Post #57054 by ikitnrev on Sun, Oct 26, 2003 5:07 PM

Pricing at thrift stores has always been a touchy issue. If I donated an item that was worth $200 to a thrift store, I would hope that they would get as much as that $200 as possible, since that money generally supports charity, rather than seeing it sell for $10, and all the additional profit going to the person who found it and then sold it on ebay.

Is the purpose of the thrifts to raise money for their charities, or is it to provide low cost goods for those with limited income who live in the community?

I used to volunteer at the big Goodwill in Washington DC, helping them sort the donated LP records. When I started, they had HUGE bins, 5 foot wire frame cubes, filled with donated LPs, and there were perhaps 3 or 4 similar bins, waiting to be sorted. We would set all LPS in near mint or better condition, or obvious collectibles (i.e. early 60's James Brown LPs) aside, where they would be individually priced for a big annual sale they held each November. The rest would be sent to the individual thrifts, where they were priced at $1 each. I was able to get first choice of those $1 LPs, but I had a self-imposed rule that I would buy only 20 per day -- it was more important for me to feel that I was helping Goodwill out, than trying to scam off them.

I don't doubt that there are many who have back-room deals to profit off thrift store donations. But my experience has shown that there are plenty of honest people who donate their time, and help out by doing their best to set the real value of the donated items.

Vern