Thrift stores, really?

[Radiance]

I visited a Salvation Army thrift store.

I have to say that I found the prices to be comparable with new stuff when it is on sale.
Used work shirts, $6-$8, I can find that on Wal-mart.
Toys $8, that is generally my cap when buying a toy.
A sofa $350, that is a sales price on any store, maybe floor sample or small damage..
Desks $24. I paid $19 for mine, and mine was new and nicer, It was an "out of fashion/last year inventory" item at an office depot.

My conclusion is that if you are patient and visit sales racks and stands, you can get new stuff at the same price as the used items at a thrift store.

There were used shoes and even underware, I didn't even check the price on those.

I went out empty handed.
I have also gone to two different flea markets and same conclusion: Buy new stuff on sale, liquidation racks, much better.

Am I missing something?

[disneysteve]

I think those prices are higher than typical for a thrift shop, at least around here. We were at a shop on Saturday that we go to regularly. My daughter needed a woman's suit to make a costume (so we weren't too picky - just needed to fit and be a light color). She found a nice beige suit for $4.90. I don't know anywhere where she could have gotten anything similar for that price. We also were looking for some stuffed animal sheep for a show we were doing. We found 3 for under $1.00 each. Surely, they would have been more than that even at Wal-Mart.

I don't recall what they charge for men's dress shirts, but I buy those there periodically. I think it is $3-5. I pay $17-$20 at the outlet stores so if I can find something nice for $5, I'll take it. And I think jeans are $5 at Goodwill compared to at least $19 at Old Navy or other low-priced stores.

[GREENBACK]

Most items at the Goodwill store near me are generally in the 3-5 dollar range. I wouldn't pay those prices at a thrift store.

[Radiance]

Is it maybe because this is South Florida?
I was really expecting really cheap stuff.

I would have loved a suit for $4.90!.
I definitely didn't see any stuffed animal for less that $8 but I have seen some for $5 at a walgreens...or even my local grocery store.

I guess I'll try goodwill next time, but if that fails I am giving up on thrift stores. There was a lot of people buysing a lot of stuff there. I don't get it.

As I said the same happened at flea markets, I am not trying that again.

[MonkeyMama]

This is the thing.

The GOOD thrift shops - with the good merchandise - are as expensive here. I converted to Target when we got one down the street. Convenient, and cheaper in the end. I barely buy any clothing over $5 for my children. Never did much better at the thrift shop I used to trek out to.

We have a lot of thrift shops, and if I wanted to spend all day digging through the bins to find the bargains, I could. If I had an income problem, I certainly would. But I find myself shopping the thrift stores less and less, with age. IT's kind of that - they used to be better - but I also used to have the time (and be more desparate).

Right now, the only person in my house who regularly shops Thrift is my husband. I am a very average sized woman, but I don't have the patience to try to find my size. I just always find it hard to find well fitting clothes, and the thrift store shopping adds another layer of aggravation I don't need. So, that is why my kids and I don't shop Thrift much any more.

I'll pay a couple of more bucks to buy stuff on clearance at the department store, NEW, yes.

[irmanator]

My local goodwill has different color tags and they are 1/2 price. That is what I look for. MY VOA has half price and .99 tags.

Full price is kinda nuts though. I prefer yard sales. in my opinion its kinda like hunting female version. I look at it as a saturday sport.

[zakity]

Most of the thrift stores here are pretty spendy.

[ktmarvels]

I find that salvation army and goodwill tend to be among the highest priced thrift stores. You might have better luck at another store.

[irmanator]

I do agree however that their are more expensive than they used to be. My voa is on the way to take my daughter to college class so if I got time I stop in. MY goodwill is right next to my Walmart so I check there quite often. My goodwill actually has a lot of brand new stuff so that stuff is more pricey.

I am so very addicted to hunting persuits, ie garage sales, and in the winter there arent any so I fill in by stopping there.

[poundwise]

Experiences vary, however, I recently bought four pants for my Dad at the local Goodwill thrift store. Three were Dockers, one was Duck Head, and they each looked gently used to nearly new; $2.50 each. I don't see any way, other than a thrift store, to get such things for such a price.

I don't frequently go to thrift stores but I've seen some that are priced too high and others, like the one mentioned above, where you can get some incredible bargains.

[graceful]

There is a very NICE Goodwill near my new house. I've stopped by there twice and left empty handed each time.

The store is clean and well organized. But I agree that the prices are not that cheap. I feel that I can get better deals at Marshalls and elsewhere on sale and the items are new and unbroken, etc.

They were basically pricing their new in box prices at "sale" prices at regular discount stores. And their gently used items at about 30% less than that. If I were to buy used, I feel I would do better on ebay or craigslist.

