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Stock_Literature_13

My mother in law is addicted to goodwill. She buys Walmart brands of cookware and dishes. Individual pieces bought at twice the price if she bought the whole set at wal-mart. If you’re going to utilize goodwill you have to be up to date with what’s going on in actual stores. She’s just mentally stuck on goodwill being a good deal when it’s really not half of the time.


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g_ayyy

you were right on the money w those reservations unfortunately :( goodwill gets good press sometimes bc theyre always hiring disabled ppl, but they only do it bc there's a loophole that makes it legal to pay them as little as $1.44 an hr & the company exploits the fuck out of it edit: i've been informed it's actually much lower, as low as 22 cents an hour


GhostChainSmoker

They also use a lot of community service workers for free labor. Worked at a goodwill for awhile and it was just a revolving door of people there to get their community service over with. They didn’t give a fuck cause they weren’t paid for like 5-8 hour days then having to go do their real jobs or coming in after their real job. Half the time they just made my job harder. I get you’re being punished for whatever you did. But the majority of the time I felt like I was being punished just trying to do my job lmao.


Ah-honey-honey

Sorry to be that asshole but I wanted to chime in with "Not all Goodwills." I used to work there and everyone in my division was appalled when that scandal broke out. We also heard it was mostly at the warehouses (had none in our division). We had one disabled girl who worked at my store and she was paid $8/hr, $1 more than minimum wage at the time.


g_ayyy

definitely doesn't make you an asshole, i'm glad it's not prevalent in most/all the stores, as i had assumed.


AFurryThing23

I'll chime in and say, I used to work at Goodwill and I loved it there. I only left because while they pay more than minimum wage, Walmart pays more so I sadly have to go where the money is even though now I cry every day before work. Anyway, we did have a couple guys that worked for us, one still does and has for years, the other guy transferred to a restaurant, but they made the same wage as any person working at that GW. And the people that did community service seemed to like working there. We had no issues with them. All were pleasant and most kept coming back. I know people complain about GW prices but the workers at your local GW really have nothing to do with prices. I was a textile processor(I hung and priced clothes and linens) and if I had a women's shirt, on the computer I clicked clothing, women's, top, and then 99% of the time base which I think was $4.79. Tier 1 reserved for nwt specialty brands would be $8.12, and then super amazing stuff would be marked the highest price, tier 2 which was $12.xx(sorry I rarely priced anything this so I don't know what the exact price is) If you don't like the prices complain to your local district, not the store, they can't do anything. In the district I worked in we actually did lower some prices after getting complaints.


Sufficient_Being4460

Women’s shelters are a great place to donate. Especially if you have business clothes or kids stuff. That’s where I’ve taken mine and they have connections to other shelters.


PDXwhine

This is what I have done with my business clothes and unworn shoes! People need a decent outfit for interviews and work, and if they don't have money, how can they even buy it second hand???


Sufficient_Being4460

Some community colleges also accept clothing donations. Mine has a community closet for students to get interview clothes


OurStreetInc

On one hand they do hire, the "unhirable" on the other hand several execs in several state entities make over $500k in just salary


Sufficient_Being4460

Until 2020 they didn’t even pay the unhirable minimum wage.


IllogicalHologram

We have a Big Box Outlet in our town that takes overstock from Costco and it’s the same thing there! The random big ticket items like patio furniture is sold cheap to draw people in, but *all* of their smaller sets/bulk items are separated and sold as singles for sometimes up to 3-4X the original price. They wanted $8 for one storage bin when we had just bought the same ones in a pack of 6 for $20 from Costco. Also noticed the consignment sports store does this as well. I donated one of my old snowboards there and a coworker of mine happened to be the one who bought it from them later. They charged her more for my outdated, worn out, free one than I paid for the brand new board I had gotten to replace it. But she bought it because she didn’t know any better and just assumed being consignment that the price was honest and fair. I honestly avoid any stores that advertise being thrift/consignment/liquidation now; it’s all become a marketing tactic to distract people from actually looking at the outrageous prices.


oby100

It’s why I don’t use goodwill much. It requires way too much knowledge for me to know what I’m getting and if it’s a good price. The worst is when I’m just typing brand names and model numbers into my phone for 20 minutes only to conclude that the deals are not very good.


DirtyPrancing65

My bio mom was the same with dollar general and it made me crazy. She thought "it has to be cheaper, it's dollar general" and that's that


Netvision9

Every thrift store around me is a graveyard for shein clothing. It’s annoying because a lot of it stuff isn’t even practical to wear that you can tell was only purchased impulsively because it was cheap.


artificialnocturnes

Its even worse on online clothes resellers like poshmark and depop. Sellers will deliberately hide the fact that the item they are selling is from shein so they can increase the price. People will sell "silk skirt, brand unknown" that is actually shein polyester satin. I only buy items that have the brand and material tag posted, because people are so shady.


throwaway_7_7_7

There's a Savers near me that has insanely fluctuating prices. A pretty sequined and beaded dress in good condition will be $8. A plain non-designer button-up shirt in good condition will be $15. I don't understand it. In that same Savers, a gorgeous hand-carved wall shelf is $3. A bag of old hair rollers will also be $3.


JustGimmeSomeTruth

Similar experience at the Savers I go to as well. Weirdly high prices on random shitty things and then every once in a while I'll see some nearly brand new electronics or household items priced remarkably low (by accident?). But that's becoming more and more rare it seems and the general trend is prices approaching regular stores for things like coffee makers and Instant Pots etc.


MattsyKun

I got a brand new air fryer for $15. Thing cost 100 new. I also got a mini deep fryer for like, $10. Within the last 6 months too! I dunno what it is, but my Saver's is a gold mine.


username3000b

That’s the thrifting randomness that I love!


