Thrift store popularity increases along with their pricing.... :/

I have been buying second hand for decades. I love garage sales and second hand stores but lately now that they have become popular I am not enjoying it as much.

Many places have upped their prices to ridiculous amounts for USED items that are many years old! These people pricing think that because of the label it should cost just as much as it did new! Now being someone who has also always been into fashion I know my labels and I know when I'm being ripped off second hand. It seems these people who price look up an item and then price it based on the new price. Example. I was at the local Human Society thrift store and they had Season 1 of a tv show called The Commish, one I loved in the 90s. I was ready to buy it til she said it was $20 friggin dollars!! I ask her if she was serious on the price and her reply was "it's an entire season." This lady obviously has NO Idea how used items are sold or what the value is. This same DVD is only $5.99 NEW on Amazon! I told her this and she still wanted $20 bucks for it!! This place use to have reasonable prices but I have noticed they marked up a lot of things that use to be a decent price.

My other rant place is the Good Will. What a joke that place has become. I loved the Good Will before it became corporate and had paid employees. They charge ridiculous prices for their items now! Just a year and a half ago you could get tank tops for $1.59 and now they are $2.99!! They double almost everything!! I will not pay $15 bucks for a friggin VCR nor will I pay no more than $1 for VHS tapes! THey have all moved to big buildings and now have paid employees who obviously DONT want to be there and are rude. I loved the little old ladies who volunteered there instead, at least they wanted to be there!! Now I go in there and it's hot, smells and the line is always around the counter with one person checking out. It is ridiculous. I also found out that Target donates the items on clearance that don't sell and what does Good Will do?!? They try and charge MORE than what the item was at Target! I have taken the Good Will labels off to see the Target price underneath and they mark it up!! Um it was DONATED, they didn't pay for the items yet they want to charge more than what Target wanted to charge?! How messed up are they?! I will no longer be shopping there that is for sure. They even over price their handbags. Just because it says Nine West it doesn't mean it should be $30 bucks! You can get Nine West at many discount stores for half that now and Nine West is NOT the same brand it was 15 yrs ago!

I use to enjoy my second hand shopping days but now it's not so fun when you see an item you know is 10yrs old marked for what is currently costs new! The only places I have noticed that aren't price gouging are the church thrift stores. They have stayed true to what a thrift store is.

How can they charge so much for a used item that is many years old?! I get some items may be worth more but the majority of items at a thrift store are not worth that much! The items I do buy there like pyrex and old baking dishes I'd actually pay more if they marked it because those items are damn hard to find and are the best compared to stuff out today on the market. I have a huge pyrex collection, all second hand and I have probably only spent $75 bucks for all of it. My husband says I have too much lol but you can never have enough Pyrex cooking ware!


Anyone else notice this that is a avid second hand shopper?

I hear you, man the salvation army here is charging ridiculous prices for things that could just be bought new.
I thought it was supposed to be for the poor and impoverished people of our community.
They cant afford to buy things new, that's why they shop there.

Its all about the bens, there is no love for thy neighbor anymore....just corporate greed

reply to post by mblahnikluver



The answer to that is yard sales and trading amongst neighbors.

yes bud it was a topic of conversation the other day in my town .

we laughed that things were bad when the £ 1 shop has shut down .

but the second hand shop wants more for jeans etc than the local tesco store .

as you say not long ago they were only half the price .

and the thieft levels with all the europeans has gone through the roof from charity shops

reply to post by skepticconwatcher


People here are having yard sales every weekend, selling things at new prices. Just about all of them.
Don't get me wrong there are a few who understand that items 3 years old, while still having the original packaging is not NEW.
But they re few and far between these days.

Who would buy a gen one ipad for $200? how about a rear projection tv, HD of course.....for over 100?

the people are starting to mirror the corporations and pawn shops mentality.

Its sad that people are letting them selves be programmed.

Originally posted by shaneslaughta
I hear you man, the salvation army here is charging ridiculous prices for things that could just be bought new.
I thought it was supposed to be for the poor and impoverished people of our community.
They cant afford to buy things new, that's why they shop there.

Its all about the bens, there is no love for thy neighbor anymore....just corporate greed

Agreed!!

