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:(

[southern*sweet*tea]

Soooo jealous of you guys that have lots of good thrift shops to go to!

We have:   the Salvation Army - waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too many clothes, and most of them not worth reselling (but they're okay to wear), not too many other things.

The PVA thrift, which also has waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too many clothes, and are priced fine for wearing, but not for reselling, AND they've started a vintage section with prices actually higher than a lot of Ebay prices ::sigh::

Sanctuary thrift, which has waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too many clothes (nice, but priced too high to resell) and lots of other things that would sell, but wouldn 't be profitable. (glassware and heavy stuff) I do get books there from time to time that sell well.

And then you have yard sales - waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too many clothes and people think they're Macy's.

[sg51]

Seems like the thrift stores are getting a little greedy.

The role of a charity thrift store is to maximize income for the charity, not to provide cheap clothing for the needy.

It's unlikely an outsider has much insight into whether the prices are too high or too low.

[nowthatsjustducky]

And if their prices are retail or otherwise online levels, then they are failing in their role to maximize income for the charity, since the resellers are not going to buy at those prices, and neither are the non-resellers who are not looking for new retail stuff.

[fab_finds4u]

The Salvation Army thrift store near me has also gone up on clothes--3.50-5.00 for faded t-shirts, some with bad stains and HOLES.  5-7.50 for worn tired jeans. All the good stuff is plucked out  before it ever hits the racks.  

I believe the prices are so high becase every time I'm there I see people paying for clothes with clothes vouchers from social services.  Those buyers don't really care what it costs because all the clothes are basically free to them.  The thrift stores know they're going to get the prices when they turn in the vouchers.   I'm not putting down the people that get the vouchers, just making an observation....... 

[18704d]

"It's unlikely an outsider has much insight into whether the prices are too high or too low."

--------

This is probably the exception, but

we have a non-profit thrift store by us that throws away probably 95% of everything donated.

Every week they fill one of those big rectangle outside roll-off dumpsters (or whatever you call it)

that they have to bring a truck to take away and drop an empty one.

Just shopping in the store and you'll see them taking items off the shelves and out to the dumpster by the grocery carts full.

Lynn

[stonevintage]

Hey neighbor.  I've noticed a lot of shoppers from Seattle shopping thrifts in CDA too.  One mentioned she was attending a conference at the Resort so she brought an empty suitcase to fill too:)

Pain here in CDA, minimum wage is still under 7.50 per hour, wages are relatively low and prices have gone way up.  My little house has doubled in value in the last 4 years. Can't sell it to add to retirement nest egg cause everything else has also gone sky high too, including rents. 

The thrift I shop heavily at IYR did suffer for their overpricing last year. They ended up filling their huge storage warehouse and leasing 5 semi trailers. Mgr told me they had items damaged that were stored on the roof of the semi's from rain/snow. But admin wouldn't give them permission to lower prices... only hold a few monthly massive sales where I made a killing... But they are stubborn.

So, their resolution was not to lower prices.  They opened a 3rd location which is a new store combined with another huge warehouse that is open to the public for bulk sales.  No longer do they sell the unsold inventory to a 3rd party reshipper where that stuff goes overseas.  They liquidate it all out of their public warehouse now.  

That's why I mentioned that the chains price shop each others stores here.  It plays a part, I think, in some way to price fix and keep the buying public paying a certain price and not being able to drive "what the public will pay" in a way they might otherwise be able to.  When they unite, we have little buying power.:(

[nowthatsjustducky]

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@stonevintage wrote:

So, their resolution was not to lower prices.  They opened a 3rd location which is a new store combined with another huge warehouse that is open to the public for bulk sales.  No longer do they sell the unsold inventory to a 3rd party reshipper where that stuff goes overseas.  They liquidate it all out of their public warehouse now.  

That's why I mentioned that the chains price shop each others stores here.  It plays a part, I think, in some way to price fix and keep the buying public paying a certain price and not being able to drive "what the public will pay" in a way they might otherwise be able to.  When they unite, we have little buying power.:(

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Sometimes it feels like certain employees at these places have the mindset of "Well, I have to slave away for someone else just to make ends meet.  No sense making it easier for someone else to punch their own meal ticket and work for themselves."

[tunicaslot]

stone - I hear what you are saying and agree with you. I never started checking out the thrifts until about 2 yrs ago as I sold mostly NWT clothing. When the stores started raising their lowest prices ( items that use to go for $4.97 were now $7.97 ) and a couple of the stores like Sears went out of business near me - I switched to Thrifts.

Savers was a good source and had many promotions going all the time - but in the last 6 months - their prices have doubled. They are pricing on brand name - even if the shirt is holely rather than condition. Our SA has gone up a bit but you can still find bargains on 50% off Weds. The GW - one price for each category - no matter the name $6.99 for shirts, $8.99 for pants.

Don't I wish I could find winter coats for 49 cents - our stores have raised the cost of ties from 99 cents to - $1.99. That's why despite the fact - many who have garage sales want Macy's prices - I still find those that only want 25 cents - $1 an item. I have boxes of clothing to go thru and list - that I'm hoping will carry me through until next garage sale season - because if these things don't sell - I can afford to donate them or sell them cheap enough to cover my initial cost and fees.

Although there are resellers here - many of the customers are indeed frugal shoppers and the last time I was at Savers while they were having their 99 cent T-shirt sale - frugal buyers were having a hard time paying the prices they wanted on the other items. More than once I heard - for a couple of bucks more - I can get this new at the store.

