Thrift store "police"
 

I went to the local Hospice Thrift Store today. They were having a"bag sale". Six clothing items for 5 bucks. I found six really nice wool skirts for felting. When I went to pay, the clerk said, "oh these are nice!" I replied that I was excited to find them, and they would be perfect for some projects that I was working on. She said " oh, you're one of those people who buy clothes and cut them up....seems like such a shame when other people really need those clothes." I politely smiled and said, "My cash is just like theirs and anyway, I guess I just can't imagine a homeless man wearing a size 4 plaid skirt, but to each his own." I didn't realize the quilt shop police have a separate detachment at the thrift shop.

One of our thrift stores is a bit that way, too.

I feel the same intimidation when I go to Goodwill to buy jeans for making purses/totes. I usually buy several pairs when I can find the right ones, and in a variety of sizes, and always hope they don't ask about them. I had a jeans bag with me one time and the cashier commented on it, so I told her that was what these jeans were going to morph into, pointed out what I look for in buying them, and she was fascinated.

There are a lot of people that shop in those stores that don't need to, there money is good, too. Anyway, I thought the idea was to SELL the stuff, then they use the money for helping, too. So, as long as you are paying for the items it should be none of her business what you are doing with them.

Very well said.

Thrift stores fill a variety of needs.
a place to donate usable items, a discounted place to shop for those in need or just those that like a bargain. They also train people that might not be employable and bring in money to help others in need. It's not anyone's business why you or i shop there.

If she was that concerned about helping people who need clothing why isn't she giving it away??

I love shopping the local thrift stores and even Goodwill, looking for anything and everything I could put to use or use. Hubby is a garbage man and just broke my heart after telling me that there are Goodwill trucks full of clothing, furniture, you name it, out at the landfill at least once daily. They just dump all this usable stuff out there, huge trucks full of it! I wonder why they don't donate it to other organizations instead of tossing it away? It is still useful to someone, I would think.
When shopping there a few days ago, the cashier was astonished that I buy clothing and sheets "just to destroy them". I bit my tongue and simply said "Well, this way you won't have to pay to dump it at the landfill so, I reckon it's a win-win, huh?". Grrr, people like that just irk me and I'm sorry ya had to deal with that. Good job on the find though!

Good for you!

I've had my purchases limited at a thrift store. They had fabric pieces folded into bags from sheet sets. I was only allowed to buy one bag in order to "share with everyone who loves to quilt". While I have no problem sharing, it was difficult to choose which one! I was visiting from out of town, so in the end they probably did me a favour by not letting me cart those bags home.

When I tell the cashiers in the local Goodwill that I am buying the men's shirts to make quilts from, they get all excited and tell me to be sure to bring in the quilt to show them when I get it done!

However, once when I was making a braided rug from old wool coats, I was buying a nice wool coat at a garage sale and I told the woman what I was going to use it for. She was indignant and then refused to sell it to me. She said it was way too good a coat to be just cut up and put into a rug! I was so disappointed because it was a great coat to put in my rug, but it was an old lady's coat that no one else would have ever bought!

No way would I ever tell them what I planned to do with anything I buy. Our thrift stores around here has mainly junky stuff and no fabric and not much useful stuff.
We had, as a custmer, a tool & die shop that use to get clothes given to them by Salvation Army store and they would do their jobs wearing tuxedos, suits, etc. Some of the clothes are so outdated, noone would wear them.

Reminds me of the time I went into a thrift store to look for some small grapevine wreaths. I was chatting with the cashier and she asked what I was going to do with them. I told her I make tobacco wreaths. They are a small bit of loose tobacco placed in 4 different colored pieces of fabric. I use black, red, yellow and white to symbolize the four directions.
She asked if I was Native American, I replied yes I am. Then she asked if I dance around a fire-pit.

My answer to that................
Sure I do, I have one in the middle of my kitchen. I just whip it out, fire it up and dance around howling.
She had the most dumbfounded look on her face. And the Lady behind me, just laughed.

I laughed out loud at this one!:D But I particularly liked your comeback to the clerk, which is much like I myself would have answered - not being one to keep a retort to myself. She had some nerve.:rolleyes:

Jan in VA

Here's yer sign!!! (OMG, and these people actually vote, too!)

Jan in VA

If the purpose of having these stores is to sell items and make money, they shouldn't ask or care what the buyer does with it. My opinion anyway. I've been known to cut up blouses my mom has given me because I'm sure not going to wear them. I do like the fabric though! haha

I could just picture the workers in "party" clothes working on greasy machines. haha

love all your stories .... I have long quit telling workers what I do with the items I buy, usually after they've been there for months and are marked down far below original price. At least I'm buying these items before they're dumped.

I agree with all of you. I also think the prices keep going up and up for the clothing, especially the items that people would really wear. I know many people can't afford those prices when they need clothes. I usually donate my clothing to our local Community Service League or a thrift store affiliated with our school, because they give the clothes away by allowing people to pick out four or five outfits.

EXACTLY what I was thinking! Chasing Hawk, your response was priceless.

I never donate my used stuff to Goodwill just because of the fact that if it doesn't sale with in a certain time they just dump it. There is so many people in need right now that don't have jobs and are really struggling to make ends meet. Its a shame that Goodwill don't reach out to them in some way. You would think they could at least have a bag sale where you could fill a bag for $5.00. At least its something for these items and it helps those in need. I donate all my items to a place called helping hand there people just go and can take anything they want and it doesn't cost them anything. Also I know of a church that has a special area that they take things and have them for anyone that is in need. So when I shop Goodwill I never feel guilty about what I want the item for. Its better used anyway you want to use it then for it to be just dumped in the garbage.

