Thrift stores lost me when their prices passed those of new items for equivalent stuff. Like Target donates stuff to Goodwill and the stuff costs more at Goodwill than it did when it was at Target.
Instead, I acquire less stuff.
Funny that you mention that. I was looking for a pasta strainer and since I buy many things on amazon thought I'd look for one there. I saw all sorts of prices but the one I wanted was about $30. Would't buy it at that price and thought I'd check the local stores. Cue two days later, I'm in target looking at kitchen supplies, and lo and behold, there on the bottom shelf was the EXACT SAME strainer, for EIGHT DOLLARS. That's when I realized modern tech and the connectedness of everything has really allowed people to be manipulated if they're on autopilot and not keeping their eyes open. The new trend is thrifting and reselling items from thrift, so thrift stores have caught on. I see brand new stuff on goodwill's website that's more expensive than the exact same brand new thing on ebay, and ebay's item comes with a return guarantee and buyer protection. Ridiculous.
Goodwill has long been a rip off. Probably for a solid two decades. If you’re looking for stuff go with thrift stores attached to charities or independent. They are more interested in moving product then making max profit
The value Village near me sells mason jars for $2 a piece. The mission thrift store across the street from it never has them (I'm going to assume because they price them properly), and the smaller chain beside the mission store sells them for 60c.
Yeah it’s crazy, I can’t believe they get away with it. The model must be working for them. In November I bought a cool old chair for $5 and now the same thrift store is charging $300 for REALLY dirty disgusting furniture that should be free in an alley.
If you're shopping for clothes, just run your hand over the fabric as you walk past. You can feel the difference between silk, 100% cotton, Merino wool, and cashmere and all others. Don't stop for anything but those fabrics.
Ditto, merino wool, silk, etc. Sometimes the sweaters have minor flaws, but for only $3-$5, my plan is to wear them for bicycling and running, especially in cold weather. Great wicking fabrics, even soaking wet from rain, and cheaper than new merino wool and silk apparel specifically made for athletic wear.
Fortunately my local Goodwill and other thrift stores aren't in the trendy part of town so prices are still reasonable. I've picked up like new camera bags like a Think Tank for $5.
I don't bother with the thrifts near the gentrified parts of town. Well, I might poke around but rarely buy.
I don’t even have to touch it usually I can see good fabrics from a distance based on texture and sheen. I think 95% of thrift store clothes are polyester so I’m only honed in on the other 5% and then I’m going to skip a lot of colors… for example I look terrible in red, orange, and bright yellow. This makes every aisle take 20 seconds which is great. I have a closet full of nice clothes from doing this over the years so I typically don’t buy clothes anymore at the thrift.
Wow, you have thrift stores in your area that still carry nice stuff like that? Mine just have professional resellers who buy everything in bulk and post on Poshmark for 20x markup before you even find a parking space and get inside.
Goodwill online is just as insane. Donated items up for bid with starting prices well above department store prices. I was looking for a metal sink drainer in kitchenwares. Currently they have like 20-25 mortar and pestle sets with the majority starting at $39.99. With only hours left to the auction and not a single bid on any of them.
I’m with you. r/thriftstorehauls made me miss it so I deleted the sub and haven’t had the urge since.
Wallet is happier without my thrifting habit, and I genuinely don’t need anything.
Goodwill is such a rip off. Mine was selling used baby onesies at $8 a piece. You can buy a new five pack for $20 at most stores such as Carters. When you’re selling used items at a higher price brand new, it just doesn’t make any sense.
The ones around me started price matching resale sites like ebay and it's all been downhill from there. Every once in a while you'll find a needle in the haystack, but it's not really worth the time invested anymore.
It seems like women's clothes can still be worthwhile, but I don't have much luck with men's any more. For nicer brands, it's not much cheaper than getting them new on sale/clearance.
It's because Target isn't donating those items. Target sells them in bulk to the regional Goodwill or the local stores. Goodwill of course prices in a ridiculous way but that's a different story.
There was one in my neighborhood where people began lining up in the dark. The line was about 2 blocks long. They let people in in small groups. Professionally run estate sales have really sucked the fun out of things.
Where I’m at the boomers start showing up to the sale at 6 am to wait and then aggressively elbow people out of the way so they can hoard more stuff. Some FB groups have made certain things like swung glass and nesting hens very popular now so it’s really hard to find them “in the wild” like it used to be, and at a fraction of the price they used to be at
Lol. I'm not doubting you but that's ironic. The vast majority of the estate sales are from the death of Boomers. In another 10 years or so all that stuff is going to be back up for sale, and the Boomers who used to buy it will be either passed or in nursing homes where they can't have that much stuff. 🤣
Isn’t it? I think about it every time I go to an estate sale and see all of them frantically searching for stuff. I don’t know many minimalist boomers, what with their 5 China sets they plan to offload on their overburdened lineage, so I imagine all of their spoils are just going to accumulate dust in the hoard
I guess it makes sense though because it's not just their own stuff. My mother had stuff she got from her mother and even her grandmother (some of which I still have. 🤣) I've been selling most of it off slowly but mostly because I want it to go to someone who actually wants it versus me trying to make money off of it. But it's still surprises me sometimes what sells and what doesn't.
They’re not worth it anymore. Anything decent gets either snapped up to be posted online or gets immediately grabbed by a reseller who camps out all day. Anything left is WAY overpriced.
in my city you have the dollar store on the same street as the salvation army and that one carries the same products as the former, except used and more expensive
I used to live thrift shopping! I was able to find good quality and sometimes unique clothing for cheap!
But yeah. Now, the quality is shit and the costs are higher.
Being busy doesn't necessarily bother me, but the experience doesn't feel as magic like.
It's the same as going to a flea market. You used to find cool and older tools or tchochkes, but now it's all the same stall of poor quality clothing and (in my hometown) random stuff brought over from Mexico.
I have a really good thrift store that is often packed and some of their prices are wtf? BUT they change the " color of the day" every day for $ off and stuff not sold in a week goes to an entirely different area two doors down. They are so successful with their strategy that they have taken over three parts of a defunct outdoor mall.
Resellers have ruined thrifting. Also made me side-eye anything on Ebay. I am not surprised to hear that they're rude.
Regarding sales, I seem to remember there was a time when Savers would have a once or twice a year sale. It was maybe 9-10 years ago. I agree that lowering the prices would make me buy more often. Their prices tend to be higher than other thrift stores in my area, definitely higher than Goodwill.
Yep, best one in town is affiliated with a group of different churches. But I will say we also have 2 for profit ones run by locals that have really good prices.
The church run one almost always has free bread anyone can have, and on Thursdays they have a day where you can get free toiletries, health and beauty stuff and cleaning stuff.
We don't take stuff but I have donated stuff for the health and beauty day.
Our church-affiliated thrift stores also have free bread! And they also run proper food pantries! And things are so inexpensive at both that it's not worth trying to haggle- in fact, if you dont haggle, theyll often lower the price, and if you do try to haggle (except in cases of obvious need/lack of money), theyll raise it lol
Ours runs a food pantry too I believe, I never asked the details. And heavens yes the prices are low lol. Vintage crochet pattern books for 25 cents! And other great things :-).
Yeah I was at a local Salvation Army. Looking at an electric kettle to take to work. The price tag said $3 written in blue pen. I walked away to look at stuff in another isle. When I came back the price was scribbled over in pencil $8. I was looking at an old teacher style desk with missing knobs and a peeled laminate top and everything. It had a price of $300 with a red sticker. A guy walks by and says that red sticker means it is 25% off. I asked if he meant before or after the $300 tag. He said $300 was the discount price.
Fuck that place. And I know for a fact employees scavenge the good stuff from drop offs and sell it on the internet.
