tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781670590071996754.post676807979638023349..comments2024-03-28T06:34:35.046-04:00Comments on Thrifty Decor Chick | Thrifty DIY, Decor and Organizing: To Goodwill or not?Thrifty Decor Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08387609050626968143noreply@blogger.comBlogger173125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781670590071996754.post-25875737722977712402014-07-14T20:16:02.616-04:002014-07-14T20:16:02.616-04:00Too true, I saw a winter coat priced at $100 a sad...Too true, I saw a winter coat priced at $100 a sad state of affairs when a store created to cloth the poor now seeks to make a profit off of free items donated to help those less fortunate.Denisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02505772125072877460noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781670590071996754.post-31502355470791818702013-05-15T01:12:35.295-04:002013-05-15T01:12:35.295-04:00Hi,
I'm from London, Ontario and the prices at...Hi,<br />I'm from London, Ontario and the prices at Goodwill have gone right through the roof. It's completely ridiculous! We also have Value Village here and their prices are just as bad. I do agree, though, that Goodwill does great things for the community but it seems they're giving with one hand and taking from the same people with the other hand. I rarely go to either one anymore. St. Vincent de Paul is not bad (haven't been for a couple of years) but find they are quite junky. Salvation Army is still a registered charity so it's kind of nice not to have to pay tax. The store here is not very big but I find it the best place to buy linens (sheets, towels, etc.). There's a new thrift shop just opened up here called "Missions for Bibles" and have been told they are still relatively reasonable.<br />I am a firm believer that charity begins at home. We need to take care of our own people before we start sending stuff overseas. We've got seniors living way below the poverty line; families due to whatever restraits living below the poverty line. Homeless people. I don't know about anywhere else but here our Value Villages take old stock off the shelves bale them up and ship them overseas (third-world countries, I believe); they destroy any breakables that have been on the shelves too long. Why can't these clothes, linens, etc. be given to shelters, hospices, women's shelters? Wouldn't it be nice to receive some silly little knick-knack when you've just had to leave in the middle of the night with your children with only the clothing on your backs? Is all of this too much to ask for? We should take care of our own first, then others. I know that some people will be a bit hot under the collar with these remarks.<br />Here in London we have a group called "Clothing Works" and I've been giving them all my clothes and when my Mom and sister passed away I gave all of their clothes as well. They take in women who for one reason or another have had to go back into the work force and have very little experience or none at all. CW teaches them the basics of computers, how to set up a current-style resume, how to handle themselves during an interview, etc.. I'm a very large sized woman and I know how hard it is to find decent clothes to fit so I like to know that someone else is enjoying my clothes.<br />I read an article the other day on a consignment shop here. It is run entirely by volunteers and every cent of profit goes to providing breakfast for school kids who would have to go without breakfast if it wasn't for this organization. They also take in donations as well.<br />Even dollar stores have raised their prices very high. We have Dollarama here and some things are still a dollar but in just the past year almost everything as risen to $2 - $3. I guess we've had a good thing going and the end is now here.<br />Here in London Craigslist isn't that big but Kijiji is. I find that I save money by using Kijiji as I can look and wait for something specific rather than go to the thrift stores and be horribly tempted by other "nice things" that I don't need and yet still buy! :-)<br />Anyhoo, that's my rant for the day!<br />All the best,<br />CathyCathynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781670590071996754.post-61331766184157044332013-05-13T14:47:26.094-04:002013-05-13T14:47:26.094-04:00I so agree with you on the prices at Goodwill. I ...I so agree with you on the prices at Goodwill. I have shopped there for years, before it was cool to shop there. I am amazed at the prices at my local stores in Arizona. I buy things fix them up and resell them. I've found it is getting much harder to find things I can make a profit on. Many of the prices are equivalent to those of retail stores. I do still shop there but not finding all the great deals I used too!Melaniehttp://sweetlittleabode.