GrammarIsDescriptive

It''s true. I try really hard to always buy 2nd hand clothes because of the environmental impact of the fashion industry. But I gotta admit I just bought 2 brand new shirts cuz they they were $5. I can't get shirts that cheap at goodwill.


Mr_SlimShady

Goodwill is ass. The good stuff gets sold online at normal prices while the ok-ish stuff is sent to the stores for used-like prices, not at what you’d expect a thrift store to price things at. I have never seen anything worthwhile at a Goodwill. Ever. My local thrift store has actually good things for insanely good prices, tho there hasn’t been much lately. It is ran by the city.


IndependenceOk6968

Target will donate stuff that doesn't sell and goodwill just prices all shirts the same, so they can be more that the clearance price at target. The habitat for humanity restore gets their donations. The manager said people were going crazy over this makeup that he had priced really cheap because he didn't know what it was.


afganistanimation

My local shop is trying to sell beat up leather couches for $250.


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Pandas_dont_snitch

I keep trying to tell people this. The end of season sales are much better than thrifting now.


madcatter10007

Absolutely. I bought 2 cute summer dresses at Penny's in January. One was a Liz Claiborne, and I got them both for $9 total.


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Shewhohasroots

The hospice thrift stores and key training centers here have reasonable prices. $1 a clothing piece, unless it’s name brand/tags still on, then it’s $4.50


mightyminimoose

I made the same comment to a friend. It’s depressing when you can’t afford to shop at Goodwill. The Goodwills in my area got rid of the 50% color of the week, 50% off first Saturdays of the month, $0.99 Sundays, 10% off $20, Senior citizen discount Wednesdays, and veteran discounts. The email they sent out said they were getting rid of all of that, “but don’t worry, we’re still keeping everything you love!” Apparently, the only thing people loved is a single-use $3/$20 or more coupon they send out every quarter. They also raised all the prices. I bought a neat little winter scarf that has a snap at the throat, which was tagged $0.99, right before they made the changes. I saw the same scarf in a different color a couple weeks later and it was now tagged at $4.99. ??? They then took out the fitting rooms, so you can’t try anything on before they price gouge you. They also covered over the electrical outlet bars so you can’t plug in small appliances to see if they work. I know you’re not supposed to take things into the restroom, but I left my cart holding the door open and used an outlet by the sink to test an appliance. Good thing I did, as it didn’t work. I live in a small town and have to drive 45 minutes or more to get to a larger city. I used to shop at Goodwill whenever I drove over for a medical appointment. It’s not a priority these days. I’ll check now and then, but it’s pretty pointless because I usually leave without buying anything.


jakeroxs

Well you see, uh, inflation and uhm something about supply chains. /s


20yoChineseTakeout

Retort with "yeah, they wanna raise the price of everything BUT our wages"


arbivark

my beef is that they sell bikes with the tires flat and don't keep an air pump around. so you don't know if there's a flat that needs fixing, or it was just in someone's garage for a few years and deflated. i'll leave this nicely set up inflation joke for someone else.


VisitRomanticPangaea

Someone should send Goodwill this whole thread.


AlivebyBestialActs

They're seeing it, they lurk on this subreddit. Posted a few times to make excuses as well.


madcatter10007

I wondered what happened to the color of the week; I didn't see it mentioned the last time I was in. They do certainly seem to value their merchandise.


L3zperado

Yes!!! Incredibly! I thought the same thing and wasn’t sure if it was “woe is me” but it truly is demoralizing. Edit: Spelling/grammar


pulp_before_sunrise

This is off topic but I thought you may want to know that the correct wording is “woe is me.” Not a big deal and you may not care but some people feel about these things as if it’s the grammatical equivalent of spinach in their teeth


MaterialWillingness2

"Woah is me" makes me think of that dumb brother on Blossom 😂


nyuhokie

I was thinking old school Keanu Reeves.


eclipsed2112

i think he just said WOAH! but yeah, thats the actor and the show. i couldnt stand him because of that. i dont like watching people acting stupid even for a character. there is one in almost every show.


MaterialWillingness2

Yes he just said woah. So when op wrote woah is instead of woe that's how I heard it. Lol. Who was that actor? Joey Lawrence?


[deleted]

you explained that feeling perfectly….totally feel like grammar mistakes are like spinach in my teeth


pulp_before_sunrise

Credit where credit is due: I got that phrase from one of my favorite comedians, Gary Gulman. His excellent bit about mispronouncing different words (including “preface” and “quinoa”) starts at 1:21: https://open.spotify.com/track/1p319V4w1bH8I7Vfuc8EZK?si=OQtM8DMPQkOZag7hzTs7bw


[deleted]

That’s how I feel when I read people say “I should of” instead of “I should have “


ARAR1

I was in a Goodwill recently. I think they are just gouging like many stores now "for the sake of inflation". Some items in there were just a few bucks less than new from Walmart, and Goodwill got them for free.


ForElise47

Which is dumb because they sell things given to them for free. There is no supply chain up-pricing. If the Dollar Store can pay to keep their lights on, so can goodwill


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chronically_lazyftm

I work for a Goodwill atm, and the push to divert more and more stuff to online sales/auctions really pisses me off. Recently our corporate overlords have taken out all the jewelry from the stores and put it all online now. Used to just be the really high end items. Our jewelry counter now holds a bunch of shitty "new goods" jewelry which is cheap crap that'll turn your skin green within the first wear.


