Forget the thrift stores like Value Village. Source out your local church thrift shops. Better prices and helpful friendly staff that volunteer their time.
Very interesting to read viewer comments. Alex, you gave really good tips while shopping today. Salvation pulled their store from my town. I knew a lady who attended their church and volunteered sorting donations. She was not embarresed to say that volunteers got to pick the best by volunteering. Also, there was a manager who hired only family and friends. She routinely kept things back for other friends, family, and favored family. Goodwill was always higher, but raised their prices once Salvation Army store was closed. But there were some really good managers at both stores at times, which made a big difference. Your videos are always fun and informative. Thank you!
So true about the thrift store comment about "actual people". Years ago I had to volunteer at a local thrift store to help pay for a trip (a church member paid for portion of our trip if we volunteered). Anywho, we were each paired with a sorter in the back of the building. The lady I had would sit in the middle of a massive pile and she sorted things into 4 piles 1. Things to keep for herself 2. Things to put out on the floor/sell 3. Junk 4. Rags for to bale (they bale rags to sell to other countries). We volunteered for two days and we all were able to go home with our "keep pile". I had brand new toys and brand new clothes. And yes, some thrift stores do have brand new clothing items. I remember taking home these dresses that were $100, and the kicker was that they were actually trying to sell them for $100! Apparently, clothing stores give them out of season and unsold clearance items. The store employees usually have first say, and some things never make it to the floor.
That place is expensive even considering those prices are in Canadian dollars. I recently saw a couch at my local Goodwill that was priced at $500. I asked one of the employees why it was so expensive & she said because it was brand new. I don't think they are going to sell it considering it is only $399 at one of our local furniture outlets. You can still find some amazing deals but like you said it can be a lot of work. It just makes the treasures you do find that much more special 😌 💘
I had something similar happen in my local Goodwill. I explained to them why it wasn't new, they had turned the cushions over and sprayed it with a deodorizer, which did not work at all for the kitty odor.
Here's the thing, ALL their inventory is in the form of donations under the guise of "helping the less fortunate", but they don't donate anything and they charge full price. Make no mistake, Value Village is a for profit organization with super low overhead because they prey on people's generosity.
I read that the Salvation Army Thrift Store is the only thrift store that the CEO doesn't take a salary ( just google what the CEO of Goodwill gets paid ) and I think 80 or 90% percent of profits go to charity. I noticed that prices have really gone up at Value Village.
@@rajjie100 Good to know. Goodwill doesn't help anyone as far as I have noticed. It still helps resellers make a living in certain areas of the USA but I went to the goodwill in San Mateo, California this past week and it was DEVOID of anything worth more than $1. Of course the prices were higher than in any GW I have ever been in. Those GW CEOs are greedy!!!!!!! When they see resellers making a living, they nip that in the bud, stat!
Value Village is becoming more and more expensive. I think they’re now realizing that flippers are buying there and reselling higher on eBay etc. VV thinks it can get a bigger slice of the pie, but unfortunately it’s both chasing away the flippers and the people who need to shop there.
@@SECONDHANDUSA Skip Goodwill, like stated ; they mark anything of value and sell it off market. Places like Ross will stocked with brand new Merch that was just too overstocked in stores. So you can get $200 air jordans for 50$ sometimes
The snow is beautiful. I am leaving Florida in February and heading to the Pacific Northwest to the mountains to live in my van. Can’t wait to get back to the mountains again. I am 66 and starting my new journey in life.
Dont get me wrong, I love your longer vids, but I'm really enjoying the shorter ones you've been posting lately. Its often easier for me to watch them while I take a quick break. Thank you for all the explaining you do! Idk how you keep track of all the info you have but these little nuggets of wisdom is really helpful!
You know what I like best about you Alex? You are a fair and honest man, who’s not interested in “ripping anyone off” when you purchase directly from them 😊 Happy Holidays from Vancouver Island 🎄😊
I just picked up a Coach purse (for myself) for $4.99 at Goodwill. I started frequenting thrift stores when I first became unemployed in 2012. I kept going even after I found another job and didn't "need" to any more. Now I just can't bear to pay full retail price, especially for clothing.
Absolutely nothing wrong with thrift store shopping for even the wealthiest among us. As many have mentioned it reduces waste, but many thrift stores also provide jobs to the special needs community and folks getting back on their feet, the non-profit stores directly support the community from their revenue too, so shop away!
Same with me. I have shopped at thrift store since college when I needed sweaters for winter. Now my husband and I work full time but I for to save money and for the thrill of the hunt.
@@matthewthiesen6098 Walmart doesn't own VV. Savers does. It's a false rumor saying it's owed by Walmart. However it is still a multibillion dollar corporation.
Yes, 12 years ago I could buy men's button down short sleeve cotton blend shirts for $3. Now the same shirts are $12. Crazy. Sadly goodwill isn't goodwill anymore.
Agreed! I’m not a reseller...but like to go what I call Junkin’. The prices at thrift stores (Goodwill and Salvation Army my go tos) nowadays don’t appeal to me any longer unless maybe I can’t find what i really need/want somewhere else. Very rarely is going to them worth it anymore if they want almost full value and all the stuff has been reviewed ahead of stocking on shelves by “Pricers” looking these things up for value. I get why they do it but it’s not an advantage to me most of the time. I’d rather spend my time going to garage sale, rummage sales or even some of the Mission outlets that can’t afford to hire “Pricers”. They are good places to get rid of things at best.
My family is large, and most of us are lucky to have everything we could want. So a few years ago, we started doing a gift exchange, that was either a White Elephant, or maybe an unusual antique that is silly and cheap. We have a game we play with the gifts, and you never know what you are going to go home with. It's fun, and creative, and it gives me an excuse to check out the thrift stores a bit all year round looking for the perfect thing. I end up getting quite a few things that are very good, for myself, just by being there at the right moment. You can start out, or start over, and outfit an entire household for very cheap at Goodwill. And then just trade up pieces as you find better ones. It's fun going to one in a nicer neighborhood, and finding really cool decorating trends that are just old enough to get donated as people remodel their homes. I love finding the things I couldn't afford at the mall, at the time it was trendy. But then, things don't get seen again until the Estate sales drop them off. It's been fun to learn what things stay in style and become classics, and looking for those. Another thing I do, is pack up all my decor, and go buy everything at Goodwill in one color or material. When the kids were small, I put everything breakable away, and replaced it with brass decor. Another time, I got everything in white. Lately, I have only put out natural materials, zero plastic. Although I do like old melamine things. I have four boxes of decor that is seasonal. One for each season. And everything rotates, so you don't get tired of dusting it. It's a great way to try a certain look without breaking the bank, and if it doesn't work out, it just goes back to Goodwill for someone else.
Value Village is an effin' RIP-OFF! I recall seeing old t-shirts sold for almost $10. Back when SEARS was going out of business, it was literally cheaper to buy new clothes at SEARS.
It’s crazy how expensive big name thrift stores have gotten. It gets my feathers ruffled a bit sometimes. I prefer little locally owned and ran second hand stores.
Goodwill here prices Walmart brand children’s clothing at almost what one might buy it for new during a Walmart sale. In my mind it is better to just buy new !
