Thrift store pricing increases again?

[stonevintage]

Seems like the thrift stores are getting a little greedy.  Price increases averaging 15% per year for the last 3 years, especially on general clothing and speciality or NWT items.

A used pullover sweatshirt or pair of used sweatpants here was 3.95 three years ago.  Now, they're all asking 5.95-6.95.  Run of the mill, no name brands.

Decor items.. with the Ross "compare at 9.99 stickers",  yours for a great bargin of 4.99.   I guess here, half price of what item was new - is their best deal to offer.  Apparently, items fallen out of trend have no impact on their pricing considerations.  Lots of owl and elephant figurines of all shapes and sizes getting donated now cause they're over - but still marked at on trend prices. 

 Don't they know, before these new items were donated - they were likely offered at half price or better in the retail store before they did their shelf pull and donated them???

Anyone else notice yet another price jump in the last month or so?  The winter clothes just coming out now have about a 30% jump in last years pricing:(

[nowthatsjustducky]

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@retrose1 wrote:

Instead of expecting them to have bargains whenever you walk in the door, shop smart and the bargains come to you.

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It also helps if every once in a while on a thrift run, you take the initiative and "educate" yourself on one or two random items you come across in order to increase your knowledge on what else sells other than the obvious stuff that everyone else goes after (which often proves worthless after all).

In fact, weren't you the one who once said something to the effect of you can walk into a thrift store and see plenty of five and ten dollar bills that everyone else just leaves behind because they are looking for the big score, or something to that effect?

Whether that was you or some other poster, both my inner Jawa (the one doing the sourcing) and my inner Ferrengi (the money handler) have adopted that saying, and have been able to profit tremendously by that little axiom.

[nowthatsjustducky]

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@dakotasmoke wrote:
Most of our thrift store prices are in line with what you would pay on eBay. Especially purses and Jewelry it makes it almost impossible to buy for resale now and their reasoning is is that if people are unable to buy for resale it's more likely to go to people that actually need it.

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They must have forgotten that the local people who need it are likely not going to pay eBay prices, because they either can't afford the asking price, or they would prefer to buy from a site where they may be able to return the item if has undisclosed issues or other problems.

[stonevintage]

Yes, items with better value get put in an apple crate and they're shipped down to their main branch once a month for listing online. That's another change in the last few years.  Goodwill, we know about their online presence.  Somebody must be paying attention somewhere or else their online presence would be minimal and it's not. I know this local one must have someone in management using the computer to price - yet they still slip up. 

One local thrift will have price increases, then within a month or so, all the other thrifts will raise theirs on those items too.  I was working at a chain thrift (locally) when an administrative team from a competitor chain thrift came in.  They asked the mgr permission to shop prices and it was granted.  The team spread out and sampled different departments making notes and taking photos. 

[retrose1]

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@nowthatsjustducky wrote:

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@retrose1 wrote:

Instead of expecting them to have bargains whenever you walk in the door, shop smart and the bargains come to you.

---

It also helps if every once in a while on a thrift run, you take the initiative and "educate" yourself on one or two random items you come across in order to increase your knowledge on what else sells other than the obvious stuff that everyone else goes after (which often proves worthless after all).

In fact, weren't you the one who once said something to the effect of you can walk into a thrift store and see plenty of five and ten dollar bills that everyone else just leaves behind because they are looking for the big score, or something to that effect?

Whether that was you or some other poster, both my inner Jawa (the one doing the sourcing) and my inner Ferrengi (the money handler) have adopted that saying, and have been able to profit tremendously by that little axiom.

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I've said that a few times, so it might have been me, glad it's being put to good use.  Expanding your knowedge past the top 40 everyone else is looking for, is part of shopping smart.  Shopping off season is another.  Again, I have boxes of sweaters and coats I paid almost nothing for that are now making me money.  I shipped out 3 coats this week that I paid .49 a piece for a few months ago that made me around a hundred.

A good friend of mine also sells on ebay and we go out together shopping, we sell different typs of items, so there is little crossover, but if one of us gets to an item ahead of the other and opts to keep it, no one gets mad.  But I will often let her look in the clothing racks in front of me, because she just can't see a $20 hanging there until I point out, oh look it's a Perot for President tshirt, or an Anchorman 70s jacket or a pair of Sheldon Cooper pants - that I can get an easy $20 a piece for.

[stonevintage]

Retrose,  no winter clothing was out 3 months ago here, never has been lightweight spring sweaters, but that's not what I need.  I did score a down jacket, looks to be nwot on a Labor day sale for 7 bucks.  Also 5 sweatshirts and 4 pair of sweatpants for half price.   It's just started coming out in the last 2 weeks and I'm at the thrifts everyday looking for what I need.  Having shopped for my clothing needs for 10 years here in thrifts, this is the best time for winter selection.... before everyone else starts shopping for winter.  

But no, the thrifts here don't place winter coats/sweaters in June.   

[bubbleman2010]

All the thrifts know they can sell to the sparkle glitter crowd once they've got their goberment check it burns a hole in their pocket and they need to spend it. If they'd offer beer cigs. and lotto scratch tickets they'd have a almost auto lock on 100% of those goberment checks.....

