What is Up With Thrift Stores?

[Welldoya]

If I’m passing a Waterfront Mission or Goodwill thrift store I will sometimes stop in.
I’ve noticed Goodwill’s prices went up and Waterfront Mission stores have gotten ridiculous.
I took some stuff by the Avalon Blvd store to donate and then I went in and looked around.
They wanted $90 for beat up 6’ artificial Christmas trees, $50 for an off-brand men’s leather jacket and (saving the best for last) $289.99 for an Outdoor Gourmet Dutch oven that sells for $59.99 brand new at Academy.
I’m giving them stuff for free and they are trying to get retail + for it. Doesn’t set well with me.

 

[Rebel_Rider1969]

If I’m passing a Waterfront Mission or Goodwill thrift store I will sometimes stop in.
I’ve noticed Goodwill’s prices went up and Waterfront Mission stores have gotten ridiculous.
I took some stuff by the Avalon Blvd store to donate and then I went in and looked around.
They wanted $90 for beat up 6’ artificial Christmas trees, $50 for an off-brand men’s leather jacket and (saving the best for last) $289.99 for an Outdoor Gourmet Dutch oven that sells for $59.99 brand new at Academy.
I’m giving them stuff for free and they are trying to get retail + for it. Doesn’t set well with me.

Yep. It's a racket. The guy that owns goodwill needs 5 Ferrari's to make his family's Christmas dreams come true!

 

[Welldoya]

Yep. It's a racket. The guy that owns goodwill needs 5 Ferrari's to make his family's Christmas dreams come true!

I’ve heard that. That was a good part of the reason I started donating to Waterfront instead but they’ve gotten way too greedy for me to continue. Pigs get fat and hogs get slaughtered.

 

[boatbum101]

Salvation Army & Catholic Charities are still righteous last I knew .

 

[LowRiderRed]

If I’m passing a Waterfront Mission or Goodwill thrift store I will sometimes stop in.
I’ve noticed Goodwill’s prices went up and Waterfront Mission stores have gotten ridiculous.
I took some stuff by the Avalon Blvd store to donate and then I went in and looked around.
They wanted $90 for beat up 6’ artificial Christmas trees, $50 for an off-brand men’s leather jacket and (saving the best for last) $289.99 for an Outdoor Gourmet Dutch oven that sells for $59.99 brand new at Academy.
I’m giving them stuff for free and they are trying to get retail + for it. Doesn’t set well with me.

We always take donations to Milton Thrift Store at 5292 Stewart St in Milton. Very helpful staff that seem dedicated to helping their community. On Stewart St about 3-4 blocks north of Hwy 90. They take most anything and have low prices. Locally owned and operated.

 

[MarkS]

Waterfront Mission in Crestview has been charging higher prices than Walmart for years. I went in looking for work boots over 20 years ago and they wanted more for used boots than Walmart was charging for new boots

 

[Welldoya]

Waterfront Mission in Crestview has been charging higher prices than Walmart for years. I went in looking for work boots over 20 years ago and they wanted more for used boots than Walmart was charging for new boots

And to me, that is wrong. Part of their mission should be to give the less fortunate an alternative to retail stores, not suck every dime out of them that they can.

 

[JedClpIT]

In my brief VFD career, it was Salvation Army that was solving the problems best, after hurricanes and fires etc. That being said, any of these organizations should be using their profits to fund their outreach programs ( can't eat a T-shirt ). Let's hope they do. Full retail pricing is just bad business for sure; making those who can afford to shop and give back, mad. Those in between, needing a deal can't find one.
All of this is still better than funding a false business, PANHANDLING. I'm going with Salvation Army this year. God bless...

 

[Jhunter]

Look at it from a business side. They are paying the bills from donations in cash or check form. The donated items that you and I bring in there actually cost them money but it works out by having the items on hand so they can prove to the rich that they are helping the poor.

They are killing it off rich people that need a tax right off. If they can make a few bucks off of selling an item they will but their mission is to give donated items to the needy. Or at least that’s what they tell the rich people

 

[RidgeRunner]

Sorry I disagree with almost everything you said. no offence but, I have had more than one friend say they were in there when a homeless person wanted to buy some clothes but did not have enough money. Did they give them a clean shirt or pants? NO, they did not, they asked them to pay the price or leave.

If the items cost them money, they would not be in business. Sure, it cost some to process and market them, but they make a nice profit on the donated items. Just look at CEO salaries for proof.

 

[gameaholic]

They do no more processing than walmart. And walmart buys there stuff and ships it in.

 

[FrankT]

I give to the Crestview homeless shelter, any church and the new animal control shop

 

[Jhunter]

Sorry I disagree with almost everything you said. no offence but, I have had more than one friend say they were in there when a homeless person wanted to buy some clothes but did not have enough money. Did they give them a clean shirt or pants? NO, they did not, they asked them to pay the price or leave.

If the items cost them money, they would not be in business. Sure, it cost some to process and market them, but they make a nice profit on the donated items. Just look at CEO salaries for proof.

My point being that they make their money off of donations in the form of cash. The shit laying around in the store front is just that, it’s a front. Mega churches in our area are very similiar. Yeah they pass around an offering plate but a large portion of their money shows up in the mail.

 

[RidgeRunner]

That I will agree with.

 

[F4E Phantom]

Sorry to go political, but I would not give Catholic Charities my dirty underwear. They are at the forefront of the invasion on our Southern border.

 

[FLT]

After seeing a local family that needed help and couldn’t get it I’ve completely changed my out look on organized charities. I’ll help almost anyone that truly needs help , but I’ll be dammed if I’m going to fund a lavish lifestyle for professional con artist .

noun
INFORMAL

1. a person who cheats or tricks others by persuading them to believe something that is not true.

 

[stage20]

Yep. It's a racket. The guy that owns goodwill needs 5 Ferrari's to make his family's Christmas dreams come true!

I'll make his dreams come true for one of them lol

 

[.22 cents]

Their processing, laundry etc is done a lot by juveniles doing community service or students who need community service hours on their resume.

To me it’s a scam business. They get free inventory, sell the valuables, donate the things they can’t sell, tax scams and washing money. Yeah there are some good stories but there has to be or else the weasel business wont survive.

I never donate to charities or thrift stores because I know people are crooked. Id rather have my old clothes in a bag in the trunk and give it directly to the dude on the street.

Ill let the suckers get their heart strings pulled by a Sarah Mclachlin commercial.

 

[Rebel_Rider1969]

I'll make his dreams come true for one of them lol

Midnight hammer party??

 

[jettjon]

I mostly stopped giving my stuff to thrift stores a long time ago. The tipping point was when I tried to donate a couch and the manager lady looked it over with a virtual microscope and finally rejected it because it had a tiny (as in, I didn't even notice it) tear on one side of one of the cushions. I loaded it back in my truck and dumped it on my curb with a "FREE" sign on it. Within ONE HOUR someone had hauled it off. Now I get rid of most of my stuff that way.