Holy Moly, your thrift stores are huge. Just bought a set of air tight storage containers for the kitchen at my Goodwill. I usually search sheets,and curtains for the cloth..to sew with. I made a nice dress from a pair of Laura Ashley curtains.The fabric is lovely.
Tbh the bag thing is annoying because they put weird stuff together or something great with trashy items and you are forced to buy it all. It takes time looking through all the bags too... but it does look nice!
I bought a book for a quarter once called "I Was Pagan" by V.C. Kitchen. Turns out Kitchen was a founding member AA. I sold the book awhile later for $75 (US).
A lot of Goodwill stores keep most of their good stuff back and sell it at auction on their website. You don't even get to see it in the store. Certainly no Legos.
A lot of thrift stores dispose of anything old. They either auction it, in lots or bins or toss it out. I used to buy paintings in wire cages turn of the century mixed with 70s and 80s lots of 50 go for $15 now I have started selling vintage clothes I get in bags from the dumpsters. When donations are high they will toss donations unopened. I get a lot of old school Levi's and hats and dresses
@@kathleenmichelet6585 They must be tossing a lot at my neighborhood Goodwill because the car lines for donations have been incredibly long on a daily basis. Everyone's been using the pandemic lockdowns to clean house. Goodwill can barely keep up with just the car unloads alone. I can't imagine they'd have enough shelf space to stock it all.
I’m a small time antiques dealer, and I’ve found some incredible things in thrift shops over the years. Hudson Bay blankets for $5, mid 19th century yixing teapots for $4, and a late 18th century faience stein for $6, griswold pans for $10, etc
I like to look for things most people have no idea the value, at Goodwill I recently found a 1970's hand held 5watt CB radio for $7.70 US with a value over $100, of course as a collector I'm not selling till I'm closer to my end, or beginning if you like.
I Saved up to buy a 180 dollar 6 ft. xmas tree at Canadian Tire but first I thought I would go to value village for a curtain rod and low and behold I found a newer 7 half foot Xmas tree for 40 bucks then caught a wicked sale on lights, it all cost 80 bucks so I had a great day!! :)
A guy in the states recently bought a 1959 Gibson Les Paul Special from Goodwill, it was on their online auctions and I am sure he paid what it's actually worth but just being able to say you bought a 50s Les Paul from Goodwill is priceless. He has a UA-cam channel and videos about it.
I once worked as a thrift store pricer, we absolutely did not look anything up. We had set times that new items were taken to the floor and the dealers would be checking out the stuff as we were placing them on the shelves. We literally priced things based on our own opinions of what the items were worth. Also there was a quota ... we had to stock X amount of total value so sometimes things were overpriced to meet the quota.
A lot of thrift shops are raising their prices,which defeats the whole point of them. I did once get an old,very sturdy suitcase from a Goodwill in Dallas for only $1.99! The newer type,which weren’t as sturdy,more lightweight were $20 and over.
I have worked/volunteered in many charity shops over the years and been a regular buyer from them since a child. Since the spread of the internet,bargains are harder to find as people can more easily learn about items. Having said that I still find things to resell with decent profit margins BUT alot less than in the '80's and '90's. A few years back I got a collection of books from the 1950's mostly science fiction and a second editon Guiness book of records for about £25,(from a charity bookshop) and the least valuable item was worth around £12, the best one sold for £100 or so. About ten minutes work to gather together and then six months to find buyers for all of them.- It can be done, but it takes alot of visits and alot of stores and a healthy dose of luck to make it.
@@CuriosityIncorporated hi if u happen to find a Lucy clay slicer at one of Those shops or else pasta machine or silicone mold cutters ect plz email at my name with 0522 at gmail
These shops are so clean and organized! The only Goodwill I ever went into was a jumble, stuff scattered all over the shelves, and everything that was not hanging on a rack was sorted by color. So if you wanted to look at lamps for example, you had to wander the whole mess, stepping over things all over the aisles. It was a huge turn off for thrifting.
Herein lies the issue with Canadian 'antiques' in general. What most Canadians consider as antiques are actually just Canadiana collectables and vintage items. It pales in comparison to the European market. The amount of _true_ antiques in Canada, especially Alberta, are few and far between.
Coming from a UK perspective, I've always assumed "Thrift Store = Charity shop" but that's not necessarily the case, is it? Charity shops take in donations and raise money for their specific good cause - there's the big chains like Oxfam but then there's the local Hospice shop next door. So when you see the charity wising up on the good deals, sending the good stuff to auction to maximise their profits, there's a sense of "Well, good on them making the most of the donations!" But a quick google shows that Value Village is a for-profit, commercial business. What is the motivation to give them donations? Just that it's better stuff gets re-used than ends up in landfill?
I work at a Savers(same as Value Village) and they are a for-profit but each location works with a non-profit in the area. We weigh up the donations we get in and pay the non-profit so the donations do go back into the community.
They started out as being for charity (Diabetes Foundation) but turned for profit about a decade ago I think. By then we all knew where the donation bins were conveniently located. For most of us the motivation is to get rid of things that are still perfectly useable but we're tired of them and don't want to feel guilty about chucking it. Because not over consuming is un-North American.
As it shows at the beginning, the donator gets a 20% discount for the donation. VV is taxed because it is for profit. It males me mad to pay tax on something that was already taxed. I often go to Renaissance in Quebec, which is a non-profit. There is no tax on purchases.
Between the thrift store employees picking out the good stuff and resellers going over the inventory, it is hard to find good deals at the thrift stores any more. Often the prices are near full retail prices. That said, I enjoyed your outing to the thrift stores, great change of pace.
I agree with you, Alex. Around my neck of the woods (southern California), all the "good stuff" is taken by antique dealers, etc so there's basically nothing of real value. I watch The Crazy Lamp Lady and she finds some "good stuff" at thrift stores, but it seems like the antique malls are a good source for her.
We try to hit every VV when we come to Edmonton, Sherwood Park, St.Albert and Spruce Grove. It is crazy how the prices vary from place to place. I found a Sherrman necklace and earrings when we were in the city last month for $300, which i didn't buy. As far as the picking out of bags, I will buy the bag, pick out what I want and donate the rest to get a 20% coupon!
Stamps.....those are a lot of money when you have to buy them from the craftstore or Amazon....omg I would go crazy in that section. I do a lot of crafts. I loved that catface bowl too.
I miss thrifting ( or Charity shopping) as we call it in the UK. Our local ones have been shut all year so I've taken to eBay and Vinted now for clothes/toys. Doesn't have the same thrill of finding a bargain though!
Alex! Thanks for the Thrift Store show! I have gotten or at least seen some wonderful things. I know they are Vintage because I played with them, and I’m vintage👵🏻. Sometimes a store makes the mistake of “fair pricing” causes them to have things taking up space. Better to move merchandise quickly so more can be put out and go. It feels almost greedy when the items are given. I understand that overhead of store and employees must be paid and money put aside for future.
$1000 for a toy car? Maybe I should go through our collection of Hot Wheels! I find it hit or miss on the thrift stores. I'm not looking to buy and then resell, I'm usually looking for bargains. The stores themselves seem to be raising their prices. You can usually find things on clearance for the same or lower prices. Thanks for sharing! I really love watching your family and your videos! Take care!
