Found a tube Zenith console at the "bargain" store today (rant)
 

Well, I finally saw a vintage TV at a "bargain" store today. It looked to be a mid '60's Zenith tube-type B&W console on legs. It has both VHF and UHF and the VHF dial light is in the center of the knob. Cabinet looks decent and the set does work but the CRT is a little weak and it will need the usual tuner cleaning. The price - $52.50! Sorry, I don't have any pictures. Maybe someone on here knows the set from my description. They also had a beat up '90's Zenith console for $82.50 and a POS Soundesign console stereo for $194. Heck, I've got a tube Zenith stereo I can't give away.

First, I asked the lady running the store if they ever get any non working TV's that were unsellable. She brushed me off. I then told her that I was interested in the TV; but, it needed some work and there was no way I could pay what was marked on it. She smarted off and told me that the price was $52.50 and I could either pay it or leave it sitting there. She also threw in that there was no warranty. Well, DUH, I didn't expect one. I had to get out of there before I said something I might regret. A friend of mine knows the owner of that store and told me to call him and tell him what went on. I would have probably paid $25 for that set just because it had tubes and worked. Heck, I can't even get $52.50 for a clean, remote control cable ready console.

Most of these "thrift" stores are church run and all act the same way. They beg for free stuff and then price the junk out of sight and won't even talk about coming off the price. I thought the purpose of these stores was to price the stuff low enough to help the needy; yet, make the church a little money for their ministries. They need to realize that when people go to a "used second hand" store; they want bargains and want to be able to dicker on the price.

As for me, if someone don't like my price on a TV; let's hear yours. If someone comes along thats down and out and needs a TV, I'll probably give it to them. That's one way I can express my Christian duty.

On the other hand, there's a new thrift store run by some girls that go to church with my neighbor. She told me the other day that she would call me if they got any electronics in. Well, she made good on her promise last night. It turned out to be a Magnavox boom box and a Pioneer DVD player. She said I didn't owe then anything; but, I handed her $5 anyway. It goes without saying which thrift store gets my unwanted TV's and such. If you try to help me; then, I'll do the same. If you show your ass; FORGET IT!

OK, I'm done! Sorry about the long rant!

It really depends on the store, and the location. For example - Salvation Army stores. There is one right near where I live, and their prices are terribly high. A run of the mill 19" color set from the 80's will be priced at $40, for example. Last time I was in there, there was a 27" GE set from the mid 90's - one of the ones in the black plastic cabinet with the fake woodgrain sides and top. No A/V inputs, no remote. $79. You can buy a new one for about that. Every bit of electronics I've ever seen at that store is hideously overpriced.

But, another Salvation Army, in a neighboring town, has very reasonable prices on electronics. A run of the mill 19" TV is priced about $10 to $15, depending on condition, I've seen older ones priced at $7. I've purchased a couple pairs of older speakers there - priced at six dollars for the pair. I once bought a Sylvania tube type console stereo for $12.

The city mission also prices things to sell - last time I was there they had a perfectly working early 80's GE 19" television set, priced at $8.

I always thought that thrift stores existed to help sell used items to people that couldn't afford a lot, and to provide money to further help the needy. I know when I lived in Indiana, that's how they seemed to work. There was a little (church operated?) store in my old town called "Sans Souci" (Spanish for "Without Worry"). They would actually let you haggle a bit. Once I found a GE Port-A-Color there, I think it was priced at $20. I plugged it in, and it didn't work, only showing a horizontal line on the screen. I asked the person working there, and she agreed - yeah, that's broken, and really old, and she asked me if I would buy it for a dollar. Yes, I would - and I did. I also collect old computers, and once I found a PC/XT clone system there - I forget what it was priced at, but the lady agreed that she didn't know anything about computers, and I think I ended up buying it for something like two or three dollars. The people there were really nice, and would save broken and obsolete TV's and give them to me. They sold a lot of stuff, and got lots of things donated to the store. I remember buying tons of records at 25 cents apiece.

Around where I live now, it seems, most thrifts seem to be geared towards pricing things at a huge premium. Goodwill is much more expensive, in general, than most others. Many times, the thrifts seem to be even more expensive than retail stores. What I love is the fact that Goodwill seems to get all the defective and damaged/unsaleable merchandise from retail stores - and then turns around and prices it about for what it was supposed to sell for (and obviously didn't) in the retail store. Things like cell phone cases and chargers, still with Target "clearance" stickers on them, priced for more than they were when they were on clearance at Target... There is a mini-fridge there right now with big "SALVAGE" stickers on the side of it, priced at something like $80.

You gotta wonder what goes through some people's heads...

