a changing market ~ thrifting

Last week as I was helping Jacki with her yard sale preparation I couldn't help but feel excited about National Garage Sale Day. Imagine a holiday just with thrifting in mind. What could be better? I set out on the rainy morning with a positive feeling despite the weather. By the time I arrived home seven hours later I felt deflated. I came home with hardly anything to show for. How can that be? I left our island after not finding much except at Jacki's sale. I'm sure those that thrift know the motivation to find just one more good sale before returning home. I probably hit 20 yard sales once I left the island. I came home with a metal detector  ($5.00) for Keiran and that's all. Sale after sale had tables and blankets covered in junk. Made in china stickers dotted vase and chipped statues of cats. The books were the same books you find at every sale although many were marked or had a moldy smell.

With the economy changing, could this be filtering down to the yard sale level? I was speaking to another thrifter as we helped prepare for a very large community rummage sale that brings in over $250K. Donations were sparser than the previous years. Our theory is that people are not replacing their household items as they were before. Therefore they weren't giving away as many items. I shop for books as I thrift and I would estimate that the availability of books at yard sales is less than half of what it was last year. Maybe even less. When I arrived home last week I realized it might be time to consider a business change. Again. I'm not sure I want to spend seven hours of my Saturday chasing books that just aren't there. Or taking the chance of meeting up with bullies when the competition of book buying is fierce. Last year I sold over $35K worth of books and thrifted items which isn't bad for a part time job. We are not talking pennies here so a change in business is a serious choice I must make. But as my post a few days ago mentioned, it doesn't surprise me that I want a change. The minute the spark is gone, it is very hard to be motivated to sell books. Hence my time writing blog post instead of listing books.

I do have some things to share from Jacki's sale. Her sale was incredible and I hope that some of you were able to make it. She made a whopping $3700. That puts my $760 yard sale to shame. Her goal was to move stuff and make it cheap. I think she achieved that on all levels. I spent $10.00 at her sale and came home with this.

A Vera tablecloth and tea towel.

 

Sweet vintage napkins.

 

A tablecloth because a girl can't have too many. Right Sandy?

 

Not that I drink too much coke these days but I am very nostalgic. Growing up in the 70's I still remember a few of these hanging around. I was mesmerized with them then as I am to this day. This opener is actually vintage. I have the box but I couldn't locate it when I took the photo.

 

Vintage roll of contact paper and a cheerful daisy tray. Looks Vera-ish and will be lovely to use in the kitchen.

 

Vintage ribbons which are always useful in the craft room.

Have you noticed any changes in the thrift market in your community? In some ways, it's not a bad thing to buy less retail even if it does change the thrifting market. But it does make thrifting more challenging. What thrifting changes have you made with the price of gas and possibly less items available?

Comments

[Kim]

My main thrifting places to shop are estate sales. The ones run by professional estate sales people. The biggest change I've made is that I tend to hit them on Sunday instead of Friday or Saturday. The stuff is picked over, but they sell for next to nothing on the last day.

[Sheri]

Sadly, I was just thinking the same thing today as I came from two local thrift shops. I've noticed the prices are up and the nice vintage items are down. I used to love to buy clothing for the fabric to use in craft items since it was reusing/recycling (love to do that!) and cheaper than buying fabric in fabric shops. Guess it's back to the yard sales & church rummage sales (love those!) :-)

[Monica]

I also have found, particularly in the last few weeks for some reason, the selection at garage sales to thrift stores is lacking. The day that I picked up the grain mill, I had been out shopping and was exasperated by the end of it all. The things for sale were not things I needed nor was I looking for. It seemed everyone holding a sale that day was selling the same stuff. I adored Jacki's sale. I still need to get the pressure cooker and tablecloth from you. :)
On the larger realm of things, I think that whatever is meant for us to find will be there. At this time, I'm overwhelmed with inventory to list and perhaps the reason I haven't been finding anything lately is because I have more than enough to work with at home. Or maybe I'm supposed to be putting my energies somewhere else at this time.

[Marla]

I'm coming out of lurking to say I've been thinking about this too, and want to call it an attrition rate. There are only so many vintage things in the world, though more are "becoming" vintage every day. The Estate Sales I've been going to have changed, in that one out of every three is a sale of the household contents from someone who has lived in their home, amassed a lifetime of things, and is now pushing up the daisies. We're at the tail end of all the nice people like my Grandma, who died at 97 last year, and saved so much. More of the sales are people like my 70 year old parents, who moved what they wanted to a new place and sold the rest.

