Dilemma - Is this really so odd?

Once a person who knew I was going to sell a horse offered me more money than I thought the horse was worth. We dickered for awhile- it ended up that I raised my price a couple of hundred and they dropped their offer a couple of hundred. We both got what we wanted. I have thought of those people and that horse with a laugh for years.
Another time, when I first got into goats, a man sold me a kid at a substantial price who carried an incurable disease that was a misery to me, causing injury to me and could have infected all my little herd. I can not think of this man, who I am convinced knew this and took advantage of my lack of knowledge, without having to let go of the bad feelings all over again.
So I try to choose my dealings so that I can feel good about myself. If I believe that I would think myself as wrong, I would not do it. It is too much of a burden.
In your case, I don't think it would bother me as they have the duty and the power to charge appropriately. I agree to take a chance with their merchandize. But that is me- you have to meet your own standards, whatever they are.
I love that you consider this something for thought.

To me is an easy question to answer, I would mention the actual value if I knew it when I took it up to pay for it and ask them if it was marked correctly. If they still said yes I would purchase the item with no qualms but there are a lot of poor and older folks around where I live and I couldnt take advantage of them no matter what the reason they are selling the item (even if they seemingly have a lot of money).

I believe that you make your own karma.

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To be honest with you, if someone is buying it at the low price for their family, to use, and not resell for a profit I think thats just fine dandy and lucky for the person who gets the deal. The people that drive me crazy are the "dealers" that rip off the ole folks estates, cherry picking the good stuff for a song for resale. I got my squeezo at an estate sale, new in box for $5 (the sale was run by a professional estate liquidator, and hundred of folks had been through the house before me). I considered it my good fortune, and I appreciate it everytime I use it to can food for my family.
Two weeks ago, I was at our local flea market. A man was selling pocket knives, and my boys were going to scout camp (they each have a large engraved buck knife, and I wanted them to have a smaller but nice pocket knife). I rummaged through a tacklebox and found a small buck made in Germany and another high quality blade made in switzerland. In talking to the man, he sold the knives to me dirt cheap, because I was not buying them to resell, I ws buying a good blade for my children to use.
I hope all of that made sense.

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I'd rather have one Chewbacca than an entire clone army.

Heck, If I had a $250 item I couldnt/didnt use, Id be glad to give it to someone who could. Thats probably the whole intent from the person who donated it

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I'd rather have one Chewbacca than an entire clone army.

I have not read all the responses, but what I would do is tell the one running the thrift store what the item was actually worth and that you only have $20.00. Since it was a donated item, no matter what they get, they will be able to use, but since it's a charity I would try to give as close as I could to what you believe the item to be worth.

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We must be on another planet here, because of the four local thrift shops, three are not staffed with 'volunteers', except for the 'boss' and one or two others--- the REST of the staff are young people who are there doing court ordered public service through the charities. Not really 'volunteer', per se. I'm sure some of the young ladies would rather sort clothing and put price tags on items instead of picking garbage off the roadsides... We have a Goodwill, and if I'm not mistaken, they are paid employees.

But again, as I replied to your other thread on this subject, what someone pays or does not pay is no one else's business, espeically when it is from a retailer of any sort. If the retailer wanted to make more money, they would likely figure out some way to learn the value of items. The big draw of thrift stores and flea markets is often finding something of very high value for just a few bucks. And I can't speak for other areas, but here, thrift stores are usually inundated with merchandise and they simply have to sell through it before it backs up too much. At least that's what one of the women who runs the HAAM thrift store here told me.

You can keep your moral code, no one really cares. But it's not your business or anyone else's how people spend their money. If someone doesn't pay what you think they should, you're trying to impose your moral code on them in that example. I'd never dream of telling someone how to spend their money.

I am faced with this almost every time I go to the thrift stores. As mentioned before they take donated junk and mark it up to a price they are comfortable with to make a profit to satify their expectations.

Its not my problem they dont have a skilled appraiser pricing their junk. I keep my mouth shut, buy it, resell it and ambiguously tell my buyer of where I found it to protect my own supply line. Everybody wins.

Its also possible the thrift store appraiser is skilled and the deals are strategically placed loss leaders to help sell actual junk in their inventory.

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"I didn't have time to slay the dragon. It's on my To Do list!"

I'd pay the $2 and then mail them a check donation, or perhaps donate an item they could make money on.

Seedspreader makes a valid point. How far are we willing to go to correct a perceived moral imbalance? In this case you provided a limit that you were considering.

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- Dave

Christy, I think you have to go by your own moral code on something like this. Opportunities knock, and opportunists abound. Thrift stores have a high turn over and only keep items for a limited period of time and if the items don't get sold after that time they get tossed, they don't get donated to some other charity.

For me it would depend on who the seller was. If it was a for-profit business with paid staff (like Value Village for example) I wouldn't say a word because I know they don't care and if it doesn't sell it will be ragged and compressed or sent to the dump. If it was a non-profit charitable organization run by volunteers (i.e. Missions for Bibles, or Ladies Hospital Auxiliary, the SPCA etc.) I would question them about the price and offer them more money if I knew it was really valuable. If it was a yard sale or estate sale I would point out it was under-priced. People running yard sales often don't care, they just want to get rid of their junk. However, people having estate sales often are family executors who don't know the true value of the items and don't know anything about running estate sales and it is costing THEM money to have an estate sale. At estate sales run by family members I would try to give them fair value on under-priced items.

I'm sure that everyone here could give all kinds of examples of good deals they got on under-priced bargains.

