Featured Thrift store furniture

Things that sold quickly here are sitting now too. It doesn't help when a place tries to get top dollar. The local ReStore has a Korean-made celadon-ish vase marked $125, but Amazon has the same one for $99 brand new. (and overpriced at that.) Overpricing doesn't help. By the time you mark it down to a fair price, the buyers have walked on.

 

Now that even the legitimate charities are scanning their freebies w/ GoogLens you'll see some 1stDibs prices. Once AI's cognitive recognition brain's fully matured it'll be mostly window shopping for me-but hopefully there'll still be a few venues that actually want to sell items.
PS-Soggy brained volunteers or not,when all you've got to do is 'point & shoot' even the most senile volunteer will have to consider the results. Hopefully they'll learn quickly when none of the inventory moves.

 

The vase I mentioned is sitting next to a modern piece of Belleek, marked DOWN to $75 from $125. Unless they get smart and knock it down to $50 it'll be there until the cows come home. Only two small thrifts don't look things up, but they've also taken to looking for gold and sterling before putting things on the shelves. That one I found art glass in for cheap researches everything and I have no idea how that one slipped through. That one asks full boat for things and sometimes gets it - too many rich people shopping there. Then again, they've caught cold more often lately too. The sellers are lensing things, but buyers are savvier too.

 

Went back to Habitat for Humanity Re-Store yesterday. Their prices continue to climb They have a lot of square footage and are willing to just let things sit indefinitely. Their markdown color tags only decrease monthly so it may take several months for something to become reasonably priced. The dresser I mentioned in a previous post at $450. is now 25% off but still sits. Did take a picture this time.


There was some artwork I probably would have bought if reasonably priced. As it was, I only walked out with a modern blue and white bowl from China for $5.00 (These sell) and an Italian vase with a small chip for $3.00. They had a medium sized modern Chinese vase that they put $45.00 on! Doubt if it was originally that much new at retail.

 

Ack. Someone trusted Google Image. More fool they.

 

Surely it is a good thing that a charity like Habitat for Humanity gets a more proportional share of the value of the things they are selling. They have the space to hold things for a while, why not use it? There aren’t many buyers of traditional brown furniture now, but the piece you showed is very attractive, in perfect condition even retaining its mirror, and French Louis style that appeals especially to many women. I can see a retail buyer seeing it as an absolute bargain.

Don’t get me wrong - I wouldn’t buy it for that price, or even for $20 unless it was an authentic period piece which it clearly isn’t.

For most retail buyers, condition is of absolute importance. And most of what Habitat gets needs at least a little, usually a lot, of work. That is the sweet spot for resellers - seeing past the condition issues to the underlying value.

 

Couple more things to show. This first one took all my will-power not to buy.

60" solid oak table with 4 chairs that don't really go with it. No leaves but, for $40.00 for the set, an incredible buy. Even more astounding, this has sat for 2 weeks and they have now marked it down to $25.00! Nothing really wrong with it that some spiffing wouldn't cure. Even more incredible is that this is at Goodwill. I think they priced it so low due to size and past experience trying to sell sets. Our other Goodwill would not have priced it this low.




This exceptionally nice refinished rocker was $25.00 at a different thrift. Had not sold for at least 2 days.

 

That table is fabulous. Perhaps potential buyers find the chairs distracting.

Debora

 

That table is stunning. I would buy it in a second because it very well matches my coffee table (same scroll feet!) and we have a round table in there I would like to replace with something wooden. Alas, I don't live anywhere near you and none of my Illinois fam love me enough to long haul.

 

The captains' chairs look like what I'm still using - basic, ugly and sturdy. The table may only still be there because no one who needs it has any way to haul it home.