Yut-oh...one of my thrifts is closing!

[Zed Simon]

I just found out today that the North Shore Thrift in Port Jefferson NY is going bye-bye on May 30. Apparently it's a victim of the economy. Just not enough business to justify renewing the lease on the place, I hear. The other three Vietnam Vets stores will stay open, but I'll have to give this one special attention in the next couple months to see what goes on there.

[Firekinghunt]

You would think it would be just the opposite...all the thrift's around here are BOOMING and often times there are lines to the back of the store - no joke. Sad news!

[Mattie]

This is sad news.  My condolences on the loss of a good thrift. 

[wjsthrifting]

I'm so sorry to hear that! 

It really surprises me as well - like the previous poster stated, the thrifts in my area are also booming!

[Krisathome]

Thrift store business is booming BUT the donations just aren't coming in.  This is the problem my store is having right now.  We have people coming into the building all day wanting to buy.  They have money and are ready to spend it but we don't have anything to sell them.  Usually we get donations to replace what has been sold. People aren't buying new so they aren't donating their old.  In fact if things don't get better for us, we may be closing soon. 

I hear that we are not the only store in this "lack of donations" state.  It's happening all over the country. 

Zed, sorry to hear about your favorite thrift.  It's a bummer!

[Zed Simon]

I wouldn't exactly say it's a favorite, but still it's always hard to hear about a thrift closing. There are three others that this one is related to, and they're all staying open.

[Firekinghunt]

It was just on Oprah, I believe, that places such as Goodwill and Salvation Army have had SO MANY donations they are TURNING THEM AWAY. Honestly, I heard this from a few people and on the radio. With so many foreclosures all the stuff left in the homes is donated. Well I guess (maybe just around here?) they were turning stuff away because they simply couldn't process so many donations.

[valleythriftshopper]

In a major metropolitan area like Chicago, I could see that being the case.  Here in Western Mass, it is a different story.  Pardon my language but the donations have just sucked, for the most part, for months.  There are lots of clothes coming in, but I really don't need a whole lot of new clothing and I don't sell it for the most part (maybe I should).  The better Salvation army in the area is closed this Mon & Tues. because thay expanded into the retail space next door & are putting the finishing touches on the new space.  I think the new space is going to be mostly more clothing though.  There was a plan to do funiture, but the store manager said that headquarters changed their mind- keeping all the good stuff for themselves I am sure!

[Mattie]

I have a hunch the people who are donating right now - the folks who've been forced out of their homes and can't keep their belongings - are unfamiliar with the thrift store world, so the only names that come to mind to them are Goodwill and Salvation Army.  They don't know that there are hundreds of smaller chains and independent shops out there.  I hope the Goodwills and SAs that turn donations away are referring those donors to other thrifts.  I'd hate to think of all that stuff going to the landfill because people don't know what to do with it.

I went to Thrift Town today and noticed they've put a big donation box outside the front door.  They usually buy donations from CARH but I think they're getting desperate.  The shelves in several departments were pretty sparse, too.  Not a good sign.

[valleythriftshopper]

Got this cute new Hello Kitty Easter Egg Decorating kit at the SA today for 99 cents.  It had a Goodwill sticker price of $1.99 on the back.  I don't think that SA is getting stuff form Goodwill though.  Probably someone bought it at Goodwill, never used it & donated it back to SA.  it has really made the thrift rounds!  I am surprised that the SA didn't put their own price sticker of $2.99 over the Goodwill one- this one usually does stupid stuff like that. 

Although now that I think about it, if Goodwill is not selling stuff like this anymore, maybe they did transfer it over to SA.  There are no Goodwills around here, but they have one in Springfield where the SA Distribution Center is.  Maybe Goodwill is finding new homes for some of this stuff.