I collect gemstones and rare minerals and have gotten some very good deals on emeralds and rubies that the sellers vehemently insisted were just glass or crystal. I would be a fool to argue with them under such circumstances. Take the gems for the price asked and make a run for it out the door.

I once had a lady GIVE me a brand new, never worn sable mink coat. She was having a yard sale and had the coat labelled as rabbit priced at $5. I told her it was mink worth several hundreds of dollars. She got red in the face and went off on a vitriolic rant about her husband she was divorcing who had given a better coat to his mistress and then said "here, take it for free, that will show the b-----d!" Needless to say I took the coat without arguing.

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I buy things for resale and I see this type of thing all of the time.

If it's something I need/want or know I can make money on I generally pay the low price and keep my lips sealed about the value. The only exception is when I go to yard sales and I can see that the folks are obviously struggling...like the yard sale is their JOB type of situation...which is happening more and more around here...in that case I will point it out if I see an item with too low a price. But thrift stores, church sales, etc. are fair all game...I pay the prices on the tags just like someone else would that did not know the value. I don't think I should pay more than someone else would just because I happened know what it's worth.

I once had a lady GIVE me a brand new, never worn sable mink coat. She was having a yard sale and had the coat labelled as rabbit priced at $5. I told her it was mink worth several hundreds of dollars. She got red in the face and went off on a vitriolic rant about her husband she was divorcing who had given a better coat to his mistress and then said "here, take it for free, that will show the b-----d!" Needless to say I took the coat without arguing.

That is funny, thanks for the laugh.

Willow, that IS an interesting story, isn't it? I think there's more than enough clues that the plates could be ANsel's and would have historical value. Perhaps a gifted present day developer could be found to make prints in ANsel's spirit.

Of course the ANsel estate would say there are worthless--that whole outfit has an empire to proserve, and if THEY found the plates you can BET the plates would be authentic.


THe finder only has to wait 50 more years to USE the Ansel name re copyright.

whatever(interesting story!!!)

Thrift stores(most) are in the business of providing donated resources for cheap for people that can't afford retail--that is part of the charity. Also providing jobs for disabled people(like Goodwill). It recycles stuff that would otherwise be thrown away, and sure good deals can be found. It is NOT in the business of appraising things rightly, and it would cut into costs too much to do so.

Poor widow selling stuff--usually they just want to get rid of the item, and don't have the resources or brainpower or emotional strength to work through appraising things right or the time to wait around waiting for things to sell--if they did it would be done already. If you feel charitable, buy the item, then resell it and then GO BACK and give the person some of the money. Don't just tell them "you COULD sell this for more"--that is often insurmountable to a person in that situation.

My hub gets great deals on Ebay. He just got a motorcycle frame with title for 180$ which usually sells for $1000--the listing was wonkily worded so it didn't get exposure in the search. There's a phrase "Rubbin's racin"--you're going to bang bars in a race so quit whining when you get roosted. Buying and selling is a gamble--and bartering is an art

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THE BEGINNING IS NEAR
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Being that the thift shop is for charity.. I would pay what I perceived the value to be. My reason for shopping in certain thifts is so that my money can benefit others while giving me a good deal as well..I probabaly wouln't even be there except for the charitable contributions... My conscience would bother me knowing what I knew...so that the excitement over finding the item would be ruined...

Similar... I bought two heaters at Home depot.. they charged me for one.. I had so much other stuff that it was not at first apparent to me.. When I got into the car and studied the receipt, I saw the mistake..to me this is the same.. I know something that the seller does not... I went inside and paid for the other...I would have not thought of doing anything else...anything else would be stealing and IMO so would taking advantage of a charitable organization..

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Christanie Farm...living life as it was intended

What if you bought the heater on a Target endcap clearance at 90% off?
You are only paying 90% of what its worth. Should you let the store manager he should certainly charge you more??
This thread, and its questioning of some of our "morals" is about the silliest thing I have read in a long time

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I'd rather have one Chewbacca than an entire clone army.

Our local Goodwill sells used canning jars for 99 cents each. That is more than buying them new at Walmart!

You should follow your own moral persuasions, and expect other people to follow theirs.

This is timely for me since I set up at the flea market today. Do you think anyone takes into account what you paid? No they just want it for as little as they can get for it. I had this plant stake (rooster) metal can't remember what I paid for it originally but I am guessing $3.00. Guy comes by I say $1.00 he walks off. Comes back later and asks if i will take $.75. I said yes and he hands me a $5.00 so I have to make change for a 5! I mean would that .25 extra killed him? I don't usually do flea markets or yard sales because that is how it goes.

To answer the question I would pay what it is marked and be done with it. maybe that shows a lack of "moral code" I don't know but I paid exactlly what it was priced. I seldom try to dicker people down on price when i go to garage sales like others do.

I usually have some idea what an item is worth to me. If the asking price is higher than what I had in mind I will offer a lower price but if it is close to what I think it is worth I don't try to get it cheaper.

Last month I needed a clutch put in my pickup. I was trying to get the best price I could so I advertised on craig's list. I got an email from a man who said he would do the job for $100, others ranged from $200-$500. To me that was more than reasonable. I took him the pickup one evening and the next evening he brought it back. I paid him $200 for the job. I was well satisfied with thew job he did and how quick he did the job. Others had offered to do the job in a weeks time.

so if the widow and you got to discussing the item, how much you liked it, and she pressed it into your hand and said "here. it's yours. Keep it. I'd be proud for you to have and use it like I have" and refuses $, has some moral code been violated?

No. You can't put a moral value on the milk of human kindness. It would be an insult to reject the widow's offer. The widow can be repaid in other forms of kindness and generosity.

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