[frock_my_world]

There are so many thrift stores within 20 miles of my home that I am able to really be picky about where I do my shopping for inventory.  The stores that mark items up too high quickly become so packed that it is a bicep workout just to peruse the racks and those items just sit there until they have a big sale or the color tag they have goes on sale.  Many times I see those same stores have to basically deal with the reality that they have overpriced and they do across the board reductions just to begin regularly moving merchandise again. 

My favorite stores are the ones who flat price items based on the category they consider them to be in; one price for all women's pants, one price for all women's dresses, etc.  My very favorite stores are the outlet thrift stores that flat price every single item in the store. 

Regardless of who is shopping in their stores and whether they are shopping for personal use or to re-sell the items, if they are not priced competitively for their regular shoppers they are forced to adjust their pricing or they will not stay in business because the plethora of Thrift Stores in my area creates a tremendous supply and limited demand if the prices are not competitive.  Pretty simple economics, in my opinion. 

With that said, if I didn't live in any area with this many well stocked thrifts I couldn't stay in business selling here on ebay.  I don't know how some of you do it in areas without a lot of inventory sources. 

[dakotasmoke]

Exactly!

Not to mention folks who shop the thrifts just for the heck of it, arent going to pay new prices for used clothes

[stonevintage]

I know that stuff happens.  But, after having worked at a thrift for a couple of years, I learned pretty fast not to group people or make assumptions about anyone.  Some of the people I met, you could have made assumptions based on first encounter, but some of those folks (homeless included) are still friends 10 years later and good people.  

[dakotasmoke]

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@bubbleman2010 wrote:

All the thrifts know they can sell to the sparkle glitter crowd once they've got their goberment check it burns a hole in their pocket and they need to spend it. If they'd offer beer cigs. and lotto scratch tickets they'd have a almost auto lock on 100% of those goberment checks.....

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Wow, just wow, that is pretty rude and horribly ignorant

[retrose1]

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@stonevintage wrote:

Retrose,  no winter clothing was out 3 months ago here, never has been lightweight spring sweaters, but that's not what I need.  I did score a down jacket, looks to be nwot on a Labor day sale for 7 bucks.  Also 5 sweatshirts and 4 pair of sweatpants for half price.   It's just started coming out in the last 2 weeks and I'm at the thrifts everyday looking for what I need.  Having shopped for my clothing needs for 10 years here in thrifts, this is the best time for winter selection.... before everyone else starts shopping for winter.  

But no, the thrifts here don't place winter coats/sweaters in June.   

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The stuff I am picking up in June says otherwise.  Picked up 2 100% cashmere late 50s/mid 60s ladies fur collar coats in June at the SA, I watched them and two Dr Who Rubies costumes for 2 weekends before they went to 49 cents and I got the coats but only 1 Who costume.

When school lets out in the spring, people clean out their closets and donate the winter stuff they are tired of and no thrift store has the room to store hundreds/thousands of big fat bulky sweaters and coats for 6 months.  They put them out when they can.  Maybe it's just regional.

Many people don't see things sitting there until they need them.  I just taught myself to shop off season, and that off season to me doesn't mean the first week they put the upcoming season out.

[stonevintage]

Its not easy.  You have to be willing to learn about things you have no interest whatsoever in sometimes and learn fast.  I'm from the age that smartphones weren't available to look up value in store.  You had to run home to your computer to research items, then bomb back up to the store to buy it before someone else does.  My best sales over time were items that had no sales history or current listings... because they were rare. Had to research off auction sites to find their use.   Many of them I looked at and had no idea what they were or used for - but, those ended up being my best high dollar sales. 

Lol, I've had one item for 6 years, tiny little glass bottle with a thick slide top. Looked like some kind of kids bug keeper from way back.  Just found out it's an old inkwell designed for the old school desks... value 35-55 dollars.  Paid 25 cents.

[stonevintage]

No, the stuff you pick up in June doesn't say otherwise for what's available to me here.  Bingo, you have your answer.  Huge warehouses for storage.  That's a given here. 

[mistwomandancing]

Thrift store pricing does definitely change from area to area in this country.  When I visit daughter in Colorado Springs, I notice their prices are higher than where I live in a 'less expensive' state.  When a sister from Seattle comes here for a visit, she usually arrives with a nearly-empty suitcase and we thrift it FULL at a couple of our fun local shops.  She thinks the prices here are so low.

BUT, this is what folks here can afford to pay.  Our living expenses are cheap here, certainly annual incomes don't have to be as high to live very well, and thrift stores simply mark at the prices that will sell.

And I think that's the main point.  Thrift stores have a nearly unending supply of 'stuff' coming in the back door daily at no cost to them, and it isn't doing them any good just sitting.  The motto us usually Get it in.. Get it SOLD.. and Get it Out!  Too high in price and it doesn't move.  Too low, and the efforts funded by that thrift store aren't covered as fully as they might be.  Price just right and the thrifts can keep stuff moving on through while filling the cash drawers!

The one GoodWill store here that overprices is the last one any of us bother with.  The other two get our money spent with them first.  And any of the other thrifts and resale shops here that price low enough for the pickers to resell.. they do great business too. 

[shoppingbomc2014]

Since they get their merchandise for free, there is a difference between making a profit and gouging the customers.