Re: Ripoff Thrift Stores, Was: New Apple II BBS

[Byron Desnoyers Winmill <wbdesnoy@ucalgary.ca>]

On Sun, 8 Feb 2004, Exegete wrote:
> Only if you live in my area. Otherwise, what Goodwill, etc decides to
> destroy becomes no one's toy.

It is probably fair to claim that thrift stores dispose of more
incoming donations than unsold merchandise.  This is based upon
observations of a thrift store I worked at one summer and at a thrift
store I frequented throughout the 1990s.  Also, Goodwill has Final Sale
and Buy the Pound stores.  My understanding is that these stores are a
last ditch attempt to sell things, and their prices often approach
reasonable.

(Feel free to contradict me.  I'm not a fan of Goodwill, since it seems
like everything is over priced and they don't like their staff taking
offers.  I got into an argument with one of their staff members who
tried over charging me by a factor of four or eight for magazines
because somebody else classified them as books.  How many books are
published monthly and have articles and advertising and all of that
other nonsense?  But Goodwill ensures their staff has no discretion, so
pointing something out to them is pointless.)

It is also far to easy to blame a thrift store of throwing out some
over priced item when they may have sold it, either at the asking price
or on an offer.  I know that last bit is true, because I'm guilty of
those same suspicions.

Byron.