You can thank etsy and “vintage” sellers, once these thrift stores realized they could sell things for higher prices cause a lot of their customers were buying to resell they did. Same thing that’s happening with fast food right now, they’re charging more cause people are buying regardless of prices
The thrift store I shop out will print out an ebay listing. What they don't realize is that just because an ebay seller asks big bucks for an item doesn't mean they will get that price.
Yes! I knew someone who volunteered at a women's shelter thrift store and they used ridiculous eBay prices--and these items were for women in hard times. Like DV victims who were starting over and needed things for relocating or clothes for job interviews.
Not only that but ebay is used for money laundering, and things CAN sell on ebay BUT is the seller actually getting paid for it? Tons of items go unpaid on ebay. So is that vhs you see selling for 3k actually getting paid for, the chances are high that no, it is not.
Some seller even make a listing and somehow make it sell at an inflated price, but its never paid for. As you can imagine they are doing this because they want resellers to look up the item, see that high price, and buy a turd that wont' sell.
Also an item on eBay has a potential of millions of customers, one of which might be searching for the exact object, may have been on the sauce all evening, and has an itchy "buy now" finger.
My response when this happens is "oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize I walked into eBay/The Internet, I thought I was shopping at a thrift store/yard sale" then stare at them blankly for a few moments.
You want eBay prices, feel free to sell it on eBay. Im here with cash in my hand. If you want it gone, you can sell it to me or try your bs tactics with someone else.
When my mom died I looked into selling some of her Corningware on eBay. The funny thing is that for say a single item there would be half a dozen listings. Two of them would be outrageously expensive, the rest would be reasonable. And the people selling the two outrageously expensive ones would also have a few in the reasonable price range too. The idea is "Look, someone else is selling this for $600 but I'll give it to you for $200!" When in reality it's the same buyers "purchasing" overpriced items from each other to drive the prices up.
I’d only be impressed with a 90 day sold filtered lowest to highest to prove it.
Thrifts are finding ten year unsold listings by filtering active/ highest to low.
Absolutely stupid and backwards.
eBay also takes returns - thrifts don’t
eBay resellers create enormous tax revenue locally and wherever the item ends up shipped to - thrifts don’t do that
eBay resellers do a ton of stuff thrifts don’t do
Those printouts are apples to oranges. Oranges from mars in 1998 actually.
If I’m google lens something I actually like but it’s the wrong size- I’m looking to see if I can buy it in a different size- with a rip or stain - covered on bbq sauce or jesus blood or whatever the funks on it.
I will always google lens art. I have a nice insurable my kids will fight over it collection from thrifts.
People’s aren’t reselling because it’s a ton of money to be made. To be frank- if it sells for 50 bucks- by the time the atm is warm and spitting profits - you can very safely say net is around 20 after taxes and all expenses are paid. It’s not that great.
I’m paying for college tuition for kids with mine. If I wanted big bucks for do dry arthritis stinky old lady feet on only fans or something.
Toenail clippings can be mailed for a premium fee. Lol
The think is the resellers need to actually pick through everything at good will to find the thi gs that actually sell and they can make a profit on. Goodwill doesn't employ people that can actually do that effectively and they just raise the prices on everything.
I've been buying up all the nuggets and fries from at the local Macdonalds to resell on Etsy. Got the market cornered. But the bastards keep raising prices.
At this rate, I may have to resort to flipping burgers.
Because lots of people actually depended on these stores to get by because they were poor. Goodwill and Savers both had winter coats marked at new-ish prices and many were in special racks. So broke poor people can't even buy a winter coat anymore. That was the point that all of this really pissed me off, they are not serving the parts of the community that actually NEED thrift stores.
You got that right. They prowl the stores like hungry hyenas and grab anything nice looking off the carts before they can even hit the shelves. I don’t find thrifting leisurely anymore because it’s like everyone is in a frazzled race to find the next carnival glass or uranium dish or mushroom sugar jar. A hoard of people will be standing in the aisle with their Google lens out trying to find the value of everything. Part of this is due to the markups, people want to make sure they aren’t being ripped off. But damn I miss when I could get a deal on some kitchen ware and nice lamps without a posse of flippers stalking every aisle
I agree. It’s not necessarily resellers per se, it’s just that more people are going to thrift stores in general. Doesn’t matter who it is, so the demand goes up and the pricing goes up as well. There used to be a stigma that thrift stores were for the poor so the demand was low back then
You're not alone. I have been thrifting for 20 years as a hobby and the last couple of years have pretty much killed it for me. There's no joy left in the experience.
The last few times I've been to a thrift store I've come home empty handed. There's nothing there and the stuff that is good they want enormous prices for it. No thanks.
One of the few benefits of my husband being in the military are the on base thrift stores. The prices are amazing. Like 50 cents- $1 for clothing still and 10 cents for books. They’ve ruined normal thrift stores for me though.
Yes. In the 90s and 2000s, thrift store shopping was my joy; my stress relief, and a great way to furnish a house and clothes kids on a low income. I went regularly.
I rarely go anymore, it has gotten so bad. thrift store shopping today IS indeed unbearable.
It has left a hole in my heart.
I'm sure you're not the only one, when I was a kid in the 70's there were people who hated them then too. But it really depends on the neighborhood and the store.
We have lovely ones where I live that aren't crowded at all and one terrible one as well. I've been thrifting for 30+ years and honestly it's better than ever for me.
Some stores are worth a drive and there's nothing better than finding something no one realizes is a diamond in the rough. 🍀🥂
Agreed. My thrifts are still great but they’re definitely abundant where I live. Picked up some $300 shoes last week for $30. Bit more pricy than the other shoes so they obviously knew their worth but hey, I’ll take 90% off.
The only gold that should be at thrift stores is something that is so perfectly suited for you that it couldn't possibly suit anyone else.
Like this one weird ass cow statue I found that I love.
Or a purple t-shirt made of a specific fabric that I love that is supporting a charity I love.
Honestly :/ Now days I'm thinking of ditching thrift stores and going to either Facebook Marketplace, garage sales, or estate sales. Or, I go to places like Beall's and Ross that sell stuff from other stores because then, it's still cheaper than buying new--but the items are still technically new!
Or, maybe I should go back to dumpster diving, lol. I miss it.
Speaking of dumpsters...there's often little collection boxes around that say " shoes and clothes" and often there are bags of the same put outside of them. Sometimes it's because they are full. Sometimes people don't want to give it to the goodwill to make $ off of, so they will put it outside for people to get. They don't want randos coming to their house for a " buy nothing" group so this is what they do and anything outside is fair game
Yes I love dumpster diving! Apt complex dumpster with no enclosure and found numerous treasures at the same dumpster…like a gift that keeps on giving! I’m talking side tables, utility cart, art caddy, brand new bottle of juicy couture, tons of brand new still in package or barely used makeup…(think someone went through a breakup) have given quite a bit of it to shelters and not Goodwill anymore either. I’m dumbfounded at the amount of perfectly good things people decide to throw away no hesitation it makes me sick cuz it just goes to the landfill and this is a more affluent area…spoiled rich college kids
Our local goodwill is literally more expensive than Ross across the way now for certain things but especially cloths. We live in a relatively new HCOL place though so they’re capitalizing on our location for sure.
I always expected a Goodwill in a HCOL area would be the best.
Locals are too good to shop there, but they have nice stuff to donate. Guess I was wrong, it feels like every part of our society gets more dysfunctional & sub-optimal every year.
I refuse to go anymore, though it hasn't been about the crowds.
The last half dozen or so times I went, I'd spend an hour in the store carefully looking through racks only to leave empty handed. Things are either too worn out to be worth buying or are overpriced (a used Old Navy shirt for $6 when I can get it brand new for $10?) or are simply not my style.
My time is worth something. Now I wait for sales and buy new and focus on spending my time on things that will save me meaningful amounts of money.
