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:(

[emerald40]

Just read the first few sentences but I think you are misunderstanding me.

Not the handicapped employees, but the so called execs who are earning a $1,000,000 salary and running it into the ground..

[bacicat67]

If they are wise to the market they can turn a small purchase into a good $.  Even poor people can be enterprising. 

[emerald40]

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@bacicat67 wrote:

If they are wise to the market they can turn a small purchase into a good $.  Even poor people can be enterprising. 

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Ebay is so oversaturated and glitchy and for newbies your money will be held, and rampant scammers, if it were me and I had a few dollars I would use it for food or clothes for my family.

[mistwomandancing]

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@emerald40 wrote:

Not sure how people who do not have money for rent or food can afford to spend it in a  thrift on  the speculation that they can resell it.

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Denied the attempt to dig out of the hole?  Is this the one that goes "We'll give you some handout, but yank it back if we think you're spending any of it on the possibility of getting ahead."   (I admit I kinda' shake my head a little at a few who are so poor (you would say they were at voucher level) that they take aid for food, housing, utilities, transportation, etc.  They almost pay nothing for anything.  But their smokes.  And that beer sitting beside him on the front stoop. etc. but we are told to Judge NOT.)

But I sure would'nt look askance at one who had a spare few bucks of it all, trying to buy a couple of things that might be flipped for $10 or $20.  Just because some here can't sell as much as they'd like to, doesn't mean that this poor guy couldn't choose a couple of things that are good sellers and would bring him in a bit more than he'd started with.  Good head.  Good guts.  Good fortitude to try to help himself a little, if only a little.  So much better than sitting back, waiting for the next round of *vouchers* 

[emerald40]

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@mistwomandancing wrote:

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@emerald40 wrote:

Not sure how people who do not have money for rent or food can afford to spend it in a  thrift on  the speculation that they can resell it.

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Denied the attempt to dig out of the hole?  Is this the one that goes "We'll give you some handout, but yank it back if we think you're spending any of it on the possibility of getting ahead."   (I admit I kinda' shake my head a little at a few who are so poor (you would say they were at voucher level) that they take aid for food, housing, utilities, transportation, etc.  They almost pay nothing for anything.  But their smokes.  And that beer sitting beside him on the front stoop. etc. but we are told to Judge NOT.)

But I sure would look askance at one who had a spare few bucks of it all, trying to buy a couple of things that might be flipped for $10 or $20.  Just because some here can't sell as much as they'd like to, doesn't mean that this poor guy couldn't choose a couple of things that are good sellers and would bring him in a bit more than he'd started with.  Good head.  Good guts.  Good fortitude to try to help himself a little, if only a little.  So much better than sitting back, waiting for the next round of *vouchers* 

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Again if I only had a few dollars to my name, I would not be using them to speculate on ebay.  At least not the ebay of today.

[bacicat67]

wow, as others as responded, your missing the point. 

This is not me, but may be others.  You know if you go to Thrift you can use your marketing saavy to buy a good deal and make some money...more money to buy food or other needed items.  It's work - for sure, but it's worth it in the long run - even on ebay with all it's flaws.  

[stonevintage]

I hear ya.  I guess it's all a matter of perspective.  Those that have been on both sides get a different view.

Regardless, once you pay for an item and didn't steal or use any back room tactics, that item is yours to do whatever you will with it... doesn't matter where you bought it from.  Heaven forbid, people who haven't walked the walk dictate what can or cannot be purchased by any particular individual.  America:)

[emerald40]

Last time then I am done.

If Good will had told me, yes anyone who drives up can shop and then resell it for 5X I would have thanked them and hung up.

But they lied to my face and that is what I objected to and why I will no longer donate.

[trustedbasset]

I still go to thrift stores when they have OPDD (Old Peaples Discount Day).  I still find stuff that they don't have a clue about sometimes but it is getting harder.  I'm buying from local online auctions more and more. They are going up in price too. Estate sales are still the best place to find neat stuff if you get there first. Tha means waking up early  and heading out and getting in line. It's getting so competative. 

[emerald40]

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@bacicat67 wrote:

wow, as others as responded, your missing the point. 

This is not me, but may be others.  You know if you go to Thrift you can use your marketing saavy to buy a good deal and make some money...more money to buy food or other needed items.  It's work - for sure, but it's worth it in the long run - even on ebay with all it's flaws.  

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One last time.

And how much money would that be $10. $20. $100.

Would $10 make a difference.  And if you have $100 left over at the end of the week, why are you accepting food stamps?

