Well, like I said in my first post, I was stereotyping and could be wrong. If I can get something cheaper, I don't see a reason not to as well.
I say buy whatever you want at the thrift store, that's what its there for. Like someone just said, they aren't there for the express purpose of "poor people shopping". They are there to make money FOR the poor. I also see no problem with them actioning off items. If you go in there and bitch about them auctioning stuff in order to get more money for the poor, then you're just being an ass.
Did you check out the new link I added to the first post? I understand auctioning stuff but that's wrong, IMO.
What, that pony story? So what, it's the same thing. There's nothing "shady" about it. What's different about that story? Did I miss something? If they can make more money for the poor by auctioning stuff, how can you have a problem with that? THAT'S WHAT THE STORE IS THERE FOR.
Hmm, it seems you have to argue, but the point is, if they have something on their shelves, and someone comes to buy it and they take it away and tell her she can't, that's bad. So, no, it isn't the same thing.
Again, so what? A stocker made a mistake. You think that just because somebody makes a mistake the poor should be made to suffer for it? If you go to Target and see a $100 radio sitting by the $5 radios (with no price tag on it, mind you), would you try and buy that radio for $5, and then bitch when they didn't honor it? Let's say they did, and sold it to you for $5. Target could probably absorb that loss, no big deal. Now let's take the same issue to the goodwill store. Who's going to take the loss if they honor a simple mistake? Should we steal from the poor now because of mistakes? NO. Honestly, it sickens me that some of you think it would be okay to fight people who give to the poor over a deal on a toy. You are effectively stealing from the less fortunate. Good job.
Look, I am willing to see your side, and I go on a conversation thread to do just that. See all sides. No matter who its hurting, you can't see why this is rude? Stealing from the poor? That's a strong way to put it. If something is on the shelf, even by mistake, it's rude to take taht away from someone, especially since either way that store paid nothing to have that. Honestly, if you aren't trying to talk things over and try to understand other perspectives, then why do you post on conversational threads?
Also, Goodwill is there for everyone, not just the poor, as has been mention in this thread. Buying from them is not stealing, even if they might get less then they would otherwise. In no way would that girl buying those ponys be stealing.
I AM talking things over in a conversational thread, it's not my fault if your viewpoint on the matter lacks any sort of morals that I can see. I see your perspective, and I think it's WRONG. IT IS stealing from the poor, when you get down to it. "It's rude to take that away from someone"? SO WHAT. The store is there to benefit the poor any way they can. Calling them on a stocking mistake is STILL effectively stealing from the poor, manners be damned. If you get it for $5, and they could have auctioned it for $50, who's really loosing out? Are you trying to say you're more deserving than those that really need the help the goodwill provides? I have no problem with anybody buying stuff from the goodwill. Go buy whatever you want. However, I do have a problem with people who would try and take advantage of a mistake for their own selfish toy collecting benefit when the less fortunate people in society are the ones who loose out, and THEN they can't understand why that's wrong after you explain it to them. There is simply no defense for that kind of behavior.
Yeah, you have been very reasonable this whole time. Thanks for your comments. Anyways, my argument remains the same, anyone else have any thoughts?
Our goodwill store here is notorious for the employees taking home anything that's worth a damn. You never see any kind of branded toy or electronics on the shelf. I knew a girl that worked there and she told me about all the cool stuff they just "took" home. Now that is stealing from the less fortunate. I went there to donate a bunch of stuff and you just drop it off in the back of the store. As I was unloading the stuff from my car I noticed a BW Megatron sticking out of a bag that someone else had dropped off. Out of curiousity I looked in the bag and it was filled with transformers! Dude came out to get my stuff and I inquired about the bag of Transformers and what it would take to sell the whole bag to me. It became some HUGE production because someone else there always takes home stuff like that, especially Transformers. It explained why I NEVER saw one on the shelf. Well, after they pretty much admitted to me that they take the damn things I threatened to call the police and whoever else I needed to. At that point they were more than willing to sell the things to me. I did followup with a few phonecalls anyway because I thought what they were doing was very wrong. Pretty disgusting.
My wife worked at a Salvation Army years ago. While they were allowed to "take" stuff they wanted home before it made it out to the floor, "taking" it home meant they still had to buy it. They don't just get it for free, or at least they're not supposed to.
RE: Collectors raiding thrift stores: I believe the moral outrage occurs because generally parents who cannot afford new toys for their kids will shop there so if richer people are running around buying all the toys for themselves then little Jimmy will be sad.
If what Goodwills website says, being that they use the money they get to help the needy and work training programs and the like, then buying from them is in no way a moral outrage. Also, my whole point was that they ebay anything decent, so that would be the same moral outrage. Personally, now that I know what they do, I don't think it's an outrage that they sell things on ebay or that collectors can buy things there. And I think it would be great if collectors would make some donations as well, which I try to do whenever I go. The story about the girl and the My Little Ponys bothered me because if a store has something for sale on their shelves, and then an employees takes it away from them when a girl trys to buy it, that is really rude IMO. I of course also think its an outrage for employees to take what they want without paying to.