I’ve been seeing stories like this all over Reddit, and hadn’t gone back to my local goodwill for ages partially because of it. But I went today to look for plates, and found it was still good. Jean’s mostly $6, my plates for $.50 each, the only item I saw priced a bit high were the tools. It wasn’t all that crowded, either. I think everyone was from around the neighborhood.
I guess it really does depend on your location. I’m feeling very grateful for mine.
I think location is a huge factor. The Goodwill I visit is in a town with a population of about 13K and has a couple of wealthy neighborhoods (TX oil money). I only go 2-3 times a year since the pandemic started, but I always find at least one good thing and the prices are not bad at all. There's another locally run thrift that's even better. Timing is also important; I will not set foot in a thrift on a weekend. Weekday afternoons are usually good.
Chain thrift stores like goodwill and Salvation Army really have gotten crazy expensive to the point they are hardly ever worth it. I’ve found a couple of locally owned places that are really good though.
Not to mention the people who reach into your cart!
The last woman who did that was quite shocked I simply started shrieking bloody murder in her face "GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME! DO NOT TOUCH ME! GET AWAY FROM ME!! GET AWAY FROM MY PURSE YOU THIEF!"
And of course I kept my hands on the item she was trying to take.
I also despise the book resellers.
I managed to be there when they brought out new books one time. I found someone’s donated Easton Press collection, and imagine my surprise to find two of them had the authors signature. One of them was Isaac Asimov! It was his foundations or his prelude book. Got three of them for $2 each, and we now have a nice little leather bound collection! I never would have found them if it wasn’t for my lucky timing.
I did the book selling for a few years with a scanner. I had to pay $30 a month for the software that downloaded the Amazon data, so I really had to hit every single thrift store, yard sale, book sale, estate sale, etc as early as possible. I could bring in $300-400 a month if I spent all my weekends book hunting. But after a while I started getting exhausted and anxious about having to buy books all the time, so I sold my scanner.
How about those who ‘volunteer’ at charity thrift shops just to buy stuff cheap as soon as it comes in and then resell it, keeping the $$ for themselves?
1. It's pricier than buying new in a lot of cases. I can get a pair of jeans at Target for cheaper than at Value Village. Like why bother.
2. The thrift flipper poshmark and mercari folks just bulk grab anything in bulk, so I feel you can't even find anything interesting becuase someone has already grabbed it and tried to start their biz by listing it for 5000000000 dollars online.
I used to buy a lot of thrifted stuff, but I don't even bother now.
Not to mention that most thrift stores have taken changing rooms out of the stores, so you spend all day finding something and have to go home to see if it fits then drive all the way back to return it. The whole experience is just not customer friendly anymore.
They probably put the nicer donations on their online auction site. With absolutely ridiculous shipping prices. See it all on the time! That’s why their brick and mortar inventory pretty much sucks now
Thank you! 🙏- I feel a little better now. I absolutely love seeing all these finds, but then I kinda get sad thinking about mine, that never turns over, give or take. I’ve had ZERO luck at finding a single object. Not even a tiny little Crazy Cat Lady Glass Figurine! lol
Yes! Wtf?! Yes! I thought it was just me being overly sensitive and annoyed. It’s awful crowded and I feel rushed to hurry and look so I can get out of their way. The people with over flowing carts fulll of discounted items to resell are viscous jerks. Lol
I love my local Buy Nothing Group on Facebook. The items donated are usually of high quality. The thrift shops have never appealed to me- way too many items are sketchy or downright nasty. I do enjoy a good vintage store though, where someone has already done the heavy lifting and curating for me.
Yep, its been worse overall since Macklemore(lol), but there was a lull that it was still legit. Its overpriced nonsense now, and the hunt isnt fun anymore.
Idk if it was just gen z finding out that they had great shit for side hustles, or maybe just that its all concentrated at the Goodwill/Savers since Covid forces allll the best little junkshops to close, but I have had to dodge/see many other people avoid aisles bc some kids are taking selfies or literal haul videos in this crowded ass store. Thrifting is for everyone, I dont wanna be a grumpy old lady.. I just wish me and my gma could walk down with 5$ each and have a nice afternoon seeing if we find treasure lol. Now I do sound very old bc everything is also WAY more expensive!!
Keep looking! Every so often you find a diamond out there! I have one I frequent constantly (weekly, sometimes multiple times a week). Best deals every. I literally got 150 pads and tampons for $5 new in their packages.
Hand towels are 25 cents each and in good condition, shampoo and hair conditioner of high brands for $3 or less, it's great.
The church-y ran thrift stores are dang awesome! I will warn, some do smell musty, but I've never brought anything super dirty home (maybe dusty for outdoor equipment and things).
I'm pregnant and went to a thrift store thinking I could buy some inexpensive men's XL tshirts to go to the gym or lounge in once I'm bigger, EVERYTHING was $5-$7. Like wtf. It was a local place too, not Goodwill
Hit Michael's or hobby lobby. Excellent quality Gildan tee shirts,always on sale, huge color selection. Like 3.00 each or less.
We buy all our new tees there now, they last longer than the 6 packs at walmart.
Check clearance at department stores. Right now is massive clear out time to get rid of Christmas stock. JCPenney by me has tons and tons of tees in clearance right now for under $10 and you can stack coupons.
Yeah I just looked on Amazon I could get a pack of men's XL tshirts for a little less (6 for $24.90 which comes out to $4.15 each, and even cheaper for different brands)
I have to laugh every time someone suggests I thrift clothing for my 6'5 husband. Yeah, right. It's hard enough to find clothes at normal stores in tall sizing. Plus sizes struggle probably as much. Anyone who struggles at normal stores is going to hate thrifting.
Live in the southern California area? I hate to say it but my local goodwill are now sorting the clothes into appropriate sizes, marked like a real store. I'm finding plenty in plus size. Not my plus size which is a 16 ( OK there's some) there's lots in 2x and 3 x
I have a feeling that us big girls tend to wear clothing to death. Or there are refashioners who will take a plus-size outfit in or just use the fabric to make something else.
Depends on the store. Goodwill bins can be a nightmare but I just try to ignore people and go at my own pace. I’m lucky I live in a place that has a huge variety of them and I’ve started shopping estate sales. Great option for buying cheap cleaning products and housewares.
The only time I go to Thrift stores are senior discount days. I live as a minimalist, don’t need anything, but I enjoy shopping for grandkids and buying NWT items & storing them for Christmas.
Don’t go to the chains, go to your local charity thrift stores. Goodwill and value village are not charities, they are businesses. Of course they’re going to try to turn a profit.
I've given up on finding good pieces at thrift stores. It's been years. I actually hit up consignment stores now. It's still cheaper than new, and I get better quality pieces. Just need to buy less items.
Goodwill screens and removes quality or special items and sells them on line, therefore there’s no treasures to be found in store and prices are too high. As a former employee they cut out most of their skills vocational training but market that they’re finding people with disabilities jobs. Donate your goods to smaller shops.
my mother would work at one doing sorting.
Not only have they raised their prices, but they took away the real nice volunteer discount.
Guess what place dont have the help the had before?
I avoid Goodwill because it's not cheaper or frugal anymore. I have better luck at the smaller no name independent places, estate sales and garage sales.
Architectural salvage places have some cool stuff for homes if you are willing to pick through it. Also I have found some amazing things at local university surplus stores. My kiddo needed a desk for their bedroom and I got a really nice one from the surplus store for only $15. They also have a lot of really great technology items like keyboards, computer parts and other things. Highly recommend if you live near a college to see if they have a place like this.
I hate goodwill. Fucking bloodsuckers in there looking for their fortune. I stick mainly to the book section, has the least leeches. $1-$2 a book and I’ll just add to the collection. My roommate once found a heavily used copy of Abbey Road in the record section so I sometimes check the record section to add to my collection and I literally feel eyes on me to see if people think I’m trying to find that one in a million rare album that hasn’t been picked over
I went to a favorite of mine a few days ago on my lunch break and there was this older gentleman who kept pretty much following me around because I guess I looked like I knew what I was going? Idk. He continuously would like stand super close to me in the aisle and like reach over to something near me.
