Special treatment to dealers?

[Good Buddy]

Since the beginning of the endeavor, I have had this question put to me many times, "What do I think about thrift stores selling to dealers?".
Thrift stores that sell to dealers only hurt the shopping public that keeps them in business. They are sacrificing saleable items for a quick buck, not a very nice way to treat your true shoppers. There are many more avid thrift fanatics out there than there are dealers. Stores are better off putting out all the items to be fair to everyone. That's part of the fun, finding that oh so important item that you can't seem to live without. If the thrift stores that sell to dealers keep this kind of behavior up, they are going to alienate the true thrift shoppers by having a poorer selection of great thrift finds. The avid thrifter is going to frequent the non-dealer shops more that the ones that sell to dealers. I've even heard of some stores that have special dealer shopping hours, that's nuts!
It's not a healthy practice, but I fear short sighted thinking will make selling to dealers and eBayers more common in the future.

[ChrisMiss]

I think there's a slight difference between dealers and ebayers.  I sell on ebay and I'm not a dealer.  I shop for the thrill of it and love searching out those items that I hope will make good money when reselling.

Dealers, on the other hand, are a different breed.  When I used to have a yard sale and even when going to yard sells I could tell a dealer from an average shopper.  They don't browse, they try to get the lowest price and they can be quite pushy about it too.  

I agree that thrift stores shouldn't let dealers have access to items before us, the average customers.  They shouldn't get special pricing either.  If the thift store can't sell the stuff in their store then and only then they could sell it to dealers or have auctions for the items.

[Good Buddy]

I think there's a slight difference between dealers and ebayers. I sell on ebay and I'm not a dealer.

Let me clarify. EBayers that are only in thrift shops to buy things to sell on eBay are just virtual dealers.
No offense to anyone that's a thrifter that sometimes sells on eBay. We do, but very rarely. Sorry ChrisMiss, please forgive...

[ChrisMiss]

No offense taken.  

I guess there's a difference between selling for fun and selling as a job on ebay isn't there.  I do it for fun and a slight profit.

[Black Cat]

I am new on this forum; and hope I don't step on any toes.  I am a dealer; and have been one for 20 years.  I have never been able to shop ahead of the general public in thrift shops.  i now volunteer in a very small one.  I do get to see new stuff as it is put out; but I pay the same as everyone else.  Dealers are not evil people.  We are ordinary people just trying to make a little money.  I now only sell on e-bay and have a very small website.  My garage is full of my mistakes.  Things I can't sell and get my money back on.  I mainly shop at thrifts to find a bargain; like everyone else.  I started looking for items to sell; but rarely found anything of that nature; so I started buying clothes and other items.  It is now in my blood.  :cry:

[Good Buddy]

I am a dealer; and have been one for 20 years. I have never been able to shop ahead of the general public in thrift shops.

I'm not saying anything about it being wrong that anyone for what ever reason shops at a thrift store. The point I am trying to make is that some thrift stores themselves are wrong for giving special treatment to dealers. When I say dealers, I mean all dealers, virtual dealers too (eBayers).
I've spoken to almost 7000 thrift stores, I've heard lots of stories from thrift store managers, basically gossip. "There's a thrift store down the street that's closed on Mondays, but they let in a half dozen dealers, I think it's wrong." I heard this from more than a few folks over me past two years of phone calls.
The more people that shop at thrift stores, the more often they rotate the stock, the more money they make. I'm all for it.
My point is I don't think dealers should get special treatment, no special hours for dealers or dicounts, be fair to all the shoppers.

There's a thrift store chain in the North East that has a policy that an item has to be on the floor for a day before an employee can purchase it. There's another chain in Philadelphia, Value Village, they don't even let thier employees shop at any of thier stores ever. Mathwoman, a frequent poster here,  has even been asked by employees to secretly buy items for them.

I never meant to offend anyone...