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781670590071996754.post-45991508241730243242013-05-11T09:09:44.417-04:002013-05-11T09:09:44.417-04:00I, too have noticed the high prices at Goodwill. T...I, too have noticed the high prices at Goodwill. The stores still seem busy, in spite of the increases. I suppose it is whatever the market will bear. As you mentioned, I have often seen "Target new goods" at Goodwill, for prices higher than I saw them for at Target. The best bargains can be had at garage sales, but you can also do a lot of driving and not find anything. I sure enjoy the "thrill of the hunt", where ever it takes me!last minute lynnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02112502054267152515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781670590071996754.post-7339794419668968142013-05-11T00:12:00.400-04:002013-05-11T00:12:00.400-04:00I have noticed some really crazy prices. The price...I have noticed some really crazy prices. The prices can be all over the place, ya'know? hm. But I feel like a deal can still be found from time to time. Sometimes prices are ridiculously high, like the Target items, & as someone else mentioned, Dollar Tree items. (um, they are $1.00 new...........how about .25 at GW?) I've worked in consignment for 12 years or so though, so I know that the staff can't possibly get ALL the pricing right. It's not easy learning all the prices, and of course you look up the price of items online as well. Prices on furniture have gone up, true. But on some level I feel like the errors in pricing can work both ways, and maybe that helps offset the pain to some degree? ha Like paying $2.00 for a perfect Timi & Leslie or Petunia Pickle Bottom diaper bag, vs the way overpriced Target furniture. (does Target really sell it to GW, or donate it?)Obviously, I don't purchase the pricing errors that are not in my favor. But underpricing is also an error, and I do happily purchase those!<br />ChrissySteelers6https://www.blogger.com/profile/12259433761178851023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781670590071996754.post-3119411174305597602013-05-10T22:09:26.374-04:002013-05-10T22:09:26.374-04:00@Katherine: EXACTLY! Yes, they have a mission, but...@Katherine: EXACTLY! Yes, they have a mission, but part of that mission (I thought) is to help us lower income folk save money. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781670590071996754.post-81178531391414361272013-05-10T21:50:55.570-04:002013-05-10T21:50:55.570-04:00@Anne: yes, I think the hipsters have driven up th...@Anne: yes, I think the hipsters have driven up the prices. It's so ~ironic~ and ~edgy~ shopping where the poor people do. <br />I hit yard sales now, and wait till the Salvation Army has the 50% off sales. Jerks.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781670590071996754.post-89578816859850139042013-05-09T16:15:07.171-04:002013-05-09T16:15:07.171-04:00Yup that's how thrift stores in Cali are - som...Yup that's how thrift stores in Cali are - sometimes are amazing deals to be found I picked up a pair of Raplh Lauren lamps over the weekend for a steal $8.00 each (I recently blogged about them) But I haven't noticed the prices are getting higher and higher for some items that are just plain junk.....Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11784825966340743698noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781670590071996754.post-49694107948222384912013-05-09T14:30:42.943-04:002013-05-09T14:30:42.943-04:00My local GW has never been great for furniture or ...My local GW has never been great for furniture or household items. Clothing is still reasonably priced, but I don't go as often as I used to. Sadlebredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14470188950740075592noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781670590071996754.post-61653629280252513412013-05-09T14:15:19.753-04:002013-05-09T14:15:19.753-04:00Sterling Cherub, you are the kind of person my hub...Sterling Cherub, you are the kind of person my hubby & I look for. We spend our weekends looking for good furniture or household items that folks have left on the curb & we fix it, paint it (or whatever), then donate it to people whose houses have burned down or flooded. We don't go thru any specific charity. I got business cards for hubby & call him "Green Man", they say he will "reuse, recycle & refurbish" - he's the "regenerator". So far folks seem to like it better when they know that their items are going to help a victim of the Bastrop fire or something like that instead of donating to GW or SA.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781670590071996754.post-40136576175462782672013-05-09T13:18:28.717-04:002013-05-09T13:18:28.717-04:00I have always wondered where bloggers are shopping...I have always wondered where bloggers are shopping. My goodwill and other thrift stores are so expensive. Dresses are $10 each, even the very used and faded walmart dresses. All frames are at least $15-$20 dollars. Housewares are 75-90% of what it cost new. I'd rather go buy the new and have it in great shape. They will not change the prices because people still shop there. When it gets to the point where more people are not shopping at these stores, maybe they will lower the prices. Sad to say but it's not like they have tons of overhead. Their merchandise is given to them. They aren't paying for it like other stores.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781670590071996754.post-35702240397894152642013-05-09T09:30:15.275-04:002013-05-09T09:30:15.275-04:00The prices have gone way up! I find better deals...The prices have gone way up! I find better deals at Restore and local consignment shops now. