Thrift Store Market Segments

[brianrhc]

Having been a Thrifter since 1973, I've noticed that different stores focus on different segments - merchandise types, customer bases, etc. While the latest trend seems to be "boutique," here's my observations on various chains that I use in deciding where to thrift, depending on whether I'm looking for something specific or just browsing. What do others think?

Goodwill -now focusing on new items, e.g. clothes, donated from out-of-business shops, and on putting collectibles and higher-end books online - shopgoodwill or eBay, depending on store. Very well organized. Fair prices on clothes.

Sal Army - still a "classic" TS with opportunity to find good stuff in wide variety at decent price. Well organized.

For-Profits - my new favorites, as they tend to have a wide variety and don't sell the good stuff online.

Small charity stores - this segment has gotten boutique-itis, is most guilty of overpricing, so I'm hitting them much less. They run the gamut between well organized and totally disorganized.

[FleaQueen]

I rarely bother with Goodwill, but once in awhile I will find something halfway decent there.  My best GW score was a few years ago, when I found seven or eight 1960's Emilio Pucci ties for 99 cents each.

As least in my area, the Sal stores are actually getting better.  I'm guessing the managers have put a stop to the practice of the workers selling out the back door to dealers. 

There aren't many (if any) for profits in my area.  There are junk shops, but they're just that:  FULL of junk.

The small charity shops are the worst offenders.  There's a Junior League shop in a local suburb that puts the rest of them to shame.  Insanely high prices throughout the store, but what they consider 'designer clothing' (which is even more outrageously priced) is laughable.  You'll see Alfred Dunner stuff in the designer area. 

www.fullservicebohemian.blogspot.com

[Jay2TheRescue]

I've seen a couple boutique thrifts, but in most instances the boutique is right next door to the regular thrift.  If you're a thrift boutique, and you admit it, its fine.  If you're a regular thrift and just throw boutique prices on stuff just because its old, well, that's not ok to me.

[subversivegrrl]

Around here, I find that:

1) SA are often cluttered & not terribly clean - organization seems to happen in waves.  I don't often go to them, even tho' sometimes I can get a good deal.
2) There are two local charity chains - Goodwill & Volunteers of America - that are both clean, well organized, have good stuff, and prices aren't outrageous.  Goodwill does have several "boutique" shops in more well-to-do areas, but they don't tend to have any of the things I'm looking for - home dec., for instance, is usually cheap import stuff, but it's newer, so I guess that's why they have it. 
3) The one large for-profit chain has good stuff, is clean & organized, but pricing seems to depend on which location - some have completely erratic prices on the same types of thing (e.g., $3.00 per plate for a pattern I would buy the lot of if the prices were lower.  Not a single one of those plates has moved in more than 2 months, and I dread someday seeing that they're all now chipped...); meanwhile right next to it another set of plates of the same era, in similar condition, is priced at less than a dollar each.   These stores also seem to "specialize" in certain areas - for instance, there's one store that seems to get ALL of the vintage linens.  Used to be you could sometimes find them at other locations, but nowadays none seem to make it to the other stores.  And of course that one store has them priced sky-high, even with stains/holes.  And they're marked "Vintage" so you know someone's doing their homework.

The Goodwill region southwest of me jacks up their prices to crazy-high levels, IMO.  I've given up even stopping there when I'm down that way visiting family.

[azia88]

Goodwill's here in Mesa,AZ are high priced..Even at 50% off days still too high. Sometimes I do find something they miss..
  Thrift stores in Meas also are high. I know one that they go online and get prices and they have a auction that you can bid.. I think they should put everything out for people. In other towns in the Valley are not bad.  Goodwill's smell and their restrooms are terrible. They don't teach people how to clean..Some of the workers are not all that nice..I have noticed some garage sales are getting higher priced also they look online too before putting stuff out..They don't relise that there are more ppl that look on ebay then go to thire garage sale. OH well I guess I am done complaning.

[Jay2TheRescue]

.They don't relise that there are more ppl that look on ebay then go to thire garage sale

That's my main complaint about thrifts asking Ebay prices.  Also, usually they've printed teh auction of a pristine example of the item, and the one they have is in not as good of condition, or is a more common variant of the one in the auction.

[Big Daddy Audio]

I think you're going to find differences within the same chain on a regional level.  This past weekend, we were in California, and we stopped by two Goodwills (one in an "okay" neighborhood and one in a fancier neighborhood).  The one in the "okay" neighborhood really had nothing, but the one in the nicer neighborhood had a good amount of clothing.  The problem, as I saw it, was that nothing was sorted.  I mean, it was sorted as to type (men's short sleeve shirts, etc. together) but they weren't sorted as to size, and this place had racks and racks of the stuff.  The prices also ran a little higher.  Discount schemes and schedules are also different.  And strange as it may seem, they also had all the crappy vinyl I detest so much - nothing worth buying at all.   

[Jay2TheRescue]

I hate unsorted clothes racks.  What's worse than unsorted, is items sorted by color.  I don't walk into a thrift with the mindset of "I'm going to buy a red shirt today".  I want to walk to the rack that says "Men's XL", and if a red shirt there catches my eye, than so be it. 

[Big Daddy Audio]

I looked through about 10 shirts, realized they weren't sorted as to size (OR color for that matter) and gave up.  Now, I have found some really great audio gear in the Goodwills in CA, but that was years ago and on this tip, they had nothing.  They did have a nice oval table ($29.99), but we really didn't need it and passed it up - it was gone the next day.

[valleythriftshopper]

None of the thrift stores here sort sizes, the Salvation Army sorts by color, which I agree is pretty pointless.  Probably the reason why I don't spend alot of time in the clothing section and focus more on the collectibles. 

[FleaQueen]

I hate unsorted clothes racks.  What's worse than unsorted, is items sorted by color.  I don't walk into a thrift with the mindset of "I'm going to buy a red shirt today".  I want to walk to the rack that says "Men's XL", and if a red shirt there catches my eye, than so be it. 

I think the reason they're sorted by color is that it's women (mostly) who put the stuff out and I think most women -- myself included -- DO shop by color.

www.fullservicebohemian.blogspot.com

[brianrhc]

Good thread, folks! So even the national chains seem to vary on cleanliness, pricing, etc. standards. On the pricing comments, I'd distinguish between stores that have high prices on all their stuff vs. those that have random prices such as two of same item, one @ $0.99 and the other @ $9.99.

[azia88]

My husband went to goodwill to find some stuff to sell and he did find some good stuff for once at GW..He bought some army games and some My little pets for the kids.. Someday we will sell those lol They go pretty well now. I hope in a few yrs they still will go well like FP toys..Then on 50% off at Gw on sat we found some more good stuff.. I don't like how they go by color.. I go by size. I don't want to look all day for a size.. I need shorts for my 5 yr old. I gave up. GW go by size not color..We are selling smaller things now that we sell on yardsellr. we have to ship first then get paid.. My husband and I do have some bigger stuff out though...Have a nice weekend..