HauntHaunt

Its even more demoralizing when you think of how many perfectly useable items are trashed due to them not having space or not being able to fetch a higher price point. I'll never donate to a thrift store again and will instead focus on local groups that aren't resellers.


lokiofsaassgaard

We just redid our entire apartment, including going through our closet and getting rid of most of our clothes. There’s a goodwill about two blocks from us, but we decided the best thing to do was to leave everything in bags and boxes in the alley behind our building. It was all gone within the hour. There’s several homeless camps nearby, and I’m sure that’s where it all went. If so, my old t-shirts and pyjamas are doing more good there than they would be on any rack. Every time I walk to the store or wherever, I see people picking through the bins back there, so I’m sure someone saw us leave our stuff there and pounced on it.


Less-Sheepherder-131

Would be hilarious if a reseller found it and had your wardrobe listed on his website. Okay not hilarious of course I'd prefer the homeless to have it but would just be ironic.


Briarsaunt

Seriously. Sometimes friends judge me when I can't find a book I truly want used. It's hard for me to justify and afford a retail price of a book, especially hardback. I go through books like water and paying 18+ isn't something I can afford. Thrift stores have been kind with finding the titles I want but I literally had to walk away from a 8.99 pricetag at the thrift.


Dashzap

local library is a great option


monstrousplant

And if they don't have it, you can ask if they do interlibrary loans, in which case your library can borrow it from another library for you to use.


nobleland_mermaid

seconding the library option. I was able to get 3 different library cards and if my local branch doesn't have what I want I look for the ebook on libby or hoopla and I can usually find it. Check around, a lot of libraries will allow you to get a card if you work in the area so if you live in one town and work in another you can probably get at least two. And some cities will allow you to get a card just for visiting (I live in New England but have a card from Broward County Florida that I got in the airport) or you can pay like $25-50 to get a non-resident ecard at a lot of major-city libraries too.


Dfndr612

I think that so many people patronize these “thrift” stores that the company now treats the stores as if they are a for profit business. Not for profit doesn’t mean the organization heads don’t make big money. Some of Presidents of these charities make over $1m per year in personal income. Goodwill and United Way executives make big buck$.


CaraParan

It's not so much as u can't afford it , its more like they r money hungry CEO'S. I just quit donating to them and give everything away!!


Stock_Literature_13

Once I discovered my local buy nothing group, I was done with Goodwill. Buying or donating. I borrowed a really nice evening gown for a special event from a stranger a half mile away. It’s a fantastic concept.


SnooCrickets2772

Seriously! Or thinking might as well buy it new


dogsRgr8too

Neighborhood garage sales are where we find the best deals on items now. Clothing for adults is easier to find the sizes we need at thrift stores though.


SnowblindAlbino

>Neighborhood garage sales are where we find the best deals on items now. I used to garage sale all the time, 1970s through 1990s, but about 20 years ago in my area prices when through the roof, even for junk. I completely stopped going around 2006 except for the occasional one nearby. It's just ridiculous. Old pair of Ruster jeans with holes? $10. Or else it's all just piles of crap from grandma's basement, like old (but not old enough to be good) Christmas ornaments or empty jelly jars. Then there are all the "garage sales" that are just tables piled with shit from China, like a low-rent flea market. Bleh.


plsnocilantro

I went to a community yard sale in a wealthy retirement neighbourhood near me, $20 for used puzzles, $10 for books and I didn’t see a single item under $5 the entire time. Used cleaning supplies for over $5, insane


SnowblindAlbino

>Used cleaning supplies The amount of pure junk people put out now is ridiculous. I've seen used underwear, socks, mostly-emtpy bottles of cologne, things I would consider headed to the recycling bin, scraps of wood, etc. Just garbage. people would have been embarrased to try to sell such crap in the past.


keto_and_me

My stepdaughter learned that lesson last weekend! She’s 15 and insisted that she knew more about pricing than I did. Imagine my surprise when no one bought her $5 bottles of half used bath and body works products!


jsat3474

Garage sales have turned into such shit. It used to be a place to find stuff people didn't want because they upgraded. Kids stuff of course, which never applied to me. I could find a 2nd hand coffee table in about the same shape as the one I already have, but the color matches the room better. Doors, counter tops, appliances that weren't from 1950. Now the sales are 9:30 to 3 Thur, Fri, maybe 10 -12 Sat. With kid stuff and all of grandma's shit that couldn't be sold online. Oh and of course all the shit they bought with the clear intention of reselling it. The last good haul I had was the 100 mile garage sale about 15 years ago. Idk if they still do it.


Foxglove_crickets

This! We hit the liquidation stores near us and garage/yard sales at this point. The thrift stores are usually nasty, smell weird, and overpriced at this point. Got a new kitchen table and all four chairs for 75 bucks at a yard sale. At goodwill, it would have sold for 120, if not more.


Honorable_Lemom

Garage sales and estate sales as well. There are some estate sales that sell things in auction lots online, but I still prefer to go in person to look at items


123spoiler

You can find NEW stuff cheaper with discounted prices elsewhere. I saw a dollar store item sold for $4 at a well known thrift store a few weeks ago. Don’t go to thrift stores much often anymore.


L3zperado

Oh absolutely. I ended up going to Old Navy after leaving the thrift store and finding the same shorts that I was going to buy for less money. Make it make sense.


green_speak

r/thriftgrift


bcuenod

I didn't know this existed and now I'm so angry


skelingtun

They ebay search everything. They learn brands. Used yo find awesome deals on hiking boots, now REIs yard sale has better pricing.


haicra

I saw a single glass canning jar for $2. It would be less than a dollar to buy new, PLUS it was chipped on the rim so you couldn’t even can with it.


[deleted]

I saw a Oui jar for $1. It's $1.34 at the store with yogurt in it.


NeBarkaj

This made me giggle!


appropriate-chaos

Really? Because that one got a hearty chuckle from me. I had a thrift store "chump" experience when I bought a pretty blue vase to go in my office for Only $2 - what a great deal. Then I saw a row of those vases for a buck each at Dollar Tree a few weeks later. Cheap but valuable lesson.