Rolled my eyes and just went to another aisle and he'd waltz his way over to me lol. Like dude, there isn't a lottery ticket laying around and I'm gonna find it first 🙄
Am I the only one who thinks that all venting posts in every subreddit should just be redirected to the venting subreddit? Why is this such a thing now. I join groups/subreddits/forums to learn shit, not to scroll through endless rants.
I don’t think you’re the only one, but I learned a cool trick about touching the fabric as I walk through the isles (thanks u/Fredredphooey)! 🤷🏼♀️ Never would’ve thought of that before, and now I get to teach my daughter…a 4th generation thrifter!
I actually went last week early in the morning and it was *bliss*. I was first in line to check out and nobody was hogging the racks. If I wait until the afternoon then it turns into black friday levels of rudeness and busy.
Agree with the OP. Used to be fun to go, you could go, be in and out and find a nugget on occasion. But now, lines consistently at the checkouts, no deals and everything picked over.
I used to have a route of about 6 or 7 I would hit in a day, about once a week. As of late, I don't even go, no point because it's no fun.
I only buy craft stuff, mainly buttons, from charity shops and people tend to not go in the corner with the basket full of buttons lol. So I tend to be left to my own devices sorting through to find ‘special’ buttons (I can’t get any more ‘basic’ ones due to too many lol). Also I like to go to smaller lesser known charity shops because the big ones are overpriced. I find cool cooking stuff including almost new pans for great prices at smaller charity shops.
I have found that the little mom and pop thrift stores are much more reasonable than the bigger ones. I was in Louisville recently and found a wonderful thrift store, completely off the beaten path. Sometimes when you visit a place away from home just Google thrift stores and take a look at those that are lower down on the list. I don't shop at Goodwill simply because they charge outrageous prices and the money goes to give the CEO huge multimillion dollar bonuses! It's criminal how they tip people off!
im so sorry youre going through this, bro. thrift shopping is good for me because the prices are still low here, so i guess it depends on location. its really not fair to yall, though...im so sorry.
Ive stopped going altogether for this reason. Its always full of people looking for things to flip for a profit and have no qualms about reaching in front or around you or snatchingit away. Amd not to mention the nown inflated prices that sometimes are more than it would be to buy it new.
I like to shop for books at the thrift store and listen to audiobooks so I don't mind.
But shopping for something specific like a piece of clothting without hearing protection is a sensory nightmare, ugh
I’ve not shopped at one in about three years. The stores all got greedy and culled all of the great deals, and then started outpricing everything - and what they missed flippers abscond to turn their own profits and record it on their YT channels.
I get it - but there’s really no reason to go anymore. But like someone said - I have enough stuff. I’m not that broken up about it.
The Good Will and Salvation Army near me are totally absurd. I went into the Salvation Army about a year ago for the first time in a long time and I was blown away by high prices. They were absolutely loaded floor to ceiling with more stuff than I'd ever seen in there before, and all of it was priced as if it were brand new.
I frequent a couple of local thrift stores though that are much better. I got a polished brass Delta Faucet for $4 the other day that is $140 at home depot. It was used, but barely.
Got a polished brass robe hook, new in the box, that is $40 a at home depot for $2.
Grabbed a wireless Microsoft keyboard for $1 that originally sold for $180 and still sells for $70-100 used.
So on and so forth. Truthfully, you've got to go regularly to make it worth it. You've got to look carefully. Look just like the folks who are trying to make money by reselling stuff.
I buy tools, artwork and wall decor, electronics, audio/video and computer cables, art supplies for my kids... on and on. Go in with a list of things you are looking for or could stand to upgrade.
Go after holidays. Go on Monday afternoons when people have dropped off new donations on the weekend and the staff have gotten some of it out on Monday morning.
My wife and I are fixing up an old farmhouse with primarily brass hardware... over the last couple of months I've found probably a dozen decor pieces and half a dozen hardware pieces (including the faucet and hook), in brass or another complimenting metal/color and spent maybe $40 total on what would easily have cost us several hundred or more.
You can find good stuff still, you just have to have a plan of action and know where to look.
Goodwill and local ran shops are all way overpriced around here. I’m in Idaho. I can buy a new pair of leggings for $5 at Walmart. I don’t need to spend $12
Thrift stores lost me when their prices passed those of new items for equivalent stuff. Like Target donates stuff to Goodwill and the stuff costs more at Goodwill than it did when it was at Target. Instead, I acquire less stuff.
And you will find dollar tree items there priced more than they cost at dollar tree.
Hahahahh, I saw I pair of cheap gloves there the other day. Still had the original tag with pricing at 1.28. but the goodwill sticker was 3 dollars.
Funny that you mention that. I was looking for a pasta strainer and since I buy many things on amazon thought I'd look for one there. I saw all sorts of prices but the one I wanted was about $30. Would't buy it at that price and thought I'd check the local stores. Cue two days later, I'm in target looking at kitchen supplies, and lo and behold, there on the bottom shelf was the EXACT SAME strainer, for EIGHT DOLLARS. That's when I realized modern tech and the connectedness of everything has really allowed people to be manipulated if they're on autopilot and not keeping their eyes open. The new trend is thrifting and reselling items from thrift, so thrift stores have caught on. I see brand new stuff on goodwill's website that's more expensive than the exact same brand new thing on ebay, and ebay's item comes with a return guarantee and buyer protection. Ridiculous.
Goodwill has long been a rip off. Probably for a solid two decades. If you’re looking for stuff go with thrift stores attached to charities or independent. They are more interested in moving product then making max profit
The value Village near me sells mason jars for $2 a piece. The mission thrift store across the street from it never has them (I'm going to assume because they price them properly), and the smaller chain beside the mission store sells them for 60c.
Yeah it’s crazy, I can’t believe they get away with it. The model must be working for them. In November I bought a cool old chair for $5 and now the same thrift store is charging $300 for REALLY dirty disgusting furniture that should be free in an alley.
If you're shopping for clothes, just run your hand over the fabric as you walk past. You can feel the difference between silk, 100% cotton, Merino wool, and cashmere and all others. Don't stop for anything but those fabrics.
Ditto, merino wool, silk, etc. Sometimes the sweaters have minor flaws, but for only $3-$5, my plan is to wear them for bicycling and running, especially in cold weather. Great wicking fabrics, even soaking wet from rain, and cheaper than new merino wool and silk apparel specifically made for athletic wear.
$3 to $5? It's not uncommon for my Goodwill to sell tops for upwards of $10.
Fortunately my local Goodwill and other thrift stores aren't in the trendy part of town so prices are still reasonable. I've picked up like new camera bags like a Think Tank for $5. I don't bother with the thrifts near the gentrified parts of town. Well, I might poke around but rarely buy.
I don’t even have to touch it usually I can see good fabrics from a distance based on texture and sheen. I think 95% of thrift store clothes are polyester so I’m only honed in on the other 5% and then I’m going to skip a lot of colors… for example I look terrible in red, orange, and bright yellow. This makes every aisle take 20 seconds which is great. I have a closet full of nice clothes from doing this over the years so I typically don’t buy clothes anymore at the thrift.
Great idea
Wow, you have thrift stores in your area that still carry nice stuff like that? Mine just have professional resellers who buy everything in bulk and post on Poshmark for 20x markup before you even find a parking space and get inside.
Great advice!
I used to be able to do this but now my local stores have so much jammed on the racks it's impossible.
I'm going to the thrift for work shirts, I'm checking for Flannel, Wool, and Corduroy, and Rip-stop if I'm lucky.
