Why in the world are thrift stores MORE expensive than brand new items?!?

[@TravelSoMuch]

Please do not give a blanket recommendation to "donate to women's shelters instead." I worked in a home for teen moms for over 5 years and waaaay too many people dropped off things without even calling first. With limited storage space, we'd either have to pay for an extra large garbage bin, or we'd have to pay to bring on an extra hourly employee for a few hours a month so she could haul loads of things we couldn't use to thrift stores (yes, they usually went to those big-name thrift stores because the local ones didn't have storage space either). As a small charity run entirely on donations, this took away funding that could have gone to helping these teens in ways that they could actually benefit from. I once even had a woman try to donate a car seat, which I told her we legally couldn't accept. She got in her car and drove off without it. That car seat couldn't even fit in our trash can! So please, for any small charity, call ahead and be mindful of what you're donating. Even though the teen girls I worked with were in a shelter, they were still not wanting to wear your granny clothes. Sometimes, donating to a big name actually is the best option.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

Yes, I did forget to say "call ahead" but I do usually disclaim that. THanks for adding!

[@stevefisher2553]

Just like everything else....corporate greed

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

YUP! never fails under capitalism

[@lilygoht]

I moved out of the biggest city in my province a few months ago (temporarily), and one of the best things ever is being within walking distance of a thrift store. It's technically a part of a chain, but it's a small one, and the prices are DIRT CHEAP. Like, lots of stuff for less than a dollar. It's a perfect place to go get random art supplies or stationary. There are a lot of newcomers where I live, and new families, so I notice that most of their stock is rotating more often than bigger thrift stores and they get tons of business because people are actually buying it and using it. It's truly the last bastion of well-priced thrift.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

that's great to hear it's not every store!

[@Gopher5000]

I was at Value Village this morning with my daughter and was shocked by the prices. Old coats for $40 plus, and plastic sunglasses for $25!! Im sticking to small thrift stores for now on.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

WILD!!! And truly so frustrating

[@kleptomelly]

One of the things that always irks me when I see it at a thrift store, compost buckets. Our local waste hauler gives out free countertop buckets for people to put their food scraps in since CA has a mandate on green waste. I see these buckets all the time at our thrift stores.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

UGHHH no!! literally free composting and people still don't want to do it I don't get it

[@7peacefrog]

I am so glad that you are talking about this. We have a small thrift store and even there the prices are going way up in prices. So a lot of times I skip it and walk away. Thank you again for sharing this

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

it's so sad! truly so many people are turning away from shopping secondhand. It's not supposed to be this way

[@chrstopherblighton-sande2981]

As I was growing up my family relied quite heavily on thrift stores (or charity shops as we call them) because we didn't have much money. It makes me angry to think that people in our situation today, might be struggling even to buy second hand due to inflated prices!! Thank you for challenging this phenomena with this super helpful video.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

same! the whole point is to be charitable and give a shopping option to folks who can't afford new but now people can't afford secondhand either which is literally insane. These items are USED. Thank YOU!

[@scarlettsugar8159]

My fav place to donate here is the SPCA thrift shop. Proceeds go to the running/supporting the local no kill SPCA animal shelter. We did a massive decluttering over several weeks and donated so much stuff. My fav part was going in weeks later and seeing the majority of our stuff on the floor AND it being very reasonably priced. An expensive/like new winter coat we donated was priced at $7. I love knowing someone in need can grab a quality winter coat here in the mountains for cheap going into this winter.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

great idea! and sounds like decent prices too :)

[@TheFeralFarmgirl]

A lot of times, I just set out a "FREE" box out by the road. Most of the time, the whole box is gone by the next day.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

great idea!

[@Huggible11]

I work at a small local thrift store that helps the community by furnishing homes for people transitioning out of homelessness by using donated items. We've had to increase our prices because of inflation, but i also very much agree with your point of selling more for less than less for more. Resellers do make a huge impact on this factor, but it also brings me so much joy seeing an average customer find "that thing" they were looking for at a discount. Some of the things donated are literal garbage (ex. Cracked or missing cds) so the other part is going through the actual inventory because people don't want the guilt on themselves throwing away the item. Therefore it increases our costs of time and manpower. But yes, still keep donating to the little guys and always try giving away the item first if you can before donating. I can attest that not all donations make it to the floor or get bought 🥲

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

Thank you for these additions, this is very valuable to the conversation!

[@raquels.]

Thank you for this video! I stopped shopping and donating at goodwill for all these reasons, and thankfully found an amazing thrift store even closer to me where the prices are AWESOME. I now shop and donate there all the time. The most *expensive* thing I've ever bought there was around $5. And because their prices are so low I trust that the items I donate have a higher likelihood of being sold and not ending up in a landfill.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

yay for local thrift stores!

