posted on November 7, 2002 10:22:25 PM
Today, I had a HORRIBLE experience at a gigantic secondhand store. This place is like a wherehouse, and located right outside of this big city I live in. I\'ve been there once before, many years ago. I was in the computer section, looking for computer parts, and saw a bunch of middleaged guys shooting the breeze, just hanging out. I thought this was a little odd...but then I figured they must be dealers. I know that people actually go to secondhand shops to get merchandise to resell after reading some newsgroups. I found a crockpot in this section, figured someone was hiding it, which was weird, but whatever. It was 8 bucks, why not just buy it? I just happened to be looking for a crockpot, and grabbed it. A nice steel RIval crockpot, new. As I was walking out, a boy was trying to put batteries into a toy car, and he was doing it wrong, so I bent down to put it in for him. Two hands reach down, grab my Crockpot! I tell the guy, \"hey, that\'s MY crockpot\". He says \"I didn\'t see you put it down, how do I know it\'s yours\". Can you believe that? Stealing a crockpot from a housewife in a secondhand store. How low can you go? He was a fine looking 25 year old guy, what was WRONG with him? This store was near the inner city bad area. I grabbed the damned crockpot and said, \"Oh please, give me a break\". He backed off, said he was just joking. He was lucky the boy was there, I would have cussed him out.
Fighting over a crockpot with a woman. It wasn\'t the experience, it was the idea that people actually are this desperate for merchandise that they can sell? I don\'t know if I want to make the rice pudding and stew I was intending this crockpot for. In fact, I know I don\'t. I told the manager of the place, and she had me point him out so she could keep an eye on him. I made sure he saw me pointing him out. She said they had camera\'s everywhere and she would review the tape with the security guards, this was a problem at this store.
Tell me, you dealers, how bad has it gotten for you when you\'ve been out acquiring merchandise? Does anyone know why they hang out at secondhand shops? Do they FIX this electronic stuff? Where do they sell it? There own shops? Ebay? Hmmm...
posted on November 8, 2002 07:41:35 AM
It has gotten very bad out there. I know at a garage sale I took my right shoe off to try on the right shoe to a pair of Doc Martens at a sale. Another guy (who also sells on Ebay) grabbed up the remaining Shoe off the floor and was waiting for me to the the right shoe off my foot so he could buy the pair. I said- I am going to buy those shoes and than he said "he could wait me ou" so he walked around the garage with this doc marten in his hand figureing I would set the other one down. Guess he was wrong after 20 minutes he finally left and threw the shoe on the floor of the garage. I picked up the shoe and paid for the pair and backed out of the driveway right after he did.
posted on November 8, 2002 08:13:09 AM
LOL. I had the same thing happen with a pair of candlesticks. This guy tried to wait me out, too. His wife overheard me telling a friend I was not leaving until he put it down. She told him they were leaving NOW.
I have noticed that people are starting to grab up everything of any interest, putting it in a pile and then going through it before buying. It's really annoying to see a huge pile dwindle to two or three items.
posted on November 8, 2002 09:02:34 AM He was a fine looking 25 year old guy, what was WRONG with him?
What's wrong with him?
He was probably flirting with you.
posted on November 8, 2002 09:34:44 AM
this is not a bad idea,let someone does the work of picking and you just wait and grab it.
at some hospital run thrift shops where dealers shop,sometimes they watch and /or eavedrop what others have to say about certain items to gauge the value in areas they are not familiar with.
of course they could be wrong too.
posted on November 8, 2002 09:58:16 AM
At the outdoor produce markets I watch the old timers pick out the tropical fuits and melons amd watch as they narrow the selection field down to the actual purchase. I then purchase their second choice.
The flirting remark about the original post reminded me of the scene in the movie Animal House where Otter [ Tim Matheson ] is in the grocery story produce section and is trying to flirt with college's Dean Wormer's wife in the cucumber section. She picks up and cucumber and eyes it and Otter picks up a larger one and eyes and tells her " mine's bigger ".
posted on November 8, 2002 10:18:37 AM
Oh yeah~ it's like that at my local Goodwill Store. Now, I live in a real nice area so my Goodwill gets a lot of great stuff!
One day I found a whole set of beautfiul vintage tea cups & suacers, put them on the counter with some clothing and continued to shop. When I go to check out, they are gone! The clerk said that some guy said they were his, so she sold them to him..she asked him if the clothing was his and he goes .. oh no .. I wouldn't buy that stuff! The clerk didn't see me put them there ~talk about ticked off
Another time I found this gorgeous large quilt there in excellent condition, these other buyers picked it up and were going to buy it right out from under me ... I told them ...I don't think so !!
When I go there at 9 am when they open... there is always a line of other dealers waiting to get in. Busiest store in town let me tell you!
I have learned to either tell the clerk when I put something on the counter to hold or lug it around with me. They don't have shopping carts, so that is a problem