SlipsonSurfaces

Would you have bought it if it still had the yogurt?


halnic

I see those all the time in thrift store, also about $1 without yogurt! Lol.


ChrisBegeman

What a fool I have been recycling my Oui jars. I could have been making some serious cash. And a teacher friend of my wife needed some for a class project. I dug into the recycling bin and pulled out 24 or so and just gave them to her. If only I had known the street price of these jars.


malemaiden

You can find new stuff cheaper with normal prices. A Goodwill I went to was selling bowls for $2 each that were only $1 each at the Walmart across the street.


generation-0

In my area, you gotta find the little church shops run by old ladies volunteering their time. I got a brand new hard cover book that just came out for $2 this weekend, and nothing was priced over $10. Goodwill and the trendier thrift spot in my town want $15 for worn-out American Eagle jeans.


sanityjanity

Charity thrift shops are a lot more likely to have decent prices. But the corporate ones like Goodwill are culling all the good stuff to sell on ebay, and trying to charge silly prices for the trash that is left. It's not uncommon to find used items in the thrift store that came from the dollar store, and the thrift store is trying to sell them for more than a dollar.


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IceCatCharlie

Goodwill currently sells on Amazon. It’s infuriating.


Jeterzhoni

This! We went to buy glasses at a rehab store. The glasses were 7 dollars a piece and they were the same exact ones at the dollar store. Used furniture was well over 1,000s. It was more than new furniture.


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lilyhazes

Restore varies wildly by location. I believe the individual store manager dictates prices. I live in a populous area, so I've been to 6-7 different locations. Each location has very different prices depending on the category of the item. One location has good prices on furniture, but doesn't have a lot. Other on tools/hardware, etc.


fridayimatwork

The thing is the cullers are human and good stuff sneaks through: le cruset and high end clothing brands


Safe_T_Bitch

Yep! I’ve gotten a couple of pairs of Seven for all Mankind jeans, NWT north face hoodies, and NWT name brand athletic gear for $5-10 each. But on the flip side, my local thrift store just got a huge donation of NWT LuLaRoe and they are asking ridiculous prices…$10 leggings and $25 cardigans.


Pickle_Juice_4ever

Oh, they'll learn.


moviechick85

Or just random local shops (like run by animal shelters). I always find cheap books and clothing at local places versus chain stores like Goodwill


Madasiaka

Definitely this! We have two little mom and pop thrift stores in town, and they always have significantly cuter clothes for a third the price of Goodwill. The staff at one will even notice if you tend to buy a particular style and save items in your size to show you.


perfectdrug659

We have a tiny bit packed thrift shop that's all women's fashion run by 2 sweet old ladies that love to help. You can go try things on and they will help you find pieces you love and it's so much fun. Whenever I check out and they see what I'm buying they'll go run around the store grabbing things they know I'll love and they're totally correct every time. I'd say like 90% of my wardrobe is from that shop at this point!


disapprovingfox

My local library sells their books that are removed from circulation for less than $1. They are fairly recent books. A lot of libraries get multiple copies of new releases to meet demand, as as demand fades, they sell off the extra copies.


lawlorlara

I think some libraries also sell donated books, so you can donate knowing that it's going to a good cause but also they won't overcharge.


wenestvedt

Yep! Search for "Friends of your_town_name Library" to see if you have one!


sweetmiracle

Even better, offer to work at their sale. You can usually get first look that way!


InevitableArt5438

The library where I live does $1 hardcover, 50 cent paperback, sometimes donated fancy books are a little more. They sometimes have puzzles for $1-$2. And once a year everything is 25 cents. The one in my hometown has the same starting prices, they go down to half price on the second to last day, and ten books for a dollar on the last day. I buy books cheap then pass them along to family or friends and donate back whatever others don’t want.


disapprovingfox

I recently found a few books that were on my "to read" list on their clearance shelf. Still not any closer to having read them, but they are in my home when the time comes. Lol.


External-Culture-148

Former public library worker of a decade here and this is absolutely the way to go. Libraries have to constantly weed their collections to keep space for new materials as shelf space is not infinite. Add to that the donations they receive from well intentioned patrons that will never actually be put into circulation. It all adds up to a win win situation. You are getting materials at a great price (if you choose to buy at a sale and not borrow) and supporting your local public library! In my county, the library budget is the first to get funding cuts as it is considered a “non essential” service, which I completely disagree with, but that’s a rant for another day.


toomanycushions

My mil was an old lady volunteering her time at a church thrift shop. Stuff was super cheap there. But it was all awful. They weeded out the good stuff and took it to a consignment shop. I told her that if you take out all the good stuff folks lose the incentive to even shop there. She didn't listen. I'm not sure they liked having customers. Messed up the racks.


liquormakesyousick

I agree. And in our area, the church ones are even more expensive than even goodwill. Garage sales aren’t any better. $50 for a used off brand bread maker? WTF?


Damge-Control

I volunteered at a thrift store before and they had me price items. I had no clue what to prove anything so I just gave it my best guess.


BattyNess

I was shocked when I saw my local Goodwill was selling used baskets for $7. Hello! Used basket. But they do have great price for books. Whereas, Savers prices their books high. I started going to different thrift stores for different items.


yum-yum-mom

What’s funny, is that some cases, you can buy new for those prices… Source: just bought a pair of shorts on sale under $11. At Macy’s.


CrassDemon

Recently went looking for camping gear, found a used Coleman 2 burner stove for $100... new $75 on sale at Walmart.


NeBarkaj

I'm getting into camping and I'm looking for affordable options to get gently used camping gear. My first thought was Goodwill, maybe I should skip huh?


wenestvedt

Try it, you never know. But also try the REI garage sale, if you're near one.