On top of it, as the eras changed and more mass-produced items entered homes, and the habits of owning them changed, the turnover was quicker. For example, my mom has had half a dozen colanders in my lifetime, changing them when she stopped liking their looks - my grandma only ever used one from her first home onward. Now I have it, plus the other vintage one I've had for a dozen years. So I think it's a generational thing. I don't think it's that people aren't replacing their household things as quickly - I think they've been buying junk for the last twenty years and it's getting thrown out instead of being considered worth saving for a sale. Things are getting donated or disposed in short, frequent bursts of effort due to decluttering shows, and folks are viewing their time as too valuable to spend having sales too.

I'm starting to see households and yard sales from homes where collectors like me are giving stuff up - but they're somehow not as thrilling as finding things in their original homes. We may be at an ebb tide in collecting, not just due to the economy, but due to the ages of the people letting go of and the people collecting. The next great wave of 30's/40's/50's stuff hitting the market may indeed come about 25 years from now, when people like me downsize so we can go and live in a vintage airstream trailer in Texas. Well, that's my plan anyway.

It also doesn't help that people are looking up things on teh internets before sales too. When I go to a sale and a crappy ironstone bowl is $12, I know someone's been either looking at MS magazines or Googling. So, I can go on for hours about this - and almost just did. Sorry for the length, but I really enjoy the discourse here!

[Meredith]

I was thinking about this, too. It's not like there is less on the local market, but with the changing economy, the people who buy to resell are more aggressive.

On Wednesdays all clothing is 1/2 price at our Salvation Army.

I needed some new maternity t-shirts--BAD--and went straight to that rack the minute the doors opened.

2 men, partners, each took a cart and blocked the aisle on either side. They toss armloads and armloads into their carts--no exaggeration.

I made some remark about not being so cut throat, I was only looking to cover my expanding belly, not find all the good stuff.

Then the taller one of the two leaned over, took the entire chunk of maternity clothes with his long arms, and grinned.

"I hear Mimi Maternity sells really well."

I was still fuming as the 2 pulled away in their Lexus SUV.

I don't begrudge professionals a living, but fierce competition is taking the fun out of thrifting in so many ways.

[Amanda]

My thrifting days are few and far between. Gas is too high to drive around town looking for goodies, and as mentioned, Value Village has raised their prices to an extreme that I can't justify anymore. Plus with 2 kids to haul in and out of the car, thrifting has just lost a lot of its appeal. I was hard-core last year (mainly pregnancy hormones) and I really noticed I was just buying stuff, not anything I needed. It was just adding to the clutter I was trying to cut down on. This year I notice I'm much more intentional about my purchases-- which is a good thing.

[Sarah]

Well, there have been a few interesting comments in front me, and I dont have a lot to add, other than to say it has been really bad here this year. There are a lot fewer yard sales, and I suspect they are picked over quickly as the dealers have fewer stops to make.

I cant believe you made $700+ at your yard sale. We generally average about $300. This year there was no traffic at ours, at all, after 9 am. Totally dead, even though my signs were still standing. We barely made $100. I guess people just aren't out driving around wasting precious gas. I gave up and gave it all away for free.

Zippidy doo dah. LOL

[sandy]

That's right girl! Especially when you get a good deal on one! (tablecloth that is)

I'm really a hit/miss type thrifter. If I have the time = I go! :)

Happy Weekend!

[sandy]

That's right girl! Especially a tablecloth at a great price.

I'm just a hit/miss thirfter. If I have the time = I GO!

Happy Weekend.

[Jenna Z]

I think Monica is really on to something with the generational thing. As the generation that has items that we love an cherish get older and more and more of them have already had that "packing up to move to a smaller house or retirement home" sale, there are less and less great sales out there.

But I also think people are more savvy now about how they can get the most out of their items. I can tell when someone who would normally have had a great sale (you know, I don't want to say old ladies but....the old ladies!) has a crappy junk garage sale because her daughter/neighbor/friend has told her how much her stuff is worth and she's taken it all to be sold on ebay or antique sales. So really, our love of old things and the people who buy them cheap and sell them high have spelled an end for some sales. It is also, I have noticed, better saleing in smaller towns (of course, there will be less sales total and more miles to drive to get around to them all). When small towns around here have their townwide garage sales, my mom and I always go.

