Have you noticed the price of some of their items? It's not so easy for those in need to afford some of their offerings.

Who are 'those in need?'

Why feel bad about buying some thing at a shop like that? If you don`t buy it and use it for what every, some one else will. Once it is given to a thrift shop, it`s their duty to sell if for their income, not to find just the right person to have it.

Wow, limiting the amount you can buy? It hard to believe they would do that. Thank goodness the Goodwill I frequent does not do that. I have been getting fabric there for anything under a yard is .71 to $1.00. Over a yard is $1.00 to $2.00 for the whole piece. I got 5 yards of a tweed wool for $200 and 12% discount for senior day discount. It was not the only fabric I bought that day. I know they get a lot of trashy items they cannot sell and have to take it to the dump which costs them money to do. Our Goodwill is too cheap not to sell anything possible even if it stays on shelf for months.

I bought a new doggie door today at the local Ace Hdwe store. The high schooler checking me out commented on how expensive the door was...$114.00. I gave her a huge smile and said "worth every penney"! Interesting when a sales clerk voices their opinion but since it was obvious that she was young, I let it roll off. Why make a stink? She is at least working a job. Havent we all blurted out something that may have sounded rude??

Sandy

Can you imagine how it would be if someone like that worked at the grocery store? "So why are you buying ice cream when you are obviously overweight?" Or "You shouldn't eat those cookies..." (that I was buying for a kid's party.) Or, "You can't buy that much broccali - someone else might need it." Whatever. I wish we had a Salvation Army nearby as that is an organization that does much good. Have been to their stores in KS when visiting daughter. But our local family center thrift shop has adopted a new pricing policy that allows those in need to give whatever they can for items. Folks who have more tend to pay what they can to help make up the difference. The food shelf there does a lot of good, and this is a pretty good small town outfit.

I give to our City Habitat for Humanity. I use to give to ARC but one day when driving around the back to drop off good clothing, they were tossing bags into a 3/4 filled to the top huge truck. I didn' t want my clothing to be tossed in there. the bags and stuff were crushed like in a trash compactor. i know they go somewhere, but where? no one would want them after being so badly handled. I give what can be used. anything else goes into the trash.

A lot of times these charities are forced to throw stuff out, because it's simply not saleable. There are some people who just cannot throw things out. My grandparents lived through the Great Depression and my grandmother washes plastic silverware and Ziploc bags for reuse - she cannot bear to throw it out. My mother is the same way. She will bring over the most ridiculous things in hopes I can use or fix them. Small scraps of Christmas wrapping paper, half a tube of toothpaste, empty Hallmark envelopes with no matching card... stuff that's not worth the gas she used driving over. Imagine if there were 20 people like her who were donating items like this to charity every month, how much that charity would have to throw out.

There are wonderful things available at many thrift shops. I shop at GW occasionally, but it is more distant and their prices are higher than at other quality places. I have found great buys, some new with tags still on, at our hospital auxiliary and Hospice thrift shops, as well as at a church-related shop where I have seen migrant workers able to purchase full grocery bags of clothes for children and adults for $2 a bag.

I don't buy just clothes. I have a growing wardrobe of watches I have purchased for $2 to $4. Add a battery from Walmart and they work just great.

When I buy, I generally give an additional $5 or so because those charities do so much good in the community. That is where I donate clothing, as well.

I have had clerks at these places admire something I have found to buy, but have never encountered a comment I would consider inappropriate.

Oh, Chasing Hawk! I'm sitting here watching a football game and laughing out loud at your response. My husband looks up at me and thinks I'm laughing at football when he is yelling mad at them. That is the best response I've heard. Good for you.LOL