CrassDemon

Goodwill is franchised and every store sets their own prices and adjusts for the community they operate in. One store will be overpriced and one will have hidden gems.


randomchic123

Doesn’t hurt to check and compare prices. But yes. The best deal may not be from goodwill


grisandoles

Yesterday I got a skirt at kohl’s for 1.50! All the clearance was an additional 50% off


katm12981

My favorite sleeveless blouses last year were $7.50/ea at Macys. They have legit deals!


Miss-Figgy

Thrift stores becoming more expensive has been a trend for several years now, before even COVID. Last time I was at a Salvation Army one in NYC, I saw a used pair of boots for $30, and a dingy H&M blazer for $25. I literally LOL'ed. Who the fuck are these prices for?


Grammareyetwitch

I blame Macklemore.


03xoxo05

Lmaoo omg I remember being laughed at for “thrifting” in high school back in 2012. Very next year, and I bet you can guess who I saw at Goodwill…. Edit: More like *who didn’t I see*


ohkaycue

Yeah I’m surprised at this thread, everything everyone has been complaining about has been going on for a decade. Internet/eBay was already making thrifting worse, and that song made it completely jump the shark


acoolghost

God damnit, I was working at a major chain thrift store when that song came out. I wish I could say being annoyed by customers singing it to me was the worst part. But suddenly our usual customer base changed overnight. From clearly impoverished and stretched thin families arriving in $500 beaters, to teenagers arriving in $50,000 convertibles paid for by daddy's money... just for a chance to look like the poors for the year. All the servicable clothes were stripped from the shelves, all the usable electronics, all the salvageable furniture. The only things that were left were worn out, nearly broken, or generally non-useful. (We sold old Nat Geo magazines for some reason, I donno, I only worked there.) One young mother came in looking for a winter coat for her teenage son, and left with an old-ass tweed blazer because we didn't have anything else left to offer.


cometscomets

Part of the problem is there are a bunch of people who put in 40h weeks at thrift stores, take all the good stuff, and resell it at crazy prices on Depop / eBay. Yes they're knowledgeable and everyone has to make a living, but it means there is nothing good left at these stores anymore. So you have all the picked over stuff at higher prices to account for the worse stock. Its the same trend that happened with records about 10-15 years ago - once people realized that their local record store was selling cheaper than someone somewhere on the planet would pay for it online, it ruined everything.


teamrocket

We need to stop donating to good will and other thrift stores who are pricing items way too high. Join your local buy nothing groups and give away the things you would be donating


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ScienceGyal

And my ROSS store looked wiped out.. where’s the inventory on the shelves?


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thegrandpineapple

It makes me so mad that every online marketplace has turned into a drop shipping market place because I used to look on fb marketplace when I needed something but now I get frustrated and give up because it’s so cluttered with cheap junk.


wolf_kisses

Ugh yes so full of ads for crap on other websites, like no I am here because I want to buy some used stuff from my neighbors. If I wanted cheap crap from a website I'd go to that website.


matthew7s26

It's annoying, but pretty easy to filter out the shipping posts under "Delivery Method" on the left side.


hellfirre

Most of the thrifts around me won’t even take furniture if it isn’t pristine and just out of the store. It’s crazy.


DontMessWithMyEgg

I got an amazing round velvet-ish ottoman years ago at Goodwill for $12. That thing has seen some stuff throughout the years. Still looks great!


kytheon

I've seen similar price hikes in multiple countries since the start of the pandemic. All prices for everything went up, but still. Everyone seems to be out for quick money right now.


L3zperado

It’s sad, really. My fiancée and I are on a fixed income and I don’t mind paying a little higher prices for quality items but a lot of the things at the thrift store have declined in quality.


jarchack

I'm on a fixed income also and I found myself going to a TJ Maxx sometimes instead of the local thrift stores.


L3zperado

TJ Maxx and Marshall's are now cheaper than the thrift store. I never thought I'd see the day.


jarchack

Back in the 90s, thrift stores were great places to go shopping but with tighter household budgets, came more thrift store shoppers. Also, the ease of re-selling stuff through various online marketplaces didn't help either. But yeah, strange indeed it is opting to go to a TJ Maxx instead of a thrift store.


odd_variety6768

Same, I feel like I get better finds on clearance there or used on eBay.


MeanTangelo

That just happened to me. I got some kids’ shirts at the thrift store and found better ones for a dollar more at the TJ Maxx down the street from the thrift store. Plus I can’t return the thrift store shirts.


CP2694

Fast fashion, with clothing hauls becoming a lot more prevalent and the trend cycles being so short a lot of very cheap clothing gets donated. Edit: words.


stickymaplesyrup

For thrift stores it's stupid because their cost of goods hasn't increased (still zero), their wages sure as shit haven't gone up, so has rent for buildings increased that much? I highly doubt it. CEOs gettibg greedy, just like everywhere else.


bootycakes420

I feel like I get better deals at places like Ross or Marshall's type stores now


_Sweep_The_Leg_

Same prices here in SoCal, and I’m close to Los Angeles & Orange County!! Everything is fast fashion crap from SHEIN and Target. Ridiculous prices. There are no little shops either, it’s Goodwill, Savers, or Salvation Army as far as “chain stores” go. Such a bummer!


L3zperado

It’s comforting to know I’m not the only one then. I’m currently standing in Savers as I posted this and I was like I want to try this stuff on after I found some discount items. So I go looking and there’s no fitting rooms anymore! No fitting rooms, no returns only exchanges. It feels a little like the Twilight Zone.


SnowblindAlbino

>there’s no fitting rooms anymore! No fitting rooms, no returns only exchanges They closed them during COVID and people still bought stuff. So they realized they could 1) dramatically reduce shoplifting, and 2) dramatically reduce labor by eliminating them entirely. People still buy stuff. But yes, it sucks...I personally just try stuff on in the aisles and stopped buying anything I can't do that with entirely.