Can you tell I really enjoy your blog? You have such insightful posts and always about things I love!

[jenny]

I shop at thrift stores before I shop at antique stores, and I have noticed that the thrift stores are on to me! They seem to know what's an antique and what isn't. I find that thrift stores are raising their prices on certain items because they would sell for a higher price at antique shops.

[Elizabeth]

I've certainly found the number of books I can find to resell on Amazon has diminished greatly this year. I've now got approx. half the amount listed that I used to have, and my sales have obviously gone down correspondingly.

Car boot sales still remain an excellent source of bargains here in the UK. Indeed since the credit crunch really began to bite, there have been quite a lot of articles appearing on the TV and in newspapers telling people how to make money selling their items at car boots. Good news for those of us whole love sifting through other people's 'junk'.

I can't believe how much money you made last year selling books and thrifted items - that's just amazing.

[Charity]

Love all your finds, especially the napkins! I do almost all my thrifting at garage sales during the warm months, and although I do find I have to look a little more, there is definitely still a lot of stuff out there to be found, at least up here. Thank goodness! :0)

[Heidi]

I haven't noticed a change at the thrifts in Chicago, but I haven't been to too many yard sales this year. Plus, my focus has shifted from collectibles to baby clothes and items, which are always in plentiful supply.

I do agree with the commenter who noted a that the generation before mine just bought new all the time and threw stuff out. Though hopefully some of them gave it to Goodwill rather than throwing it out.

As the economy tanks, more and more families will be needing to shop thrift stores (especially for clothing) just to make ends meet. I always feel a bit guilty when I buy there, if I'm taking away from someone needier. Then again, we're pretty needy these days!

[Betts]

I don't go to many yard sales. They aren't as plentiful in rural areas. I go to thrift stores about once a month. Sometimes I find a ton and sometimes nothing. I mostly buy clothes, and I don't find that the market has changed as far as that goes. There might be fewer nice household items out there though. I can't stop! I'm addicted!

[Queen of Fifty Cents]

What a great conversation! There's material here for a terrific sociological study. Really, some doctoral candidate has their thesis topic all ready for them!

Guess I'm lucky in that there are SO many sales around here I can nearly always find something. However, the resaling I've done for the past couple of years has really fallen off. People not only have worse stuff to sell at their sales, they are spending less on eBay where I'm trying to help them buy good stuff for good prices!

That said, I'm as motivated by the sheer adventure of going to garage sales, where I never know what I'll see and people tell me their life stories at the drop of a hat. I often say I just like to poke around in other people's stuff!

[amy]

Love your new logo in the left hand corner. When did that change?

I haven't been thrifting much at all--still in the process of lessening--though I notice not many folks are looking. I couldn't move a box of 40+ Archie Digests for $15.00.

xo A

[Wendy]

I havent been yardsaling much these days, but the sales I have stopped at haven't had much worth a darn either. I defiantly think it's getting harder to find good stuff.

[Thimbleina]

Living in the UK it is a bit difficult to comment on the thrift market where you are, although no doubt it will become the same here as things start to get worse with the economy. I was interested in the book selling that you do though. Excuse my ignorance as I have not been reading your blog for long, but where do you sell your books? online? I am asking as I would love to do that buy and sell secondhand books. But as you say with the economy changing this might not be a good move just at the moment.

[Verity]

Love the things you found! Here in Istanbul it is generally hard to find much second hand!!! That said I recently found a particular area here that has shop after shop of vintage retro and antique goods! But not at the super bargain prices you find at thirft stores - but still some great finds to be had.

[Grace]

I don't go to yard sales (they are too personal and it makes me uncomfortable), but I do thrift shops and I have noticed some definite changes. The biggest two have to do with the number of people I see who are clearly thrifting for resale (at least half I'd say) and the prices. The ratio of good stuff to total junk hasn't changed much, but the prices on everything have increased a lot at the regular Goodwills here. I don't know if they are necessarily selling enough to justify the higher prices, either--the Blue Hanger (Goodwill rejects store) is well-stocked as ever.

[Sarah W]

my mom has the matching large bowl and 4 small bowls to your new daisy tray and I loved them when I was a kid... thanks for the reminder to go raid my mother's cabinets!!