Bold of you to assume this person can even find that at their thrift store lol
The nice thing about the technique is that it's fast. Just walk and touch and if you get nothing, you haven't spend half an hour rummaging.
They must have found out it was vintage and think its worth somehing.
Goodwill online is just as insane. Donated items up for bid with starting prices well above department store prices. I was looking for a metal sink drainer in kitchenwares. Currently they have like 20-25 mortar and pestle sets with the majority starting at $39.99. With only hours left to the auction and not a single bid on any of them.
r/ThriftGrift
I thought I was getting great deals getting mismatched cups for $1 a piece. Found cups at Target for less than that. So pissed.
I’m with you. r/thriftstorehauls made me miss it so I deleted the sub and haven’t had the urge since. Wallet is happier without my thrifting habit, and I genuinely don’t need anything.
Goodwill is such a rip off. Mine was selling used baby onesies at $8 a piece. You can buy a new five pack for $20 at most stores such as Carters. When you’re selling used items at a higher price brand new, it just doesn’t make any sense.
Our SA is like that. One thing was more expensive than if I had bought it when it was at Target.
I have always found SA to be pricey. Hundreds for an old boxy tv.
Yes, less stuff is so much better
The ones around me started price matching resale sites like ebay and it's all been downhill from there. Every once in a while you'll find a needle in the haystack, but it's not really worth the time invested anymore. It seems like women's clothes can still be worthwhile, but I don't have much luck with men's any more. For nicer brands, it's not much cheaper than getting them new on sale/clearance.
Me too...
If I’m looking for something specific, I do estate sales.
I'm too lazy to verify this right now, but Goodwill says that 92% of every dollar they take in goes to their various charitable programs.
A lady on TikTok found GW’s financials and it stated something like 13% goes to programs.
It's because Target isn't donating those items. Target sells them in bulk to the regional Goodwill or the local stores. Goodwill of course prices in a ridiculous way but that's a different story.
I go to local estate sales every weekend. I use apps to find them
My neighbour and I do garage sales every weekend as soon as it’s warm enough here for them to start. May can’t come soon enough.
Estate sales have been crazier than thrift stores, can’t even think about buying something without it getting snatched
There was one in my neighborhood where people began lining up in the dark. The line was about 2 blocks long. They let people in in small groups. Professionally run estate sales have really sucked the fun out of things.
Yeah, they're not good in my area, either. Run by grumpy old ladies, and priced like it's on ebay.
That is exactly what it is. It sucks.
Where I’m at the boomers start showing up to the sale at 6 am to wait and then aggressively elbow people out of the way so they can hoard more stuff. Some FB groups have made certain things like swung glass and nesting hens very popular now so it’s really hard to find them “in the wild” like it used to be, and at a fraction of the price they used to be at
>aggressively elbow people out of the way so they can hoard more stuff Like they have their entire lives
Lol. I'm not doubting you but that's ironic. The vast majority of the estate sales are from the death of Boomers. In another 10 years or so all that stuff is going to be back up for sale, and the Boomers who used to buy it will be either passed or in nursing homes where they can't have that much stuff. 🤣
Isn’t it? I think about it every time I go to an estate sale and see all of them frantically searching for stuff. I don’t know many minimalist boomers, what with their 5 China sets they plan to offload on their overburdened lineage, so I imagine all of their spoils are just going to accumulate dust in the hoard
I guess it makes sense though because it's not just their own stuff. My mother had stuff she got from her mother and even her grandmother (some of which I still have. 🤣) I've been selling most of it off slowly but mostly because I want it to go to someone who actually wants it versus me trying to make money off of it. But it's still surprises me sometimes what sells and what doesn't.
No exactly they come at 6 am for a 10 am sale, no chance of getting anything ever
Love estate sales.
What app? I love estate sales but can’t find any
Craigslist, estate sale finder dot com, estate sales.net, yard sale treasure map.
What apps do you use?
They’re not worth it anymore. Anything decent gets either snapped up to be posted online or gets immediately grabbed by a reseller who camps out all day. Anything left is WAY overpriced.
I saw goodwill reselling 99¢ store items for $8 lol
in my city you have the dollar store on the same street as the salvation army and that one carries the same products as the former, except used and more expensive
Also the flippers blocking the aisles while 'Google lensing' their stuff. What's left after that is overpriced crap.
I used to live thrift shopping! I was able to find good quality and sometimes unique clothing for cheap! But yeah. Now, the quality is shit and the costs are higher. Being busy doesn't necessarily bother me, but the experience doesn't feel as magic like. It's the same as going to a flea market. You used to find cool and older tools or tchochkes, but now it's all the same stall of poor quality clothing and (in my hometown) random stuff brought over from Mexico.
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I have a really good thrift store that is often packed and some of their prices are wtf? BUT they change the " color of the day" every day for $ off and stuff not sold in a week goes to an entirely different area two doors down. They are so successful with their strategy that they have taken over three parts of a defunct outdoor mall.
Resellers have ruined thrifting. Also made me side-eye anything on Ebay. I am not surprised to hear that they're rude. Regarding sales, I seem to remember there was a time when Savers would have a once or twice a year sale. It was maybe 9-10 years ago. I agree that lowering the prices would make me buy more often. Their prices tend to be higher than other thrift stores in my area, definitely higher than Goodwill.
Resellers are the literal scum of the earth. They’re so disgusting like fucking be ashamed of yourselves
I am sticking to local thrift shops. Goodwill has always been a scam, though at least before they had good prices. Now, not so much.
The ones run by old church ladies are top tier
Yep, best one in town is affiliated with a group of different churches. But I will say we also have 2 for profit ones run by locals that have really good prices. The church run one almost always has free bread anyone can have, and on Thursdays they have a day where you can get free toiletries, health and beauty stuff and cleaning stuff. We don't take stuff but I have donated stuff for the health and beauty day.
Our church-affiliated thrift stores also have free bread! And they also run proper food pantries! And things are so inexpensive at both that it's not worth trying to haggle- in fact, if you dont haggle, theyll often lower the price, and if you do try to haggle (except in cases of obvious need/lack of money), theyll raise it lol
Ours runs a food pantry too I believe, I never asked the details. And heavens yes the prices are low lol. Vintage crochet pattern books for 25 cents! And other great things :-).
My mom volunteers at a local thrift store run by the church and can confirm it’s legit.
My mum’s church runs a thrift for women’s work clothes specifically and they partner with a local women’s shelter.
In Houston there’s a chain that benefits women’s shelters and it’s excellent.
Yeah I was at a local Salvation Army. Looking at an electric kettle to take to work. The price tag said $3 written in blue pen. I walked away to look at stuff in another isle. When I came back the price was scribbled over in pencil $8. I was looking at an old teacher style desk with missing knobs and a peeled laminate top and everything. It had a price of $300 with a red sticker. A guy walks by and says that red sticker means it is 25% off. I asked if he meant before or after the $300 tag. He said $300 was the discount price. Fuck that place. And I know for a fact employees scavenge the good stuff from drop offs and sell it on the internet.
You can thank etsy and “vintage” sellers, once these thrift stores realized they could sell things for higher prices cause a lot of their customers were buying to resell they did. Same thing that’s happening with fast food right now, they’re charging more cause people are buying regardless of prices
The thrift store I shop out will print out an ebay listing. What they don't realize is that just because an ebay seller asks big bucks for an item doesn't mean they will get that price.
Yes! I knew someone who volunteered at a women's shelter thrift store and they used ridiculous eBay prices--and these items were for women in hard times. Like DV victims who were starting over and needed things for relocating or clothes for job interviews.
Wow that is just despicable
Not only that but ebay is used for money laundering, and things CAN sell on ebay BUT is the seller actually getting paid for it? Tons of items go unpaid on ebay. So is that vhs you see selling for 3k actually getting paid for, the chances are high that no, it is not. Some seller even make a listing and somehow make it sell at an inflated price, but its never paid for. As you can imagine they are doing this because they want resellers to look up the item, see that high price, and buy a turd that wont' sell.
