Strange Pricing

[Searching4stars2009]

For those who donate and shop the same store:

I know we have all encountered thrift stores who over price items.  But this happened to me with stuff I had donated.  In particular, I had donated a vanity set (glass jars that held cotton balls, swabs and a perfume mister).  I know I didn't pay more than $10 for it new.  They had it on the shelve for $12.      This store's prices are usually really high on some stuff and really low on others.  It's like Jekyll and Hyde.

[Krisathome]

I try to keep our prices lower than retail.  I know I hate going into a thrift store, seeing the high prices and knowing I could purchase items new for less.   I've seen the prices at GW increasing here.  And I hear my customers complaining about it.  So I offer them the better deal.  They buy more (usually). 

[SplashsMom]

I can be vocal about things being priced higher than new. Seems like in most places the management does not care. They will leave it on shelf until it gets broken before marking it down.
GW especially.

[Firekinghunt]

Goodwill is the HIGHEST thrift store I go to. I can't believe they START shirts here at $4/each. Are you kidding me? Is this a joke? Pants start at I think $6/each. I can go to a NUMBER of different thrifts and get shirts for sometimes less than $1 and pants (name brand jeans) for $3. Even when the stuff goes half off it is overpriced. A coffee mug should not be $2.75. And no it was not a vintage one even, lol. I hate GW.

[liamaria]

i agree with u so much about good will . its too high. but when i was in charleston i got some good stuff cheap at good will. i got a vintage shawnee planter for a 1.99 a piece of old free pottery  mixing bowl it was a 1.99 too and my favorite a vintage  wooden asian jewelry box it has carced dragons on the doors and it was a 10.99. i know if i found those things back home in greenville it wouldnt have been so cheap.

[CaroH]

I saw, at a flea market where I find lots of great vintage stuff, one seller who was full of it. He was selling this cute iron plant hanger... which I KNOW is from the Dollarama here. Buy it at Dollarama and you pay 1$. Buy it from the guy at the flea market, pay 5$!!
WTH?!!
LOL!

And yeah, I've seen some crazy stuff like you guys too!

[sneezy1974]

Pricing can be quite a challenge. Cheap things don't look cheap anymore. I work at a thrift store so I never shop anywhere else. Therefore when something that used to cost money is now uber cheap it throws us. The resin figurines that are at the dollar store used to be outrageous years ago. I have internet service at the store so we look up a bunch of items. If you tell me you can get so-n-so at walmart for five bucks I'm going to look it up. One lady didn't want to spend $15 on a very nice ficus tree, said she could get it at walmart for $20. I sweetly suggested she rush on over there and get one.

[valleythriftshopper]

I was over at the local Sal Army today that tends to be overpriced and has mostly junk.  There were some cute Halloween candles that were priced at 1.99 but when I turned over the box there was a big Christmas Tree Shop sticker with 89 cents on it.  I brought it to their attention and they marked them down to 49 cents.  There was also a large vintage Gurley pumpkin candle (which i snagged, of course) for 29 cents so go figure.  I don't think they know what to mark anything so they just go high.  There were two vintage Halloween tabletop blowmolds for $2.99 each, which isn't bad, I already have one though.

[Big Daddy Audio]

This is just too easy a topic to pass up.

Was in a Goodwill (no surprise there) and they had a used pneumatic coil hose for $5.99.  The same thing new at Harbor Freight (for those who know what they are) was $2.99.

On the other hand, I bought a set of jack stands for $12.00, and these sell for $29.99 at Harbor Freight.

Air hoses go bad, jack stands, not so much.  Go figure.

Most people pricing stuff at larger chain-type thrift stores have little to no idea of what something is worth.  They rely on guidelines set up by pinheads who believe themselves to be antique experts and/or eBay entrepreneurs.  Usually and lately, they have been pricing stuff that would have been $8.99 a few years back at $30-40 or even $50.00. 

BUT then one slips through.  They don't catch it and I do.

Yahtzee.

SYNT
BFN

[daswitzer]

I find that our GW prices everything about the same.  If it's a candle, it's the same price, no matter if it would sell for next to nothing in  retail store, or if it's a really expensive candle in a retail store.  They have a key on their register...if I buy a bedspread, they hit the bedspread key.  It doesn't matter if it cost $20 originally or if it cost $200.00 originally.  I like this method very much, although their clothing prices are too high, in my opinion.

[valleythriftshopper]

I finally made it over to the "new" (open a little over 6 mo. now) GW in Northampton Ma.  I had never been in a GW before but have read on this site that they are overpriced in general.  I was pleasantly surprised at their clothing prices.  This GW is a smaller one, but all the clothing is a set price- ex. all ladies long sleeve tops $3, etc.  Also there is a daily 1/2 price color like the Sal Army.  Shoes were all $3.00, jeans $5.00, and of course the half-price colors would be half of that.  I think it is better than the Sal Army actually, although I don't think they have family day where multiple colors are 1/2 price- that is when I get some good buys at Sal Army.  

Houseware seemed about average, not cheap but not outrageous.  I got a printer ink cartridge for a buck.  If it was closer I would stop in more often, I think it is one of those stores you have to visit regularly to hit the bargains.

[Sir Thrift-A-Lot]

I frequently find items that are from the Canadian dollar store chain Dollarama priced for $1-$4. I can tell they are from the dollar store because I've either seen the stuff there before or I notice it stamped with "Dollarama" or "Made for Dollarama in China" on the product.

[Rev Bucky]

Our local Goodwills vary from store to store.  There is one that has just been built expressly for Goodwill, a nice, new, big building, and it is inbetween in price compared to others.

What's really funny is that I have seen Dollar Tree items priced between 2-5 dollars at one of the GWs, THAT'S RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO THE DOLLAR TREE!  They actually share the same building!

The local SAs well, one is pretty cheap, and the other is kind of pricey.

Best prices are at St. Vinnys, but there is only one here locally. I have found that most ST. Vinnys are usually very reasonable.

I really do think it is on a store by store basis, not a chain wide thing.

[Owensmum775]

I agree with the over pricing especially at GW. I notice also when they mark dollar tree items for like $2 or more but also it depends on what GW and who is pricing it. We have a GW bargin bin here that is right next to the regular GW store and i always go there first, its like what didnt sell at GW they bring over and mark down cheap and clothes and households are per pound which is sometimes a great deal. I dont buy clothes from Thrift stores that often mostly for my toddler son but for myself I hardly ever buy myself clothes maybe that is what happens when you become a mom. anyways the bargain bin is awesome. i go back in the furniture section and always find great deals like dressers for like $1 or $5 that just need knobs or painting and its great.

[yardartandrust]

I love the thrift stores in my town but where did GW get the person who prices their china?  The lady (yes, I have met her) marks sets of china at retail.  I am not paying $300 for a set of china that has chips and is missing pieces.  The good news is that the sets of china sit on the shelf for a few weeks or sometimes a month or two then they are taken next door to the GW Outlet and are sold by the pound.

I have learned that the way to get the very best price is to buy a lot of china at once then tell the cashier they don't have to wrap each piece individually.  I carry plastic tubs and bubble wrap in my car so I take care of wrapping it out there.  The Outlet usually has long lines so the cashier is grateful I am willing to wrap the china.  They usually just look in the cart give me a price - usually a very good price.