They're on to me.
The thrift store people.
I stopped by one of my favorite thrift stores the other day. Expecting to find great deals and ridiculously low prices (aka thrift store prices). And to my horror I saw this.
An old typewriter. Cool.
Maybe a little too office-ie for me, but it's always a good day when you see a typewriter in a thrift store.
But, $49.99!!!
You gotta be kidding me.
After quickly running outside to check the sign and make sure that I hadn't wandered into an antique mall in my menopause-induced state, I suddenly felt like I needed to throw up.
This is the same thrift store where I had bought this beauty of a typewriter at last year.
I believe it was $6.99. Ain't gonna see those prices again.
The jig is up. It's all she wrote. The fat lady has sung. And she didn't sing a pretty song.
My favorite thrift has hired someone to research prices for them!
Yes, siree Bob. The jig is up. And I don't like it.
Have your thrifts started using "professional" people to find the good stuff and up their prices yet?
Vickie @ Ranger 911
Our thrift store charges more for old furniture than the local antique shops! I have no idea who buys the stuff, but it sells!
The Speckled Hen Cottage
Yes, they mark everything up here ridiculously high. And you know what, when you guys say what you paid for something, I think "what a steal". All of our thrift stores have been high priced for several years. All of them also have pricing people. Our GW ships the good, better and best donations upstate to Portland, (OR)...it's our local donations and we don't even get to buy them!!! But they can sure mark up the stuff they cull out for us!!! I've overheard people tell a clerk that they should re-think there price as the label shows that it came from the dollar store originally, and it will be priced like $2.99...GEEZ!!! Sorry for the long comment...needed to let this out for awhile, Thank you!
Linda @ Itsy Bits And Pieces
It's funny though...they'll mark up something they THINK is worth a lot...then I'll spot something I know is worth a lot and it will have 2.99 on it. All in what you are looking for, I guess...
Faye
Yes, Goodwill had caught on and on top of it many times I see things marked higher than what they were new, that's for the newer stuff that I'm not after but golly...come on now! Then on top of it I'll look at something and think, well with my 'old lady' discount it's not terribly high but then I discover it has a crack or big chip so forget it. It's ridiculous that they mark up every day stuff like that anyway...so much for being a thrift store! I was wondering if this was happening all over and I guess it is.
Cozy Little House
I've never found anything to buy at our thrift stores. Just a bunch of junk, I kid you not. The jig may be up, but look what all you've scored, my friend!
Brenda
Pam Kessler
It was a good run while it lasted 🙂
Lorilee
I find better prices at Walmart than our Goodwill on many things. Weird!
Blessings,
Lorilee
AntiqueChase
I know! It's getting insane.
Kristin_Texas
Story of my life. ;o)
There are a lot of antique places around here - we even have Round Top twice a year, which is crazy popular nationwide - and I'm always finding things way too overpriced. It takes a lot of hunting to find a good deal.
Debby
I have noticed higher prices on certain items as well. I just shake my head and walk on by. I agree, I think they are researching online and think they can get those prices. Hopefully our favorite places will have some deals for us this spring.
Andrea Ostapovitch
Every now and again I find a high price on things. For instance, there was a nice dartboard that they wanted $70 for. Brand new, it is only $80, so that was weird. But most often what they do with anything valuable, (usually antiques) is have a silent auction with minimum bids. Every now and again, something gets overlooked though, and I can sneak out with a fabulous find at a steal of a price.
Pam Kessler
There is one thrift around here who does the silent auction thing. I've never bid on anything yet, but I may give it a try.
~Lavender Dreamer~
I think it's gotten so much easier for them to do research on some of the antiques that they are pricing accordingly. But hopefully you'll still find some 'deals! Hugs!
Shelly Bittner
It has happened here in the midwest to.Over the holidays I was shopping at ours to find christmas items for my kids and asked finally why their prices were so high in just over a year. One of the gals said that they hired another gal who found the prices on E-bay an that is how they based the prices for the store. I went back on a sale day an they refused to mark the prices down. All I said as I walked out the door was how sad it was since the items were donated.an how they were profiting off of it. I refuse to take my donations there from now on.
Side Bar: Like others I have found better prices at my local antique store and was able to buy things for my kids Christmas collection.
So Sad 🙁 to know they are profiting from free items that way!!
Pam Kessler
What's sadder is that when the stuff doesn't sell after a month or so, they either trash it or sell it to one of those for-profit thrift stores that are popping up.
Anonymous
Even sadder....is when they won't mark stuff down and keep it in the store for 6 months or a year or ???? That unfortunately happens here and it is crazy!! Marie
Suesan Kennard
Our Goodwill has had ridiculous prices for awhile now. It's depressing since there's only 2 thrift stores in Mansfield.
Kim @ Savvy Southern Style
Oh, no. They do know it is a thrift store and not an antique store don't they. Researching prices makes no since for a thrift store. I visited one here last year and the prices were higher than the antique stores and I kept saying out loud, really? thrift store prices?
Laurel Stephens
Yup, the party's over, and I'm not a happy camper.
Pam Kessler
I guess the money goes to charity, so I shouldn't complain too much, but still, I miss my good old prices where they had no idea what they had and were selling it dirt cheap.
Joanne Noragon
I earned my college pocket money on that typewriter. How many papers did I pass out through the dorm window, but only after collecting payment through the window first.
Our thrift stores have almost always been up there in price, unless they absolutely dd not recognize their item. I bought a little loom once, even showed them one part was missing (absolutely unessential), for 4.99 and resold it for 49.99. I think the operative word is "once".
Pam Kessler
Our Goodwills tend to be higher priced, but at least at Salvation Army you could find some good stuff. Glad you got a deal. Once 🙂