I once found a relic watch for $5 at the Salvation army store. Relic is a cheaper offshoot of the Fossil watch company by cheaper I mean prices for Relic ran between $75 - $150 as opposed to $275- $800 for a Fossil. I still have it.
I do like finding things in thrift stores but it is rare to find the valuable gem. It's interesting how they separate things at this store you were at.
"ValuVillage" is a secondhand store for people with money, who think the are getting a good deal. Salvation Army stores are better, but the best are church or shelter stores. Poor people laugh at the prices in ValuVillage, here on the coast. (BC = bring cash)
same as auctions. my parents have picked up furniture, appliuances and all kinds of stuff on the cheap at a local auction barn. my parents picked up an old kirby vaccuum cleaner and all of its attachments for 10$. they were selling between 100-300$ at the time resale.
Where I am in Ontario, value village has far more product coming in and coming in regularly and lower prices for clothing (on average) than competition. Salvation Army is overpriced here
Very nice and interesting video Alex. I thought it would not be that interesting - AND IT WAS! Thanks for taking us along - you put such hard work into your videos - and it shows!!! Love your Vlog...
I used to go to Goodwill and other thrift shops. I buy stuff so cheap and sell on Ebay and make a big profit. Then the last few years or so, these thrift stores caught on and started sellig on their own auction website. I then discovered a way around this..... well it worked for a while. I started going to local estate auctions. I bought a box one time that had 9 old framed pictures. Nobody wanted the box and the auctioneer asked if I buy it for $1. I said why not. I did not go through that box till about a month later and when I did I found something unique on the bottom of the box. It was an original framed Walt Disney 3 sheet ceeluloid painting from the movie Lady and The Tramp. I put that on Ebay and bids went so high I couldnt believe it. I sold it for $3,000 to someone that was once an artist for Walt Disney!
Alex, The problem today is that with a cell phone you can quickly identify the better stuff and cull it out. Thrift stores are bargain stores for the home buyer but resale treasures are few. Taco Stacks finds sport team shirts etc. and sometimes golf clubs for a few dollars that sell for fifty to a hundred dollars... not much for a professionals like yourself. You've found the best way to discover real treasures,though I wonder if home content auctions are productive. The days of finding junk stores with home clean-outs are long gone....blast you internet😒😒Cheers, Rik Spector
No long gone where I live. Our small town has two privately owned stores that sell everything from household to shop tools to antiques. Their prices lower than the Salvation Arm Store so they have zeroed in on mostly clothing and do such a good job of display that it’s like shopping in a regular retailer!!!
@@viviannefraser5974 It's good that some towns like yours have that alternative to those nationwide stores. They obviously have the support of your community. I wish them success! Cheers, Rik Spector
I love how the entire family is involved. Everyone smiles and looks so warm (no pun intended)... The thrif stores, pawn shops and antique dealers here in California, U.S.A are ALL rude as hell! They treat you like a dirty commoner offering fake gold trinkets for a bag of silver pieces or something like that out of a midevil movie scene.
At 5:08 you can see by the lamp you picked up a white hanging lamp on a chain. I have a few of these. They are indoor outdoor lights that I think were for patios. They light up this eerie purplish pink colour. Anyways they sell for about $50~ or so and I have sold about 5 and they usually sell really quickly. In my area at least. I'm pretty sure they are from the 70s.
I always check the collectables and dish-ware isles first. I once found a Lampe Berger there for $8 and when I checked later found that it was a limited edition that sold originally for around $250 😁👍
In the UK thrift stores are more commonly called charity shops and they raise funds for a particular charity. Though we also have second hand shops that are commercial ventures.
My trip to Scotland got cancelled. A bit of our trip revolved around charity shops. I like the idea of raising money for a specific cause. Can't wait to travel again.
We furnished three houses from thrift, junk sales,private sales ect. Nice stuff. Very unique decor, lots of compliments. Prices have gone way up most places. Good ol days are over.
I used to buy a lot at Village and thrift stores. I seldom go now because they are too pricey. I just wait a bit longer and save to buy new. Garage sales can be a good source . I enjoyed this it was an interesting take on what you look for. Keep Safe ❤ Keep Well❤
The Goodwill in my town is crazy with their pricing. Sometimes you might come across an item that is priced really cheap and it should probably be a little bit higher ( the new employee that priced the item because they didn't know what it was!) I love when that happens!
I love Value Village! There aren't any around here anymore. They are so much better than Goodwill! Goodwill gets stuff free and then tries to sell it full retail. St Vincent DePaul has good prices too! What is your favorite thrift store?
I knew someone who wanted to buy a horsehair couch at goodwill for several hundred to donate to the local museum. She was told by an employee that even though the couch was on the floor it was on ebay auction for another day and she should get online and bid on it... she came back in a couple days and was able to buy it. But still, pretty sketchy that it was both for sale in the store and on ebay, and that an item in goodwill was posted on ebay. Very strange
Goodwill runs it’s own auction site for local chapters to sell on, and some local chapters put items on eBay. Usually, these items aren’t on the floor, but since it was large they may have had no choice. Thrift stores have never been about selling things cheap, they’re about selling used/donated things to raise money for a charity’s main purpose.
The days of actually getting a bargain at a thrift store are over. I can remember getting jigsaw puzzles for my son for 25¢ back in the mid 70s. Lets not forget that items are donated and many people donate their time working as well. My father volunteered at st Vincent de paul and the prices they charged for their items we crazy.
Warm in Maryland today neighbors were cutting grass and we washed vehicles. Those stores are cool the goodwill by us isn't that clean nor organized at all
Our local thrift stores offer antiques and collectibles to area antique dealers before anything is put on the store shelves. So finding anything worth buying at the thrift store is pretty rare.
OMG! What a shop.... oooh those crafting stamps! I have never seen such an organised thrift shop. Thanks for the fun video Alex. I was right there with you enjoying it all 💫 oh, and the buttons. I’m a junk journal maker so that is what I would have bought too. Maybe one day I will come and visit your shop if I ever get to beautiful Canada 🇿🇦🇨🇦 I hope you and your family are well
You, Value Village, and Goodwill provide a great service in proving a path for useable things to stay in use and out of landfills. And less stuff is needed to be made new out of resources. It's a win win when everyone finds what they need for a decent price. My experience with shopping at Goodwill is to go once a week and only buy something you actually need and want. Look for quality items. Lots of shoppers who resell things know what time things are put out, and they come early before everyone else. You have to go there a lot, to find the right time to visit there for the best stuff. Then just visit at those times. Or you can ask the staff about when the most things are put out.
Snow oh no, no snow here in Ontario yet TG! I agree with other commenters that these second hand stores are overpricing the donated goods they put out :(. But us resellers have to be more choosy but there are still the odd bargains to find to make $ off of. The guy who runs our local Sally Ann store told my husband he could make an offer on the higher priced items. So last week i seen what i thought was a nice set of 50's style Franklin Mint diecast dinky cars with the shelf the store wanted $150 I offered the guy $100 he said $120 I told him no $100 is all i could do, he took the $100. Sadly there were 5 cars from the set of 20 that were no good but I still sold the shelf with 10 cars for $215 . So I still have 5 cars to sell for around $80 hopefully. At Value Village I found a 1976 Titanic game complete it's going for $80-$117 on Ebay I paid $5.50 for it on a Tuesday. So just keep searching :)
Good values are still to be found if your willing to put in the time. My latest score is a vintage mid 70s Hilton K-120 speaker (Square Dance Speaker) in excellent condition. Purchased for $14.00 CAD. The very desirable JVC K-120 speaker alone is valued at over $ 200.00. I was just lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. Keep on searching.
