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

[Sheldon Simms <sheldonsimms@yahoo.com>]

On Sat, 07 Feb 2004 23:06:31 -0700, Byron Desnoyers Winmill wrote:

> 
> 
> On Sat, 7 Feb 2004, Sheldon Simms wrote:
>> If I buy an item at the thrift store at the same price you do, then
>> the exact same amount of money goes back into the community either
>> way. If I happen to resell it, that doesn't hurt "the community" at
>> all. In fact, since my profit will be spent in "the community" as
>> well, me buying and reselling puts more money into "the community"
>> than your buying and stuffing in a closet or basement.
> 
> 
> Sheldon,
> 
> I don't think we are going to agree on this.  I have had a very low
> opinion of eBay since the early days, mostly because it encroaches on
> my turf.  If somebody wants to fetch eBay prices, they should sell it
> on eBay instead of using hyperinflated bids as a negotiating point.

I agree, only this seems to be exactly what some thrift stores are
doing -- only it may not be a negotiating tactic, but instead a
take it or leave it offer.

I do want to point out that ebay does not and cannot have (by definition)
hyperinflated prices. Ebay connects buyers and sellers. The prices on
Ebay (of auction items) are mutually agreed free market prices. Ebay
auction prices are the closest thing I know of to the true value of
the items being traded. Obviously none of that goes for the buy-it-now
specialists, who really do charge inflated prices most of the time.

> As per your "stuffing it in a closet" argument, I've tried to avoid
> adopting a particular economic ideology.  The problem is that they are
> imperfect models, and the deeper the relationships are the more likely
> they are to break.  Many thrift stores have direct links to community
> programmes and they tend to employ people who have fallen on hard
> times.  This is what I meant by serving the community...

How does reselling thrift store items impact the ability of the thrift
store to do this? Isn't it in fact true, that selling items, no matter
to whom, is better for the thrift store and the people they are
helping, than throwing items in the dumpster?