Thrift Shop Peeves

[Wardah]

I like thrift shops and the wonderful things I find but they aren't perfect so here are some of my personal peeves.

When they pack one thing you want in a bag with a bunch of useless stuff. (especially when it is a bunch of toddler pretend play crap)

Naked doll when you really want the outfit too. (poor naked Betty Berry from Cherry Merry Muffin)

An outfit you want on a lame doll. (like a really pretty Jasmine outfit on a stiff limb Barbie)

Missing feet/arms/whatever. (mostly just missing feet so far but I have heard stories of people finding Monster High and Novi Stars missing arms)

Incomplete sets. (how the heck am I ever going to find the rest of the set?)

Does anyone else have any thrift store peeves?

[kaoskat]

The bag thing is a pain in the rump. Also, kids (and adults for that matter) running amok and ripping open the bags (our store won't sell them if they are open) when there are signs up everywhere declaring not to open bags or leave children unsupervised.

[Eviecorn]

Mothball smell.

[banditpony]

When they pack one thing you want in a bag with a bunch of useless stuff. (especially when it is a bunch of toddler pretend play crap)

THIS!
Especially when they may have like, 3 ponies... and they put them all in separate bags... with really misc junky stuff. (Couldn't ya just put all the ponies in 1 bag?)

[BlondePonyTail]

I have been accused of busting bags open TWICE now at the same Thrift Store. I find loose ponies in the bottom of the bin, and when I approach a worker about a price, I am greeted with accusations.
Me: " May I get a price on this item?"
Them: " Did you take that out of a bag?"
Me: " No, it was loose at the bottom of the bin"
Then: " Well, ( dirty look) They are ALWAYS in a bag"
Me: " Well I didn't open the bag, but I would like to purchase this"
Them: Goes in the back and prices it, and then hands it back with a nasty look
Me: " Thanks! Have a GREAT day"

: Gripes all the way back to the car:

Secondly, I am not thrilled at all about the recent knowlege of GoodWill stores, hoarding away good merchandise to sell online.

I don't like to be accused of things.

[banditpony]

I have been accused of busting bags open TWICE now at the same Thrift Store. I find loose ponies in the bottom of the bin, and when I approach a worker about a price, I am greeted with accusations.
Me: " May I get a price on this item?"
Them: " Did you take that out of a bag?"
Me: " No, it was loose at the bottom of the bin"
Then: " Well, ( dirty look) They are ALWAYS in a bag"
Me: " Well I didn't open the bag, but I would like to purchase this"
Them: Goes in the back and prices it, and then hands it back with a nasty look
Me: " Thanks! Have a GREAT day"

: Gripes all the way back to the car:

That reminds me of when my husband found this camera lens and it had a sticker of $7 on it. He went to buy it, and the cashier through a fit at him-- saying there was no way it would be that cheap. And that he changed the sticker... and etc. She went back -- took a good 5 minutes-- and said it was worth, I dunno, like $30... and that she wouldn't sell it to him unless it was $30. :/ It was a pretty much "uh, no thanks". And it really wasn't even worth $10.

Yet, we went in other times, and we literally witnessed the same thing a few times with that cashier and other people. :/

[Sora]

When they pack one thing you want in a bag with a bunch of useless stuff. (especially when it is a bunch of toddler pretend play crap)

THIS.

I once put a basket of toys out for the charity I work with, pricing them at 59p each (our lowest price, determined by head office). So the 'toy person' as the other volunteers call her (who believes boxed vintage Lego sets from the 1970s are worth 99p) decides to remove them from the basket, and stuff random ones in bags for £0.99-£1.99 each. Ugh.

[melodys_angel]

Soo much negativity, I guess I can see it from both ends of the spectrum.  I don't like it when theres one thing I want in a bag too...but that's no one elses fault either.  Its a joy even finding something I want to begin with^^

Now, the thing I hate is that over the years they've gotton away with increasing the prices on things. $5 for a bag of 3 or 4 toys is rediculus!

[Wardah]

Oh yes the price increase too. As if it wasn't bad enough the ponies get packed with junk (even mickey dee's ponies or LPS would be fine), the bags are $3 at Savers. I've had to pass on many G3 ponies because $3 isn't worth it. At least at Salvies they still do loose toys and I been lucky enough to get just what I want.

[StoryDreamer]

Rows of naked Barbies - I want to find dolls with clothes, LOL!
Stolen CDs/DVDS. My local Goodwill is pretty cool with prices for media, but I'm always opening a case on the "50% off media" days to see missing CDs and DVDS. Not really a gripe with the store but the customers. The store staff is pretty cool. I just don't like how they won't tell me if there's any ponies in the back but no big.

[Twilight Pink]

I haven't been to a thrift store in forever :/ but I do know my Goodwill sucks...

[MikeysGrrrl]

We never find ponies in any thrift stores where we live, what we do see however is the jacked up prices (which is ridiculous because the items were donated) and secondly the workers who hoard items away for themselves or to sell on ebay or whatever to make a profit, I remember when they didn't do that and it was so exciting to go in one of those stores and discover a designer purse or jeans, not anymore.... it's really sad...

I also dislike the fact that they always bundle 1 good thing in a bag of useless garbage....

[Mlphammy]

When they pack one thing you want in a bag with a bunch of useless stuff. (especially when it is a bunch of toddler pretend play crap)

^^ This. For some reason, a lot of the Value Villages stuff rubber ducks into the bags. Maybe some other toys, but there will always be a rubber duck or some bath toy in the mix. 

[Twilight Pink]

We never find ponies in any thrift stores where we live, what we do see however is the jacked up prices (which is ridiculous because the items were donated) and secondly the workers who hoard items away for themselves or to sell on ebay or whatever to make a profit, I remember when they didn't do that and it was so exciting to go in one of those stores and discover a designer purse or jeans, not anymore.... it's really sad...

I also dislike the fact that they always bundle 1 good thing in a bag of useless garbage....

Same here with my Goodwill. I hate it. Its poor and it smells like sweaty gym socks  on the majority of clothing racks they have "toys" (a.k.a. trash) I've never found a My Little Pony. But it also depends on the neighborhood whether one finds a good chance of requiring a REAL MLP.

[Breyer600]

When they pack one thing you want in a bag with a bunch of useless stuff. (especially when it is a bunch of toddler pretend play crap)

This is why I love our local Goodwills and hate the stores run by Am Vets.  Our Goodwills just dump all small toys (including ponies) into bins where you can fill your own bag or buy individual items for 49 cents each (or less depending on the cashier).  The Am Vets stores have at least started packaging ponies together but it's still almost always one real MLP and the rest fakies or McD's.  They're also packed in a way that you can't even tell the condition.  I finally decided to go ahead and buy a bag since it had a G1 princess in it only to take her out at home and discover most of her mane had been chopped off and part of her symbol broken (the bag was sealed so tight you couldn't move the ponies around and she was positioned in such a way that neither flaw could be seen).  I really didn't want to pay that much for what ended up being a bait.    

The Am Vets stores are also way overpriced on just about everything - I've found numerous things that I could actually go buy cheaper new.