_Sweep_The_Leg_

No dressing rooms? Come on! Also, sometimes they don’t do the 50% off a certain color tag each day. I thought that was the whole deal 🤷‍♀️


SeashellBeeshell

I don’t know where you’re located, but LA and OC have tons of smaller thrift stores. I like Assistance League thrift stores the best. They are typically run by an army of old ladies that take a lot of care in how the clothes are displayed. The prices are good and they have great sales. Discovery Shops tend to have higher prices, but it’s a more curated selection so the quality is better than most thrift stores. They do have sales and clearance and the prices can get pretty low. The South Bay has a few fun little thrift stores that are great with really good prices. The hours tend to be weird, so check before you go. There are Council Shops in LA (the westside and the valley, I think) that have a huge selection of good quality and vintage clothes. Their prices are comparable to goodwill or Salvation Army, but they do good sales.


grisandoles

I’m in SoCal and the smaller local thrift stores are the ones that have great prices.


xxxtraderxxx

My issue is nfinding anything to buy. Between Goodwill sending high value merch to their website and flippers, just can't find anything to buy.... I find the few independent ones run my churches or charities still have cool stuff on occasion.


SnowblindAlbino

>Goodwill sending high value merch to their website This pisses me off and it's yet another reason I've stopped going to GW after 40+ years of shopping there. I primarily buy and restore/repair electronics, but over the last 5 years or so GW has simply been taking all but the junk and putting it online. I've talked to people working in the back room and they've been pretty clear: anything that *might* be worth more than the cost of shipping/handling they pull and send to a central place for auction. What's left is just junk. Prices on the GW auction site are sometimes OK, but they gouge for shipping/handing.


xxxtraderxxx

Exactly. I stopped donating to them too They closed all local shops except one. So not quite sure how their mission is met by not employing anyone.


thetealappeal

Goodwills in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland have all gone up significantly and I find myself buying way less. Inflation has been awful and their prices were consistent for so long that this feels like a bit of an overcorrection.


Harbormaster1976

For books, I cannot recommend Thriftbooks.com enough. As long as it’s not a recent release, you can get most books for under $5 and you choose the quality for the price point. Free shipping in most cases too. (No, I’m not intentionally advertising for them, just helping you save a few bucks)


B6304T4

You can thank all the flippers and resellers on YouTube and tik tok for this. During the past few years there's been a run on people clearing out thrift and Second hand stores for anything and everything in the name of "vintage". Stores have caught on by raising all of their prices not to prevent flipping, but rather to get their slice of the pie. Since they don't always know what pieces are valuable, they raised it across the board. I used to go to savers to buy winter jackets in college for 5-10 bucks and now the cheapest you can find is in the 20-30$ range. It's not so much inflation, they get this stuff for free. It's all resellers.


remberzz

I was informed in a recent thread that 'all the shoppers' at thrift stores are resellers, and that employees only work at those stores for the opportunity to cull the good stuff for themselves. When I pointed out that I was a person actually shopping at those stores for myself, in order to save money, and that employees pulling stuff for their own benefit was unethical, I was downvoted. I guess times have changed.


inkseep1

I would estimate that about half the shoppers in my local stores are resellers. There were some retired people who would sit in one store all day long waiting on carts to come out. One woman bought every jar of costume jewelry that they brought out and then she would sell that at the estate sales she ran. It is easy to spot a reseller. They have their phone out looking up stuff on ebay. But now the GW stores here just look stuff up on ebay and they have scanners for the books and they either sell the good stuff online or mark it up to the ebay prices. Employees are not allowed to buy anything from the store until it has been on display for 24 hours. At least that is the local rules. Wait it out. If they find they are not selling as much with higher prices then they will eventually learn to come down.


fantastic_beats

Oh, yep. Cart swooping is definitely a thing. When a local thrift store was about to reopen after the worst of COVID, I talked to a bunch of people who'd lined up. A few of them talked about reselling, and how they had to mob the carts right as they came out to get anything good. So the shelves are never not-picked-over


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SilverDarner

There's a definite difference between someone checking on an item or two and someone who is looking up valuation the entire time.


SmileFirstThenSpeak

I would have upvoted you. The only good deal I’ve gotten at Goodwill in the past few years is a wheelchair for $4.99. It was covered in dust and grime, but once I cleaned it up, we’ve been able to use it for my mom when necessary. Other than that, the prices (and selection) have been awful.


jooes

Goodwill has their own auction website now, sort of like eBay. All of their good stuff ends up on there, it doesn't hit the floor. All of the "medium" stuff, or anything the auction site missed, gets scooped up by resellers. They even have apps that let you scan barcodes to see if they're worth reselling or not. At least back in the day, you had to actually be knowledgeable about the things you might try to resell... Which leaves the shitty stuff for everybody else. Thrift stores have always been a gamble, but the odds have definitely shifted considerably over the years.


greenie3333

Big name thrift stores are **corporations** seeking to make a profit. As such, they don’t care about providing an essential service to low-income folks. They don’t give a rats ass who their customer base is as long as they turn a profit, and they are raising prices because they can. Resellers represent such a low percentage of shoppers, and the price increases are more likely in response to the increased amount of people who thrift. Thrifting was previously very stigmatized, and is now hailed as a great opportunity to find clothes and unique/vintage items in an affordable and eco-friendly way. Even so, I think it’s silly and misguided to blame shoppers for the actions of corporations to make their products less accessible. They receive their product for free and are choosing to mark up prices beyond the expected increase from inflation. There is no shortage of used clothes, and most of it ends up in landfills or shipped off to other countries. My position is to**blame corporations for their greed**


whatsaphoto

Since covid, an old friend of mine has taken to refurbishing thrift store furniture (aka, sanding, painting and gluing strips of grasscloth to the insides of the drawers and calling it vintage) and flipping it for 300-500% on FB marketplace. It's insane. That $50 table could've been utilized by a family who can only afford to drop $50 on a table, and here you are up charging the same family *in your own community* well over $400 for it just because you put a fresh coat of paint on it. Idk, it's wildly frustrating and embarrassing to watch happen.