I’m so excited and happy for your channel! You helped me look closer to things that I get at thrift stores! I’m an avid lover of vintage aesthetics (dress, glamour, and of course the everyday living items!) I cant wait to shop at my consignment shops and goodwill! Thank you!
Hi! My first time watching your channel and I felt like I learned a lot from you. I appreciate knowing the thoughts that go through your mind when you look at things that you're considering buying. Especially when you don't buy them. Keep the good shows coming!
I only shop at Value Village on Tuesday, with my dad, so I always get 30% off. Last year I found a 540$ pair of leather boots for 5,99$ in the Halloween costume shoes, with the 30% off that is 4,20$. That was my greatest deal. The were very dirty and dusty, but a bit of cleaning and shoe cream, and they are perfect!
Here's the thing, ALL their inventory is in the form of donations under the guise of "helping the less fortunate", but they don't donate anything and they charge full price. Make no mistake, Value Village is a for profit organization with super low overhead because they prey on people's generosity.
nice finds at lady's house. I saw similar framed photo today but the one they had in GW was a bad reprint from an original 1934 Golf team Augusta National. I didn't buy it because the reprint was very bad. Thanks for the video
@@nefariumxxx we have a thrift store in our small town hooked to hospice, they are outrageous, I can go to Wal-Mart get it for the same price🤬 it’s all free to them, I just don’t get it?
@@cheryljohnson4292 greed and corruption even in the charity business. Goodwill also got reported for using a loophole to pay mentally challenged workers less than minimum wage. Pretty scummy corporate behaviors there.
So funny to see Canada... my friend on the West cost has no snow and lovely autumn still. I miss snow, I am stuck in the south Sweden, used to north and was used to snow.
I've seen far too many back door deals at almost all thrift stores dating back more than twenty yrs. Far too many greedy people and if you don't believe me check into what happened to Goodwill in Ontario. How about all those truck loads of Salvation Army X-Mass toys that went missing??? Executives are not making enough money??? Rather too many grinches.
Purging is good! If Alex can't see or remember what he has in stock, then neither can his customers! Great job transitioning everything to their new homes! 👍
I buy to resell from thrift stores so really enjoyed seeing you in a thrift store. There are still bargains to be found but a lot of the pricing had gotten crazy. Hi from Oshawa Ontario.🇨🇦
That white hanging light to the right of the lamp you looked at @ 5:20 - last one I had in my shop sold pretty quickly for 60.00. Also had one a few months ago that sold within 2 days for 50.00- so I always look for those now.
Love your channel, thanks for such amazing content! Quite a few of us resellers make a full time living flipping items from thrift stores and yardsales ( and sharing our adventures on UA-cam!) 😁 but its work for sure
Goodwill prices here in the US have gone up too. My daughter is reseller and she always picks up old ball gloves at yard sales because they sell well on eBay. Sure is looking wintry there already!
Not an antique retailer but a collector. I find in most of the legit antique shops in my area if you have an actual interest in the items they are more likely to give major discounts or in some cases free items. I got around 10 antiques for around 5 cents at this one place just because I was so obviously helplessly in love with all the beautiful vintage and antique items.
Yep. I have been cleaning out closets, etc. I started selling lots on FB Market place, eBay, Nextdoor, just to get rid of it. I've turned some clothing items in to hot pads, cookie sheet hot pads and floormats.
Forget the thrift stores like Value Village. Source out your local church thrift shops. Better prices and helpful friendly staff that volunteer their time.
Agreed. Smaller charity shops are where the vintage gold is at!
Yes. I agree 100 percent!
Yes indeed
was gonna say the same!
Very interesting to read viewer comments. Alex, you gave really good tips while shopping today. Salvation pulled their store from my town. I knew a lady who attended their church and volunteered sorting donations. She was not embarresed to say that volunteers got to pick the best by volunteering. Also, there was a manager who hired only family and friends. She routinely kept things back for other friends, family, and favored family. Goodwill was always higher, but raised their prices once Salvation Army store was closed. But there were some really good managers at both stores at times, which made a big difference. Your videos are always fun and informative. Thank you!
So true about the thrift store comment about "actual people".
Years ago I had to volunteer at a local thrift store to help pay for a trip (a church member paid for portion of our trip if we volunteered). Anywho, we were each paired with a sorter in the back of the building. The lady I had would sit in the middle of a massive pile and she sorted things into 4 piles 1. Things to keep for herself 2. Things to put out on the floor/sell 3. Junk 4. Rags for to bale (they bale rags to sell to other countries). We volunteered for two days and we all were able to go home with our "keep pile". I had brand new toys and brand new clothes. And yes, some thrift stores do have brand new clothing items. I remember taking home these dresses that were $100, and the kicker was that they were actually trying to sell them for $100! Apparently, clothing stores give them out of season and unsold clearance items. The store employees usually have first say, and some things never make it to the floor.
That place is expensive even considering those prices are in Canadian dollars. I recently saw a couch at my local Goodwill that was priced at $500. I asked one of the employees why it was so expensive & she said because it was brand new. I don't think they are going to sell it considering it is only $399 at one of our local furniture outlets. You can still find some amazing deals but like you said it can be a lot of work. It just makes the treasures you do find that much more special 😌 💘
I watch local online auctions. Ordinary sofas in mint condition frequently go for under $100.
I had something similar happen in my local Goodwill. I explained to them why it wasn't new, they had turned the cushions over and sprayed it with a deodorizer, which did not work at all for the kitty odor.
Here's the thing, ALL their inventory is in the form of donations under the guise of "helping the less fortunate", but they don't donate anything and they charge full price. Make no mistake, Value Village is a for profit organization with super low overhead because they prey on people's generosity.
I read that the Salvation Army Thrift Store is the only thrift store that the CEO doesn't take a salary ( just google what the CEO of Goodwill gets paid ) and I think 80 or 90% percent of profits go to charity. I noticed that prices have really gone up at Value Village.
@@rajjie100 Good to know. Goodwill doesn't help anyone as far as I have noticed. It still helps resellers make a living in certain areas of the USA but I went to the goodwill in San Mateo, California this past week and it was DEVOID of anything worth more than $1. Of course the prices were higher than in any GW I have ever been in. Those GW CEOs are greedy!!!!!!! When they see resellers making a living, they nip that in the bud, stat!
Value Village is becoming more and more expensive. I think they’re now realizing that flippers are buying there and reselling higher on eBay etc. VV thinks it can get a bigger slice of the pie, but unfortunately it’s both chasing away the flippers and the people who need to shop there.
In Canada is more expensive
All the Thrift stores in FL are now high priced. They are on to the reselling game.
