Thrift Shops: Not So Thrifty

I’m trying to get things set up here for the kids and me. Today I decided to try to get a lamp for the boys’ room. Remember, I sold almost everything I had before we moved to MD and we didn’t get any furniture other than the boys’ bunk beds while we lived there. The area where their beds are now is pretty dark so Kara and I went to the thrift shop.

The thrift shop was pretty nice; big, lots of items, clean, well-organized…better than many others I’ve seen. So we start browsing and I see the aisles and aisles of women’s clothing. I definitely could use some jeans. The ones I’ve got are old and dingy so I started looking through the jeans selections to see if there might be anything I like. Mind you, I’m not one to complain…Who am I kidding? Yes, I do complain, especially when someone tries to take advantage of me.

I was looking through the jeans and was inspecting the prices tags: $12.99, $14.99, $10.99…Are they serious? Do people actually pay those prices for someone else’s hand-me-downs? I can get brand new jeans for myself at Walmart for those prices; sometimes for less if they’re on sale. I did find a couple of jeans that fit me that were only $6.99 each; so I got two jeans – pretty nice once, at that – for just over $15.00. That was fine, I could handle it. If I’d had to pay more than that I’d have come home without the jeans. I tried to buy Ty some jeans in a thrift shop back in Missouri once and they wanted anywhere between $8 and $10 for used jeans, some of them not even in great shape. I left and went to Walmart instead.

Anyway, before I paid for the jeans, Kara and I went to check out what lamps were available. They had a nice selection but the ones that were large enough to put out enough light in the boys’ room were $10.00. I know, that’s not a lot of money but they also didn’t come with shades; the shades were extra, of course. So we’re talking somewhere around $14.00 for a lamp, that used to be sitting in someone else’s living room. I can get a brand new one for that price at Walmart, K-mart, or Target.

What gives with thrift shops over charging the public for items that are used? It’s not like the merchandise is purchased from a company and shipped to the stores; it’s stuff that people donated. It’s not even consignment stuff, for pity’s sake. Does that mean that thrift shop owners are getting rich off of us? I mean, once they pay their overhead expenses – rent, utilities, and employee salaries - what’s left has to be profit right? They’re certainly not paying for the merchandise; and they’re ripping us off in the process.

I visit thrift shops because I don’t always have the money to pay full price for what I need. Now, however, I have a choice to make. Buy from a thrift shop or pay $2.00 more and get the same item brand new somewhere else? I guess that extra $2.00 I’m paying buys me a warrantee too. I can’t get a warrantee at the thrift shops; it’s, pretty much, “as is” merchandise. Walmart will let me return something if there is a problem. I guess that’s the better way to go; for the lamp, anyway. Other things I’ll still buy at thrift shops but only if it’s less costly than any other store.

I know, it sounds to you like I’m really cheap. I’m not cheap, I’m frugal. I’ve learned to live within a very strict budget and I intend to keep it that way. I just wish the stores would work with me; specifically the thrift stores. That is why they were started, right; to help those of us with no money? It seems like the owners are just in it for the money these days. “Screw the poor people; I need money.” That’s a nice philosophy. Maybe I’ll open my own thrift shop. Care to donate any items I can mark up really high and sell to people without any money? I didn’t think so. Oh well, it is what it is and I can’t change it. I’ll just do the best I can with what I’ve got and I’ll get the boys a lamp from a “real” store. Next time I need four books for $3.00 I’ll hit the thrift shop; until then I’ll just continue bargain hunting wherever I can for what I need. I’m good at that.

Until next time…peace to all.