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03765912501756304480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781670590071996754.post-84304077971839660232013-05-09T09:13:43.170-04:002013-05-09T09:13:43.170-04:00I have enjoyed shopping at Thrift Stores since I w...I have enjoyed shopping at Thrift Stores since I was a kid. In the past five years, I have noticed prices spiking and an increase in customers (like 300-400%). I feel like all the extra shoppers makes it harder to find deals. With higher prices and more shoppers, I just don't go as often.SuzyQSparkleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12006823253226263605noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781670590071996754.post-69218368009516340802013-05-09T01:33:30.757-04:002013-05-09T01:33:30.757-04:00I've noticed this with both Goodwill and the S...I've noticed this with both Goodwill and the Salvation Army. There are a few other local thrift stores I like that can be hit and miss with prices--there's one person at my favorite thrift store that thinks that anything that looks like milk glass, even plastic, is a hidden gem and prices accordingly. But for a few years now Goodwill has been so overpriced that I only go in 3-4 times a year. Ours mostly carries Sauder furniture priced higher than retail or a bunch of bad '80s and '90s decor. It's usually not worth my time to go. There is one store that has a pretty good clothing selection if you don't mind paying top dollar.<br /><br />I know that they are selling items for a good cause, but I look at it this way: if you price things so high no one will buy them, that's $0 going toward your charity. Not a very savvy business move IMO.Jessicahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17897718251146316249noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781670590071996754.post-44656473084826166802013-05-09T00:38:16.688-04:002013-05-09T00:38:16.688-04:00Wow, I have found the same thing here in the Bay A...Wow, I have found the same thing here in the Bay Area CA. I have all but stopped shopping thrift stores, and really find the best deals on craigslist garage sales and TJ Maxx/Marshalls/Ross. Generally speaking in my area, Salvation Army, St. Vincent DePaul, and other independent non-profit stores are still decent--not great. The Goodwill and local hospital/junior league/other charity thrift stores have been over-priced for a long time now. Not worth my time.Bessiemaehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17917177381660958507noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781670590071996754.post-79325242204503006942013-05-09T00:37:57.868-04:002013-05-09T00:37:57.868-04:00I, too, have noticed how prices have gone up at GW...I, too, have noticed how prices have gone up at GWI and I may have mentioned it a time or two. Our GWI recently built a new building and the minute the doors opened, I noticed how much things had increased. I still love going there, but don't always buy unless the price suits me. Salvation Army has gone up as well, but not quite as much. Their store is not so new and organized as the new GWI, so you have to search a little more, but I sometimes find more there. I wonder, like you, if maybe we DIYers have DIYed ourselves out of the market. Maybe things will turn around because we are not buying as much. Also, prices everywhere have gone up so much because of inflation, gas, etc., so maybe that is an element, as well.lynn cockrellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16250601457878656085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781670590071996754.post-6753302099725214182013-05-08T23:48:18.518-04:002013-05-08T23:48:18.518-04:00Also, forgot to add in my last tirade (LOL!) that ...Also, forgot to add in my last tirade (LOL!) that Goodwill has an online auction site where they pick out "the good stuff" to auction off online, and they're on to something there because people get competitive and ridiculous, over bidding on stuff you can find less expensively on eBay. My friend thinks the Goodwill outlets themselves are dishonestly bidding on their own stuff to drive up the prices, I hadn't thought of that because it's SO unethical, but you never know what a business will do for $$$. I've also heard where the employees go through and pick out all the good stuff for themselves, which is why most of what you find in the stores is pure junk anymore.<br /><br />I've noticed other commenters say they won't donate to Goodwill, and I won't either anymore because of their price gouging and questionable ethics. I also won't donate to Salvation Army because they discriminate (I'm pro marriage-equality), so I tend to send my stuff either to CHOC (Children's Hospital) or give it away to friends. I've also been known to just leave stuff in my alley with a "FREE TO GOOD HOME" sign on it!The Sterling Cherubhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01067220137311888258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781670590071996754.post-16397243866461772422013-05-08T23:45:51.203-04:002013-05-08T23:45:51.203-04:00i have an aunt who used to shop goodwill in the ch...i have an aunt who used to shop goodwill in the chicago area and shes mentioned a few times abouthow high their prices are getting. since there is no goodwill in my area of ND, i go to yard sale and church sales and a few local second hand stores. there are certain items they do over charge but i just dont buy them. ive also been using facebook groups that people have made for bartering, selling, or just giving away for free. i also like using freecycle.org. ive found the best items on freecycle and ive also gotten better at not letting items sit around forever. if i cant use it in 2 months it goes back on what ever site i got it from or i just freecycle it. