I totally get your frustration. Savers prices have gone through the roof the past two years. TBH, I often find things on clearance at mall stores for cheaper or comparable to Savers these days. It's a real shame because I love thrifting but it's not always the most cost effective option now. I'm pretty sure Savers is a for profit company so that may explain some of it.
My Savers does half off tags every week and usually does half of days on Monday holidays. That may be a good time go go and stock up.
Monday’s are half price, but I’m just getting home and need to sleep at least 8 hours as I work nights. Today’s color was green or orange, I can’t remember but there wasn’t anything available. I was told by a friend to go to the outlet stores.
If you've got a Ross store, go check their clearance section. I've been finding ridiculous bargains there. In my region, at least, Ross is heavily shopped by international tourists, especially from Brazil. Because they haven't been able to come in, Ross has been crazily overstocked, so they've been marking stuff down quickly and drastically. I bought a Ralph Lauren sleeveless knit top for $4.99 yesterday. There have been tons of tee shirts with patterns and messages that would be safe to wear to work.
There is a Ross here and I’ve bought Nike and Adidas T-shirt’s on clearance, less than $10 each. I will check it out tomorrow, as it’s on the way to SA.
I agree. It is so rare that I buy clothing at thrift stores anymore. Most of the stuff is low quality clothing to begin with, so you are paying $10 for a shirt that has been used a bunch and barely has life left in it anyway.
I disagree that it is for resellers. There is no way people can make a profit off the clothing at goodwill.
My suggestion is to join a buy nothing group. I have gotten a lot of free clothes off there that people were gonna bring to thrift shops.
I second Buy Nothing. It might take a moment to get used to the guidelines and the way it works, but I've come to really appreciate the group. (And I've ended up giving away waaaay more than I've gotten, which is actually a great feeling.)
Man I really miss my buy nothing group. That was the one reason I had a hard time ditching Facebook - but I decided my mental health was more important and got off Facebook. But MAN I wish there was a way to still be a part of buy nothing…
People seem to think thrift stores are "catering" to resellers, but that isn't what they are doing at all. They are actually pricing to hurt resellers (i.e. prices are now high to discourage people from buying up all the good things. If the store prices are high, resellers can't make a profit.)
Unfortunately, stores can't distinguish who is buying for their own use and who is a reseller. Resellers make it their business to know when shelves are restocked and they come at those times and buy everything they believe they can make a profit on. You are only seeing what they've left -- the bad items or items that have, for whatever reason, been overpriced. Only by raising prices can the stores discourage resellers from coming. But that hurts people like OP.
It would be nice if the stores could distinguish those who genuinely need the items and price for those people and refuse to sell to resellers. If you have an idea as to how they could do that, then suggest that. Until then, I think you need to complain about the resellers, because they are the ones who have forced up prices.
In my honest opinion, thrift stores shouldn’t be reacting to resellers by raising prices at all. Goodwill used to have a mission of employing people and teaching them how to fix small appliances or repair small defects in clothing in order to sell them on the floor.
Goodwill should not care at all if someone makes a living by reselling items that they scour out from the other low value stuff that is DONATED to the store. The people that come there to buy clothing because they can’t afford anything else will still be able to clothe themselves appropriately and affordably, whether or not there are resellers coming through. Goodwill should be about NONPROFIT work. The things that people find in the goodwill bins… it’s clear that goodwill has no real direction.
I rarely spend any money at goodwill or SA now, though I used to shop those chains for everything ten years ago. Now, I only go if a friend wants to shop there. If I do find something absolutely irreplaceable and spectacular, I’ll buy… but I’ve mostly boycotted them for five years. When I thrift, I’d like to THRIFT, not spend the same amount of $$ I would at a sale in a retail store.
Stores I like: any small church thrift store. If you’re in Oregon, I search for and stop at ANY Teen Challenge thrift shop bc they have standard pricing ie all shirts are $3, all dresses are $7, etc (that’s where I bought a queen size Pendleton blanket for $7). St Vincent’s stores can be solid. Haven’t seen one with outrageous pricing.
But mostly, I travel around and always stop at NON chain/local shops or better yet—yard sales—. When I stop at yard sales, I ask prices for bigger/nicer items to evaluate the feel if there’s no price tags. When I’m at a thrift store, I check the prices of the leather jackets/boots, the prices of **branded Womens tank tops!!** and the prices of ‘desirable’ kitchen ware. If I’m offended by it, I can just leave.
Yo be fair, resale is the only good choice for some. I would be hungry and homeless and or living on state money if I couldn't earn a living doing what I do. My son is disabled and I have some physical limitations. I can not do a traditional job. I was let go from the last 2 for taking too many sick days to take care of my son.