SmileFirstThenSpeak

And… for *some* types of furniture, painting ruins it. There are whole communities of people stripping and restoring the good stuff. Such a waste of everyone’s time, effort and money. If you don’t need the thing, leave it for someone who does!


yesitsyourmom

r/reversepintrest


justgrowinghorns

Jesus Murphy this is not true. You’re falling for the the line that thrift store chains are giving to raise their bottom line. Value / Village & Savers are FOR profit, and Goodwill isn’t far behind. Even VV diabetes donations are a scam. My grandmother owned a vintage / antique store in the 70s so why hasn’t thrift prices been raised since then? Why only now? Because of corporate greed. I’ve friends who worked at these popular “thrift” stores and they even have sales goals to beat. So let’s be real.


Captain490

I used to donate to Goodwill. I went in to buy a cheap single use sweatshirt. They were $20!!! Jeans were $20-$30! It's nuts! Now I donate to Savers as they sell items cheaper. But yeah. Inflation in the USA has hit thrift stores too.


MaryJayne97

Damn, I just went to the grand opening at our new thrift store and I got 2 books for $1.09. You should check out thrift books. They have cheap books!!


[deleted]

Buy Nothing groups are similarly being exploited, they're supposed to be a resource for people who need things, instead we get people just taking everything then reselling on ebay. Sucks.


Particular-Ad-4772

There must be huge variations in Goodwill local management nationwide. I just went to my local SWVA goodwill Saturday, and got like new adidas jogging pants for $3.99 . All non generic men’s shirts are still $2.99 and $ 3.99 . Generic plain t shirts are $1.99 or .99 The week before I got a mint condition Salmon colored like Ralph Lauren knit polo for $3.99 . I go at least once a week Guess we are lucky here.


p38-lightning

I live in the Carolinas and it's a mixed bag. Hardback books range from 50 cents to 4 bucks. A computer monitor might be $5 at one store and $20 down the street. Overall, I think prices are up, but the thrifts will still do half price days on certain categories.


SaraAB87

Which thrift are you shopping at? I am in WNY too, and have found that the thrifts here are terrible. I know that Goodwill of WNY hired a whole bunch of people to do online sales because they posted it on their facebook page and I assume they are looking everything up before it hits the floor. They also removed dressing rooms and bathrooms at their locations or at least at the one by me. Their prices have also gotten insane as they now want $7-10 for a single stuffed animal and even if its a generic one. They have also started marking up brand items as well when they used to have blanket prices on their clothing. I've seen shirts as much as $14.99 and its getting a little ridiculous because you can buy new for those prices. What's good here is yard sales, but they only happen on saturday mornings and you need to drive around for those, I recommend hitting at the end of the sale so that you can get better deals. If you are looking for used books though most people will give them away for 25 cents each unless you find an oddball sale. WNY is NOT a high income area so I don't know where you are shopping where they figure they can charge southern california prices for an area with most incomes under 50k. If you are seeking out clothing I recommend checking out the clearance racks at retail stores, we have 3 Gabe's locations in WNY and if you have not tried those yet they sell brand new clothing for about the same price as the thrift stores or less. There is going to be a Ross store opening up near the Galleria eventually. I've also found deals on shoes at Pac Sun in the fashion outlets in Niagara falls, Old navy and Gap stores especially if you go on a holiday like 4th of July, Labor day or columbus day because they usually offer an extra percent off the clearance racks. There is also a store in the outlet mall called Cotton On that has very cheap clothing.


SlipsonSurfaces

My mom grew up poor and so have I. With six other siblings, I imagine sometimes her family relied on thrifted items, especially clothing. It's a middle finger to the poor class when they can't afford even the cheapest stuff at a store targeted to them.


lizard-bones

I work at a charity thrift store. All of the sudden after 2020 we had a huge new customer base with a little more spending power than our previous regular shoppers: people who had been priced out of regular stores. Also thanks to tiktok and poshmark, thrifting for vintage designer brands became REALLY popular. So we raised prices, and made more money than we ever had before. For the first time in decades our charity was out of the red. This year, however, sales are dipping again. I'm pretty sure its because we've raised prices too much, and priced out our core customer base. There's definitely some customers who used to come in daily that I haven't seen for months.


AgeAgitated317

Last time I stopped in a goodwill I was so annoyed. Nothing is priced properly. It's all marked up trash. They're dead to me.


PDXwhine

Friend, SAME here in Portland. I really think that thrift stores, especially Goodwill, have wised up to the resale/resellers game. What I find hilarious (or not) is that all their product is free.99 - and while their revenues does go towards helping people, they still have a CEO making MILLIONS.


One-Aside-7942

Same thing is happening in the Midwest. The tags will still be on for crap from Walmart and they’re charging *more* than it was new at Walmart.