Also an item on eBay has a potential of millions of customers, one of which might be searching for the exact object, may have been on the sauce all evening, and has an itchy "buy now" finger.
The trick is to filter Ebay listings by recently sold
And completed
My response when this happens is "oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize I walked into eBay/The Internet, I thought I was shopping at a thrift store/yard sale" then stare at them blankly for a few moments. You want eBay prices, feel free to sell it on eBay. Im here with cash in my hand. If you want it gone, you can sell it to me or try your bs tactics with someone else.
When my mom died I looked into selling some of her Corningware on eBay. The funny thing is that for say a single item there would be half a dozen listings. Two of them would be outrageously expensive, the rest would be reasonable. And the people selling the two outrageously expensive ones would also have a few in the reasonable price range too. The idea is "Look, someone else is selling this for $600 but I'll give it to you for $200!" When in reality it's the same buyers "purchasing" overpriced items from each other to drive the prices up.
I’d only be impressed with a 90 day sold filtered lowest to highest to prove it. Thrifts are finding ten year unsold listings by filtering active/ highest to low. Absolutely stupid and backwards. eBay also takes returns - thrifts don’t eBay resellers create enormous tax revenue locally and wherever the item ends up shipped to - thrifts don’t do that eBay resellers do a ton of stuff thrifts don’t do Those printouts are apples to oranges. Oranges from mars in 1998 actually. If I’m google lens something I actually like but it’s the wrong size- I’m looking to see if I can buy it in a different size- with a rip or stain - covered on bbq sauce or jesus blood or whatever the funks on it. I will always google lens art. I have a nice insurable my kids will fight over it collection from thrifts. People’s aren’t reselling because it’s a ton of money to be made. To be frank- if it sells for 50 bucks- by the time the atm is warm and spitting profits - you can very safely say net is around 20 after taxes and all expenses are paid. It’s not that great. I’m paying for college tuition for kids with mine. If I wanted big bucks for do dry arthritis stinky old lady feet on only fans or something. Toenail clippings can be mailed for a premium fee. Lol
The think is the resellers need to actually pick through everything at good will to find the thi gs that actually sell and they can make a profit on. Goodwill doesn't employ people that can actually do that effectively and they just raise the prices on everything.
I've been buying up all the nuggets and fries from at the local Macdonalds to resell on Etsy. Got the market cornered. But the bastards keep raising prices. At this rate, I may have to resort to flipping burgers.
This isn't the fault of resellers. This is goodwill being greedy.
I think Goodwill saw what was going on with the resellers and figured why shouldn't they get a piece of that.
Because lots of people actually depended on these stores to get by because they were poor. Goodwill and Savers both had winter coats marked at new-ish prices and many were in special racks. So broke poor people can't even buy a winter coat anymore. That was the point that all of this really pissed me off, they are not serving the parts of the community that actually NEED thrift stores.
When I started thrifting, it was mostly families shopping like you say. Now it's flippers and resellers.
You got that right. They prowl the stores like hungry hyenas and grab anything nice looking off the carts before they can even hit the shelves. I don’t find thrifting leisurely anymore because it’s like everyone is in a frazzled race to find the next carnival glass or uranium dish or mushroom sugar jar. A hoard of people will be standing in the aisle with their Google lens out trying to find the value of everything. Part of this is due to the markups, people want to make sure they aren’t being ripped off. But damn I miss when I could get a deal on some kitchen ware and nice lamps without a posse of flippers stalking every aisle
I agree. It’s not necessarily resellers per se, it’s just that more people are going to thrift stores in general. Doesn’t matter who it is, so the demand goes up and the pricing goes up as well. There used to be a stigma that thrift stores were for the poor so the demand was low back then
You're not alone. I have been thrifting for 20 years as a hobby and the last couple of years have pretty much killed it for me. There's no joy left in the experience.
The last few times I've been to a thrift store I've come home empty handed. There's nothing there and the stuff that is good they want enormous prices for it. No thanks.
Could have written this exact comment myself. I used to love to browse to see what treasures I might find and now it’s just unbearable.
One of the few benefits of my husband being in the military are the on base thrift stores. The prices are amazing. Like 50 cents- $1 for clothing still and 10 cents for books. They’ve ruined normal thrift stores for me though.
Yes. In the 90s and 2000s, thrift store shopping was my joy; my stress relief, and a great way to furnish a house and clothes kids on a low income. I went regularly. I rarely go anymore, it has gotten so bad. thrift store shopping today IS indeed unbearable. It has left a hole in my heart.
I'm sure you're not the only one, when I was a kid in the 70's there were people who hated them then too. But it really depends on the neighborhood and the store. We have lovely ones where I live that aren't crowded at all and one terrible one as well. I've been thrifting for 30+ years and honestly it's better than ever for me. Some stores are worth a drive and there's nothing better than finding something no one realizes is a diamond in the rough. 🍀🥂
Agreed. My thrifts are still great but they’re definitely abundant where I live. Picked up some $300 shoes last week for $30. Bit more pricy than the other shoes so they obviously knew their worth but hey, I’ll take 90% off.
The only gold that should be at thrift stores is something that is so perfectly suited for you that it couldn't possibly suit anyone else. Like this one weird ass cow statue I found that I love. Or a purple t-shirt made of a specific fabric that I love that is supporting a charity I love.
Honestly :/ Now days I'm thinking of ditching thrift stores and going to either Facebook Marketplace, garage sales, or estate sales. Or, I go to places like Beall's and Ross that sell stuff from other stores because then, it's still cheaper than buying new--but the items are still technically new! Or, maybe I should go back to dumpster diving, lol. I miss it.
Speaking of dumpsters...there's often little collection boxes around that say " shoes and clothes" and often there are bags of the same put outside of them. Sometimes it's because they are full. Sometimes people don't want to give it to the goodwill to make $ off of, so they will put it outside for people to get. They don't want randos coming to their house for a " buy nothing" group so this is what they do and anything outside is fair game
Yes I love dumpster diving! Apt complex dumpster with no enclosure and found numerous treasures at the same dumpster…like a gift that keeps on giving! I’m talking side tables, utility cart, art caddy, brand new bottle of juicy couture, tons of brand new still in package or barely used makeup…(think someone went through a breakup) have given quite a bit of it to shelters and not Goodwill anymore either. I’m dumbfounded at the amount of perfectly good things people decide to throw away no hesitation it makes me sick cuz it just goes to the landfill and this is a more affluent area…spoiled rich college kids
Our local goodwill is literally more expensive than Ross across the way now for certain things but especially cloths. We live in a relatively new HCOL place though so they’re capitalizing on our location for sure.
I always expected a Goodwill in a HCOL area would be the best. Locals are too good to shop there, but they have nice stuff to donate. Guess I was wrong, it feels like every part of our society gets more dysfunctional & sub-optimal every year.
>it feels like every part of our society gets more dysfunctional & sub-optimal every year. Capitalism is a hell of a drug
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I refuse to go anymore, though it hasn't been about the crowds. The last half dozen or so times I went, I'd spend an hour in the store carefully looking through racks only to leave empty handed. Things are either too worn out to be worth buying or are overpriced (a used Old Navy shirt for $6 when I can get it brand new for $10?) or are simply not my style. My time is worth something. Now I wait for sales and buy new and focus on spending my time on things that will save me meaningful amounts of money.
Probably because stuff has become so junky even when new that now when they make it to the thrift store, they are extra junky.
Yep. It’s not that resellers are taking all of the good stuff, it’s that less good stuff gets made, so less good stuff ends up in thrift stores.