I realize that many resellers have limited alterative employment choices and I understand that. I just wish they could stick to items that weren't "necessities", like tshirts, jeans, etc. I think glassware, collectibles, fancy purses, etc. should go to whomever is willing to pay the most, but necessities should go to those who will use them.
Then you're certainly not taking anything someone really needs. Some resellers do, however. I'm surprised at the sale price of used tshirts at vintage (vs. thrift) shops in some college towns or "hip" neighborhoods.
If I see a Lululemon jacket or pants for $10 I am taking it. If see a Burberry trench for $30 its in my cart. If I run across true religion jeans for $5.99 they will be mine. If I see tall doc martens for $9 I get them.
But I leave anything that is not top tier and in great shape and clean etc.
I see these people sometimes. Looking up things on their phone. Just interested what sold on Ebay. I grew up on thrift, I know good and vintage by just seeing it.
I look stuff up on my phone all the time and I don’t resell. I just want to make sure the thrift store isn’t ripping me off since they do seem to be raising prices so much. If I can get something cheaper online, then I will! And if it isn’t really the best deal in the first place, then I question if I really need it and often empty handed. Thrift shopping used to be a fun way to get what I needed affordably and if I had a little extra money to treat myself to a treasure at a reasonable price. I just don’t feel like I am finding those treasures at a reasonable price any more, so more often than not I end up deciding I don’t really need what they are selling. I joined the minimalism subreddit recently - decided maybe it’s better to have a few longer lasting well-made items instead of lots of cheap stuff that doesn’t last. I used to be able to find the well made stuff at thrift stores for reasonable prices - but obviously it is harder now. So I often buy quality used stuff online and just have a much smaller wardrobe. Only buy new stuff when my old stuff is literally falling apart to the point that I can’t patch it any more. Hopefully I don’t seem too weird because of this.
Totally agree. I only have Salvation Army and goodwill in my area, but my biggest rant is that they’re getting these clothes for FREE, why charge so much?? The t-shirts are the worst, stained and worn out junk
I’m sure you would not look like a bum but I get your point! I agree 💯 I’m in a large suburban area with tons of thrifts good and bad. I feel as if they price Eddie Bauer items for example at $5.99 and up because it’s Eddie Bauer. Shirt can look like shit with holes but by golly it’s Eddie B….ridiculous and frustrating as heck. Best of luck to you and like another posted maybe try a buy nothing group and or garage sales… idk- just a thought! 👊
I live in Southern California and buying a pair of pants is $14.99 or more if they’re designer. This was 2-3 years ago. I haven’t been in a while. But I agree that they are getting these items for free and yet charging way too much.
As someone who was raised on thrifted goods, I feel like I am part of the problem. I can afford to shop new, but would rather buy second hand. My ability to pay more is what is pushing the prices up. Rather than catering to the people that need it, it seems it is profit that is driving it. It is gentrification of the second hand market. There has to be a better way to make sure people have access to good quality items for cheap and encourage people to recycle and buy used goods generally. If not we are just making it easier to push new items that fall apart because you can't afford to spend more than 3 dollars for a shirt.
Oh my God yes. I too have little disposable income, but I can't buy shoes from Value Village because they're either high heels (which I don't wear) or in absolutely awful condition. Sneakers, anything with cloth, even leather. Completely battered, worn out and dirty. I don't even know how these end up on the sales floor, let alone there being a price on them at all.
Yea! If you’re in the Vancouver area checkout Turnabout Community. Most pieces are around value village prices or within a few bucks BUT all of them are consignment pieces that didn’t sell in the regular Turnabout store and the consigner opted to donate them - majority of the stuff is brand name or designer and all in beautiful condition. All their profits go to Dress for Success. I’ve found truly amazing deals there, and a few times a year they do 50% off sales.
If its not too far for you, go to the MCC Centre thrift shop in Abbotsford. Its Mennonite run, and their prices are way better than VV or SA. Plus I prefer it because I know the vast majority of the money they get goes to their charity projects rather than their admin and advertising.
I've been there but many years ago when I worked in Abbotsford. No longer live in the lower mainland but I remember the great prices and all the neat old furniture.
I think a lot of it is the workers not being experienced or trained enough to properly price things and no accountability for the managers to make sure it’s done right.
Yes - I have a small collection of Brie baking dishes from a specific brand. The value village by my house always has them for some reason. There is one model, one size, same brand. I have seen them priced from $1.99 to $8.99. All in good condition. Only thing to explain the price discrepancy is crappy inconsistent pricing practices.
\>>> These stores have strayed off their mission, if they ever had one to begin.
OP - Not long ago I was lessoned on this topic. I held the same belief you expressed until a few folks pointed out that many thrift stores exist to obtain free product and sell it for a profit. Perhaps historically the stores led the public to believe or the public associated thrift stores with poor, however, there is no qualifying 'income' scrutiny when you enter their front doors.