[@holaclaudia]

Completely unrelated but I'm loving the blue hair 💙

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

yayyy thank you!! unfortunately I've changed it, this hairstyle is old haha

[@calicofloof]

This is a great video and love the info you share. Similarly, I feel really annoyed whenever I peep Patagonia's used gear site and they are re-selling items for maaaaybe a 25% discount off the original price. And just like goodwill, these items are donated back i believe.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

ughhhh frustrating!

[@moldovanca]

This infuriates me on so many levels: 1. Growing up these stores literally saved our family. All of our clothes and school supplies were from value village and it makes me SO angry that kids growing up in the same situation now don’t even have that option. 2. My old lady soul loves old stuff; old furniture, teacups and now I literally cannot afford them! My husband pointed out a beautiful wooden desk (not cardboard bullshit covered in a “wood” sticker) and I fell in love-until I saw the price. It was $300!! And this wasn’t even vintage! It was from the 90s! It makes me angry that I can’t shop my conscience (second hand) and that poor families (like ours was) are priced out of even used stuff! Fuck this “economy”.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

right! Truly so maddening that in capitalism companies can do this with no consequence. WHy even start a "charitable" company if you're going to take advantage of people

[@xanimexartxloverx]

I only donate to local places because I know the profits go to local shelters ✅️ Also, i really think they should have a bigger and different area for sorting all the used stuff. 😭

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

yes!! they directly help communities!

[@tiarnaanderson6301]

One thing to note about smaller thrift stores, is that they often don't have opening hours accessible to everyone.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

very true

[@katelynhoisington772]

Goodwill cannot legally claim a tax write off on the $.40 you donated. You can claim that write off on your own taxes. Companies like that tend to use those round up donations as positive marketing.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

ahh...still scummy but good to know! DO you have a source for this I would love to read more on it

[@bethn2836]

A lot of small thrift stores are also nonprofits, but local ones! So when you shop at them, you have a greater impact on your local community. For example, one in my hometown is employed by people with disabilities, and the profit is used for those with more severe needs who are unable to work or care for themselves. One in the town where I currently live helps fund tempory housing assistance for those who are unhoused or unemployed, and other related services meant to help them find long term stable housing and employment.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

YES!! So true about bigger community impact :)

[@9FatraBbits]

Prices in thrift stores near me have gone up a bit but “vintage” items and natural materials items are ridiculously high. There are quite a number of shoppers here who resell their purchases as a “side hustle.” So the Charity owned thrift stores with Volunteer staff have raised prices significantly in part to make more and deter reselling.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

Vintage has always been very high from my experience. It's so sad!

[@9FatraBbits]

@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist it IS sad. I suspect a lot of pottery/china, cast iron, natural fibre is simply resold over and over now, rather than in use. I’ve always repurposed second hand clothing and made clothing for me and my kids but now even that opportunity is disappearing.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

@@9FatraBbits that's a great point. I wonder how many secondhand/vintage items are sold and USED

[@kat_thefruitbat]

The fact that they have an endless supply is the exact reason why I’ve never understood the logic behind their pricing structure… Especially at Goodwill, since they assign one price to entire item category instead of pricing each item individually… They do eventually discount individual items within categories, but it takes them awhile to do so, and it just seems like an unnecessary step because they could have just priced things fairly from the start…😒

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

LITERALLY!! I felt like I was saying it over and over again but it's so frustrating. You have endless and FREE inventory!!

[@kat_thefruitbat]

@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist You could have said it a million times more and I wouldn’t have minded😂…I haven’t heard anyone talk about that specific point before, so kudos to you for always telling it like it is!👌 When it comes to most items (especially clothing/shoes/accessories), I really wish thrift stores would sell flawed items (e.g. stained, damaged, defective) for a super low price like $0.25 each or give them away for free….For instance, I sew as a hobby and would gladly pay $0.25 for a flawed item to take home and mend, alter, or repurpose….They could just put them in bins for people to rummage through or something….But no, instead of coming up with an easy, practical solution like that, they’d rather send 75% of donations to landfill or make some other country deal with the problem instead of coming up with a solution…Make it make sense…😒

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

@@kat_thefruitbat that would be cool! You never know who may want a project item for cheap, that's a good idea!

[@ashleystanley7941]

Thanks for making this video! It's very important to consider who you're donating to, and what you're donating. Participating in clothing recycling (mail in programs) and upcycling is an important step to consider before donating to Goodwill. For me currently, there aren't any local thrift stores besides Goodwill and the Salvation Army. Habitat ReStore is a better option for large items (furniture, hardware/home improvement items). I try to be mindful of what I donate to Goodwill. One positive note is that in my area, Goodwill hasn't raised prices very much. There are household and decorative items for 10-25 cents, and I've gotten pretty decent clothing items for $5-7. I don't buy very many items there, but if I need something specific I check to see if it happens to be available.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

Clothing recycling is also very flawed...I made a video a few years back: kzbin.info/www/bejne/lX3OioSCpqqAgJo But yes be mindful about where you donate, well said!