Is only going to get harder because of all the people who have lost their jobs. Tons of competition.
They are following Goodwill's greedy business model.
They are dooming themselves.
I’m glad you posted this, discouraging people to shop at thrift stores! I’ll keep all the thrift finds to myself! Lol
lately in goodwill is nothing but pure crap
Not me! Ross all day. Brand new items for 80% off market price 😎
@@SECONDHANDUSA They send all their good stuff to their online sales now. It's nearly impossible to get what you want.
@@SECONDHANDUSA Skip Goodwill, like stated ; they mark anything of value and sell it off market. Places like Ross will stocked with brand new Merch that was just too overstocked in stores. So you can get $200 air jordans for 50$ sometimes
Right
Bless you! Right on time to help me calm down a bit.
I too am having a hard time calming down these days.
The snow is beautiful. I am leaving Florida in February and heading to the Pacific Northwest to the mountains to live in my van. Can’t wait to get back to the mountains again. I am 66 and starting my new journey in life.
I wish you good luck!
That’s great. Best of luck 💛
Good for you
Groovy, rock on!
Brrrrrrr!!!!!!!🤣⛟I'm the same age, just left the snow!
Dont get me wrong, I love your longer vids, but I'm really enjoying the shorter ones you've been posting lately. Its often easier for me to watch them while I take a quick break. Thank you for all the explaining you do! Idk how you keep track of all the info you have but these little nuggets of wisdom is really helpful!
You know what I like best about you Alex? You are a fair and honest man, who’s not interested in “ripping anyone off” when you purchase directly from them 😊 Happy Holidays from Vancouver Island 🎄😊
I just picked up a Coach purse (for myself) for $4.99 at Goodwill. I started frequenting thrift stores when I first became unemployed in 2012. I kept going even after I found another job and didn't "need" to any more. Now I just can't bear to pay full retail price, especially for clothing.
These days my husband and I have a good income but we still shop this way like I did when I was living off $11/hour! Sustainable too
Shopping second hand is so much better for the environment too! A lot of older items are well made and will actually last longer than something new.
Absolutely nothing wrong with thrift store shopping for even the wealthiest among us. As many have mentioned it reduces waste, but many thrift stores also provide jobs to the special needs community and folks getting back on their feet, the non-profit stores directly support the community from their revenue too, so shop away!
Same with me. I have shopped at thrift store since college when I needed sweaters for winter. Now my husband and I work full time but I for to save money and for the thrill of the hunt.
I almost exclusively buy my clothing second hand.
I used to work at a VV. We put out good things all the time- they just sold very, very fast. Usually in under an hour, maybe a day.
VV owned by the billionaire Walmart family always pushes me away. They make money on charity lol
@@matthewthiesen6098 Walmart doesn't own VV. Savers does. It's a false rumor saying it's owed by Walmart. However it is still a multibillion dollar corporation.
goodwill seams to be more expensive than it was a few years back
Yes, 12 years ago I could buy men's button down short sleeve cotton blend shirts for $3. Now the same shirts are $12. Crazy. Sadly goodwill isn't goodwill anymore.
Mom and Pop thrift stores are the place to shop I think. I have found their prices more reasonable.
yeah, it's because their executives get paid millions.
You seem like such a nice guy.
Joe Green
Yes, I noticed the prices were higher.
Agreed! I’m not a reseller...but like to go what I call Junkin’. The prices at thrift stores (Goodwill and Salvation Army my go tos) nowadays don’t appeal to me any longer unless maybe I can’t find what i really need/want somewhere else. Very rarely is going to them worth it anymore if they want almost full value and all the stuff has been reviewed ahead of stocking on shelves by “Pricers” looking these things up for value. I get why they do it but it’s not an advantage to me most of the time. I’d rather spend my time going to garage sale, rummage sales or even some of the Mission outlets that can’t afford to hire “Pricers”. They are good places to get rid of things at best.
It's cool that you educate people on what to look for, but the fact that it's all in your head speaks to your years of learning & hard work.
My family is large, and most of us are lucky to have everything we could want. So a few years ago, we started doing a gift exchange, that was either a White Elephant, or maybe an unusual antique that is silly and cheap. We have a game we play with the gifts, and you never know what you are going to go home with. It's fun, and creative, and it gives me an excuse to check out the thrift stores a bit all year round looking for the perfect thing. I end up getting quite a few things that are very good, for myself, just by being there at the right moment.
You can start out, or start over, and outfit an entire household for very cheap at Goodwill. And then just trade up pieces as you find better ones.
It's fun going to one in a nicer neighborhood, and finding really cool decorating trends that are just old enough to get donated as people remodel their homes. I love finding the things I couldn't afford at the mall, at the time it was trendy. But then, things don't get seen again until the Estate sales drop them off.
It's been fun to learn what things stay in style and become classics, and looking for those.
Another thing I do, is pack up all my decor, and go buy everything at Goodwill in one color or material. When the kids were small, I put everything breakable away, and replaced it with brass decor. Another time, I got everything in white. Lately, I have only put out natural materials, zero plastic. Although I do like old melamine things. I have four boxes of decor that is seasonal. One for each season. And everything rotates, so you don't get tired of dusting it.
It's a great way to try a certain look without breaking the bank, and if it doesn't work out, it just goes back to Goodwill for someone else.
Dang.. those thrift stores are expensive! 🤨
WRONG. The dollar is ‘worth’ less!
Value Village is an effin' RIP-OFF! I recall seeing old t-shirts sold for almost $10. Back when SEARS was going out of business, it was literally cheaper to buy new clothes at SEARS.
I found an Hermes scarf at value village for $7.99 sold for $1500
That’s a great buy!
Sick
Value Village prices are way too expensive now. I stopped shopping there.
Same in Australia, prices way out.
It’s crazy how expensive big name thrift stores have gotten. It gets my feathers ruffled a bit sometimes. I prefer little locally owned and ran second hand stores.
They are all catching on.
Same in charity shops in UK
@@steveswan5714 That is true. Someone mentioned Salvation Army, their not bad here either.
Goodwill here prices Walmart brand children’s clothing at almost what one might buy it for new during a Walmart sale. In my mind it is better to just buy new !
Holy Moly, your thrift stores are huge. Just bought a set of air tight storage containers for the kitchen at my Goodwill. I usually search sheets,and curtains for the cloth..to sew with. I made a nice dress from a pair of Laura Ashley curtains.The fabric is lovely.
Gone with the Wind
I cant believe how meticulous this thrift store is with all these bags, never seen that.
My local Goodwill in S.C. isn't like that either
It's a Savers/Value Village thing. They're a lot more transparent about where their profits go, too!
Tbh the bag thing is annoying because they put weird stuff together or something great with trashy items and you are forced to buy it all. It takes time looking through all the bags too... but it does look nice!
I call them random bags of crap. Some treasures to be found but it takes too long to go through.
I bought a book for a quarter once called "I Was Pagan" by V.C. Kitchen. Turns out Kitchen was a founding member AA. I sold the book awhile later for $75 (US).
👍👍
Value Village had such a reputation for high prices they closed all their stores in my city - nobody would shop there.
A lot of Goodwill stores keep most of their good stuff back and sell it at auction on their website. You don't even get to see it in the store. Certainly no Legos.