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15401617054696390228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781670590071996754.post-40388857579411056372013-05-08T23:39:03.936-04:002013-05-08T23:39:03.936-04:00OMG, ok, I thought it was just because I'm in ...OMG, ok, I thought it was just because I'm in Los Angeles, where EVERYTHING is outrageously overpriced, even though there's plenty of shops and other resources to find things (in other words, it's not like a small town where a shop might be the only game in town). My friend and I went to a Goodwill over the weekend, and their prices were RIDICULOUS. Even worse is the Catholic charity, St. Vincent de Paul - they want HUNDREDS of dollars for furniture that has seen better days. I'm not kidding, they had a pretty beat up Ralph Lauren dresser there that they wanted $600 for! It was NOT in take-it-home-and-use-it-now condition, someone would have really needed to refinish it, yet they wanted all that money for it. I believe in charities, but there's a fine line between being reasonable and greedy, and I'm finding that most of the places here are pushing that line. <br /><br />I think you're on to something, the blog world has exploded and the DIY/refurb thing along with it, and even people on Craigslist out here want ridiculous amounts of money for stuff that's junk. If it's nice, forget about it, they want several hundred dollars for it. I'm not sure why EVERYTHING these days has to be a rip-off, it's really disheartening to say the least!The Sterling Cherubhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01067220137311888258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781670590071996754.post-9769404297429031752013-05-08T22:58:48.135-04:002013-05-08T22:58:48.135-04:00We are experiencing the same price hikes here in M...We are experiencing the same price hikes here in Maryland. Very sad to see it. I think they need to remember that they are getting this stuff for FREE. Bad move Goodwill! You have definitely lost my donations and my business,<br />KateAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781670590071996754.post-68132646261450909252013-05-08T22:04:19.119-04:002013-05-08T22:04:19.119-04:00Sometimes I just shake my head at the prices my lo...Sometimes I just shake my head at the prices my local Goodwill (and Salvation Army) store charges for things. It's not unusual to see things $60-100 for well used dressers. Crazy! Clothing prices have gone up considerably in the last several years also.Mearihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18080474930910254503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781670590071996754.post-70994351784656583852013-05-08T20:55:00.731-04:002013-05-08T20:55:00.731-04:00I love a good find... I brake for yard sales Goodw...I love a good find... I brake for yard sales Goodwills, .. YOU name it even a good CURBSIDE find LOL Sherry at The Rusty Pearlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03520286983487648033noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781670590071996754.post-22499712553458420152013-05-08T20:39:17.746-04:002013-05-08T20:39:17.746-04:00EXCUSE MY ERRORS...THERE IT SHOWS..I AM TIRED ! LO...EXCUSE MY ERRORS...THERE IT SHOWS..I AM TIRED ! LOLAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12468158680202531825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781670590071996754.post-4417619536061302272013-05-08T20:37:00.982-04:002013-05-08T20:37:00.982-04:00I am also a thrifty shopper, and in Goodwill on a ...I am also a thrifty shopper, and in Goodwill on a daily basis...which can also be bad..they know me by name and I have even gotten clientel from them...BUT sometimes there prices are just halarious.. but I do find some great things for nothing. It is a hit or miss, I have shopped with them for years! I stay very busy also, so I understand exacylt what you are saying, not too mention this chick is getting "old" too...and tired! LOL...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12468158680202531825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7781670590071996754.post-22061979932232708622013-05-08T18:19:03.959-04:002013-05-08T18:19:03.959-04:00I stopped shopping at both Goodwill and Salvation ...I stopped shopping at both Goodwill and Salvation Army when I found out that neither are "non-profit" as they claim to be. They not only sell the items that are donated to them for 100% profit, all employees are paid a salary and truckloads of the donated merchandise is SOLD to other countries, too. In addition, I have seen employees at our local SA going through the warehouse picking out donated items and tagging them for themselves so that those items never reach the floor. Our local GW has also has auctions every month for the items they think are worth more. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com