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

[et472@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Michael Black)]

Sheldon Simms (sheldonsimms@yahoo.com) writes:
> On Thu, 05 Feb 2004 18:48:41 -0800, david parsons wrote:
> 
>> In article <bvur95$vivkj$1@ID-198131.news.uni-berlin.de>,
>> Terry Olsen <tolsen64@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Thrift stores charge more than the few dollars that you are willing to pay
>>>> for an item, and that is 'ripping' you off.  You sell an $5 item on ebay
>>>> for $160!
>>>
>>>The main reason I go to thrift stores is to find something to sell on EBay.
>>>When thrift stores jack up their prices to prevent that from happening,
>> 
>> [...]
>> 
>>>Thrift stores are supposed to be in the business of selling low-cost used
>>>items to families in need,
>> 
>>   Perhaps they feel that your type of scavenging is contrary to their
>>   stated mission, and they'd rather scrap their hardware than be a
>>   warehouse for the ebayers?   You might be able to get them to lower
>>   their prices if you offerent them a cut of your proceeds from ebay,
>>   then you'd be able to make a profit and they'd be able to provide
>>   more services to the poor.
>> 
>>                 ____
>>   david parsons \bi/ I can see that they'd not want to be an ebayer's
>>                  \/                                       stockroom.
> 
> I see, so you are of the opinion that it is better for the thrift
> store to collect $0 and fill the landfill with intentionally
> destroyed stuff instead of the thrift store collecting $10 and someone
> else collecting $10 by reselling the item on Ebay.
> 
> Just how is that supposed to help the poor? (or the environment?)
> 
> This is not to argue against thrift stores selling items for their
> actual market price, if the thrift store can get their price, great.
> But if they can't, then everyone is better served by them cutting
> their price to fit their market, and letting someone else resell the
> item on Ebay if they so choose. I don't see how destroying otherwise
> useful products helps anybody. It sounds like pure spite to me.
> 
> 
But if you can sell the items for more on Ebay, then obviously the
price can be higher.  But if they raise their prices, it cuts
into your profit, so you'd rather they junk the equipment than
pay what you perceive as higher prices.  

  Michael