Featured Common Items Seen At Thrift Stores That Will Never Sell

Re: coffee mugs with corporate logos. I have bought coffee mugs at thrift shops, but not run of the mill ones. DH requested that I stop which I have. But I found some fun ones like the Banned Books one, and some Baileys ones that came with a purchase of the liqueur. I mean, drinking coffee with Bailys in it from a Baileys coffee cup is de rigueur, n’cest pas? But my “rarer” discovery was a corporate one. The firm was one where my brother worked for his first job in his chosen field after graduating university 40 years ago! Paid 50 cents I think and packed it with me when I went to visit my brother in Scotland. He was amazed and chuffed! But yes, coffee mugs are DOA mostly, but when I’m in a thrift I do pass along the coffee mug shelf for nostalgia’s sake.

 

I've bought a few with church logos on them, because I knew the people involved. Christkindlemarkt mugs come home with me too as often as not, but not for resale.

Another worthless item - worn nonleather handbags. Most of those should just go into the dumpster.

 

Those FTD clear or green vases that were always ugly. They sit like many other things not getting a forever home. LOL

 

I get mugs when I need them at our Swap Shop at the Transfer Station. Free beats even $.25 any day

 

Isn't the stupidity that people will donate damaged goods in the first place? Just don't.

 

At a certain thrift chain you get 20% off for making a donation. Manager told me they have caught people donating literal bags of household trash. Like straight out of their daily trash bin. That’s pretty low. I have to admit sometimes I think I have a 20% off saved in my loyalty membership and I actually don’t. I run out to my car (which is also a storage unit) and scramble to find whatever I can to donate. Usually if I can find at least 4-5 things, even if crappy I’ll do it and try to make it up to them later.

 

i've bought damaged goods........ does that make me even stupider...

 

Haha. Oh wait that’s true. I resemble this comment.

 

I can't tell you how many times I see cracked or broken jelly jars at yard sales. I don't get that either!

 

I have bought damaged items too, mostly by mistake in dark attics or basements. Some sold. For instance I found a Daisy Dorable HH ring dish. It had a crack in the bottom piece but was still desirable with a much lower price.

But I have brought home numerous items where I see the chip, ding, crack and flaw after it is in my place.

 

Same here. We've all done it. A lot of times it gets donated in one piece, and gets trashed by the thrift before it gets onto a shelf. The Ill Will puts even fragile items in its bins with no packing, and one guess.

 

I sell a lot of "As Is" items.
Always marked as such, and at much lower prices. Many people don't care if it is damaged depending on what they want it for.
Then there are others who won't touch an item if there is the slightest imperfection.

 

Early on, when I was young, I bought damaged items because I couldn't afford pristine examples. Now I am able to be more picky.

As a seller, I have found most buyers are looking for perfect pieces, young or old. I think things have changed since I was 20!

 

Hi,
I have had some some really "picky" buyers.
I had a very rare Depression Glass pitcher for sale. Most models were selling for over 2 thousand. I had one and offered it at 500 hundred. It sold in 4 minutes. A week later the buyer returned it since it had a tiny (smaller than Lincoln's nose on a penny) black speck on the bottom near the rim. He carried on and on about it was DAMAGED and how dare I offer it to the public. I apologized and blocked him from my sales. Two weeks later I offered the pitcher for sale still 500 and within 5 days it sold for 1750 dollars. If the first buyer would have washed it the speck was gone. It was a tiny ink mark.
greg

 

I thought this, too, but recently found there are a few really rare that sell for lots.

 

LOL, DEAD FUNNY!
I can honestly say, I have never been to a thrift store in my life, I need to visit one just see what all the hub-bub is about.

 

We have a Savers kind of thrift out here on LI and they always without doubt put the tag or label over the marks or stamps that we need to see. That and they also bag many items so you can not check them out.

But o what I would give to be strolling up and down the aisles again. I can dream.

 

The Ill Will does the same thing; I think they train their workers to cover marks on purpose. They even manage it on jewelry.

You could have a blast in charity stores. I used to go in every chance I had, dang I'd love a chance at what's sitting in those stores now, and you never know what'll turn up next. I found two hand-made side tables in the ReStore this winter, and last year a country-made cradle constructed completely of birdseye wood. Somebody glommed that so fast...thankfully before I could. (LOL)

 

I don't shop at thrift stores, but I drop off at least one large bag of things (oftentimes, more than that) about once a month to either Goodwill or Salvation Army. Right now Salvation Army is getting my stuff because they're the only ones accepting donations.

I have to admit that I've donated some of the things mentioned here, e.g. collector's plates, mugs, even florist vases. Nothing I've donated has been damaged, and I figure that if they aren't any good, the charity won't offer it for sale. But, getting even 50 cents for something that they got for free is something, I figure. It's very hard for me to toss things that aren't damaged or broken.

I don't ever donate any damaged or soiled clothing. My last batch of clothing donations included brand new items with the tags still attached.

I also donated a lot of furniture in the past month (cleaning out the house). Some of it is damaged, needs refinishing, etc. It's my understanding that these charities help people by teaching them a trade, so if someone can learn furniture refinishing from sanding down and staining my old coffee table, that's great.

My mother recently passed away, and a lot of her stuff is going to charity. I did throw out her VHS tapes, though.

 

You have to remember 90% of the folks here go to thrift shops primarily to find stuff for resale & 99% of the stuff mentioned here that don't like seeing are things that are not any good for resale. However that does not mean that other people won't buy it to use.