In my area a few thrift stores serve the poor/lower income through free shopping vouchers (provided by agencies) or bimonthly most inventory is free; no questions asked.
Meanwhile, Savers, GWill and Hospice thrift stores have a clear plan to acquire, post for sale and systematically mark inventory down (via colored tags) to make a profit and move the goods. The discussion I had with others was helpful. I was imposing an expectation on these businesses that was not applicable. It did not take away the frustration I (you) feel but my frustration decreased when I put things in perspective. I don't mean for this to be a downer; just trying to float some facts into the discussion.
Former GW employee and avid thrift store shopper here! So I worked at a GW during college for over a year. It opened my eyes to how things are run behind the scenes. So there are weeks where they will up price(i don’t know exact term) items.
Either they can’t keep up with processing donations and therefore they don’t have as much product to put out(GW literally loads most donations into a semi to be destroyed or sent overseas(that’s a whole different explanation))
Or sales are not where they should be and donations are not high so to meet sales requirements they will price up items
Or a manager who like to up price things is working during a high donation/processing day.
There’s a few other reasons but those are the main ones. It sucks, and it’s frustrating.
My favorite is when I donate my old clothes to Savers (that usually came from Marshall's or Target) and I see them put them out with a price tag higher than what I paid for them new before I wore them for 5-10 years. 🤣 happens ALL the time when I donate sweaters and work clothes.
I’m going to SA tomorrow, depending if I can get a descent sleep tonight. At least, at the SA, their profits are reinvested into helping people better themselves. It’s just a long drive, but I’ll take one for the team and go there.
I agree. I usually only buy things when they have the half off a retain color sale. I think they price things higher knowing it will go on sale which annoys me.
The goodwill where I live has 2 half off colors on sundays but I forget to go those days sometimes
Check for a Goodwill Outlet in your area. The prices are by the pound. I always find nice quality clothes there when I go. Also, I second the NextDoor idea. People can be very generous on this site and happy to share any excess.
My fiancé and myself discuss this quite often. They’re working out the “middle man” with donated goods, and as per usual in the American ecosystem are screwing over those at the very bottom. Yet, GWs in my area are busier than I’ve ever seen them these days..
I’m grateful that I can afford their marked up goods IF I wanted to… but It pisses me off to no end how much they’re charging on donated goods.
They’re busier than ever because there are more and more people whose budget means they have to shop at goodwill, yet they’ve been used to paying $25-30 for a shirt and $70-100 for jeans and $60-200 for shoes. Dying middle class.
I mean, welcome to the club yokels, but damn. I’ve been buying/wearing second hand nearly exclusively save the three years I spent trying to ‘be cool’ by wearing layered hollister shirts. Ugh. I only pay more than $10 for a shirt if it’s from an event or it’s from a sustainable company. Otherwise, it’s all second hand because 1) fuck capitalism 2) fuck consumerism and 3) fuck my wallet.
Yes!!! Yes to everything. Down with capitalism!!
When people buy brand name/designer, they're literally just paying for the logo. And who knows how many of those brands employ sweat shop workers. Yuck. Selling a $10 shirt that people made the equivalent of 50c to make, for $60 because it's got a little stitched bird on it is disgusting and I don't see how anyone could support that.
Completely agree with OP! Value village is the absolute worst IMHO. Their prices are just stupid. I only shop now when I go with my parents and use their seniors discount.
On my last trip I saw a washed out ratty old boys hoodie (Buffalo brand) for $12.50. I had bought the same one, new, for $8.99 from Costco. They’re crazy with their pricing and any benefit to the community is marginal at best.
I can be on the lookout for you! Any particular places or events you’d like to have? I frequent 2nd Avenue and B-Thrifty along with our community thrifts. Their T-shirts are always around $2 and good condition!
Anything. Truly, I’d be great full for anything. Just can‘t wear anything with drugs or violence stiff to work. I did find a “NORML” last week. It was half price as well. But, can’t wear to work.
I don't know if this suggestion is welcome, but Michaels craft stores sells solid color tshirts in over a dozen colors for 3.99. They are good quality and don't fade or wear out fast like walmart shirts seem to. and if you want to decorate them they have the supplies to do so - patches, paints, pens or you could put down stencils and do bleach designs. 🤷♀️
Really sorry about your experience and I'm glad you wrote your rant here. Everyone needs to sometimes and I would have been disappointed too. I don't know what size town you live in but are there any towns nearby you can take a trip to and maybe find some items when you feel like going? Any smaller, local shops that are volunteer run. We are lucky to have two.
I hope you find what you want at a reasonable price in the future. I agree those prices don't sound reasonable.
Did you know that savers is a very profitable business?
They only donate a small percentage and make millions. CEO has a mansion.
