I've been banned from the Thrift Store!
- Thread starter katev
- Start date
The recently opened a Savers near me and I've made some nice finds there.
When I found Gracie at the Salvation Army, she was out on a hook among the cheap plastic bags with a $2 tag stapled to her!
At the same time, they had some really beat-up vintage Coach (and outrageous fakes!) locked up and labeled with high price tags. So yeah, it can work to our benefit!
Yeah, I can see why they wouldn't authenticate it. While they should authenticate all items before placing them on the racks, it's a charity all in the end. They're trying to make money to raise for charity so all-in-all they probably aren't going to want to go through the process of authenticating it - they probably think it's quite the hassle, haha.
I'm shocked that they would deny you a refund - no matter what, I've always been told that the customer is always right. If I was an employee at a retail store I would never give someone crap and argue with them about their return or prices or sale items etc. However, I guess you just got to look at it as a charity - it is what it is. They want your money, they don't want you taking it back from them.
I'm shocked that they would deny you a refund - no matter what, I've always been told that the customer is always right. If I was an employee at a retail store I would never give someone crap and argue with them about their return or prices or sale items etc. However, I guess you just got to look at it as a charity - it is what it is. They want your money, they don't want you taking it back from them.
I was actually just thinking about this topic today as I visited a new to me Goodwill that was full of ugly fake bags. Perhaps it is because of my location in Cali, but I have never had any luck finding any genuine Coach for a good price at any of the second hand stores that I have visited.
So sad that they treated you so badly......sad but interesting story.
Rehab On Girl!!!
So sad that they treated you so badly......sad but interesting story.
Rehab On Girl!!!
This post is 10 years old but new to me. 
Thanks for sharing it. Wow. I've seen several OBVIOUS fakes at my local goodwill, which does accept returns. In just the few months that I've been doing my "vintage Coach" thing, prices have about tripled or quadrupled there--including the fakes. When I started I found things for $10-$15, (only a few months ago), but anything Coach now (however common and/or ratty) is median priced $40- $70. And certain bags are behind the jewelry counter glass, and I don't know what those ones are marked. The pricing is hidden unless you ask. I bought an authentic Louis Vuitton travel pouch there and it was $110. Still a deal, but why so expensive for a thrift store?
Thanks for sharing it. Wow. I've seen several OBVIOUS fakes at my local goodwill, which does accept returns. In just the few months that I've been doing my "vintage Coach" thing, prices have about tripled or quadrupled there--including the fakes. When I started I found things for $10-$15, (only a few months ago), but anything Coach now (however common and/or ratty) is median priced $40- $70. And certain bags are behind the jewelry counter glass, and I don't know what those ones are marked. The pricing is hidden unless you ask. I bought an authentic Louis Vuitton travel pouch there and it was $110. Still a deal, but why so expensive for a thrift store?
Why so expensive for a thrift store? Because someone pricing the items is savvy enough to know it’s real value so they can maximize the donation to the organization.
I remember going to a thrift store, it had to be 20 years ago and the woman staffing was busy at work on a computer when I came up to the register. We struck up a conversation and she said she was busy looking up comp selling prices for some decorative plates someone donated.
It’s clear to me (and the volunteers who run the shops) that there are a lot of people looking to flip items.
I am reading @katev ‘s original post and all I can hear in my head now is the Soup Nazi saying “No candy! No candy for you!”
I remember going to a thrift store, it had to be 20 years ago and the woman staffing was busy at work on a computer when I came up to the register. We struck up a conversation and she said she was busy looking up comp selling prices for some decorative plates someone donated.
It’s clear to me (and the volunteers who run the shops) that there are a lot of people looking to flip items.
I am reading @katev ‘s original post and all I can hear in my head now is the Soup Nazi saying “No candy! No candy for you!”
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Why so expensive for a thrift store? Because someone pricing the items is savvy enough to know it’s real value so they can maximize the donation to the organization.
I remember going to a thrift store, it had to be 20 years ago and the woman staffing was busy at work on a computer when I came up to the register. We struck up a conversation and she said she was busy looking up comp selling prices for some decorative plates someone donated.
It’s clear to me (and the volunteers who run the shops) that there are a lot of people looking to flip items.
I am reading @katev ‘s original post and all I can hear in my head now is the Soup Nazi saying “No candy! No candy for you!”
I'd completely forgotten about being banned from that store!
It went out of business a year or two after this incident. Since then I have tried bringing fakes to the attention of staff at other thrift stores but it doesn't do any good. They just don't get it.
Wow, I can't believe there are so many fakes that they live in so many thrift stores. I hope I have a good time when I try to thrift in CA!
Ikr, they don't care about the fact that they are fakes. When I asked to see bags kept behind the counters in several thrift stores, and could see they were clearly fake, I made a comment to the effect, hmmm, these details don't seem right, to gauge the level of awareness. To which the male managers showing me the bags replied, well they're fakes and they are priced accordingly. At this point, I am not interested in wasting my breath where it is clearly not wanted. Not my monkey, not my zoo. It really pays to be an educated consumer. Or at least have your cell phone to see if the ladies are available on AT!
The only time my comments on a fake were appreciated was about 15 years ago at a small non-profit consignment, well established, run by female volunteers. An awful fake was priced at $60 or $80. It was made of pleather and had an NT serial number. As low key as I could, I said to the volunteer, I have concerns that you are selling a fake bag here. Within minutes, the manager, who was in the back, asked if I would speak to her. I pointed out the details and her real concern was that her consigner brought it in and ID'ed as a real Coach, as in, she did not want to tell her consigner she thought it was fake. I told her I had been buying Coach on line, educating myself and if she went and did a little research on the eBay Boards, she would find info, that there was a thriving counterfeit market, etc. I said there is a very good chance her consigner got it second hand and did not know it was fake. She continued to hem and haw. So I closed the deal with, I would hate to see some hard working woman, saving her money and wanting to splurge on a nice bag, wind up with this obvious fake. And for the reputation of your lovely shop to suffer. I could see I made my point.
When I came back, the next week, it was labeled as Coach style, for $15. Was it right they were still selling it? No. But at least it wasn't being sold as a Coach for $60/80.
Not be be Debbie Downer, but they are all over the internet, on GW, Etsy, Posh, eBay; and some of these sellers sell a lot of Coach! So it makes sense they will be in thrift shops, at yard sales and flea markets. When I go to flea markets, I know I can count on seeing them. Even by a few venders who sell a lot of Coach.
The counterfeit markets for luxury/designer goods is thriving, and was as far back at the late '90s (and I'm sure earlier). I'm blanking on the Federal Agency my sister's neighbor worked for back then. I want to say it was related to Customs. I know he was involved with a huge raid on fake Gucci or the like, being sold at a well known, enormous local flea market enterprise back in the day. He had a few stories in him on the extent of counterfeit designer goods.
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Yikes. Well, I know enough at this point to avoid the super obvious fakes but will definitely have my phone in hand for AT re the ones I think might be genuine. Of course, this is if there are even any to be found in those SoCal stores!!! Haha. I do plan to visit the Coach retail and outlet stores just to look around anyway though and see if anything different to the ones I've visited in England.