More pricing games...

[Zed Simon]

But sorry, no fabulous showcases. I have to peeve out about one of the thrift store chains near me. I went to three of them and noticed that of those who had the same type of item, all three had different prices for it. NES games, for example: $1.99 at one store, $3.99 at another, and (ulp!) $7.99 at the third!

They also seem to have a weird thing going on with splitting accessories from an item and selling them separately. One of these stores had a Super Nintendo for $14.99. And that was JUST for the Super Nintendo unit. The controllers were separately priced at $2.99 each, and I'm sure that if they had the cords for it, they'd price them separately too.

Weirdly, I got a Dreamcast - WITH the 2 controllers and the cables and manual all bundled together from a fourth store in this chain.

It's all weird...but I keep coming back. Why do I come back when they do things like this, and have you ever known a store do do such crazy things?

[SecondhandSophisticate]

You are so funny, Zed. No fabulous showcase, indeed! And why would a thrift be raising its prices now that it's winter and very cold where you are and people who can't afford to shop any place else need presents and winter coats and things?

Could it be with the pricing that it's a different volunteer doing it every time something needs to be priced...like a different one every day?  It sounds as though there are no pricing guidelines. 

I had an experience with pricing today that struck me as odd. I found a "cheese shaker", mayber from the 60s or early 70s, ceramic, for 11.99! I almost fainted. This is a thrift we are talking about here, not Saks. I asked the lady in front of me in line why she thought it was priced so high. She looked on the bottom and discerned,  it was marked very faintly "California pottery" and it was priced so high because "it was made in America". Curious, I asked a volunteer as to why it was priced so high. She said it must be a mistake and re-priced it for a buck. At 50% off, it was 50 cents. So it paid off for me to question.

Which leads me to: If you don't like the pricing on something, question it. In a nice, s way, of course. Ask what the pricing guidelines of the thrift is/are. And, as always, be willing to walk away if the price doesn't float your boat.

[ChrisMiss]

SeSo your cheese shaker was probably priced so high because California Pottery can be highly collectible.  Whoever priced it probably thought it was a collectible piece.

It's sad to say but I thought I noticed that the prices go up in the thrift stores before Christmas.  Some of course stay the same like in Goodwill where it's $2.99 all short sleeved blouses and such but other local thrift stores "seem" to raise the prices a bit before Christmas.  Has anyone else noticed that?

[SecondhandSophisticate]

Chrismiss, I've noticed that prices have gone up at the independent church stores--somewhat. For example, two of my church thrifts now have a "boutique section" where the clothing is priced outasite, IMO. Housewares seem to be going through the roof--but not all. As Zed mentioned, the pricing seems erratic.

Most of my thrifts have had 1/2 off Christmas items since Thanksgiving, which is great if one needed them. A lot of vintage stuff came in:  Empire Plastics light-up stuff, for example.  I attributed the price increases here, at least, to the fact that all our rich Yankee snowbirds are down with money to burn! whereas we year-rounders are still pinching pennies and "working for the Yankee dollar..."

I see it happen every year, but maybe it is more attributed to the holiday.

[Magpie18]

I might question the retail strategy but I really don't care if a thrift marks things high or marks things low, whether they use individual pricing or the all books at $0.25 method --- what really ticks me off is NOT PRICING AT ALL.  Bundling or breaking apart sets -- their choice, ok.

What I dislike is the "you have to ask what the price is" method.  I always get the feeling that you would get a different answer depending on how you dressed, what race you were, what religion they thought you were or what mood the sales help was in or how much cash was in the til.  I am not talking about the occasional item that seems to have "lost" its tag -- I am taking about the majority of the store!

Ridiculous.  I refuse to play that game.  Ok, for a yard sale that is going to last a couple of hours -- that makes sense -- but for a store??

[SecondhandSophisticate]

magpie18, I recently attended a community flea market where one of the vendors freely told me that he prices his goods based on the apperance of the buyer; as to who he perceived is a dealer, who looks like a dealer or who  looks like they can "afford it". Frankly, I was shocked.  A few weeks before this revelation, I sold at my first community flea market and it was unpleasant.