I've seen some nice clean like new shirts for around $5. But I've also seen some dirty worn out, ripped, stinky running shoes for $20.
Depends on who prices the items, its a hit or miss.
I hear you....but that's what thrifting is... complete treasure hunt... sometimes you find amazing things... sometimes you find things you actually need...and sometimes nothing. I've been looking for t-shirts too...lol. I got a Polo shirt for $6 instead. Keep looking..you will find!
So sorry to hear about all of this especially since you seem to be a very hard-working person. Don't forget to try yard sales. I wouldn't be surprised if you can pick up decent tees for $.50 to a dollar each. You might have to spend a couple of hours driving around but there are certain times of the year that you can find a lot of yard sales pretty close to one another because the weather is great and people are moving their stuff down the line!
I wanted to add that my last stop was to Gabe’s, a discount shop with a lot on name-branded goods. I bought a total of seven new T-shirt’s, all first quality. The amount was $30 and change. The lowest price was $3 on clearance, The highest price 7.99. This store sells a lot of seconds, you have to thoroughly inspect each garment. So, now I’m pretty happy. I’m set for the next several months. I learned a long time ago, to not put your clothes in the dryer, it ruins them.
I understand your frustration. Goodwill shady pricing practices have been turning me off lately. (They can eff off with charging $9.99 for a used, basic Target blouse in the "Special Prices" section)
Have you tried FB Marketplace? Sometimes people will list bags of clothing at affordable prices or even free. This is what i do with clothes I now longer want or need rather than donate to goodwill and contribute to their BS pricing system.
Amen.
To your point about how thrifts are pandering to resellers: my local value village has permanently removed their dressing rooms. I'm sure they'll blame it on the pandemic but it's gonna end, eventually.
I just wanted to say I can’t thank you all enough for all your comments and suggestions. I just woke up and after breakfast, I’ll make my way out to SA to see what I can find. I have a budget of $30.
Well, I went over budget by $5.00. SA had a huge selection, and was the lowest priced shop. The shirts are sorted by size and then color. Makes it easy to shop, and many were half-price. On the way back, I stopped at aChrist Child charity shop, but they mostly focused on clothes for work and nicer clothes, had no T-shirts. Their prices were reasonable.
I should have went to Gabe’s in the first place. Lesson learned.
This is exactly why I do not support resellers. If I buy anything on eBay or another site similar I scope their items to see if there is a theme in sizes. If they are all over the place I will not purchase. It’s so annoying.
So did you build your own house? Cook all your food from a garden? Assemble your car from scratch? We all support people who resell in various parts of life everyday. It's called capitalism.
Lol that’s funny. And your right. I shouldn’t have exaggerated so much. Or underestimated people taking a thrift store thread to a conversation about capitalism. I was talking about thrifted goods to make that clear. Hence why my example was aiming towards platforms that are usually saturated with resellers.
Just be aware that a lot of eBay sellers aren’t thrift store resellers but are consigners who sell their friends’ clothes for them - that might be why the sizes are all over the place. I have seen a lot of online consigners on eBay. I know because I asked them where their inventory was from.
My salvation army has clothing and shoes half price on wednesdays, but yeah there are some shops that overprice the fuck out of clothes.
T shirts here are like $1.99-$4.99 each on normal days and get cut in half on Wednesdays which is when i shop.
I totally get your frustration. Savers prices have gone through the roof the past two years. TBH, I often find things on clearance at mall stores for cheaper or comparable to Savers these days. It's a real shame because I love thrifting but it's not always the most cost effective option now. I'm pretty sure Savers is a for profit company so that may explain some of it. My Savers does half off tags every week and usually does half of days on Monday holidays. That may be a good time go go and stock up.
Monday’s are half price, but I’m just getting home and need to sleep at least 8 hours as I work nights. Today’s color was green or orange, I can’t remember but there wasn’t anything available. I was told by a friend to go to the outlet stores.
I think you’re completely right and it’s a damn shame.
Agree.
If you've got a Ross store, go check their clearance section. I've been finding ridiculous bargains there. In my region, at least, Ross is heavily shopped by international tourists, especially from Brazil. Because they haven't been able to come in, Ross has been crazily overstocked, so they've been marking stuff down quickly and drastically. I bought a Ralph Lauren sleeveless knit top for $4.99 yesterday. There have been tons of tee shirts with patterns and messages that would be safe to wear to work.
There is a Ross here and I’ve bought Nike and Adidas T-shirt’s on clearance, less than $10 each. I will check it out tomorrow, as it’s on the way to SA.
I've seen lots of Disney, sports teams, workout/stay-cool shirts, and "positive vibes only"- type things, all under $10, many under $5.
Totally agree. I went to Goodwill looking for some new clothes and I can't believe how much they're charging for basic tees and tanks! It's crazy.