I’ve been seeing stories like this all over Reddit, and hadn’t gone back to my local goodwill for ages partially because of it. But I went today to look for plates, and found it was still good. Jean’s mostly $6, my plates for $.50 each, the only item I saw priced a bit high were the tools. It wasn’t all that crowded, either. I think everyone was from around the neighborhood. I guess it really does depend on your location. I’m feeling very grateful for mine.
I was just at my Habitat ReStore and got Pyrex bowls for $1. They had plenty of useful but outdated solid furniture for reasonable prices, too.
I think location is a huge factor. The Goodwill I visit is in a town with a population of about 13K and has a couple of wealthy neighborhoods (TX oil money). I only go 2-3 times a year since the pandemic started, but I always find at least one good thing and the prices are not bad at all. There's another locally run thrift that's even better. Timing is also important; I will not set foot in a thrift on a weekend. Weekday afternoons are usually good.
Chain thrift stores like goodwill and Salvation Army really have gotten crazy expensive to the point they are hardly ever worth it. I’ve found a couple of locally owned places that are really good though.
Not to mention the people who reach into your cart! The last woman who did that was quite shocked I simply started shrieking bloody murder in her face "GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME! DO NOT TOUCH ME! GET AWAY FROM ME!! GET AWAY FROM MY PURSE YOU THIEF!" And of course I kept my hands on the item she was trying to take. I also despise the book resellers.
THAT'S MY PURSE I DON'T KNOW YOU.
I was looking for this.
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I managed to be there when they brought out new books one time. I found someone’s donated Easton Press collection, and imagine my surprise to find two of them had the authors signature. One of them was Isaac Asimov! It was his foundations or his prelude book. Got three of them for $2 each, and we now have a nice little leather bound collection! I never would have found them if it wasn’t for my lucky timing.
I did the book selling for a few years with a scanner. I had to pay $30 a month for the software that downloaded the Amazon data, so I really had to hit every single thrift store, yard sale, book sale, estate sale, etc as early as possible. I could bring in $300-400 a month if I spent all my weekends book hunting. But after a while I started getting exhausted and anxious about having to buy books all the time, so I sold my scanner.
Is that a real thing? People reach into your cart?
I would say it depends on your area. That has never once happened to me.
they sure do!
Try going when they first open or during the week rather than the weekend.
I gave up on half price Saturdays for the peace and quiet of a weekday. The good stuff was never the half price stuff anyway.
The last time I was at a thrift store, I brought bed bugs home. It took months to get rid of them.
I don't do it as often and I have a standing rule that for every item that comes into my house, three have to leave.
Thrift stores were ruined by resellers. The golden age is over.
How about those who ‘volunteer’ at charity thrift shops just to buy stuff cheap as soon as it comes in and then resell it, keeping the $$ for themselves?
1. It's pricier than buying new in a lot of cases. I can get a pair of jeans at Target for cheaper than at Value Village. Like why bother. 2. The thrift flipper poshmark and mercari folks just bulk grab anything in bulk, so I feel you can't even find anything interesting becuase someone has already grabbed it and tried to start their biz by listing it for 5000000000 dollars online. I used to buy a lot of thrifted stuff, but I don't even bother now.
Not to mention that most thrift stores have taken changing rooms out of the stores, so you spend all day finding something and have to go home to see if it fits then drive all the way back to return it. The whole experience is just not customer friendly anymore.
Oh god I forgot that!
No one is ever at my local GoodWill. And they NEVER have anything new.
They probably put the nicer donations on their online auction site. With absolutely ridiculous shipping prices. See it all on the time! That’s why their brick and mortar inventory pretty much sucks now
Yeah, the men's clothing section at mine has been almost exactly the same for the last year.
Thank you! 🙏- I feel a little better now. I absolutely love seeing all these finds, but then I kinda get sad thinking about mine, that never turns over, give or take. I’ve had ZERO luck at finding a single object. Not even a tiny little Crazy Cat Lady Glass Figurine! lol
Yes! Wtf?! Yes! I thought it was just me being overly sensitive and annoyed. It’s awful crowded and I feel rushed to hurry and look so I can get out of their way. The people with over flowing carts fulll of discounted items to resell are viscous jerks. Lol
Go to church thrift stores and ones not on the beaten path. HUGE difference
I love my local Buy Nothing Group on Facebook. The items donated are usually of high quality. The thrift shops have never appealed to me- way too many items are sketchy or downright nasty. I do enjoy a good vintage store though, where someone has already done the heavy lifting and curating for me.
Weird, because I find so many people constantly complaining about how expensive they are.
So who has the inside on what's the next fun hoopla for the bargain shoppers? Habitat is off the list, Goodwill is off the list, what's next?????
Those liquidator bin-stores that get piles of overstock merch and Amazon returns? Like Treasure Hunt Liquidators Bin Mega Store
The one by me smells horrific inside. No thanks
Yep. We have a big SA in an old Electric City by me. I literally 100% smells like a dirty hamper that had wet clothes laying in it.
humor door jellyfish imagine offbeat insurance straight angle poor bow *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Yep, its been worse overall since Macklemore(lol), but there was a lull that it was still legit. Its overpriced nonsense now, and the hunt isnt fun anymore. Idk if it was just gen z finding out that they had great shit for side hustles, or maybe just that its all concentrated at the Goodwill/Savers since Covid forces allll the best little junkshops to close, but I have had to dodge/see many other people avoid aisles bc some kids are taking selfies or literal haul videos in this crowded ass store. Thrifting is for everyone, I dont wanna be a grumpy old lady.. I just wish me and my gma could walk down with 5$ each and have a nice afternoon seeing if we find treasure lol. Now I do sound very old bc everything is also WAY more expensive!!
Thrift stores in my area have gotten out of hand. Retail prices for used crap. It's ridiculous.
Keep looking! Every so often you find a diamond out there! I have one I frequent constantly (weekly, sometimes multiple times a week). Best deals every. I literally got 150 pads and tampons for $5 new in their packages. Hand towels are 25 cents each and in good condition, shampoo and hair conditioner of high brands for $3 or less, it's great. The church-y ran thrift stores are dang awesome! I will warn, some do smell musty, but I've never brought anything super dirty home (maybe dusty for outdoor equipment and things).
I'm pregnant and went to a thrift store thinking I could buy some inexpensive men's XL tshirts to go to the gym or lounge in once I'm bigger, EVERYTHING was $5-$7. Like wtf. It was a local place too, not Goodwill
Hit Michael's or hobby lobby. Excellent quality Gildan tee shirts,always on sale, huge color selection. Like 3.00 each or less. We buy all our new tees there now, they last longer than the 6 packs at walmart.
Wow, thank you!!! I didn't think about checking out craft stores, that is really helpful.
Check clearance at department stores. Right now is massive clear out time to get rid of Christmas stock. JCPenney by me has tons and tons of tees in clearance right now for under $10 and you can stack coupons.
Thank you!!!
> EVERYTHING was $5-$7 What should a used XL shirt cost? This seems reasonably inexpensive to me.
When you can buy brand new for not much more, this doesn't seem reasonable.
Yeah I just looked on Amazon I could get a pack of men's XL tshirts for a little less (6 for $24.90 which comes out to $4.15 each, and even cheaper for different brands)
I can buy new basic Glidden tee shirts at Michaels for $3.99 when they go on sale or for $4.99 every day with their coupon on their app.
Walmart is usually $3-5 if you are just looking for a plain solid color tshirt.
I hate thrifting because I'm a plus sized girl and there is never anything for me.
I have to laugh every time someone suggests I thrift clothing for my 6'5 husband. Yeah, right. It's hard enough to find clothes at normal stores in tall sizing. Plus sizes struggle probably as much. Anyone who struggles at normal stores is going to hate thrifting.
Live in the southern California area? I hate to say it but my local goodwill are now sorting the clothes into appropriate sizes, marked like a real store. I'm finding plenty in plus size. Not my plus size which is a 16 ( OK there's some) there's lots in 2x and 3 x
I have a feeling that us big girls tend to wear clothing to death. Or there are refashioners who will take a plus-size outfit in or just use the fabric to make something else.
