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It is true that buying at thrift stores and flipping those items online is not as easy as it was 20 years ago but thrift store employees tend to make lots of pricing mistakes so deals can always be found. And online selling has never been better. Not sure what your generalization about millennials and collecting has to do with anything. I have read that they don't like owning cars yet cars seem to be selling just fine overall so most of that sort of talk is baloney.
Mostly the prices are kinda bloated. Really rarely one can find "The Find", at least here.
Being the biggest city close to south border, we get a LOT of people that buy shopping carts full, no matter what size, and whatever sells there in small villages. They come with big Mercedes and Acura vans and you can see their resale business is doing very well.
They also shop in discount stores like Ross, TJMaxx etc. So, whatever is there worth the money, price mistakes etc. that stuff is gone 30 min after the stores open. Locals must be very dedicated and in an extreme need, and sleep in a parking lot to beat them to any bargains.
Now with IKEA store that just opened this spring in SA, I see them coming with big trucks and trailers.
I am sure the stores are very happy with their sales, but truly needing local people have hard time to get any bargains...
Mostly the prices are kinda bloated. Really rarely one can find "The Find", at least here.
Being the biggest city close to south border, we get a LOT of people that buy shopping carts full, no matter what size, and whatever sells there in small villages. They come with big Mercedes and Acura vans and you can see their resale business is doing very well.
They also shop in discount stores like Ross, TJMaxx etc. So, whatever is there worth the money, price mistakes etc. that stuff is gone 30 min after the stores open. Locals must be very dedicated and in an extreme need, and sleep in a parking lot to beat them to any bargains.
Now with IKEA store that just opened this spring in SA, I see them coming with big trucks and trailers.
I am sure the stores are very happy with their sales, but truly needing local people have hard time to get any bargains...
Good points. I am also in a large city part of the year an hour from mexico. The things i flip are different than the folks in mexico do. I do not shop thrift stores much but I can usually make $50 or more in a few minutes when I do. Garage sales and rummage sales are much better and a better use of my time. I do chat with thrift store regulars and they do well if they are there when the new stuff is brought out. Some places do it the same time daily.
On that trip to Salt Lake City, 4 days of thrift stores, I brought back 110 VHS tapes (watched and taken to a thrift store) 70 DVD's (watched and taken to a thrift store), 40 CD's, 50-60 nonfiction books, which is what I mostly shop for. Some stores don't categorize their books, like Goodwill, so it can take a lot of time to wade through unsorted books. And yes, I even buy underwear and socks at thrift stores. With my limited income I must prioritize. I prefer to blow any extra money on travel.
I haven't watched television or televised news in years (very unhealthy IMO) so I just watch DVD's and VHS tapes. After Trump leaves office in 2024, perhaps I might then get tempted to watch televised news again!
I absolutely love thrift shops! We have a decent number where I live and they’re all good for different things. I get a lot of my scrub tops there. Recently we had my fiancé’s mom stayed with us for a week. We had only moved here a year ago and hadn’t gotten around to furnishing the spare bedrooms. We went to a large local thrift shop and got a queen bed frame, headboard with storage, matching dresser and nightstands and a mirror for $280 and they delivered. Our home needed a lot of work when we moved in. We got sooo much stuff at Habitat for Humanity Re-Store, including brand new kitchen cabinets and a brand new chandelier that I looked up online and found for $260, and we paid $65.00. There is one in every county but our favorite is about 45 minute drive away. They get a ton of donated building supplies and lighting, brand new still in boxes. I think we paid $65 each for the double cabinets and $30 for singles, all brand new.
I’m going to dispute “all the good stuff is gone” as not everyone thinks the same things are “good stuff”. One mans trash is another mans treasure and all that. I don’t go to find things to sell I go to get bargains for myself and they abound. I got a brand new Jones New York raincoat for $9.99 at Goodwill that still had the Macy’s price tag of $165 attached.
On that trip to Salt Lake City, 4 days of thrift stores, I brought back 110 VHS tapes (watched and taken to a thrift store) 70 DVD's (watched and taken to a thrift store), 40 CD's, 50-60 nonfiction books, which is what I mostly shop for. Some stores don't categorize their books, like Goodwill, so it can take a lot of time to wade through unsorted books. And yes, I even buy underwear and socks at thrift stores. With my limited income I must prioritize. I prefer to blow any extra money on travel.
I haven't watched television or televised news in years (very unhealthy IMO) so I just watch DVD's and VHS tapes. After Trump leaves office in 2024, perhaps I might then get tempted to watch televised news again!
Maybe lessen spending on not needed things (all the things above & stuffed animals) and grab some fresh undies and travel?
The GW in Bonita Springs Fl. used to be a nice place to snag a deal once in awhile. Then they started allowing resellers to pick through the carts before the stuff goes on the shelf. I guess the workers can’t be bothered with stocking the shelves?
At any rate, there is this one guy in particular that the staff holds back the really good stuff for. I’ve been in that store dozens of times and at all hours of the day and he is standing in the back, actually waiting on the employees to bring him the next cart of stuff. For this reason alone I will not donate to Goodwill. I am all for helping people get a leg up, but i’ll be da**ed if I’m going to provide a reseller with anything to make money off of.
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