A lot of thrift stores dispose of anything old. They either auction it, in lots or bins or toss it out. I used to buy paintings in wire cages turn of the century mixed with 70s and 80s lots of 50 go for $15 now I have started selling vintage clothes I get in bags from the dumpsters. When donations are high they will toss donations unopened. I get a lot of old school Levi's and hats and dresses
Goodwill is completely ridiculous. I routinely see items priced HIGHER than you find them new at a retail store.
@@kathleenmichelet6585 They must be tossing a lot at my neighborhood Goodwill because the car lines for donations have been incredibly long on a daily basis. Everyone's been using the pandemic lockdowns to clean house. Goodwill can barely keep up with just the car unloads alone. I can't imagine they'd have enough shelf space to stock it all.
@@m0L3ify so in the trash it goes so we can get it later!
This is more the case in USA they don't do auctions here in Canada I don't think 🤔
I’m a small time antiques dealer, and I’ve found some incredible things in thrift shops over the years. Hudson Bay blankets for $5, mid 19th century yixing teapots for $4, and a late 18th century faience stein for $6, griswold pans for $10, etc
I like to look for things most people have no idea the value, at Goodwill I recently found a 1970's hand held 5watt CB radio for $7.70 US with a value over $100, of course as a collector I'm not selling till I'm closer to my end, or beginning if you like.
Unfortunately, alot of the "antique" shops in my town are more like thrift stores.
I Saved up to buy a 180 dollar 6 ft. xmas tree at Canadian Tire but first I thought I would go to value village for a curtain rod and low and behold I found a newer 7 half foot Xmas tree for 40 bucks then caught a wicked sale on lights, it all cost 80 bucks so I had a great day!! :)
I got a 7 1/2’ Xmas tree from Walmart. Was 89.00 got it for under $10. The thrift store trees are unrealistic.
A guy in the states recently bought a 1959 Gibson Les Paul Special from Goodwill, it was on their online auctions and I am sure he paid what it's actually worth but just being able to say you bought a 50s Les Paul from Goodwill is priceless.
He has a UA-cam channel and videos about it.
Matthew Scott!
I once worked as a thrift store pricer, we absolutely did not look anything up. We had set times that new items were taken to the floor and the dealers would be checking out the stuff as we were placing them on the shelves. We literally priced things based on our own opinions of what the items were worth. Also there was a quota ... we had to stock X amount of total value so sometimes things were overpriced to meet the quota.
Alex, thank you so much for entertaining us yet again! You never disappoint!
A lot of thrift shops are raising their prices,which defeats the whole point of them. I did once get an old,very sturdy suitcase from a Goodwill in Dallas for only $1.99! The newer type,which weren’t as sturdy,more lightweight were $20 and over.
I have worked/volunteered in many charity shops over the years and been a regular buyer from them since a child. Since the spread of the internet,bargains are harder to find as people can more easily learn about items. Having said that I still find things to resell with decent profit margins BUT alot less than in the '80's and '90's. A few years back I got a collection of books from the 1950's mostly science fiction and a second editon Guiness book of records for about £25,(from a charity bookshop) and the least valuable item was worth around £12, the best one sold for £100 or so. About ten minutes work to gather together and then six months to find buyers for all of them.- It can be done, but it takes alot of visits and alot of stores and a healthy dose of luck to make it.
Woohoo! So much content this week! 🤗 Thank you 🙆♀️
You're so welcome!
@@CuriosityIncorporated hi if u happen to find a Lucy clay slicer at one of
Those shops or else pasta machine or silicone mold cutters ect plz email at my name with 0522 at gmail
These shops are so clean and organized! The only Goodwill I ever went into was a jumble, stuff scattered all over the shelves, and everything that was not hanging on a rack was sorted by color. So if you wanted to look at lamps for example, you had to wander the whole mess, stepping over things all over the aisles. It was a huge turn off for thrifting.
Herein lies the issue with Canadian 'antiques' in general. What most Canadians consider as antiques are actually just Canadiana collectables and vintage items. It pales in comparison to the European market. The amount of _true_ antiques in Canada, especially Alberta, are few and far between.
Coming from a UK perspective, I've always assumed "Thrift Store = Charity shop" but that's not necessarily the case, is it? Charity shops take in donations and raise money for their specific good cause - there's the big chains like Oxfam but then there's the local Hospice shop next door. So when you see the charity wising up on the good deals, sending the good stuff to auction to maximise their profits, there's a sense of "Well, good on them making the most of the donations!"
But a quick google shows that Value Village is a for-profit, commercial business. What is the motivation to give them donations? Just that it's better stuff gets re-used than ends up in landfill?
same for goodwill it is for-profit haha.
I work at a Savers(same as Value Village) and they are a for-profit but each location works with a non-profit in the area. We weigh up the donations we get in and pay the non-profit so the donations do go back into the community.
They started out as being for charity (Diabetes Foundation) but turned for profit about a decade ago I think. By then we all knew where the donation bins were conveniently located. For most of us the motivation is to get rid of things that are still perfectly useable but we're tired of them and don't want to feel guilty about chucking it. Because not over consuming is un-North American.
As it shows at the beginning, the donator gets a 20% discount for the donation. VV is taxed because it is for profit. It males me mad to pay tax on something that was already taxed. I often go to Renaissance in Quebec, which is a non-profit. There is no tax on purchases.
Thats the tidiest thrift shop I've ever seen lol.
I was about to say my thrift store looks just like that, but like an earthquake hit it after
Between the thrift store employees picking out the good stuff and resellers going over the inventory, it is hard to find good deals at the thrift stores any more. Often the prices are near full retail prices. That said, I enjoyed your outing to the thrift stores, great change of pace.
I agree with you, Alex. Around my neck of the woods (southern California), all the "good stuff" is taken by antique dealers, etc so there's basically nothing of real value. I watch The Crazy Lamp Lady and she finds some "good stuff" at thrift stores, but it seems like the antique malls are a good source for her.
Also their friend Eric, he seems to be a great source.
We try to hit every VV when we come to Edmonton, Sherwood Park, St.Albert and Spruce Grove. It is crazy how the prices vary from place to place. I found a Sherrman necklace and earrings when we were in the city last month for $300, which i didn't buy. As far as the picking out of bags, I will buy the bag, pick out what I want and donate the rest to get a 20% coupon!
Stamps.....those are a lot of money when you have to buy them from the craftstore or Amazon....omg I would go crazy in that section. I do a lot of crafts. I loved that catface bowl too.
I miss thrifting ( or Charity shopping) as we call it in the UK. Our local ones have been shut all year so I've taken to eBay and Vinted now for clothes/toys. Doesn't have the same thrill of finding a bargain though!
ALEX,
I was looking forward to the bedazzled fan expressions of the Goodwill ladies when you came in with the donation!!!
Next Time!
My husband loved his Lincoln Logs! Great for budding engineers!
I’ve found lots of Waterford crystal at goodwill. At the two in the small towns I frequent, they have no idea what that is. I score big.