Even though the clothes were all organized by color and hung neatly, I felt like I needed to wear gloves to go through the racks. Who knows where they've been. Whereas, I don't have that same ick feeling going through the disorganized mess at Loehmans, Marshalls or clearance sections of other stores.

Even if the used clothes are clean, I've had to quickly re-wash clothes we've gotten as hand me downs from relatives because they had pets in their home and the clothes come with the pet dander and make me sneeze like crazy when they in my home. So, I have no desire to rifle through clothes that have unknown origins without protective gear... unless they were truly worth my while. And like Radiance's experience, I haven't found the deals there.

[irmanator]

Really you need gloves to shop at goodwill? They are a clean store. I get the impression that they just don't even accept anything like that. everything at my store is clean and alot of it still has the new tags like a store donated out of season.

Now Voa takes a little lesser quality but you can find some good stuff.

[snshijuptr]

I agree that Thrift Stores can be more than Discount stores like Target, but the thing I get at thrift stores is 1) everything is on sale prices, 2) high quality clothes for cheap. The latter is the most important to me. I love that I can own jeans that fit me perfectly for $10 instead of settling for jeans at Target which never fit right. I also love the selection at thrift stores.

One trick is to find a store in a less expensive area that borders an expensive area. Lake Forest goodwill pulls from Laguna Beach and Hills. Oxnard thrift stores pull from the Ventura County suburbs. Pacific Beach pulls from the San Diego beach communities. These all have really great thrift stores.

[rob62521]

I'm thinking that it must be where you live as to the prices at the Thrift Stores. Here in Central Illinois the prices are cheaper.

[Radiance]

Yeah, it must be the area, I was talking to a friend that had the same experience at a good will.

I go to high end stores and get very cheap stuff at the clearance rack. I bought me a $12 jean 3 years ago at Benetton.
I also get me very nice shirts at $10 at Ann Taylor
I got me a suit, brand new, three pieces, very trendy at $22 at Sears. This was 5 years ago, i still have it.

And clothing from these stores last forever!

I must say I really don't buy much clothing, it is not my thing. Same with shoes, $8-$12 at Payless shoes is good enough for me. I think i have 6-8 pairs of shoes overall.

I am just not a good Thrift Store candidate.

And how about the furniture?! Super expensive, I go to IKEA or Walmart for that, or clearance at other stores.

I saw people at the Salvation Army I went to buying and they looked very low income, I wander if it ever occur to them to try clearance racks somewhere else.

[Granite]

i love thrift stores but they do very greatly according to the state you live in and the availability. don't give up on thrift stores. keep checking around till you find a good one.

i got like new Enzo ladies pumps for $10 (really nice) and an anchor hocking glass cookie/cake plate for $1 today. Also a shelf for $4 that I am going to paint and refurbish.

I usually buy all clothes used but I do go for like new and designer brands. no one would guess i'm a second hand rose, i always look pulled together.

[snafu]

SA, GW, VV and others take vouchers issued to shoppers on Social Assistance and other programs. Individuals with vouchers don't always have the option of shopping Target, W/Mart, Dollar store etc.

I think the charity shops have had to increase prices as they need to cover their operating costs [rent, utilities, staff, trucks etc]

[disneysteve]

One thing at local thrift shops that always annoys me is how they've started pricing items they deem "collectible". Having been a collectibles dealer for nearly 25 years now, I know what a lot of that stuff is worth and they are basically charging full retail prices or more for much of it, prices that I might expect to pay in an antique store or on ebay. I used to be able to troll the thrift shops and buy items to resell. Now, that is a rare occurrence. They are charging as much or more than what I could likely sell the item for.

Of course, every once in a while, I come across an item I want for my own collection. Just last week, I picked up a 1960s Winnie the Pooh glass ceiling fixture cover. It was $9.90 at the thrift shop. I came home and searched ebay and the cheapest one I found for sale was starting at $11.95 with $9 shipping.

[wnlbutterfly]

You have to know your prices. I sometimes look at the thrift store for certain things to make into craft items. Many times I have seen items there that I could get brand new at WalMart for less. You can't just assume it will be cheaper just because it is a thrift store.

We have in another town a VERY nice consignment shop that only takes good quality name brand clothing. I can find some very nice clothing there about the same price as WalMart but much better quality. Last trip I found my son a pair of khaki's that were name brand for $8. Not that we are into brand names but some I do know will wear well and not fall apart after a couple of washings.

[RAYT721]

I went to a local independent thrift shop (not Goodwill or Salvation Army) here in Cleveland over the weekend and bought a pair of Nike gym shorts for $2, a fleece pullover for $3, and wife bought 3 pairs of laundered and excellent condition jeans for $3/pair. Last year I bought a pair of Drunk N Munky ($200 value) jeans on Ebay for $10, delivered. There are deals out there. Also on Ebay I bought an 8gig ipod clone with touch screen for $28.50. I doubt that I can get that locally for even twice the price.