It was all my stuff. I knew how much I paid for each item, how long I had it and if it was vintage, I researched each item so I would be below the so-called ebay/collectibles market value by several dollars. I was practically giving my stuff away and people refused to pay even a few bucks for an item...I was surprised they didn't ask me to pay them   for buying the item,

They wanted the stuff for free, and then I learned why--most of them were dealers with shops in the all the little villages here, where they would buy something for a dollar and then resell it in their pricey little shops for $25. I am NOT a dealer, I am merely a person cleaning out her home and trying to make a little cash.

And most of 'em were mean. Looking at my stuff like it was sh*t, like this was going to encourage me to beg them to buy my stuff because I am a poor dumb slob and I don't know nuthin' 'bout nuthin.  

So I said screw 'em...I am not selling my stuff for pennies so some fat dealer can make a living. I would rather give my stuff to charity, let the charity make the bucks--good karma all around instead of supporting the bottom feeders.

If you want to buy my stuff, treat me with respect, haggle with respect, and pay me a decent price. If not yuck few. Go to Goodwill and pay through the nose, sucka.  

PS: Some dealers came up to me, freely admitted they were dealers and told me my stuff was great and way underpriced for the market.

I wonder where people think the Rennigers' folk get their stuff to sell at ridiculous prices?

[Jay2TheRescue]

magpie18, I recently attended a community flea market where one of the vendors freely told me that he prices his goods based on the apperance of the buyer; as to who he perceived is a dealer, who looks like a dealer or who  looks like they can "afford it". Frankly, I was shocked.  A few weeks before this revelation, I sold at my first community flea market and it was unpleasant.

It was all my stuff. I knew how much I paid for each item, how long I had it and if it was vintage, I researched each item so I would be below the so-called ebay/collectibles market value by several dollars. I was practically giving my stuff away and people refused to pay even a few bucks for an item...I was surprised they didn't ask me to pay them   for buying the item,

They wanted the stuff for free, and then I learned why--most of them were dealers with shops in the all the little villages here, where they would buy something for a dollar and then resell it in their pricey little shops for $25. I am NOT a dealer, I am merely a person cleaning out her home and trying to make a little cash.

And most of 'em were mean. Looking at my stuff like it was sh*t, like this was going to encourage me to beg them to buy my stuff because I am a poor dumb slob and I don't know nuthin' 'bout nuthin.  

So I said screw 'em...I am not selling my stuff for pennies so some fat dealer can make a living. I would rather give my stuff to charity, let the charity make the bucks--good karma all around instead of supporting the bottom feeders.

If you want to buy my stuff, treat me with respect, haggle with respect, and pay me a decent price. If not yuck few. Go to Goodwill and pay through the nose, sucka.  

PS: Some dealers came up to me, freely admitted they were dealers and told me my stuff was great and way underpriced for the market.

I wonder where people think the Rennigers' folk get their stuff to sell at ridiculous prices?

That's one reason I really don't set up at small markets anymore, unless I have a bunch of crap to unload.  I was tired of people looking at my nice, pristine merchandise and offering me a few bucks because its old, and that guy down there has one for $5.  I tell them that if they wanted one for $5 then go buy from the other guy.  You want something in excellent, restored condition with a 1 year warranty then you're gonna buy mine for $80. 

I don't make a lot of money doing shows, but its a fun hobby and it pays for my habit of collecting vintage stuff.  I usually buy an item cheap, restore it, enjoy it for 6 months to a year, then sell it and get something else.  Because I actually use these items in my home I know if anything does not perform up to specs and therefore I can stand behind my items with a warranty, which only once did I ever have to service anything I've sold, and even then it was just an adjustment.

-Jay

[dukek9]

Thrift store items have went up a little bit here, but it's all consistent. The reasons given are the higher cost of doing business especially with minimum wage going up and utilities rising.