[tunicaslot]

But em - we're different than a lot of people. At least I give them credit for having the initiative to try to make a little extra cash instead of spending it on beer, smokes and lottery tickets.

Here in the great state of NY - it pays to be poor. I've seen more of what I consider abuse of the system but it's perfectly legal. I know of several families who are poor and receive the free food, shelter, utilities, cable TV, internet, medical care ect - but kids are in private school, they've not once but twice been in job training programs and quit - all the while grandma is receiving a paycheck from the state for taking care of the kids while the parents are in these programs. Their kids take dancing, they go to special shows like Sesame Street Live - and they buy their clothes at Macy's - not the thrifts. 

I would rather see someone with enough gumption trying to better themselves and make a little extra money selling on Ebay than sitting on their behind while I'm paying their freight and unfortunately living just over that line where assistance would be available.

As far as these CEOs - they along with most politicians, TV stars and athletes are all overpaid at our expense - yet we continue to feed them.

[emerald40]

Here in the great state of NY - it pays to be poor. I've seen more of what I consider abuse of the system but it's perfectly legal. I know of several families who are poor and receive the free food, shelter, utilities, cable TV, internet, medical care ect - but kids are in private school, they've not once but twice been in job training programs and quit - all the while grandma is receiving a paycheck from the state for taking care of the kids while the parents are in these programs. Their kids take dancing, they go to special shows like Sesame Street Live - and they buy their clothes at Macy's - not the thrifts. 

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Report it.  My husband gets a lot of annonymous reports which he looks into it.  And if it can be proven that these people do not qualify, then they lose that aid, arrested if they lied when applying, and in most cases are ordered to pay it back.

[nowthatsjustducky]

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@emerald40 wrote:

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One last time.

And how much money would that be $10. $20. $100.

Would $10 make a difference.  And if you have $100 left over at the end of the week, why are you accepting food stamps?

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As just another little bit of food for thought...

It just occurred to me that an individual on any sort of public assistance, unless said individual is truly totally incapable of taking care of himself; needs to recognize their assistance as a bit of a buffer to relieve the stress of living hand to mouth, which makes you more able to focus on bettering yourself.

And while you have that buffer available, you can and should learn to budget and shop strategically and smartly, which then could leave enough left over to save or invest in stuff to resell yourself.  I would generously say that if after 6 months, you are still spending every last penny of the current month's benefits; and would be destroyed if you were to suddenly lose your benefits, then whatever assistance program you are on has actually failed; and those assistance resources should have gone to someone who was willing to seize the, if not golden then at least copper, opportunity for the peace of mind to be able to pull themselves up and eventually get off of assistance.

Anyway, point there was that it is possible to have some funds, though perhaps not a whole lot initially, left over to take the easy and often surefire gamble on a 50 cent or $1.00 treasure and flip it into a tidy profit, which funds more little investments, and so on and so on and so on.

Public aid is best viewed as a handup instead of just a handout.

[retrose1]

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@emerald40 wrote:

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@stonevintage wrote:

That's the trouble with thinking in black and white.  Last winter, I had no way to pay my monthly heating bills (over 200 mo).  I walked into the thrift with 20.00 and found a few obscure items that brought me over 1,200 in profits here.  These were lenses for specialty micro biology electronic microscopes.  I sold them to labs in Berkley Ca and some to a lab back East and a couple of individuals, retired but still dabbled in the field.

Paid my heating bills for the winter, yes, I made many times the money but I did not have to go on emergency public assistance for heating.  No, I'm not taking advantage of the poor.... I am the poor and I give back.

The thrift manager was worried about my finances and getting thru the winter and I share with her my "find" in her store.  She was so happy for me and not negative at all.  I have since donated items back many times my net on those sales.  That's the way it goes. 

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Stone I remember some of your posts.  From what I read it sounded like you would have qualified for assistance.

And I do remember those microscope lenses and followed those postings.

Didn't you just mention that in Idaho those who are in need are given vouchers.  Well maybe the thrift did not give you an actual one but you are the type I feel should have been shopping there.

And as far as taking that $20 and investing it in those lenses, not everyone is as cautious as you or as knowledgable.

I have read horror stories here about newbies buying a bunch of inventory with intent to selling it here and losing everything to scammers or it just not being sellable items that they have to practically give away.

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I do not understand.  One post you are against ebay resellers taking the valuable stuff out of the needy's mouths, and that the thrifts have bad employees that poorly price their item.

But then a few posts later it's ok for an ebay reseller to buy a mispriced item and cash in many times over.  As long as the reseller is 'investing' to pay bills and not buying to flip to put food on the table.

Your thinking is confusing.