Thrifting for profit - Page 6

[Scribe]

I've got a ton of stuff that I need to list too...the shopping is a lot more fun (and less time consuming!) that the listing!

[Azuralea]

Great thread!

I wanted to mention that I use Freecycle a ton (both giving and receiving) and I do not mind if my stuff is picked up by resellers. It extends the life of the item as far as I am concerned, and that is my goal in Freecycling. If it keeps it out of the landfill, so much the better.

I don't mind resellers who buy from charities, either. Frankly, I'd rather people buy up clothes and resell them here, because that provides cash to the charities and in the case of the larger ones (Goodwill, Salvation Army, some of the church ones) it gives them less clothes to ship off to Africa and consequently depress the local textile market. Here is more on that practice.

I think this practice is very ethically questionable. I haven't given anything to Salvation Army for years because I disagree with their policy on gays, but after I learned about the shipping to Africa, I stopped with Goodwill as well. All my used clothes go to our local women and children's shelter at this point, and I search out specialty charities for anything else. I like giving to people who will use the item directly, so as to better avoid sketchy practices like the African clothing bales.

I don't resell myself but definitely have no problem with it.

[Amys1st]

I see your points and I agree to a point. OTH, freecycle- the ethics behind it and it says so, you are not supposed to use this to go and sell again.
As far as going to the good will store and buying things w the intention of selling for more money, is this money going back to the cause? Since the item was donated for the cause, it should IMHO, or a similar cause, not to line my pockets. KWIM?

[Scribe]

Hmm...

So by that rationale, as long as I give more to charitable causes than I make from reselling thrift stuff, it's OK?

I honestly don't get it. The profit from the sale of an item donated to GW has already gone to GW--when I bought the item! How is what I do with it from there of any concern?

[Tilia]

Again, the mission of GW is not to clothe poor people. Its to make money by selling stuff, to provide job assistance with that money.

[Tilia]

bumping because this thread was such a help to me!