Is your local thrift store going up in price?

[camracrazy]

I just wondered if it was my bad luck or if it was going on everywhere. LOL

I used to be able to get great, name brand, no pills, no fading, no tears clothes at my local thrift store for under $1. But it is hard to find any clothes there for under $1 now unless it is their "half off a certain tag color" day. I was looking at the costume jewelry yesterday thinking it would be cute to get the girls some for their dress up play, but the prices were from about $3 to $20! I can get stuff at Target cheaper than that! I was also looking at the cups and saucers because my older DD wants a real tea set. One set I liked was $7 for each cup and saucer (so $28 for the set). They even had a set with cups and plates priced for $200. Whew! I thought I was at Jc Penneys or something!

[Ruthla]

We've got several local thirft stores and they vary widely in price. Goodwill has lower prices but a lousy selection and they're further from my home. My favorite thrift store happens to be a for-profit store. There are good deals and "not so good deals" in there.

I remember looking at baby clothes while pg with DS; they had 100% cotton sleepers (originally $15 - $20) and polyester sleepers (originally $6-$8 for a 3-pack) both priced around $4 used. I haven't seen anything priced "above retail value for the item if it was new" in adult's sizes- presumably because cheap clothes fall apart and don't make it to the thrift store in the first place (except with baby clothes that get outgrown so quickly). Or maybe the people doing the pricing have a better feel for adult clothing pricing (which they wear themselves!) than infant clothes (many of the employees are young adults without kids.)

I've never seen $1 clothes for anybody (well, maybe some kids' t-shirts) in my local store. My store is more about finding a $25 skirt for $7 or a $50 dress for $15.

[kamilla626]

I wouldn't say I've seen prices go up; but like Ruth said - for me, it depends on the store.

My local Savers would sell nice Hilfiger jeans for 12.99; basic turtle necks or leggings for kids would be 2.99 or 3.99.

The only things I see for $1.00 or less are socks, boxer shorts, plain t-shirts, etc.

Even if the thrift stores do raise their prices, I'll still prefer them over paying retail. It's about recycling, too.

[Ruthla]

This is still cheaper than retail- today I bought DD2 3 dresses and a shirt for around $34- a single dress in the mall would have cost around that.

[LionTigerBear]

At our local thrift stores, kid's clothes are $.50 each, which is great, but the selection is awful. I usually find one decent thing per trip, but often nothing decent.

I just can't get over how bad the selection is. Most of that stuff, I would never donate, I would just throw away. Pilled, really ancient, threadbare, stained . . . What the heck? Well thanks for letting me vent! I have found a few REALLY nice things though, just few and far between . . .

[cam&kat's_mom]

Our thrift store- if you can call them that- arent' overly thrifty these days. HOWEVER they dont' accept stianed or worn or pilly clothes. toys need to be in like new condition. ( if they are buying them from you) the salvation army here has okstuff but priced pretty high IMO for a store taht doesn't buy in but takes donations.
I have had decent luck though, foudn a hotsling for $15 still in package. mayeb used twice..

[milosmomma]

DP is the manager of a thrift store and her was mentioning recently that their business has gone up A LOT recently as a result of the changing financial climate. Their prices have stayed steady, but the selection has gone down a bit. It's all supply and demand. Suddenly there are people who generally shop at the mall who are there competing with the "regulars" for the good stuff.

Happily (for us), while retail sales have generally dipped and stores are going out of business, his store is thriving (and actually opening an additional location soon).

[Pumpkin_Pie]

I have noticed that my favorite thrift store is starting to price a few things a bit higher. Most kids clothes are 50 cents or a quarter, but I have found a few pieces for $3 or more lately. I was a little bummed to see their prices going up, but they are definitely still a good deal.

I once found an organic cotton pouch sling there for 50 cents. It was in almost perfect condition. I am thinking the people who priced it didn't even know what it was.

[zinemama]

Goodwill has gotten really expensive around here. They are charging $6-7 for a shirt or skirt and even higher if it's a "good" brand. Ok, I know it's way cheaper than retail, but when I first started going to Goodwill it was much less expensive.

[annettemarie]

Originally Posted by Pumpkin_Pie

I have noticed that my favorite thrift store is starting to price a few things a bit higher. Most kids clothes are 50 cents or a quarter, but I have found a few pieces for $3 or more lately. I was a little bummed to see their prices going up, but they are definitely still a good deal.

I once found an organic cotton pouch sling there for 50 cents. It was in almost perfect condition. I am thinking the people who priced it didn't even know what it was.

That sounds like my $5 Ergo.

I've noticed selection down and prices up. Do volunteers get first dibs on stuff? Maybe I should volunteer.

[leximom]

I haven't noticed higher prices at my favorite thrift store, but the selection is much slimmer than before. It's either because the word got out about how great my thrift store is or everyone is poor like me now

[SAHDS]

I haven't noticed, but I do know there has never been good clothing for under $1 (I wish). I pay $3-10 depending on the item, but mostly around $5-6/piece. Still, considering what I buy, it's at least an 80-90% discount.

[enkmom]

Yes, annettemarie, volunteers do get first dibs, at least at our Salvation Army. My mom volunteers every Tuesday morning (has for years), and her primary job is to sort clothing. She has picked up some very nice things for my nephews (BIL is out of work), including a never worn Columbia coat for $8. Our Salvation Army is VERY firm, though, about volunteers not taking more than their fair share, and the volunteers always pay posted prices.

To answer the OP, the Salvation Army store is the only store I frequent, and prices have gone up. The Salvation Army stores in other towns actually complained that the prices at ours were too low, so ours had to adjust up. T-shirts are now $3 each, and adult coats are $15-20. Mens suits are an unbelievable bargain at $8. Household goods are from $1 (coffee cups and such) to $10 (pots and pans). Paperback books are still 10cents.

[oneKnight]

My dad gets suits from Goodwill around $15. That's a great deal for him. He doesn't have very many options for thrifty clothes. Most places are bursting full of kids clothes, ya know?

There is a really awesome used clothes consignment sale for women & kids in our town, spring and fall. Most of my clothes come from there. I get expensive brand jeans (Lucky Brand, 7 for all Mankind, not to mention Levi, etc.) for less than $10, sometimes less than $5. They are really good about keeping the crappy clothes out of the sale, my local goodwill isn't. The only jeans I got from goodwill had a hole in them that I didn't notice till I got home. They don't accept returns. Fortunately I only paid like $3 for them, so I just re-donated them. I haven't been back.