I always loved the Good Will, it was one of my favorites to shop at. Now though I don't like it at all! The atmosphere isn't the same anymore at all! The people are paid employees so they don't care, where when you had the volunteers they were always so sweet and helpful. It's definitely all about money now and profit. The pricing in there on many clothing items is no different than it being new! I mentioned tank tops being $3 bucks now well new ones at Wal Mart are $3.88! I shop around and always have with everything I buy. I always look for the bargain price and buy that item there. I haven't shopped at Wal Mart in years but with thrift stores charging almost new prices for basic tank tops Wal Mart is sounding better right now and I dislike Wal Mart!!

I don't shop in new stores right now because we have one income and I'm a stay at home mom. I should be back to work in the fall but until then I'm trying to save money and not spend it but when we need something I hit the second hand shops. I did find a lot of my maternity second hand and the pricing on them were great but they were also mostly found at church thrift stores where the pricing hasn't changed.


I think it's sad these companies are doing this. Many people relied on these places for items but when the pricing doubles and is comparable to new pricing it's not worth it nor can people afford it, esp those who can only afford to buy second hand. Heck when I was a kid we didn't have any money and my mom always took us second hand shopping and to garage sales. We loved it! She would give us a few bucks and we'd pick things out, back then a few bucks went a long way!

i blame hipsters

reply to post by mblahnikluver


I remember being a kid of the early 90's and being able to get penny candy at the stores.

Thats 100 gumballs for a buck, oh how i miss the easy care free days back then.

reply to post by haven123


why cause they buy $200 dollar torn jeans that look like they should be used for muzzle loader patches?

Originally posted by skepticconwatcher
reply to post by mblahnikluver

 

The answer to that is yard sales and trading amongst neighbors.

No that is not the answer.

Yard sale prices have become just as ridiculous in some areas, people think they will make a fortune selling their old stuff when in reality they are pricing the items too high. They would actually make money if the sold the item with the right price. I've been second hand shopping my entire life and worked in retail for 10+yrs. I am pretty good at the value of many things esp retail items and what people charge for a used worn item is ridiculous. IF something costs $20 bucks new and it's been worn and is a couple yrs old you do not charge $15 bucks for it! You charge a few bucks and move on. Some people fall for these prices and pay them but those are people who do not know the second hand market! A used item should not cost the same as it did new nor anywhere near the cost it was new. There are some exceptions with some brands but those brands are hardly found second hand!

Also trading amongst neighbors? Um yea don't know where you live but my neighbors are all old and retired. I don't even want to know my neighbors let alone trade amongst them. What could they possibly have that I would want?!

ebay uk is the same idiots are paying more second hand than the original price new what planet are some of these people on

I would like to see some of these people go buy a car and drive it off the lot, turn around and bring it back.

Sure we will buy it back from you, -20% deprecation value.

Deprecation people....its not a hard concept.


The real twist to this is that the cost of everything new is skyrocketing, so people expect top dollar for their junk.
If you sell your old junk for cheap it keeps more in the market, it should force the cost down on items.

I mean if its available already, they cant gouge you to death.

reply to post by shaneslaughta


Same here!

I went to a yard sale a month ago and couldn't believe what these people wanted for items that were clearly from the mid 90s! One was one of those projection tvs and they wanted over $100 bucks for it! It was huge and scratched up. I was like ok who is going to pay for this! I bought a 37 in Sanyo tube tv second hand for 10 bucks a while back and VCR for $3 bucks! I have the TV in my room, the VCR has since died but I was using it every day lol I had to buy a new one which I got a dvd/vcr combo for $7 bucks recently second hand. Good price too! I had the tube tv in the living room when I bought it at my old apt but my husband teased me about it so he bought me a flat screen for the living room and my tube tv gets the bedroom. Heck I don't care it works and I can still watch movies! I don't care if it's not HD or flat, that tv will out last the flat tv I guarantee! LOL


Many people who sell second hand have never really shopped second hand. They don't know how to price things and think the pricing they are doing is ok. I check items on various sites before I buy it. You can check places like Ebay or Etsy for items to see what the selling value is currently. If I can get it new for the same price or a few bucks more then I will buy it new, if it's a better deal used I buy it used. My husband says I'm very good at bargain shopping and is always commenting how I saved us money. It takes a little time to shop around but if you really want to save money and make it stretch it's worth it.