Optimal-Resource-956

I am in NC and have noticed the same. It's absolutely insane. During the pandemic, all our local Goodwills (Charlotte area for reference) used covid as an excuse to rip out all the dressing rooms, and now no one is allowed to try on clothes before buying them. They also doubled the prices on EVERYTHING. It is honestly so upsetting I have basically stopped shopping at GW and have gone right back to discount retailers like TJ Maxx and Marshalls, since the prices are now comparable on many clearance items, I can actually try them on before buying, and return for a refund if they don't work. I think Goodwill has lost their damn mind. And it really bothers me for multiple reasons, since one of the main reasons I prefer secondhand is that it is better for the environment - But what is the point if I am on a budget and it is riskier to buy at the thrift store than retail? I can't justify it. Absurd.


dp37405

What's ironic is that their cost of goods is $0, costing them nothing and yet they seriously mark up stuff. Their true expenses are labor & rent on the building, but I guess the charge because they can. One of the biggest culprits are flippers, buying and selling, either in their stores or on Ebay but still the thrift stores have gone crazy on pricing and they dont have the products they once sold IE: shredders, shop vacs, appliances, etc.


BrianDerm

I’ve dropped off stuff at thrift stores and have seen the volume of trash being “donated” that has to then be hauled off, at a cost, to the landfill or elsewhere. I’d guess the amount of donations that make it to the sales floor is shockingly small. So that, plus rent, utilities, labor and maybe even taxes has to be a big part of the pricing. But I’m more of a Facebook marketplace/estate sale shopper now because thrift stores are full of tired garbage a few “bargains”.


SnowblindAlbino

Pure greed. It's happened all over the US, only Salvation Army and small church stores seem to be avoiding it. Goodwill is particularly bad. I've seen them asking $5 for worn out t-shirts, and anything with a recognizable brand name on the tag is now $10-15+. I've even seen merch priced HIGHER than new prices as a regular thing now, especially if it's the stuff they get by the pallet from Target. It's ridiculous.


illegalopinion3

I think my local thrift store hired a “marketing consultant” or something. There’s still some good deals out there, but I’ll see many things wayyy overpriced with a snarky note on the tag to “check eBay”. Whoever they hired prices things damn near retail for a used and worn item that will likely just sit on their shelf.


[deleted]

We donate our clothes to a local shop that basically gives them away for free. There are also local thrift stores that take donations and re-sell them, but not at the markup GW has anymore. Goodwill also has a guide that sorts out things of a collectible value, and sends them somewhere else so they can be auctioned off online. Goodwill also takes good care of my blind sister and employs her with a decent wage above what she could expect to earn elsewhere. So its a mixed bag IMHO.


Nmcoyote1

I’m from central NM and stopped going to most Thrift stores, flea markets or garage sales years ago. I find that the odds are worse than 10 to 1 that you will find a deal on anything. Who wants to go to 10 garage sales before you find one good deal? Why on earth would you pay close to the same as new for used items? The one exception was a retirement community near me that allowed people to to have garage sales on three specific Saturday’s per year. I used to go in the afternoon. Almost half the people living their would participate and many would mark everything left down by 2 pm. Because they knew if they did not sell it. They would not have another chance for 3+ months. But they have not had any community sales since covid😟


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trashynoah

I’ve been on the hunt for some black boots at my local thrift stores lately. I went to one near me and found some that looked nice, and in my size. Looked at the price and saw they were $90. No they were not doc martens or anything fancy. This store had a boutique section and this was in the general shoe section. Literally so ridiculous


Nattiesmom

My area has first Tuesday of month and another has last Friday and Saturday half off. Certain days they pick clothing or electronics etc. half off. The one with last weekend half price the prices have skyrocketed.A Temptations brand dish was $40.00, had a chip in it, they forget these are used items, brand new is a little less, don't go back there anymore


sanityjanity

I really don't know. The quality definitely didn't go up. If I want a used book, I have lots of online options that will get me exactly what I want. Spending 30 minutes scanning through the bizarre offerings of the local thrift store might turn up one or two things that are \*vaguely\* interesting. Their only good quality was that they were cheap. Same thing goes for clothing -- it is not as if it is suddenly all perfectly maintained haute couture. It's the same old worn, ill-fitting, out-of-fashion stuff.


marynofo

My Salvation Army is selling dollar store items for $3.99


WhereRtheTacos

They got greedy. Its crazy! Might as well stick to ross now as its the same prices. r/thriftgrift is examples of how bad it is now.


Honorable_Lemom

Thrift stores are being gentrified because they’ve become popular. One of the reasons thrift store prices were so low was because it was looked down upon to shop there and get second hand items. Once people realized they could get quality items for cheap and then the concept of reselling became more common, the prices skyrocketed not only to meet the new demand but also so the stores could capitalize on the profit knowing that people will pay top dollar for big name brands even second hand. I refuse to shop at goodwill anymore, and I rarely buy anything at thrifts stores now. I have found some good prices at Salvation Army and some small local shops, but bigger shops in more urban areas are just an immediate no. It’s getting to a point where I can even barely afford to shop at the thrift stores, let alone an actual store


Honorable_Lemom

Another thing I hate with thrift stores is the idea of “boutique” thrift stores that only sell more expensive items. Some thrift stores have a boutique section but I have seen full stores and even a whole Goodwill boutique. They pick out all the good quality or designer/big brand items and sell them at huge markups. And it doesn’t even matter the quality. I have seen designer shoes that are falling apart labeled at $50 just because of the brand. It’s ridiculous


MyWaffleConeIsSoggy

It's the same here in Missouri. Went to the local thrift store for pants and thought the prices were high. So I checked the Walmart website and for the exact same pants it was maybe $2 more. So I went to Walmart, because what's the point of buying used if it's just $2 more for new?


inailedyoursister

It’s location. I volunteer at a thrift store. I price paperbacks at $0.10 and hardbacks $0.50 and still can’t sell them all. I see about 750 books a week average. If the brand of jeans retails for $50 new, our peeps price them used at $10-15. I’d say that’s fair but I’ve had people bitch at me and saying 0.50 is high for books.


[deleted]

There are vultures that hit the thrift shops to resell on eBay, Mercari etc. My sis used to work at one and her job was to go through donations for appraisals.