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

[Sheldon Simms <sheldonsimms@yahoo.com>]

On Fri, 06 Feb 2004 20:50:03 -0700, Byron Desnoyers Winmill wrote:

> 
> 
> On Fri, 6 Feb 2004, Sheldon Simms wrote:
>> someone will purchase their merchandise and resell it on Ebay,
>> collecting the difference. I don't see why this is a problem, but
>> apparently thrift stores think it is, so they raise their prices to
>> match Ebay's. So can we conclude that the presence of Ebay harms poor
>> people by increasing their cost of living?
>
> As for getting deals out of thrift stores: it is possible to do so on a
> consistent basis.  But I'm not about to announce the tricks of the trade
> to ePayers, because I have no desire to compete with them.  Every time
> you swipe something from a thrift store to fatten your wallet, I loose a
> potential toy to play with.  I have no desire to fatten your pockets,
> the pockets of ePay, the pockets of the shipping companies, and the
> pockets of those who run the various payment schemes.  I would rather
> see that money reinvested in the community.

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.