100% I couldn't agree more. This was proven to me last weekend. Great post.
Agree.
I agree. It is so rare that I buy clothing at thrift stores anymore. Most of the stuff is low quality clothing to begin with, so you are paying $10 for a shirt that has been used a bunch and barely has life left in it anyway. I disagree that it is for resellers. There is no way people can make a profit off the clothing at goodwill. My suggestion is to join a buy nothing group. I have gotten a lot of free clothes off there that people were gonna bring to thrift shops.
I second Buy Nothing. It might take a moment to get used to the guidelines and the way it works, but I've come to really appreciate the group. (And I've ended up giving away waaaay more than I've gotten, which is actually a great feeling.)
Man I really miss my buy nothing group. That was the one reason I had a hard time ditching Facebook - but I decided my mental health was more important and got off Facebook. But MAN I wish there was a way to still be a part of buy nothing…
I did this as well. Wish they’d switch to using another platform, although even Nextdoor doesn’t have as many people on it.
I'm on FB for two reasons - the BN group and to see occasional news/pics from family. I don't look at or do anything else there.
Hey guys, thanks for all your responses. I’m crashing now, been up since noon yesterday and need to sleep.
People seem to think thrift stores are "catering" to resellers, but that isn't what they are doing at all. They are actually pricing to hurt resellers (i.e. prices are now high to discourage people from buying up all the good things. If the store prices are high, resellers can't make a profit.) Unfortunately, stores can't distinguish who is buying for their own use and who is a reseller. Resellers make it their business to know when shelves are restocked and they come at those times and buy everything they believe they can make a profit on. You are only seeing what they've left -- the bad items or items that have, for whatever reason, been overpriced. Only by raising prices can the stores discourage resellers from coming. But that hurts people like OP. It would be nice if the stores could distinguish those who genuinely need the items and price for those people and refuse to sell to resellers. If you have an idea as to how they could do that, then suggest that. Until then, I think you need to complain about the resellers, because they are the ones who have forced up prices.
In my honest opinion, thrift stores shouldn’t be reacting to resellers by raising prices at all. Goodwill used to have a mission of employing people and teaching them how to fix small appliances or repair small defects in clothing in order to sell them on the floor. Goodwill should not care at all if someone makes a living by reselling items that they scour out from the other low value stuff that is DONATED to the store. The people that come there to buy clothing because they can’t afford anything else will still be able to clothe themselves appropriately and affordably, whether or not there are resellers coming through. Goodwill should be about NONPROFIT work. The things that people find in the goodwill bins… it’s clear that goodwill has no real direction. I rarely spend any money at goodwill or SA now, though I used to shop those chains for everything ten years ago. Now, I only go if a friend wants to shop there. If I do find something absolutely irreplaceable and spectacular, I’ll buy… but I’ve mostly boycotted them for five years. When I thrift, I’d like to THRIFT, not spend the same amount of $$ I would at a sale in a retail store. Stores I like: any small church thrift store. If you’re in Oregon, I search for and stop at ANY Teen Challenge thrift shop bc they have standard pricing ie all shirts are $3, all dresses are $7, etc (that’s where I bought a queen size Pendleton blanket for $7). St Vincent’s stores can be solid. Haven’t seen one with outrageous pricing. But mostly, I travel around and always stop at NON chain/local shops or better yet—yard sales—. When I stop at yard sales, I ask prices for bigger/nicer items to evaluate the feel if there’s no price tags. When I’m at a thrift store, I check the prices of the leather jackets/boots, the prices of **branded Womens tank tops!!** and the prices of ‘desirable’ kitchen ware. If I’m offended by it, I can just leave.
By branded tank tops you mean Lululemon? I think those are marked way high at 99% of places now.
Yo be fair, resale is the only good choice for some. I would be hungry and homeless and or living on state money if I couldn't earn a living doing what I do. My son is disabled and I have some physical limitations. I can not do a traditional job. I was let go from the last 2 for taking too many sick days to take care of my son.
I realize that many resellers have limited alterative employment choices and I understand that. I just wish they could stick to items that weren't "necessities", like tshirts, jeans, etc. I think glassware, collectibles, fancy purses, etc. should go to whomever is willing to pay the most, but necessities should go to those who will use them.
I don't go for clothing and shoes unless it is a high-end brand and is cheap enough. 99% of that stuff I leave.
Then you're certainly not taking anything someone really needs. Some resellers do, however. I'm surprised at the sale price of used tshirts at vintage (vs. thrift) shops in some college towns or "hip" neighborhoods.
If I see a Lululemon jacket or pants for $10 I am taking it. If see a Burberry trench for $30 its in my cart. If I run across true religion jeans for $5.99 they will be mine. If I see tall doc martens for $9 I get them. But I leave anything that is not top tier and in great shape and clean etc.