Depends on the store. Goodwill bins can be a nightmare but I just try to ignore people and go at my own pace. I’m lucky I live in a place that has a huge variety of them and I’ve started shopping estate sales. Great option for buying cheap cleaning products and housewares.
I just bought a signed book in a thrift store for 50 cents that I know is worth at least 200 dollars. I still love the challenge.
Yeah thrift store shopping is now a game to me, except level 100 😹
The only time I go to Thrift stores are senior discount days. I live as a minimalist, don’t need anything, but I enjoy shopping for grandkids and buying NWT items & storing them for Christmas.
Don’t go to the chains, go to your local charity thrift stores. Goodwill and value village are not charities, they are businesses. Of course they’re going to try to turn a profit.
Long-term thrifter. Goodwill is our only thrift store now, and prices are ridiculous and stuff is garbage.
I've given up on finding good pieces at thrift stores. It's been years. I actually hit up consignment stores now. It's still cheaper than new, and I get better quality pieces. Just need to buy less items.
The real deals are at yard sales
It’s gotten so expensive and ngl the smell of the clothes are enough to make me walk out
Goodwill screens and removes quality or special items and sells them on line, therefore there’s no treasures to be found in store and prices are too high. As a former employee they cut out most of their skills vocational training but market that they’re finding people with disabilities jobs. Donate your goods to smaller shops.
I was at Costco today and a reseller elbowed me aside while she was google-lensing some clearance clothing. Costco!
You nailed it--that's exactly my view.
my mother would work at one doing sorting. Not only have they raised their prices, but they took away the real nice volunteer discount. Guess what place dont have the help the had before?
I avoid Goodwill because it's not cheaper or frugal anymore. I have better luck at the smaller no name independent places, estate sales and garage sales. Architectural salvage places have some cool stuff for homes if you are willing to pick through it. Also I have found some amazing things at local university surplus stores. My kiddo needed a desk for their bedroom and I got a really nice one from the surplus store for only $15. They also have a lot of really great technology items like keyboards, computer parts and other things. Highly recommend if you live near a college to see if they have a place like this.
I always save the most amount of money by buying nothing.
I hate goodwill. Fucking bloodsuckers in there looking for their fortune. I stick mainly to the book section, has the least leeches. $1-$2 a book and I’ll just add to the collection. My roommate once found a heavily used copy of Abbey Road in the record section so I sometimes check the record section to add to my collection and I literally feel eyes on me to see if people think I’m trying to find that one in a million rare album that hasn’t been picked over
I went to a favorite of mine a few days ago on my lunch break and there was this older gentleman who kept pretty much following me around because I guess I looked like I knew what I was going? Idk. He continuously would like stand super close to me in the aisle and like reach over to something near me. Rolled my eyes and just went to another aisle and he'd waltz his way over to me lol. Like dude, there isn't a lottery ticket laying around and I'm gonna find it first 🙄
Am I the only one who thinks that all venting posts in every subreddit should just be redirected to the venting subreddit? Why is this such a thing now. I join groups/subreddits/forums to learn shit, not to scroll through endless rants.
Irony of posting a venting comment about venting posts 🤌✨
I don’t think you’re the only one, but I learned a cool trick about touching the fabric as I walk through the isles (thanks u/Fredredphooey)! 🤷🏼♀️ Never would’ve thought of that before, and now I get to teach my daughter…a 4th generation thrifter!
I've got a couple outfits to wear on nicer occasions. I'm happy with plain T-shirts and jeans everything else.
I actually went last week early in the morning and it was *bliss*. I was first in line to check out and nobody was hogging the racks. If I wait until the afternoon then it turns into black friday levels of rudeness and busy.
Went to the bins yesterday and it was overwhelming - carts full lined the walls, men with stadium chairs just sitting around. I didn’t stay long.
Agree with the OP. Used to be fun to go, you could go, be in and out and find a nugget on occasion. But now, lines consistently at the checkouts, no deals and everything picked over. I used to have a route of about 6 or 7 I would hit in a day, about once a week. As of late, I don't even go, no point because it's no fun.
I only buy craft stuff, mainly buttons, from charity shops and people tend to not go in the corner with the basket full of buttons lol. So I tend to be left to my own devices sorting through to find ‘special’ buttons (I can’t get any more ‘basic’ ones due to too many lol). Also I like to go to smaller lesser known charity shops because the big ones are overpriced. I find cool cooking stuff including almost new pans for great prices at smaller charity shops.
I have found that the little mom and pop thrift stores are much more reasonable than the bigger ones. I was in Louisville recently and found a wonderful thrift store, completely off the beaten path. Sometimes when you visit a place away from home just Google thrift stores and take a look at those that are lower down on the list. I don't shop at Goodwill simply because they charge outrageous prices and the money goes to give the CEO huge multimillion dollar bonuses! It's criminal how they tip people off!
I like my local thrift store. It’s inexpensive and the proceeds go to veterans, not some CEO.
im so sorry youre going through this, bro. thrift shopping is good for me because the prices are still low here, so i guess it depends on location. its really not fair to yall, though...im so sorry.
This is why I won’t bother anymore, it’s just not as fun
Ive stopped going altogether for this reason. Its always full of people looking for things to flip for a profit and have no qualms about reaching in front or around you or snatchingit away. Amd not to mention the nown inflated prices that sometimes are more than it would be to buy it new.
Truly, resellers can go to hell. Same goes for people who scavenge from free and buy nothing groups to resell.
It's because thrifting is "trendy" right now on social media lol - really screws us OG thrifters over. So annoying.
I feel this way about going into stores in general.
I like to shop for books at the thrift store and listen to audiobooks so I don't mind. But shopping for something specific like a piece of clothting without hearing protection is a sensory nightmare, ugh
So freaking noisy, too! All those scavengers rummaging and dropping stuff makes me jumpy.
It's because of resellers.
That is the entire subject of /r/ThriftGrift.
I’ve not shopped at one in about three years. The stores all got greedy and culled all of the great deals, and then started outpricing everything - and what they missed flippers abscond to turn their own profits and record it on their YT channels. I get it - but there’s really no reason to go anymore. But like someone said - I have enough stuff. I’m not that broken up about it.
The Good Will and Salvation Army near me are totally absurd. I went into the Salvation Army about a year ago for the first time in a long time and I was blown away by high prices. They were absolutely loaded floor to ceiling with more stuff than I'd ever seen in there before, and all of it was priced as if it were brand new. I frequent a couple of local thrift stores though that are much better. I got a polished brass Delta Faucet for $4 the other day that is $140 at home depot. It was used, but barely. Got a polished brass robe hook, new in the box, that is $40 a at home depot for $2. Grabbed a wireless Microsoft keyboard for $1 that originally sold for $180 and still sells for $70-100 used. So on and so forth. Truthfully, you've got to go regularly to make it worth it. You've got to look carefully. Look just like the folks who are trying to make money by reselling stuff. I buy tools, artwork and wall decor, electronics, audio/video and computer cables, art supplies for my kids... on and on. Go in with a list of things you are looking for or could stand to upgrade. Go after holidays. Go on Monday afternoons when people have dropped off new donations on the weekend and the staff have gotten some of it out on Monday morning. My wife and I are fixing up an old farmhouse with primarily brass hardware... over the last couple of months I've found probably a dozen decor pieces and half a dozen hardware pieces (including the faucet and hook), in brass or another complimenting metal/color and spent maybe $40 total on what would easily have cost us several hundred or more. You can find good stuff still, you just have to have a plan of action and know where to look.
Goodwill and local ran shops are all way overpriced around here. I’m in Idaho. I can buy a new pair of leggings for $5 at Walmart. I don’t need to spend $12
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