-Ian

I'm not sure about the thrift stores where you live, but in Nashville there are several pseudo charity thrifts that are the same way. A long time ago I worked for a Government Access Channel, where we would tape various government committees and air them back later. One of the committees was the Metro Charitable Solicitation Board which has to approve permits for solicitation for money in Davidson County, everything from Salvation Army Bell Ringers to "charity" thrift stores. There were a couple of them, I won't divulge names that were "Not for profit companies running the thrift store" yet managed to only donate 4% of the gross income to the named charity. I remember a few times the commissioners asking them point blank why the amount was so low. The thrift store people said that the amount was the best they could do and the laws of Tennessee did not specify what a minimum percentage was , therefore the Board had no choice but renew the permit. Logan :nutz:

There was a thrift store (no longer in business) that was church run and I got it from several good sources that the good stuff went, for free, to the members of their church and the junk was put out on the sales floor with a huge price tag. A relative of mine worked for this place and I got roped in to fixing their broken TV's for free or for the cost of the part. I didn't mind that until I found out what was going on. My relative that worked there even had the nerve to tell me that I couldn't be keeping their TV's for so long. I told him that when they started paying me to fix their junk; I'd get in a bigger hurry. Then, he tried to push a broken Zenith console stereo off on me for $100. When I told him that was too much, I got the "take or leave it" speech. I told him I'd remember that next time they wanted me to fix a bunch of TV's for free. I walked out and didn't look back. He eventually quil and the store finally went belly up.

I plan on calling that guy that runs the store where the Zenith TV is. Maybe I can talk him into being more reasonable. BTW, I was the only customer in the store today. The parking lot usually looks pretty empty when we drive by. The main thing that draws me to that TV is that it's a Zenith and 40+ years old and still works fairly well. The only thing I'm worried about is that it will go to the dump or some rich money bags will buy it and turn it into a fish tank. Oh, fish tank, maybe I'd better get off the $52.50 and save it.

Well, I actually talked to the owner of the store and didn't get very far. I first asked about non-working stuff and he said they don't take anything in that does not work. He said the only non-working stuff they get is when someone lies about it's condition. Then, they throw the stuff in the dumpster. I asked about the Zenith TV and he pretty much told me that the price was $52.50, take it or leave it. He said if it didn't sell by the end of May, it would go on ebay. That may be a good thing because I can't see anyone bidding on a '60's B&W TV if they have to go any distance for it. I offered him $35; but, he was not interested. It would be funny if he stuck it on epay for $0.99 and I was the only bidder. Boy, that would make my decade!

He's crazy. Those sets bring far less on eBay than they do anywhere else - which still isn't much. $35 is generous.

If you really do want the set badly enough to pay the rather odd price of $52.50 for it, bring in the money in cash - $35 in paper money, and $17.50 in loose, unrolled pennies and nickels, and proceed to count it all out, carefully, in front of them...

Clearly, these people don't care about the customer, so why should you care about them?

"Well, I didn't think I had the money, but I cleaned out my car and that jar next to my bed - and guess what! Just made it!"

<grin>

-Ian

Just because someone is in charge of pricing things in a thrift store doesn't mean they know what they are doing. Maybe they are good at pricing clothes or housewares. But the person in charge could be a 70 year old woman who last bought a TV set back in '82-or maybe she never bought a TV herself. In some cases the prices just seem to be whatever the market will bear. If some fool pays $20 for that old toaster oven, well, the new price for old toaster ovens just became $20.

I'm sure running a store like that can be thankless. You have to deal with all kinds of real junk dumped there every day. (one local store seems to have an old mattress propped up against the front door almost every morning) Some of the people who shop there are, uh, unsavory characters. Last time I was in Goodwill a guy drops a glass coffee pot on the floor with a loud crash and then just goes about his business, leaving someone else to clean up all the broken glass. We volunteered at a little church thrift store last spring, just for a few days. All their prices were too high, and they had inflated notions over what was collectible. Made in China knick knacks that could be bought new at the dollar store were marked "antique" for $20. The woman in charge wasn't trying to scam people-she honestly didn't know any better. All she could do was guess at what things were worth.

You know, that's a darn good idea! I've got $60 in quarters in a jar right now! That will save me from having to go cash a check and give them some spare change! That reminds me of a friend who wanted to buy a 16 mm movie projector from this guy that got it for next to nothing at a school auction. The guy wanted $75 for it and wouldn't budge. My friend finally got pissed and gave him $75 in ONE DOLLAR BILLS. Man, it pissed that guy selling the projector off big time! I'm sure it will piss that guy at the thrift store off big time! If he says anything, I'll ask him how bad he really wants to sell that TV.

I actually had a guy buy a Zenith CCII console from me for $75 and he paid for it from change in a Folgers coffee can. He even gave me the can! He asked would change be OK and I told him money was money in my book. Of course, that was in the mid '90's when a CCII would bring $75.

LOL I've actually done that before, not with a TV though.

A local party store got a new manager, and they started charging out the ass for milk and bread and other foodstuffs. I went there and bought exactly $19.56 in stuff (pre calculated beforehand to include tax), and I paid for it in quarters, dimes, nickels, and finally 156 pennies.