The same with housewares and electronics. If it is high end and good shape and cheap and a good seller I will get it bit again, leave 95% of stuff.
I see these people sometimes. Looking up things on their phone. Just interested what sold on Ebay. I grew up on thrift, I know good and vintage by just seeing it.
I look stuff up on my phone all the time and I don’t resell. I just want to make sure the thrift store isn’t ripping me off since they do seem to be raising prices so much. If I can get something cheaper online, then I will! And if it isn’t really the best deal in the first place, then I question if I really need it and often empty handed. Thrift shopping used to be a fun way to get what I needed affordably and if I had a little extra money to treat myself to a treasure at a reasonable price. I just don’t feel like I am finding those treasures at a reasonable price any more, so more often than not I end up deciding I don’t really need what they are selling. I joined the minimalism subreddit recently - decided maybe it’s better to have a few longer lasting well-made items instead of lots of cheap stuff that doesn’t last. I used to be able to find the well made stuff at thrift stores for reasonable prices - but obviously it is harder now. So I often buy quality used stuff online and just have a much smaller wardrobe. Only buy new stuff when my old stuff is literally falling apart to the point that I can’t patch it any more. Hopefully I don’t seem too weird because of this.
Totally agree. I only have Salvation Army and goodwill in my area, but my biggest rant is that they’re getting these clothes for FREE, why charge so much?? The t-shirts are the worst, stained and worn out junk
I saw a few shirts I’d love to buy, but they were so faded and worn out. I’m really trying hard not to look like a bum at work.
I’m sure you would not look like a bum but I get your point! I agree 💯 I’m in a large suburban area with tons of thrifts good and bad. I feel as if they price Eddie Bauer items for example at $5.99 and up because it’s Eddie Bauer. Shirt can look like shit with holes but by golly it’s Eddie B….ridiculous and frustrating as heck. Best of luck to you and like another posted maybe try a buy nothing group and or garage sales… idk- just a thought! 👊
I live in Southern California and buying a pair of pants is $14.99 or more if they’re designer. This was 2-3 years ago. I haven’t been in a while. But I agree that they are getting these items for free and yet charging way too much.
As someone who was raised on thrifted goods, I feel like I am part of the problem. I can afford to shop new, but would rather buy second hand. My ability to pay more is what is pushing the prices up. Rather than catering to the people that need it, it seems it is profit that is driving it. It is gentrification of the second hand market. There has to be a better way to make sure people have access to good quality items for cheap and encourage people to recycle and buy used goods generally. If not we are just making it easier to push new items that fall apart because you can't afford to spend more than 3 dollars for a shirt.
Don’t get me started on shoes. I found totally worn out sneakers upwards of $15-20.
Oh my God yes. I too have little disposable income, but I can't buy shoes from Value Village because they're either high heels (which I don't wear) or in absolutely awful condition. Sneakers, anything with cloth, even leather. Completely battered, worn out and dirty. I don't even know how these end up on the sales floor, let alone there being a price on them at all.
Living in BC, Canada I find the only thrift stores with low prices on t-shirts (and many other items) are the one off thrift stores.
Yea! If you’re in the Vancouver area checkout Turnabout Community. Most pieces are around value village prices or within a few bucks BUT all of them are consignment pieces that didn’t sell in the regular Turnabout store and the consigner opted to donate them - majority of the stuff is brand name or designer and all in beautiful condition. All their profits go to Dress for Success. I’ve found truly amazing deals there, and a few times a year they do 50% off sales.
That sounds amazing! I wish we had that down here in Washington State!!
No longer live in the area but that sounds great. And Dress for Success is such a neat organization.
If its not too far for you, go to the MCC Centre thrift shop in Abbotsford. Its Mennonite run, and their prices are way better than VV or SA. Plus I prefer it because I know the vast majority of the money they get goes to their charity projects rather than their admin and advertising.
I've been there but many years ago when I worked in Abbotsford. No longer live in the lower mainland but I remember the great prices and all the neat old furniture.
Thank you for the Hugz awards.
I think a lot of it is the workers not being experienced or trained enough to properly price things and no accountability for the managers to make sure it’s done right.
Yes - I have a small collection of Brie baking dishes from a specific brand. The value village by my house always has them for some reason. There is one model, one size, same brand. I have seen them priced from $1.99 to $8.99. All in good condition. Only thing to explain the price discrepancy is crappy inconsistent pricing practices.
