Yes, Uwe, that's the thrust of the article; the comments are what you expected, much more acerbic, pointing out skimming by staff and privileged dealers and very high pay to executives and a cynical attitude of the whole enterprise. Some examples are witness accounts and some are public record and I have not fact-checked anything except the dearth of anything interesting in the stores. I think the Yahoo hack who wrote the piece was constrained by an order to stay positive about the company and to let poor people know they aren't entirely abandoned.

I have mixed feelings about the story. I generally agree with your analysis of charity fundraising projects and their purpose, but Goodwill is suspect and I miss the bargains. I am not a poor person depending on charity shops to keep me warm and decent. I went to find interesting things from days gone by and more to enjoy them than to flip them. It was the ability to avoid the risks of shipping. It was the fun of the hunt and I think that is what people in our circle here are lamenting. That and the resulting higher prices.

Many people do not like to read comments, for whatever reasons, but in this case they add a lot.
 

M. Höhne wrote:

... Goodwill is suspect

Goodwill in Canada went out of business a number of years ago - it might have been a bankruptcy - and the newspaper reports of the time cited bloated executive salaries and questionable business practices. All of their stores that I was aware of in my area are long gone, so I was surprised when someone recently told me that they still shopped at Goodwill. It appears that the company has been reborn, and sure enough I stumbled upon a very modern looking Goodwill (from the outside) last week and took a look inside. It ended up being a complete waste of time, and I doubt that I'll bother revisiting it. 

M. Höhne wrote:

... I miss the bargains. I am not a poor person depending on charity shops to keep me warm and decent. I went to find interesting things from days gone by and more to enjoy them than to flip them. It was the ability to avoid the risks of shipping. It was the fun of the hunt and I think that is what people in our circle here are lamenting.  

I have a few friends who are frequent charity shop visitors for all of the reasons you mentioned. I used to infrequently try my luck, but never found anything of interest. One friend, who I'd describe as being addicted to the hunt, has extremely good luck with finding typewriters. I suspect this is because of persistence and the frequency of his visits, and some of the gems he's found have made it into my collection - at cost, of course, because he's a super-decent man.

I don't think he's ever come across a typewriter at a Goodwill, which is the roundabout point I'm trying to make: In my area there are a number of other charity shop chains, and it's in those stores that he continues to find those hunted for collectibles and good prices. Fortunately for us, there are Goodwill alternatives here that continue to scratch the itch you mentioned.

Conversely, while those of us living in large urban centers are fortunate to be able to hunt in a brick and mortar jungle, a significant number of others have never seen the doors of a charity shop. We can lament the effect online sales have on finding treasures, but I'm sure everyone else is celebrating the increased access to donated goods. 

Last edited by Uwe (05-6-2022 11:02:13)

overwood wrote:

I've never found a typewriter worth buying at a brick and mortar thrift store of any kind. I don't know why I even keep checking them, but I do. 

Exactly my experience too, and yet my friend seems to find them on a somewhat regular basis. Luck? Timing? Location? Checking a few times every week? Whatever it is, I'm not doing it right, and unlike you I've given up. 

No written reply from SGW...but I noticed my S&H costs for the auction are now at $ 79 total. 

So I take it that is their reply... LOL

SGW allows non-payment for an auction 2-3 times before they cancel your bidding account. 

So I will use one of my lives on this auction.

Just have to wonder how many auction winners this is happening to and if they ever notice the change in S&H from the time they win to the time they pay.  In my case, it was less than 1/2 a day before I went to pay and noticed the big change in S&H costs.