The stores here have loads of Christmas stuff with very reasonable prices.  So no price increases for that.

I hate the no price places also, which is one reason I don't care for flea markets. I do think the price varies very much depending on how the customer is perceived by the seller.

One thing that has changed here that really bugs me is they now will have a complete set of dishes--all individually priced.  When you add up all the items, it adds up to a lot more than they used to sell complete sets of dishes with.  I questioned this and was told that this was a customer want--to be able to just buy a piece or two rather than a complete set.

OK, I suppose someone might have broken a dish and happens to go to the right thrift at the right time and find the missing piece.  I know this happens, but it seems rare.

Anyway, after a set sat there for weeks, I asked about a price for the whole set and was told that it still needed to be sold individually. Really couldn't figure that out. To me the set was worth maybe 25 dollars, not the 70 dollars it would have cost buying each piece individually.

Dee

[Big Daddy Audio]

It's the same out here.

Salvation army INSISTS on selling audio components put together into systems (whether they arrived that way or not - and based on the quality and condition of some components compared to others in the same system, there's no way they came from the same household), and hanging $129.95 - $159.95 price tags on them.  And it's a shame, too, because I'd buy some of the individual components included; but when the CD player is crap and the speakers are crap, then the cost per reasonable unit (receiver is good - worth $50-80 on eBay; cassette deck is okay - $10-20 on eBay) goes beyond reasonable, and I pass on the deal.  I've only bought one system, knowing that I had some salable stuff in there.  The system cost me $100, and I was able to sell the Sansui tuner for $145.  I could throw the rest of the stuff away and still have $45.00 in my pocket.

I can't imagine someone having a pattern and needing, say, 1 cup, 1 saucer, and one dessert plate.  They see an ENTIRE SET of what they have (which includes the cup, saucer, and dessert plate) and they don't buy it?  I mean, you know there's going to loss or breakage - why are they looking for the cup, saucer, and dessert plate in the first place?  Why not just buy the whole set so you have spares, or you can feed 20 guests instead of 12 on the same service?  That customers want to be able to buy "open stock" from a complete set seems like a very lame excuse.  Thankfully, the GW's by me tend to keep sets together, although they will sell plates and other china individually if it comes in that way.

There's no consistency in pricing anymore.  I know that the upper management of GW out here is involved in a compensation scandal (the regional manager made like $300-400K last year and the second in command did like $250k+ in compensation).  Maybe the high salaries these muckety-mucks make has something to do with it.

see you next time
bye for now   

[SecondhandSophisticate]

Yes, yes and YES, Jay. Well, lessons learned for me. I am committed to the next community flea market, which is in January and supposedly the best, but we'll see. I am so glad you shared your experiences. I was feeling kinda bad...

xo,
SeSo

[Tammy]

Had to chuckle about items being priced seperately when they obviously go together.  At the very expensive GW I gripe about, we were there one night when I actually found something to buy.  It was one of those heavy duty plastic double dog bowl feeder that stands off the floor for taller dogs.  Each dog bowl had an $8 sticker on it.  When I took it to the register she was actually going to charge me $8 per bowl for the stupid thing.  When I pointed out they went together (duh otherwise you'd have a hole in it when one of the bowls were missing) she went to the back room to ask a manager.  Sheese!!

[alexandra]

Seso, you have expressed the exact reason why I don't do garage sales.  I'd rather find a new home for things or donate them.  I don't have the time, patience or temperament for rudeness -- and the general public is rude.  It's an endeavor that is not worth the time or money.

I see so many clothing sets broken apart and if I know something is part of a set that's been taken apart, I take a pass on it.  I think there are many clothing items that don't see because they are obviously designed to be part of a set and don't have much chance succeeding as a separate.  I especially hate to see this done with sweater sets.  And it's even more infuriating with dishes.

