited some, and I find them interesting", which was the truth, except for the reselling part.  I looked around a little more, and noticed a man looking at the jewelry. He checked out right before me. When she was checking me out (she was the owner of the shop), she said to me "he was a picker". Of course I know what that means.  She said, they will never tell you because they want to get the best price. Well...doesn't everyone?  I panicked a little, and thought, oh so this is frowned upon.  I said "what difference does it make, as long as they pay what you're asking"? Everyone makes money.  She was not expecting me to say that.  So she say's" oh it doesn't, all I ask is if someone makes a $1,000,000 off one of my items, they buy me some **bleep**". I didn't know what to say to that, I know she was trying to make light of the conversation. I left it alone, because I still felt like it was frowned upon.         

[copper.boom]

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@jerzee908 wrote:

 Year round flea markets (except winter, Englishtown, Collingswood, etc),

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I remember when I was little going to the Englishtown flea on a Saturday morning and we would go inside the building to the vendor that was constantly churning out hot, fresh bagels. I am hungry just thinking about it.

[stonevintage]

Lol, I see the horder cars ocasionally. I'ts pretty amazing how they can stack stuff:)

I don't judge them either - they're obviously getting something out of it... like Las Vegas or something... but the shows make me sad - to see what it comes to eventually. No one wants that including the hoarder.

I don't know, guess I was just venting but things have changed. No one can tell me that the local thrifts are serving the local poor and local charity anymore.  That ended about 6 years ago here.  The charities could care less about the local poor.  It's all about the biggest bang for the buck and clear the shelves of anything else:(