Frugal does not mean poor either - I have a friend whose husband was a bank vice president who retired and got a job at a second bank as a VP before retiring again - but she is a frugal person and mostly shops the SA. She contemplates for 1/2 hr before spending $2.99 on a top.

[stonevintage]

Lynn,  that's crazy.  They're throwing money away and their dump fees have got to be sky high. 

[lookng2015]

When I cross the line into Idaho I never go any further than Post Falls for thrifts.

[stoc-rich]

Price gouging is a hoot. There is no such thing!.   I have been buying and selling sense 1962.  I owned a huge antique mall for years as a side business.   Any given item is worth what someone is willing to pay for it on any given day.    I have traveled the world and spend a lot of time in Australia and I even have a condo there.    In the United States we have more exta items in storage, basments, attics and stuffed in every crack we own then  the rest of the world.    Things have always been bery cheap here and they still are.   If you have ever been out of the country you know what thngs cost.   Used cars in most places of the free world cost more than new ones here.    When the recession hit and people had less money it drove the prices up all across the board.  The demand for used cars went way up.  Used car prices here have trippled.    Thrift sore prices went way up because of demand.  It is called Capitalisim and free trade.    It is economics 101 basics.  It is supply and demand.   The oil companies do not set the gas price.  Oil goes into almost everthing we own.   It goes out for bid.  When it goes up it is not the oil companies price gouging. It is a free market. If you need an item for future production you must out bid on the open market to obtain it.   Nothing else works.  Socialism and everything else makes prices artificial, unbalance and is controled by government.  This kills jobs the econemy and the desire to make ones self better.    That is not what a free socity is about.

You can buy fantastic cloths on sale new for a fraction of thier full retail price.  I for one would never buy used cloths.   You never wear someone elses shoes.   Not only the filth but eveyone walks differently and it is not good to walk in worn shoes.      If you don't like the price don't buy it.  You are free not to pay a price you think is to high. No one is holding a gun to your head and telling you to buy.   What is in style changes  all over the country and world.    What is in where you live might not be in somewhere else.   In the second hand business you make your money when you buy, not when you sell. It is what you know that makes you money.   I never buy name brand items and I dress very nicely.     I would never pay the high prices on what they call fashion.    What gets me here on Ebay is the insane prices people ask for things.  I see so many high end tools listed for more than what the new full list price.    Look up the price before you list.  Most things are not worth the price of shipping.    Shiping really relfects the price of an item.    If you sell move into things that are worth more.      Time is money.    Making a dollar an item takes a lot of time and fliping burgers will make you more money.    I know there are a lot of suckers that bid things way up and pay high prices.   You can tell the sellers that try to take advantage.    Just think how much more they could make if thier prices were fair.     The reason 90% of all small business go out of business are because they don't put the money back into the business and thier over head is so high thier items will not sustain the business model.   Stop grumbling.    The recession drove up the prices. It is not price gouging.  Only a person on the left would grumble about it.   A minimum wage job is for kids without job experience.  If you are 21 yeas old and still makeing minium wage you have already failed at life.    When you raise the minimum wage you only hurt the ones you are trying to help.   That is a fact.    Enough said.   I would hate to be you.  LOL

[nowthatsjustducky]

Both Nampa and Boise have some pretty good thrift stores.  Restyle is one of my favorites, though it has been years since I was last there.  They are a pet charity thrift store, and last time I was there, found sufficient good loot at decent prices; and was very tempted to adopt Shrek, this big handsome kitty they had on display for adoption near the checkout.

[southern*sweet*tea]

Fastened seatbelt

Grab the popcorn

Ready for ensuing uproar

[stonevintage]

Hahahahah!!!!!  Sorry, but I'm not gonna bite - the Warthog A10's will be zooming over my house in 45 minutes.  Eating a nice herb/italian dry salame (no nitrates), cheese radish salad.  Yum!!!!

[femmefan1946]

I don't deal in used clothing, mostly in books and in dress patterns.

I do buy some clothing for my own use and DD is fanatical about thrift shopping for herself.  When she finished university and needed a work wardrobe, she managed to buy over 60 garments for under $40.

I don't see much inflation in the price of patterns. The occasional time I will see Vogue Designer priced at $2 (Cdn) while most there (St Vincent de Paul) are one dollar.

But other shops are still pricing patterns in the 50-75 cent range.

DD now lives in a small town in central BC. On our last visit I was buying patterns for 10 -25 cents. Uncut factory folded vintage included!!

Books are another story. Value Village goes with a percentage of original cost, fine for readers but not for resellers. Salvation Army here in Victoria doesn't seem to get many books and price paperbacks in the dollar range. Vinnie's is better- do Catholics read more?- but still price from $1-$3 on paperbacks , from $3-10 on hardcovers.

Vinnie's is also better for my genre (SFF), usually with lots of stock.

The local charities are better on pricing. Women in Need and Beacon Community are staffed by volunteers who are 'flexible' about pricing.

This is an elderly city and quite prosperous, although we do have a homeless population. Beacon is particularly active with them.

Once a month I go up to Sydney which would be the place to go for furniture. Leather chesterfields for $100!! Again an elderly community, so they get a lot of stuff when the family puts Mother in the Home. Terrible on books, but great on sewing and knitting patterns.  Beacon, WIN and Vinnie's have shops there.