I have also checked pricing on items and gotten some killer deals second hand. Most of my killer deals are my kitchen items. I have one clay pot that is about $130 new and I paid $7 bucks for it! I also got a nice Italian stainless steel pasta maker for $8 bucks and new it's over $300 bucks! Both items were purchased at non profit thrift stores where everyone is a volunteer and the money goes to help children and families in the area. I have even told them some of their items are worth more than they price it for and they are not concerned with that. They want to help people not make money. One place I go to the lady who runs it volunteers 6 days a week, she isn't paid for her time but she is there every day with a smile! She said last year they raised over $25,000 dollars to help local families and that is why she volunteers. She is a sweet lady and as messy as her store is I enjoy going there. I stop by sometimes just to say hi as well. I also like to help organize the place but they only take people who are required to do community service as volunteers. I don't get that and tease her I won't commit a crime ot help organize the store. lol

Originally posted by haven123
i blame hipsters

I blame Mackelmore. lol


I can't stand that song btw.

Originally posted by shaneslaughta
reply to post by mblahnikluver

 

I remember being a kid of the early 90's and being able to get penny candy at the stores.

Thats 100 gumballs for a buck, oh how i miss the easy care free days back then.

Oh yea! We had a gas station on the corner and he had penny and nickel candy. It was the good candy too! Remember Neco Wafers? Those were 10 cents back then! TEN CENTS!! Now they are like a dollar! My mom would give us each a dollar and send us on our way. We'd be in that store forever picking out goodies and the old man that ran the place was as sweet as pie!

Oh how money seemed to go further then....lol

reply to post by mblahnikluver


Good on her for being a caring generous person, the world could benefit from a few thousand more of her.

The days of charity and volunteering are drawing to a close, as every one has taken after corporations.

I dont even thing charity is in the English language, is like speaking Greek to a Hebrew.

Originally posted by mblahnikluver

Originally posted by shaneslaughta
reply to post by mblahnikluver

 

I remember being a kid of the early 90's and being able to get penny candy at the stores.

Thats 100 gumballs for a buck, oh how i miss the easy care free days back then.

Oh yea! We had a gas station on the corner and he had penny and nickel candy. It was the good candy too! Remember Neco Wafers? Those were 10 cents back then! TEN CENTS!! Now they are like a dollar! My mom would give us each a dollar and send us on our way. We'd be in that store forever picking out goodies and the old man that ran the place was as sweet as pie!

Oh how money seemed to go further then....lol

MMMmmm....necco wafers. Candy was so good back then, now its filled with all manner of adulterants.
I digress.

reply to post by mblahnikluver


I recycle old jeans and make purses that I sell at craft fairs and on line. Usually I spend around $3 for a pair of jeans that I can get 3 purses out of, and sell for a mild profit.




Salvation Army has raised their prices so much it's ridiculous! They now want $14 for a pair of used jeans! Same with Good Will! Outrageous! Thank god for AmVets and small church thrift stores, where you can still get a good deal! You just have to shop around.

Oh and then there's this!,
Some Disabled Goodwill Workers Earn As Little As 22 Cents An Hour As Execs Earn Six Figures: Report

I now boycott Good Will and Salvation Army stores.

As a goodwill employee,and customer,I need to defend them a bit.Most of us have no clue as to what the prices should be retail.I work at a store in a high income area,and we get hi end stuff donated.
as mentioned in another reply,15 bucks for a vcr is hi,we price them at 7.99 if its nice,5.99 if its scuffed up.Not sure where you saw a rear projection big screen TV for 100,but anything analog,no matter the size,is a buck at our store.I just sold a 36 inch with DVD and VCR for 50 cents,as it was half price saturday!
As a shopper,I find some real bargains.I just bought a DiVinci home surround sound system,new in the box.MSRP was 1999.00.Thats what we would guess the discount off of,so we'd ask 200 at my store.This was marked at 49.99!! You bet I snagged it up! Got it on craigslist for 400 now.
As far as paid employee's go,we don't get much more than min wage.We are a non profit.Savers is for profit,and the things donated to Big brother/big sister,are sold to savers.We do have a quota system that annoys me a bit.In my dept,electrical stuff,I need to put out 150 items,with an average price of 6.50.Every department varies,but if we get junk donated,we scrap it,ruins our quota and sales target price.I have a cool manager that realizes that we won't get decent stuff every day,and cuts us some slack.Every store varies in pricing,depending on the sales numbers.

reply to post by shaneslaughta


Yes it was!

Remember the peanut butter crisps bars? They were small rectangular in shape and were white with brown stripes? They were slightly hard and chewy and PB flavored? OMG I loved those things and I can't find them anywhere!


I just bought Season 1 and 2 of "The Commish" on Amazon for a total of $5.52 for both and the lady wanted $20 bucks for the one season! She clearly needs to learn the ways of pricing used DVDs!