Stupid pricing helps those of us who shop the half price days.  Since the stuff doesn't sell as tagged, it hangs around, and then has to go at half off.  I do laugh at what makes it into the "vintage" or "retro" clothing section... and especially the prices.  If a piece was crap ten years ago, IMO, the crap factor has increased -- not dimished.

Very rarely are those vintage/retro pieces good examples or good quality of the time from whence they came.  I guess I'm a bit of a snob in that respect.

Thriftily,
Alexandra
www.livingwithoutmoney.blogspot.com

[superiorgirl]

Having owned an antique store for many years, experience tells me that sets of vintage dishes are exceptionally hard to sell. With older pieces, people tend to assemble their 'set' one piece at a time. On the other hand, it is also dicey to try to sell individual pieces unless it is something that many people collect. For example, Jewel T dishes.  To sell a whole set of Jewel T, you would have to price it so high that very few people would even consider buying them, but it sells well by the piece.

I was just at an estate sale with an extensive Desert Rose set that was priced at $4500. and know that at the end of 3 days, it was packed into boxes and one of the heirs hauled it home. Can you imagine telling your spouse you spent $4500 on some used dishes??? 

Now, if you are talking modern dishes, then pricing as a complete set is apt to make it move. There are exceptions to this, too, such as Corelle, which can initially be purchased open stock. I would buy a cup to replace one I've broken, but only buy a full set if I needed a lot of dishes or it was very inexpensive.

Bunching dissimilar stereo equipment is their way of getting rid of the junk, but then it shouldn't be priced if it was a system!! Determine the fair priced for the best piece and then add the rest of it at no additional price!!! Sounds like they are just ignorant of which pieces are good.

As for items not marked, even at a garage sale if they want to sell the stuff, it better be priced! Unless it is something very desireable, I am not going to wait around while 15 other people get waited on to ask the price on a blouse or a kitchen doodad. A vintage quilt, some quality snowshoes, a piece of depression glass I really want I *might* ask, but only if I can find out without hanging around and waiting!!

As for pricing on how the buyer looks....I had just checked in at a high end hotel, having  driven 9 hours in ice and snow, and had on an Arctic Cat trail jacket (cost $300). There was a little jewelry store off the lobby and I casually scanned the displays as I was on my way to my room. Neither sales person acknowledged I existed. I was going to go to a museum, so went to my room, changed and put on slacks, a wool dress coat, scarf, etc. (Coat was $3 at ts). I walked by the same sales people, just 10 or 15 minutes later and they were all over me wanting to show me items from the cases. At that point even if they had offered to deeply discount something I liked I wouldn't give them the satisfaction of a sale!! I often hear the advice that if you are going to an antique show/sale, dress down!!

[Magpie18]

Anyone remember the scene in Pretty Woman ( Julia Roberts flick) when she first goes shopping on Rodeo Drive?

Well, having been a cashier in a boutique on Rodeo Dr. -- let me tell you -- the writers nailed it.  From the moment you walk in, those cut-throat commission sales people have priced your garb from head to toe & have decided if you are a buyer, a tourist or a shoplifter.

[ChrisMiss]

I don't do yard sales for that very reason, many items aren't priced and I'm not asking.  If only a few pieces are unpriced then I might ask but if everything is not priced then I just move on.  Too many times at yard sale or flea market feeling that I'm being gouged or do I look stupid enough to pay that price.

When we sold stuff at a flea market a few years ago we encountered the same thing you did SeSo.  Too many people thought if they talked like the stuff was worthless then we'd come down in prices.  No, what they did was make me mad.  Now I wouldn't sell to them if they offered twice as much. 

I think many dealers want the dishes priced as pieces instead of sets.  They'll just buy the stuff that will bring the big bucks in and leave the rest.  Many times I used to buy a set just to get the one or two pieces that would make it worth buying the whole set.  Sometimes I'd put the rest of the dishes in inventory depending on the pattern to try and sell and sometimes I'd donate it back.  Sometimes I did it right at the store.  I'd pick out the pieces I wanted then tell them they can resell the rest of it.  Of course I paid the full set price for those few pieces.