Alex! Thanks for the Thrift Store show! I have gotten or at least seen some wonderful things. I know they are Vintage because I played with them, and I’m vintage👵🏻. Sometimes a store makes the mistake of “fair pricing” causes them to have things taking up space. Better to move merchandise quickly so more can be put out and go. It feels almost greedy when the items are given. I understand that overhead of store and employees must be paid and money put aside for future.
$1000 for a toy car? Maybe I should go through our collection of Hot Wheels! I find it hit or miss on the thrift stores. I'm not looking to buy and then resell, I'm usually looking for bargains. The stores themselves seem to be raising their prices. You can usually find things on clearance for the same or lower prices. Thanks for sharing! I really love watching your family and your videos! Take care!
When I don't use my coupon for anything, I walk by the front and give it to older people buying things they need. So just a tip.
I once found a relic watch for $5 at the Salvation army store. Relic is a cheaper offshoot of the Fossil watch company by cheaper I mean prices for Relic ran between $75 - $150 as opposed to $275- $800 for a Fossil. I still have it.
I do like finding things in thrift stores but it is rare to find the valuable gem. It's interesting how they separate things at this store you were at.
"ValuVillage" is a secondhand store for people with money, who think the are getting a good deal. Salvation Army stores are better, but the best are church or shelter stores. Poor people laugh at the prices in ValuVillage, here on the coast. (BC = bring cash)
same as auctions. my parents have picked up furniture, appliuances and all kinds of stuff on the cheap at a local auction barn. my parents picked up an old kirby vaccuum cleaner and all of its attachments for 10$. they were selling between 100-300$ at the time resale.
Depends what you are looking for. It’s easy to look up shop prices while your going round to compare.
Where I am in Ontario, value village has far more product coming in and coming in regularly and lower prices for clothing (on average) than competition. Salvation Army is overpriced here
Very nice and interesting video Alex. I thought it would not be that interesting - AND IT WAS! Thanks for taking us along - you put such hard work into your videos - and it shows!!! Love your Vlog...
I used to go to Goodwill and other thrift shops. I buy stuff so cheap and sell on Ebay and make a big profit. Then the last few years or so, these thrift stores caught on and started sellig on their own auction website.
I then discovered a way around this..... well it worked for a while. I started going to local estate auctions. I bought a box one time that had 9 old framed pictures. Nobody wanted the box and the auctioneer asked if I buy it for $1. I said why not. I did not go through that box till about a month later and when I did I found something unique on the bottom of the box.
It was an original framed Walt Disney 3 sheet ceeluloid painting from the movie Lady and The Tramp. I put that on Ebay and bids went so high I couldnt believe it. I sold it for $3,000 to someone that was once an artist for Walt Disney!
Alex,
The problem today is that with a cell phone you can quickly identify the better stuff and cull it out.
Thrift stores are bargain stores for the home buyer but resale treasures are few.
Taco Stacks finds sport team shirts etc. and sometimes golf clubs for a few dollars that sell for fifty to a hundred dollars... not much for a professionals like yourself.
You've found the best way to discover real treasures,though I wonder if home content auctions are
productive.
The days of finding junk stores with home clean-outs are long gone....blast you internet😒😒Cheers,
Rik Spector
No long gone where I live. Our small town has two privately owned stores that sell everything from household to shop tools to antiques. Their prices lower than the Salvation Arm Store so they have zeroed in on mostly clothing and do such a good job of display that it’s like shopping in a regular retailer!!!
@@viviannefraser5974 It's good that some towns like yours have that alternative to those nationwide stores.
They obviously have the support of your community.
I wish them success!
Cheers,
Rik Spector
I love how the entire family is involved. Everyone smiles and looks so warm (no pun intended)... The thrif stores, pawn shops and antique dealers here in California, U.S.A are ALL rude as hell! They treat you like a dirty commoner offering fake gold trinkets for a bag of silver pieces or something like that out of a midevil movie scene.
I recently pulled a wool Hermès coat valued at 7,000 from Goodwill for one dollar. It’s been authenticated and is probably my best find.
At 5:08 you can see by the lamp you picked up a white hanging lamp on a chain. I have a few of these. They are indoor outdoor lights that I think were for patios. They light up this eerie purplish pink colour. Anyways they sell for about $50~ or so and I have sold about 5 and they usually sell really quickly. In my area at least. I'm pretty sure they are from the 70s.
I was checking that out too, looked really cool.
I always check the collectables and dish-ware isles first. I once found a Lampe Berger there for $8 and when I checked later found that it was a limited edition that sold originally for around $250 😁👍
I love you Alex. You chill me out. X
In the UK thrift stores are more commonly called charity shops and they raise funds for a particular charity. Though we also have second hand shops that are commercial ventures.
My trip to Scotland got cancelled. A bit of our trip revolved around charity shops. I like the idea of raising money for a specific cause. Can't wait to travel again.
Surprised you breezed right past that Budwiser tagged leather jacket without looking! What was that?
We furnished three houses from thrift, junk sales,private sales ect. Nice stuff. Very unique decor, lots of compliments. Prices have gone way up most places.
Good ol days are over.
You should check out the Crazy Lamp Lady. She makes a pretty good living doing exactly this.
@Oswegoma yikes! What did she say/do? 😬 I watch her occasionally, but I’m not going to give watch time to someone like that.
@Oswegoma No, she is certainly not!!! Why the heck do you say that??
I have never heard her say anything racist... On what basis do you make your claim?
@Oswegoma I'm curious, too. What's up with that?
I was thinking about her great luck at goodwill while watching this guy try to find anything.
I used to buy a lot at Village and thrift stores. I seldom go now because they are too pricey. I just wait a bit longer and save to buy new. Garage sales can be a good source . I enjoyed this it was an interesting take on what you look for. Keep Safe ❤ Keep Well❤
The Goodwill in my town is crazy with their pricing. Sometimes you might come across an item that is priced really cheap and it should probably be a little bit higher ( the new employee that priced the item because they didn't know what it was!) I love when that happens!
I love Value Village! There aren't any around here anymore. They are so much better than Goodwill! Goodwill gets stuff free and then tries to sell it full retail. St Vincent DePaul has good prices too! What is your favorite thrift store?
I knew someone who wanted to buy a horsehair couch at goodwill for several hundred to donate to the local museum. She was told by an employee that even though the couch was on the floor it was on ebay auction for another day and she should get online and bid on it... she came back in a couple days and was able to buy it. But still, pretty sketchy that it was both for sale in the store and on ebay, and that an item in goodwill was posted on ebay. Very strange
Goodwill runs it’s own auction site for local chapters to sell on, and some local chapters put items on eBay. Usually, these items aren’t on the floor, but since it was large they may have had no choice.
Thrift stores have never been about selling things cheap, they’re about selling used/donated things to raise money for a charity’s main purpose.
The days of actually getting a bargain at a thrift store are over. I can remember getting jigsaw puzzles for my son for 25¢ back in the mid 70s. Lets not forget that items are donated and many people donate their time working as well. My father volunteered at st Vincent de paul and the prices they charged for their items we crazy.
Warm in Maryland today neighbors were cutting grass and we washed vehicles. Those stores are cool the goodwill by us isn't that clean nor organized at all
Our local thrift stores offer antiques and collectibles to area antique dealers before anything is put on the store shelves. So finding anything worth buying at the thrift store is pretty rare.