Goodwill is out to make money for Goodwill, they don't donate money to anyone that I know of. That guy has become a rich man from donations to Goodwill. I now only donate things to the Humane Society because I know what they sell goes to a good cause.

I can get annoyed when a clerk (anywhere) asks and I answer truthfully what my plans are and they get all "Really?" about it. I pay for it, it's mine and what I do with it is my business. I often just say "I'm not sure yet. I just like it." But then I'm not really much for chit chat when I'm shopping and checking out. I guess because I'm hearing impaired and miss about 75% of what's being said on a good day.

b.zang: How bizarre that you were limited to what you could buy at a thrift store!I guess maybe they were expecting a huge number of quilters to come shopping and wanted to make sure everyone had a chance at the fabric. That's a first for me!

I have also heard, but not confirmed, that the person at the top of the Goodwill profit chain is a multi-millionaire. You think HE cares why you're buying stuff? And it's none of the clerks business what you do with it. Nosey questions bug me tremendously. Chasing Hawk, you are a stitch! :thumbup::thumbup:

Irarely shop at Goodwill because they charge so much for their donations. I usually shop at thrift shops that support the mentally handicapped or the homeless. I'm so glad we have that choice!

You don't even want to know what people go through who try to buy items for re-sale on Ebay, at thrift stores.

Let's all pledge, when a nosy clerk asks, What are you going to do with it? -- we'll say, I'm just going to take it home and pet it.

<snip>
b.zang: How bizarre that you were limited to what you could buy at a thrift store!I guess maybe they were expecting a huge number of quilters to come shopping and wanted to make sure everyone had a chance at the fabric. That's a first for me![/QUOTE]

More likely that one of the "employees" wanted it. I have stopped donating to anything except one non-profit place here that supports a church. If someone is really in need they are given the item, not charged for it. I donated some furniture to a mission store in a nearby town, & was told later by an employee I knew that it never made it out of the back room - the manager had it set aside for herself. I did complain about that to the b.o.d. but it did no good. I've been told that most thrift stores are like that - first pic (& the best items go to those who work there), usually at no cost.

hugs
Shirley in Indiana

It upsets me that they get all these items for free, then try to sell to sell at store prices.

I'm glad that your Goodwill and thrift shops have fabrics and stuff you can use! Ours has so little of use that I rarely go there. I do take quilt scraps to one shop and they save it for a particular lady who loves to quilt and comes in every day to see if there is anything she can use.

I hadn't heard this about Goodwill. What a waste...dumping in the garbage :( DUMBFOUNDED!
Why don't they just hold a special "sale" a specific day of the month (before it goes to the landfill), and have people pay something for it. I know there couldn't be a freebie day...that would cause a big mess.

Also..You are too funny Chasing Hawk. And Jan.."here's your sign"...good one!!

Sorry you had someone so RUDE! She should not be concerned about what you are doing with it. She should be glad you came there and purchased, in which to help the cause make money. And for all she knew you could have been making something for another charity or something. And with the cost of fabric and especially wool these days who can blame someone for buying clothes,... it saves alot in the long run and helps quilters and crafters out too!... Stand your ground!... It wasn't like it was hers to judge, she was just the lady behind the counter. Our local thrift stores are just happy to sell! (Or at least they don't voice their opinion.) She may need to take a course in manners and how to work with the public!...
Penny

They do have a Plan B for items that dont sell. Recycle, ship to third world countries,etc. i asked the guy at the drop off about what happens to items that the American shopper wont buy. I was happy wi his response. A lot of items dont make it to the floor due to the poor condition of the donation. Some of the unsellable crap our church rummage sale would recieve as donations just made my head spin.

In general, Why get into a conversation about your intentions to re-purpose your puchases? Just drives the point that YOU may not need to shop resale shops for your personal wardrobe need. Just make your purchase and move on.

S

The Goodwill mission statement.

http://www.goodwill.org/about-us/our-mission/

Nuff said

How do you know the condition of the dumped items??? I had to ask. Until you have to personally sort through donations, we really cant judge the condition from afar. There is a lot of crap donated to charities. Just sayin'
S

well they don't give them to the needy ..

She doesn't own the franchise and she doesn't make the decisions. She probably works for minimum wage and if she were to give away merchandise I'll bet she would lose her job.

ha, ha. i mailed two long (expensive) plaid summer dresses to a friend in England so she could cut them up and make quilts out of them. i couldn't cut into clothing at the time. I like what you said to the clerk. funny.

I volunteer at a homeless shelter and we have a giveaway room where people donate clothes and we give them away. If a cotton shirt is in there for over 3 weeks, I'll usually take it home, we get some seriously unusual shirts sometimes. People donate a lot of long sleeved dress shirts and they rarely get taken because the average homeless person is looking for flannels and sweat shirts at this time of year and in the summer they look for t-shirts and short sleeved shirts.

HM with her attitude she might 'not be employable' anywhere else with her attitude.

I prefer not to give to G.W. due a bad experience. I was told to unload at the back of bldg. I saw a mountain of clothing piled to rhe warehouse roof & wide as the eye could see, clothing that was not seasonal for the climate of our region. DUH!!!!, why not make a free to you area-it will get recycled by crafters.