[@ashleystanley7941]

@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist Yes, it's super important to vet clothing recycling programs, too! Since I wear Subset (Knickey) underwear, I'm going to try out their recycling program soon. I should really learn more about upcycling and repurposing!

[@ema-b1h]

waw thats a good look with the green and blue

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

hey thanks!

[@aprilwhite8942]

a goodwill in my town has employees that stand outside and sort as things get dropped off onto pallets, and they just toss a lot of straight in the giant trash bin :( it’s really hard to watch. I don’t know what their criteria is for which garments are trash and which go inside. But it looks like a lot of stuff

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

noooooo!!!

[@raedaze]

Unfortunately, a lot of people donate garbage because they don't want to feel bad tossing it in the trash themselves, so a lot of it is stuff no one would want anyways. I am aware though that they are probably still throwing out good stuff. Also could be because people don't read what the store is accepting at the moment so maybe the employees have to throw it out because of that. It is all such a cluster of nonsense.

[@piatoa2772]

Every people I talk in the store is part time employees and people with disabilities.. is for no pay medical insurance and other.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

wow!

[@ema-b1h]

most thrift stores here out of the US dont recycle, some has agreements with recycling resources and thats a good solution. i ask them if and what they do and that way i consider how to donate.same with private second hand. i declutter on a weekly base and thers things i know i better not send there, buy nothing groups are great for that or even leave something on the street or public recycling been on the weekend and post it in those buy nothing and just general neighborhood social media groups. some people need that even willing to fix and its more available to them some dont go or know about thrift stores

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

it's wild, isn't it?!

[@halslibrary]

I now go to my local thrift shop and donate all my stuff there too

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

that's amazing!

[@dinosaur3126]

I feel like thrift stores are trying to be consignment stores which is supposed to have higher quality used clothes at a higher price than a thrift store but thrift store are charging consiment prices for ratty old tshirts and jeans

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

woah true!

[@deborahscudder5417]

So, I work for a company like Goodwill. Goodwill serves developmentally disabled adults & people w disadvantages. Disadvantaged people such as homeless veterans. Are you considering the other areas other than the store in your review?

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

Yes I am. I'm not saying Goodwill is 100% evil but they are doing something similar to Greenwashing in that they are trying to make themselves look better publicly than they actually are. Plus, I also called out Savers and The Salvation Army. Any mega corporation is bad ethically and environmentally even if they do a small fraction of good that does not excuse their bad sides. Signed, a disabled vet

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

also, I think you missed the entire point. The video was not to say Goodwill (or other stores) are good or bad. The point is to say Thrift Stores are jacking up the prices for no good reason and they're not making secondhand shopping inaccessible and more expensive than new which is a huge problem

[@pdpUU]

I work for a locally owned non-chain thrift store. We are mostly run by volunteers. Online thrift resale has had a huge impact on how our volunteers price and it drives me crazy. Now they want to look up every single item and see “what it’s going for” on ebay. As a business practice I think it really hurt us. EBay listings are an ok starting point for pricing. But these volunteers fail to see our customer base is completely different than ebay’s. Our store is in a city of 80k-100k people, ebay has 100 million unique visitors a month. Our city’s average income is around $38k. We are not a wealthy area. We have a few regular customers that are online resellers. But largely our customer base is people in need, or people who just enjoy thrifting. I’m not bothered by those resellers getting a good deal from us and reselling for a profit. That’s more money going through our local economy. Also, these volunteers fail to understand that people can list an item for any price they want, it’s not a real indication of value. I can list a potato chip that I think looks like Oklahoma for $100k. Doesn’t mean it has ever sold at that price, or ever will. I have seen our regular in need customers turned off from our store more and more. As a thrifter myself, I totally relate. If I go to a store 3-4 times and it’s consistently overpriced, that store will no longer be in my regular rotation. On the other hand, if I usually get a good deal when I go, I am going to go more often. The volunteers see lower pricing as leaving money on the table somehow. 🙄 We get all these items for free,and our shelves are stocked full. It does not harm us to give people deals. I understand we don’t want to sell $200 items for $2. But that’s not what’s happening. We ought to be running more specials, lowering prices…our profits, largely which get donated, have decreased steadily with the higher prices. And everyone else in the store seems to think raising prices even more is the answer. It drives me up a wall.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

that's sad to hear but thank you for sharing!

[@heatherhendriks]

Something that really bothers me too, is that they spend so much time individually pricing every item! Like my small thrift store world just say all T shirts, $3 and be done with it. It would save so much time if they just had blanket pricing like that

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

RIGHT!

[@findingthebroom]

nothing to see here, just commenting for the algorithm gods

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

youre the best!

[@mackereltabbie]

No! Don't "keep decluttering". Stop buying crap you don't need so you end up having to declutter all the time

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

for sure but even minimalists still have to declutter. You missed the point though: decluttering and donating is better than the landfill. But yes, reducing is always great!

[@HunterSeth]

Well it's time to only donate trash. Trash prices need trash items.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

okay please don't that won't solve anything so I hope this was satire