[karla nathan]

what I have noticed is a lesser quality of garage sales because so many people are trying to make money by selling lots of junk that isn't good junk at all. Stuff that normally wouldn't make it to a garage sale, it would be thrown out. I saw that over and over this month while shopping. Its almost like, they hope to make any money they can on any crap they can set out to sell.
I know there is always an element of this at garage sales, but I have never seen it so bad before.

[natty]

Selena! Girl, that is SO funny. I was just thinking that today! I'm working on my own blog post about what a complete and useless WASTE of time of the garage sales were today. Blech. I had a decent day, overall, though, once I visited the thrifts and antique mall. And I did get something that *I* considered a good value to me, though it is not a "steal."

In college, I was fortunate enough to have a FREE college thrift store - and what I mostly got were clothes. J. Crew leather boots, London Fog down coat, Levis jeans, a bookshelf for my dorm room ... free, free, free. Isn't that nice???? I loved that place. The local neighborhood/community was VERY well off - there was really nice stuff donated.

Today, I hit 4 garage sales (decided not to stop by several, though I saw signs), and you know what? I didn't buy a SINGLE thing. I was thinking of you, too, wondering what you do when you ARE hunting and chasing and deciding whether to drive that extra two miles to another random sale. You also often cross my mind when I walk by the shoes at thrift stores, because I HIGHLY DOUBT that I will ever find Borns for $7, or freaking $300 boots ... but shoes are honestly not my thing. I just don't know how! But you are very inspiring!

Today, I think I am glad I passed on the run-of-the-mill garage sales, since it was all old, dumb, nasty junk. Dumb toys (not even anything good), manky old clothes, stained burp cloths, used foot spas ... and overpriced!

Also, I do not appreciate being misled by an advert of a "great, overflowing" yardsale to find only 6 3x3 piles of stuff in the front yard.

I think overall, not as much old stuff is in Cali, as compared with other parts of the country, and the prices in general (for EVERYTHING, including thrifting) are just higher.

At the organized, professional estate sale that I'm on the mailing list of, prices are at least double what I think would be a steal, or good price, and SOMETIMES they mark it down half price on Saturdays. Mostly, though, as you said, it's just a wholesale liquidation of the contents of a house, including half-used kitchen cleansers and laundry detergent, cans of soup, clothes and shoes right out of the closet ... :(. I guess a lot of the better stuff gets bought up the first day. Hoarders have the best estates. I'd love to have first dibs at a collector's estate, too

I would say there is a combination of two things that impacts what is available at thrift stores now, and maybe impacting the garage sale market. Firstly, I honestly think the internet, and craigslist, and ANTIQUES ROADSHOW, have changed how knowledgeable people are about pricing (old/used) things. Especially Antiques Roadshow, and maybe magazines like MS and such. People know more - people know what to look for - it's easier to research (even a know-nothing like me has learned a few things!). So prices go up since people can check eBay to see what used old junk is going for. I agree that people probably hang on to more stuff, and then try to only sell the nasty junk. Plus, the market itself has also expanded astronomically - people have many more outlets to get rid of stuff, not just thrifts - eBay, craigslist, even freecycle.

Also, retail stores have amazing sales - I never realized until a couple years ago that stores have REGULAR (several times a year) of 75% off and 90% off sales. I know of many moms who stoped thrifting and hitting garage sales because they can get brand new children's clothing for the same prices. The internet has helped to disseminate information about these sales, so I think it siphons traffic away from thrifts.

Everything's expanded.

Including the size of my comments. Please begging your pardon for the hijack!! :)

[Christine]

We haven't noticed a big change in thrifting lately. Here in Holland, there are no garage or yard sales, so it's just flea markets and thrift stores. I think the trend where people know what they are selling and asking prices to match that has been going on for a while now. I stopped buying vintage stuff, because it only added to the clutter in our home. We only buy things we actually use, like clothes or toys for the children, some household items. At flea markets, that's basically what people sell and because most of them do they have to keep the price down to get anything sold. That said, I have seen people ask 2 euros (about 3.00 dollars) for a used and stained bathrobe though(yuck!). :-)
The 'collectable' items have been expensive for the last couple of years now. My husband used to find things for his pottery collection for a few euros, but he has't been able to have such luck in a long time. Most people know what they are selling and ask 25 euros for a simple vase like he collects.
When we go thrifting we tend to go to places where we know income is higher, it's usually a guarantee there are nicer things to be found. And you never can tell, sometimes you walk up to a place and think: this is going to be nothing much, and come away with great stuff for almost zero. That's what keeps it exciting!

Christine