OMG! What a shop.... oooh those crafting stamps! I have never seen such an organised thrift shop. Thanks for the fun video Alex. I was right there with you enjoying it all 💫 oh, and the buttons. I’m a junk journal maker so that is what I would have bought too. Maybe one day I will come and visit your shop if I ever get to beautiful Canada 🇿🇦🇨🇦 I hope you and your family are well
You, Value Village, and Goodwill provide a great service in proving a path for useable things to stay in use and out of landfills. And less stuff is needed to be made new out of resources. It's a win win when everyone finds what they need for a decent price.
My experience with shopping at Goodwill is to go once a week and only buy something you actually need and want. Look for quality items. Lots of shoppers who resell things know what time things are put out, and they come early before everyone else. You have to go there a lot, to find the right time to visit there for the best stuff. Then just visit at those times. Or you can ask the staff about when the most things are put out.
Snow oh no, no snow here in Ontario yet TG! I agree with other commenters that these second hand stores are overpricing the donated goods they put out :(. But us resellers have to be more choosy but there are still the odd bargains to find to make $ off of. The guy who runs our local Sally Ann store told my husband he could make an offer on the higher priced items. So last week i seen what i thought was a nice set of 50's style Franklin Mint diecast dinky cars with the shelf the store wanted $150 I offered the guy $100 he said $120 I told him no $100 is all i could do, he took the $100. Sadly there were 5 cars from the set of 20 that were no good but I still sold the shelf with 10 cars for $215 . So I still have 5 cars to sell for around $80 hopefully. At Value Village I found a 1976 Titanic game complete it's going for $80-$117 on Ebay I paid $5.50 for it on a Tuesday. So just keep searching :)
Good values are still to be found if your willing to put in the time. My latest score is a vintage mid 70s Hilton K-120 speaker (Square Dance Speaker) in excellent condition. Purchased for $14.00 CAD. The very desirable JVC K-120 speaker alone is valued at over $ 200.00. I was just lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. Keep on searching.
Thrift stores are for people with more time than money--like me!
@@mozu517 Ha...me too.
Hi Alex! I saw you glancing at a bag of brass switch plates and they are worth a lot if they are older ones.
I’m so excited and happy for your channel! You helped me look closer to things that I get at thrift stores! I’m an avid lover of vintage aesthetics (dress, glamour, and of course the everyday living items!) I cant wait to shop at my consignment shops and goodwill! Thank you!
Hi! My first time watching your channel and I felt like I learned a lot from you. I appreciate knowing the thoughts that go through your mind when you look at things that you're considering buying. Especially when you don't buy them. Keep the good shows coming!
Managers of thrifty marts can be your best friends. Yep, I'm that guy....LOL
I only shop at Value Village on Tuesday, with my dad, so I always get 30% off. Last year I found a 540$ pair of leather boots for 5,99$ in the Halloween costume shoes, with the 30% off that is 4,20$. That was my greatest deal. The were very dirty and dusty, but a bit of cleaning and shoe cream, and they are perfect!
Love Thrift Stores. Especially when you come across that rare find AND it's at a good price!
That's a good idea for lamp parts. I have a few lamps for resale that I want to rewire before I sell them.
Here's the thing, ALL their inventory is in the form of donations under the guise of "helping the less fortunate", but they don't donate anything and they charge full price. Make no mistake, Value Village is a for profit organization with super low overhead because they prey on people's generosity.
nice finds at lady's house. I saw similar framed photo today but the one they had in GW was a bad reprint from an original 1934 Golf team Augusta National. I didn't buy it because the reprint was very bad. Thanks for the video
Can't believe how MASSIVE those thrift stores are!
and new!
You can find some great stuff, all though I actually prefer consignment stores now.
Salvation Army thrift stores are so expensive they should be ashamed of themselves!🤬
Many Goodwills are real high around here too since their regional managers get paid millions.
@@nefariumxxx we have a thrift store in our small town hooked to hospice, they are outrageous, I can go to Wal-Mart get it for the same price🤬 it’s all free to them, I just don’t get it?
@@cheryljohnson4292 greed and corruption even in the charity business. Goodwill also got reported for using a loophole to pay mentally challenged workers less than minimum wage. Pretty scummy corporate behaviors there.
@@nefariumxxx 👎🤬🤬
@@cheryljohnson4292 I think it's more about raising money for charity rather than being cheaper than a corporate conglomerate
So funny to see Canada... my friend on the West cost has no snow and lovely autumn still. I miss snow, I am stuck in the south Sweden, used to north and was used to snow.
Not so mutch in the north of Sweden right now either. Been a very hot period. I also miss the snow.
@@fragmina729 My friend in Piteå has snow but my mum few hours south has flooding.
@@hannayoung9657 Exactly. There is only snow furtherst north, everywhere else is bare ground.
@@fragmina729 We need more snow! I'm guessing Calmar Canada gets more snow then Kalmar Sweden.
This is the cleanest, most organized charity shop I've ever seen.
Brrrr.. looks cold there! We are having a resurgence of summer here in NJ.
As are we in Montreal.
Mississippi, too! It's 68 degrees right now at around 11 PM.
@@HannahMattox It's almost as warm here (64) just outside chicago at 5AM! Yay insomnia.. -_-
So basically you are waiting for a back room troll to make a mistake in order for it to be worthwhile to go into these places anymore.
I've seen far too many back door deals at almost all thrift stores dating back more than twenty yrs. Far too many greedy people and if you don't believe me check into what happened to Goodwill in Ontario. How about all those truck loads of Salvation Army X-Mass toys that went missing???
Executives are not making enough money??? Rather too many grinches.
Purging is good! If Alex can't see or remember what he has in stock, then neither can his customers! Great job transitioning everything to their new homes! 👍
I buy to resell from thrift stores so really enjoyed seeing you in a thrift store. There are still bargains to be found but a lot of the pricing had gotten crazy. Hi from Oshawa Ontario.🇨🇦
They get everything for free and ask those prices🤯. I understand there is so much.
That white hanging light to the right of the lamp you looked at @ 5:20 - last one I had in my shop sold pretty quickly for 60.00. Also had one a few months ago that sold within 2 days for 50.00- so I always look for those now.
Love your channel, thanks for such amazing content! Quite a few of us resellers make a full time living flipping items from thrift stores and yardsales ( and sharing our adventures on UA-cam!) 😁 but its work for sure
Goodwill prices here in the US have gone up too. My daughter is reseller and she always picks up old ball gloves at yard sales because they sell well on eBay. Sure is looking wintry there already!
Not an antique retailer but a collector. I find in most of the legit antique shops in my area if you have an actual interest in the items they are more likely to give major discounts or in some cases free items. I got around 10 antiques for around 5 cents at this one place just because I was so obviously helplessly in love with all the beautiful vintage and antique items.
some thrift stores aren't taking donations right now
Yep. I have been cleaning out closets, etc. I started selling lots on FB Market place, eBay, Nextdoor, just to get rid of it. I've turned some clothing items in to hot pads, cookie sheet hot pads and floormats.
@@coloringwithd I’m bad about tossing old clothes if I can reuse it to make something else. Not to hoarder standards yet lol