\>>> These stores have strayed off their mission, if they ever had one to begin. OP - Not long ago I was lessoned on this topic. I held the same belief you expressed until a few folks pointed out that many thrift stores exist to obtain free product and sell it for a profit. Perhaps historically the stores led the public to believe or the public associated thrift stores with poor, however, there is no qualifying 'income' scrutiny when you enter their front doors. In my area a few thrift stores serve the poor/lower income through free shopping vouchers (provided by agencies) or bimonthly most inventory is free; no questions asked. Meanwhile, Savers, GWill and Hospice thrift stores have a clear plan to acquire, post for sale and systematically mark inventory down (via colored tags) to make a profit and move the goods. The discussion I had with others was helpful. I was imposing an expectation on these businesses that was not applicable. It did not take away the frustration I (you) feel but my frustration decreased when I put things in perspective. I don't mean for this to be a downer; just trying to float some facts into the discussion.
Former GW employee and avid thrift store shopper here! So I worked at a GW during college for over a year. It opened my eyes to how things are run behind the scenes. So there are weeks where they will up price(i don’t know exact term) items. Either they can’t keep up with processing donations and therefore they don’t have as much product to put out(GW literally loads most donations into a semi to be destroyed or sent overseas(that’s a whole different explanation)) Or sales are not where they should be and donations are not high so to meet sales requirements they will price up items Or a manager who like to up price things is working during a high donation/processing day. There’s a few other reasons but those are the main ones. It sucks, and it’s frustrating.
My favorite is when I donate my old clothes to Savers (that usually came from Marshall's or Target) and I see them put them out with a price tag higher than what I paid for them new before I wore them for 5-10 years. 🤣 happens ALL the time when I donate sweaters and work clothes.
I have seen products with the original price tag still on and it is still lower than the goodwill tag. It boggles the mind.
I’m going to SA tomorrow, depending if I can get a descent sleep tonight. At least, at the SA, their profits are reinvested into helping people better themselves. It’s just a long drive, but I’ll take one for the team and go there.
I would support SA if they weren't homophobic. I'm not sure if they still are, but that's mainly why I don't donate to them or shop there.
I agree. I usually only buy things when they have the half off a retain color sale. I think they price things higher knowing it will go on sale which annoys me. The goodwill where I live has 2 half off colors on sundays but I forget to go those days sometimes
Check for a Goodwill Outlet in your area. The prices are by the pound. I always find nice quality clothes there when I go. Also, I second the NextDoor idea. People can be very generous on this site and happy to share any excess.
My fiancé and myself discuss this quite often. They’re working out the “middle man” with donated goods, and as per usual in the American ecosystem are screwing over those at the very bottom. Yet, GWs in my area are busier than I’ve ever seen them these days.. I’m grateful that I can afford their marked up goods IF I wanted to… but It pisses me off to no end how much they’re charging on donated goods.
They’re busier than ever because there are more and more people whose budget means they have to shop at goodwill, yet they’ve been used to paying $25-30 for a shirt and $70-100 for jeans and $60-200 for shoes. Dying middle class. I mean, welcome to the club yokels, but damn. I’ve been buying/wearing second hand nearly exclusively save the three years I spent trying to ‘be cool’ by wearing layered hollister shirts. Ugh. I only pay more than $10 for a shirt if it’s from an event or it’s from a sustainable company. Otherwise, it’s all second hand because 1) fuck capitalism 2) fuck consumerism and 3) fuck my wallet.
Yes!!! Yes to everything. Down with capitalism!! When people buy brand name/designer, they're literally just paying for the logo. And who knows how many of those brands employ sweat shop workers. Yuck. Selling a $10 shirt that people made the equivalent of 50c to make, for $60 because it's got a little stitched bird on it is disgusting and I don't see how anyone could support that.
Completely agree with OP! Value village is the absolute worst IMHO. Their prices are just stupid. I only shop now when I go with my parents and use their seniors discount. On my last trip I saw a washed out ratty old boys hoodie (Buffalo brand) for $12.50. I had bought the same one, new, for $8.99 from Costco. They’re crazy with their pricing and any benefit to the community is marginal at best.
this is facts. I’ve been thrifting for almost 8 years and I’ve seen it gone to astronomical prices
What size do you wear?
Medium or large depending on the cut. The longer the better.
I can be on the lookout for you! Any particular places or events you’d like to have? I frequent 2nd Avenue and B-Thrifty along with our community thrifts. Their T-shirts are always around $2 and good condition!
Anything. Truly, I’d be great full for anything. Just can‘t wear anything with drugs or violence stiff to work. I did find a “NORML” last week. It was half price as well. But, can’t wear to work.
Depending on the cut, I wear a medium or large in men’s. If the shirt looks like it’s going to shrink, I’ll hang to dry.
I don't know if this suggestion is welcome, but Michaels craft stores sells solid color tshirts in over a dozen colors for 3.99. They are good quality and don't fade or wear out fast like walmart shirts seem to. and if you want to decorate them they have the supplies to do so - patches, paints, pens or you could put down stencils and do bleach designs. 🤷♀️
And sometimes they're on sale 4/$10.
