The Thrifting scene is changing & my latest Thrift Store pickups

[syphic]

So I went thrifting almost every day this week and man is the thrift scene changing from week to week. Higher prices, huge crowds and lots of "Scanners"!!

Thrift stores and flea markets that used to be dead are now packed, Prices have almost doubled, and so many "Scanners"!

"Scanners" are what I call those dorks that stand there Scanning everthing they can find with a barcode. Saw one guy and his pal having a bunch of stuff pulled from the display case and just scanning and ebaying all the items to see their worth with no shame. They were there for over an hour. It appeared they didnt even know what they were looking for. Just trying to find anything they can flip on ebay. They were so obvious and looked like they didnt know what they were even doing. So annoying.

One thing I love to do tho when I run into these "Scanners", is I stand right next to them and start kind looking to see what they are doing and they get scared and run off. LOL Dorks! Try it! Its fun seeing them get scared and run off.

Anyways, here are my weeks latest pickups. Enjoy!

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/w1V0gUWRwxo&amp;ap=%2526fmt%3D18&amp;rel=0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/w1V0gUWRwxo&amp;ap=%2526fmt%3D18&amp;rel=0</a>

[valleythriftshopper]

At least you can still find some good games.  I used to love video games as a kid, now I have no interest and know nothing about them. 

I never see anyone with scanners at my local TS.  Only once a few years ago did I see a guy scanning books.  I see guys scanning books at the library sales, it seems to be acceptable there. 

You can always tell when the regional manager has visited the Salvation Army stores here, the prices suddenly jump up.  They are always telling the store workers the prices are too low (they really aren't).  I hate it when I go into the store after enjoying a few weeks of lower prices and everything is suddenly much higher.

[azia88]

My husband and I must be dorks.  lol.  We do that, but not on everything..We do it quickly and go to next thing.. 

[subversivegrrl]

Thankfully, "my" areas pre-date bar codes - anyone who wants to figure out whether an item has significant value has to do the work themselves.

[Jay2TheRescue]

The stuff I like predates bar codes as well.  If I pick up something and see a bar code on it, I put it back down.

[syphic]

Not hating the idea of using scanners to find values. Just hate the Newbies that just hog up the area and making a huge mess sifting through all the stuff and leaving it a wreck.

[Sir Thrift-A-Lot]

 

I have no idea what these scanners are. What are they? I've heard of people using them.

[Big Daddy Audio]

I don't want to name-call, because I know that there are people on here who use scanners, but to me, it's the lazy way out (I can't be bothered to do actual research and I'm only here to get stuff to flip so I'll use a scanner).  With the vintage electronics field, records (generally), 35mm cameras, and Pyrex there are no bar codes on the products, so your own accumulated knowledge is the only tool you can work with. 

As for the prices, this has been going on for some time.  Thrift stores have become big business, and overhead is becoming a bigger nut to crack each month.  It's no longer the case of the mom-and-pop resellers with discounted prices on used goods - Now it's big, new stores; social media, television advertising budgets, IT and website costs; labor costs and the obligatory middle-management structure.

Prices can come down.  There's nothing I like seeing more than a used item going for MORE than it's new, "currently- available-at-Wal-Mart" counterpart.  It gives me a chuckle and lets me know that many of these people have no idea what something is worth, which in turn gives me hope for finding something exquisite for very little money (which has become more and more rare).

   

[Big Daddy Audio]

Syphic - Those are some cool pick-ups.  My daughter is now going to college in Southern LA County - La Mirada (not sure if that's where you are) but a meet-up would be cool some time.  I think we would have a good time doing a thrift run, since we tend to look in the same areas of the store, but we're not looking for the same stuff (essentially, we could double our efforts).

Anyway.

I like the videos - you seem to gravitate heavily towards current and vintage video games.  This is my area of interest, but they always seem to be stocked in the same places as my vintage electronics.

I'm planning on hitting a few Goodwills this weekend while I'm out in So Cal this weekend.  Who knows what I'm going to find.  Maybe that's why we do it.
 

[Jay2TheRescue]

I had a big let down yesterday.  Saw a cool black lacquered console stereo in a thrift yesterday.  No price, so I asked how much it was.  Answer:  "We haven't looked it up on the internet yet."  Which means its going to be too much.  That store is infamous for attaching printouts of Ebay auctions to all their items, and pricing them just below what the final price would be after S&H.  I still go in there because they do have quality items, its close to home, and they occasionally let stuff slip through that they didn't realize was valuable.

[valleythriftshopper]

That would drive me crazy if my local thrifts looked everything up on the internet, but I know what you mean with regards to not being able to stop going altogether.  I vowed to give up on one of my local thrifts, but still ended up going occasionally.  Luckily it is better now.  I think the main problen in my area is employees and their friends getting to the donations before the public.

I actually found a new scanner at the Sal Army a few years ago.  It was an older one, but was priced at only a few bucks so I bought it and sold it on Ebay since I would not have much use for it.  The book sections are pretty weak at my local TS, if I do find a gem it is an older book with no bar code.  Also because no one scans around here I would stick out like a sore thumb doing it. 

[Jay2TheRescue]

Well, I have an update on the console stereo.  I left my name & number with them to call when they decided a price, in the hopes that maybe it might be reasonable.  I just got a call.  $250. 

[valleythriftshopper]

What is the actual value of it?  Not having seen a picture I don't know how far off that is.  There is probably one on Ebay that has a buy it now of $250 and that is where they got the price.  You can always find something in an ebay store that is way overpriced and the thrift stores go with the highest priced one.

[azia88]

My husband and I do look at Thrift stores to sell stuff, but not all we sell. We buy little toys and slothes that are in great shape for our 5 and 2 yr old daughters.. I look for gifts that are not open to. A goodwill in Mesa on main street has gone way up. They had an old Fisher Price toy that was $75. They didn't even go that high on ebay.. I told the person won't go to high. He said yes it wil. I said nope it won't lol.. HE gave me a look like know it all.. Just because something is old doesn't mean is worth something..

[valleythriftshopper]

My husband and I do look at Thrift stores to sell stuff, but not all we sell. We buy little toys and slothes that are in great shape for our 5 and 2 yr old daughters.. I look for gifts that are not open to.

Yeah, it is hard to depend on thrift stores to find items to sell these days.  I don't get my hopes up too high and I am happy to find useful cheap things instead.  I got new refills for my cat's scratching post yesterday for a buck.  If you have a cat you know how expensive they are.  I am always keeping my fingers crossed for a new hepa filter for my Honeywell air purifier.  I find the outer charcoal filters sometimes, which is helpful, but the hepa filter is the most expensive. 

I also grab any new Yankee Candle items I see for cheap to have on hand for last minute gifts.  We have the flagship store here so Yankee Candle can be found semi-frequently at thrifts.