Death of the thrift shop ?

[ceagle]

The last three or so years, it's been hard to find a real, genuine Thrift Store. It's starting to look (at least around here) like they are charging horrendously high prices, more like some Antique Stores, instead of thrift shop bargain prices.
One of the best ones that used to support AMVETS was sold to a private company, and the prices went way up too.

Why would someone pay full or nearly full price for something nearly all used up? $8 for worn out jeans when you can get new ones for the same price? $150 for beat up furniture when you can get new stuff for less downtown?

*sigh* ... I miss going thru bins of LP records for 2 bits apiece... or buying old cameras for under a buck..

Comments

[aldi.livejournal.com]

Garage sales all the way!

[c-eagle.livejournal.com]

Oh YEAH!

I guess I haven't been getting out early enough on weekends!

[mortonfox.livejournal.com]

I really only go to thrift stores once in a while to look for unusual items that are of interest. I used to vacation in Virginia Beach for thrift store shopping but stopped after the best store in that area closed down. That was where the unicorn fursuit came from, by the way.

[c-eagle.livejournal.com]

A costume at one?? WOW... First I've hearda that! ^V^ Glad ya found that good buy!

Once atta Thrift Shoppe, I found a Perfect, complete, high quality Western outfit all for under $100, good nuff for Halloween or even a real rodeo! ... but, I was shopping WITH some people who made me feel embarrassed about my find, so I didn't buy it... ;_;

[atkelar.livejournal.com]

I'd say... gone with the e-bay and craigslists.

[titanic.livejournal.com]

Ebay killed off thrift stores for anything that can be easily shipped through the mail. Don't understand why furniture fits in that category though.

[c-eagle.livejournal.com]

*nods* ... Just about every Thrift Shop around here sells furniture too, and I've picked up some fairly nice stuff over the years, 1920s radio consoles, end tables, recliners, etc.

[c-eagle.livejournal.com]

True.... as long as the buyer doesn't mind shipping costs :D ... I've also been hesitant to buy clothes online... just hard to know how it'll fit!

[pegla.livejournal.com]

There are still 2 thrift-stores nearby. But the prices are quite absurd. Fortunately a lot of CDs and DVDs there from the area of music I love are available for about 50 cents (not the rapper).

But yeah, mixed bag. I want it to return to the good ol' thrift store system!

[c-eagle.livejournal.com]

Out your way too ah? yikes!! If it's vanishing worldwide, then.. *sniffle*... it might be going the way of the dodo... :/

[tastyeagle.livejournal.com]

Portland, and likely most of Oregon, still has a boatload of thrift shops and garage sales. There's some seriously good inventory up there and it's cheap. The thrift market is still thriving up there.

However, closer to home, there's nothing good at any of the shops nearby. And they charge far too much for what little they have.

[c-eagle.livejournal.com]

Oregon has that good low tax rate too.... and high recycle refunds! :9

Too bad it's 15 hours away..! *fuzzles yer feathers*

[blue-lory.livejournal.com]

Ok. The baby deleted my original post let me try this again...

Antique dealer's drive up the prices. Remember the guy who found the 19 million dollar map hand drawn by the school of Henry the Navigator? Apparently, he paid $3 or $4 for it.

Everybody wants to find something like that, but that guy was an EXPERT on maps. That map had probably been sitting there for some time constantly passed over for more useful maps, for that matter who actually pays $4 for a new map anyway?

The store employees probably marked ALL the maps up just 'cause that guy frequented the map section. Everything at those stores is donated anyway, so those fella's made a 400% profit.