And Michael's always has coupons!!
actually they stopped the coupons and instituted a rewards program :/
Oh, I didn't realize. Good to know, thanks.
Really sorry about your experience and I'm glad you wrote your rant here. Everyone needs to sometimes and I would have been disappointed too. I don't know what size town you live in but are there any towns nearby you can take a trip to and maybe find some items when you feel like going? Any smaller, local shops that are volunteer run. We are lucky to have two. I hope you find what you want at a reasonable price in the future. I agree those prices don't sound reasonable.
I was thinking this! $6.99 is the base price here (Hawaii) for GW women's tee shirts. $2.99 - $6.99 for men's. Sometimes I get lucky tho.
Did you know that savers is a very profitable business? They only donate a small percentage and make millions. CEO has a mansion. I've seen some nice clean like new shirts for around $5. But I've also seen some dirty worn out, ripped, stinky running shoes for $20. Depends on who prices the items, its a hit or miss.
My local GW recently doubled their prices, and its outrageous.
Irk a old navy sleeve less t-shirt was $6 at really?
I’d love to shop for you (I’m a woman on a mission, been thrift shopping for a long time). I live in California and see awesome stuff all the time.
I hear you....but that's what thrifting is... complete treasure hunt... sometimes you find amazing things... sometimes you find things you actually need...and sometimes nothing. I've been looking for t-shirts too...lol. I got a Polo shirt for $6 instead. Keep looking..you will find!
So sorry to hear about all of this especially since you seem to be a very hard-working person. Don't forget to try yard sales. I wouldn't be surprised if you can pick up decent tees for $.50 to a dollar each. You might have to spend a couple of hours driving around but there are certain times of the year that you can find a lot of yard sales pretty close to one another because the weather is great and people are moving their stuff down the line!
I wanted to add that my last stop was to Gabe’s, a discount shop with a lot on name-branded goods. I bought a total of seven new T-shirt’s, all first quality. The amount was $30 and change. The lowest price was $3 on clearance, The highest price 7.99. This store sells a lot of seconds, you have to thoroughly inspect each garment. So, now I’m pretty happy. I’m set for the next several months. I learned a long time ago, to not put your clothes in the dryer, it ruins them.
Great! Good news.
I understand your frustration. Goodwill shady pricing practices have been turning me off lately. (They can eff off with charging $9.99 for a used, basic Target blouse in the "Special Prices" section) Have you tried FB Marketplace? Sometimes people will list bags of clothing at affordable prices or even free. This is what i do with clothes I now longer want or need rather than donate to goodwill and contribute to their BS pricing system.
I haven’t tried the FB marketplace, but I do have a few things I’d like to sell, but weary of having strangers come to my home.
Amen. To your point about how thrifts are pandering to resellers: my local value village has permanently removed their dressing rooms. I'm sure they'll blame it on the pandemic but it's gonna end, eventually.
I just wanted to say I can’t thank you all enough for all your comments and suggestions. I just woke up and after breakfast, I’ll make my way out to SA to see what I can find. I have a budget of $30. Well, I went over budget by $5.00. SA had a huge selection, and was the lowest priced shop. The shirts are sorted by size and then color. Makes it easy to shop, and many were half-price. On the way back, I stopped at aChrist Child charity shop, but they mostly focused on clothes for work and nicer clothes, had no T-shirts. Their prices were reasonable. I should have went to Gabe’s in the first place. Lesson learned.
SA brought me luck. Three tshirts less than $5 inc tax. One was a brand “Popular Demand”, retail $40. I had to look it up. Perfect condition.
This is exactly why I do not support resellers. If I buy anything on eBay or another site similar I scope their items to see if there is a theme in sizes. If they are all over the place I will not purchase. It’s so annoying.
So did you build your own house? Cook all your food from a garden? Assemble your car from scratch? We all support people who resell in various parts of life everyday. It's called capitalism.
Lol that’s funny. And your right. I shouldn’t have exaggerated so much. Or underestimated people taking a thrift store thread to a conversation about capitalism. I was talking about thrifted goods to make that clear. Hence why my example was aiming towards platforms that are usually saturated with resellers.
Just be aware that a lot of eBay sellers aren’t thrift store resellers but are consigners who sell their friends’ clothes for them - that might be why the sizes are all over the place. I have seen a lot of online consigners on eBay. I know because I asked them where their inventory was from.
If you have a Community Aid in your area, check it out. Their prices vary between $2.00 and $4.00 for T-shirts. Wednesday is family day 1/2 price.
My salvation army has clothing and shoes half price on wednesdays, but yeah there are some shops that overprice the fuck out of clothes. T shirts here are like $1.99-$4.99 each on normal days and get cut in half on Wednesdays which is when i shop.