I counted them out fairly slowly, and when I was told to hurry up, I said something like "Well if your prices wern't so high, this wouldn't take as long!"

A week later, they dropped their prices to a more reasonable level.

I've got $56.18 (tax) counted out in a Smuckers jelly jar. $56 in quarters and $0.18 in pennys. I'm also loading up some older TV's and a console stereo to take to the "good" thrift store. I'm debating on rather to drop the stuff off first or leave it on the truck and let them know I'm taking it somewhere else. I hope my neighbor has some time tomorrow!

Yeah, the pricing of electronics at the two goodwills in my area is pretty comical. It is obvious they know nothing about what they are doing. I recently found a pair of KLH 17s in pretty bad cosmetic shape. Beat up with some small gaps where the pieces of wood forming the cabs meet (water damage?). No price on them. I ask the lady at the register and she instantly says $25.00. When I pointed out the damage she lowered the price to $15. Luckily they sound alright. I am suspect of one of the woofers though as it makes a little crackle at higher volumes.

Well, I got it! They were having a 10% off sale so it was $50.08. The reaction I got when I threw that change jar up on the counter was worth every penny. The guy I talked to on the phone came out of the back and said I'd have to roll that money because they couldn't take it loose. I asked him "How bad do you want to get rid of that TV. This is the second time I've been here and I'm not coming back a third time." I started walking towards the door and he produced some quarter wrappers real quick. Yes, he had an attitude; but, so did I! They don't have to worry, I won't be back. I'll start a new thread in the B&W forum dedicated to this TV. I know everyone does not want to read through all my ranting to get to the real thing.

resale shops are a joke. back in the early to mid 90's a mint condition 4 tube hybrids (which were somewhat common then around here) would be priced at $35 at the gingham tree resale shop in Downers Grove. Seemed pretty high, but then again, $35 was big money for a kid to pay for some old TV.
I was always honest and paid what they wanted, they were pretty fair at gingham.

However back in '96 Marklund resale opened on Ogden ave in Downers. I was bringing home old sets almost every time I went in. They got donations from all over the western suburbs. Sets were always priced decent. I remember paying $9.90 for an early 70's 16" portable color around 1998. Marklund was strange, all of their prices included this $.90 after the whole, like "$9.90, 2.90, 29.90" etc.

Management changed around 1999 and the store kind of cleaned up a bit. Old sets still came in but prices went way way up. The people who ran the store were not friendly either like the previous ones were.

In january of 2000 I walked in and found a nice '66 zenith console color set (I still have it). Was in half way decent shape, had some flower pot rings on the top though. The set worked OK, with good picture. They wanted $99.90 for the TV which was nuts. I asked if they would come down and the lady at the register said no way. I saw another guy who worked in the store and asked him too. Well, it backfired and he said "let me go ask". He goes back to the cashier woman and she really got po'd at me. " I TOLD YOU ITS PRICED AND IT WILL STAY THAT WAY! TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT!" Well, I was pretty po'd because the lady was being such a jerk. I had a little scam and it worked perfectly. I switched the service switch on back of the set into "set-up" and left the store. They never kept the TV's playing, you had to go find a cord and plug it in if you wanted to see TV's work.

The next day after school I drove down there see if the set was still there. My friend came with and the plan was for him to go in, and if the jerk lady was still there, he could power up the set and ask why the price is so high on a broken TV. (remember the service switch was in set-up, so the set only displayed a horizontal line).
It worked perfect. We got that jerk right back. I walked in but was off to the side. Joe did the talking. The lady goes "it worked yesterday, it must be bad reception" Joe turns the knobs and says somethings wrong. Cashier says "well, if you want it for parts you can have it for $10.00" To make it look good, joe kind of shrugged his shoulders like "what am I going to do with it" and the lady pretty much passed it off on him. Took it for $10.00 and that was that. I helped joe move the set out to my car and nobody said a word. I never had a problem with them ever since though. I dont think the lady remembered who I was......

I would have never done that if those jerks were more respectful tward me. The way I was snapped at after asking another person in the store was really out of line. Ive bought so much stuff from them over the years and never had a problem. I generally never even need to bargain on TV prices as around here, people could care less about them. They are priced dirt cheap as it is.

Marklund resale is gone as of '02.

Haha! That's great. Glad you got it. It's so _generous_ of them to have a 10% off sale. That like, covers the tax... Most thrifts have half-off days...

Legally, I don't know if they can force you to roll the coins, or, for that matter, refuse to take them. Money is money, and quarters are legal tender. Quarters are even really easy to count too.

There was a news story here a while back about a farmer that paid his $12,000 school tax in one dollar bills.

Looking forward to seeing pictures of the set.

-Ian

Way to go, Doug! I'm laughing my butt off! I'm like you in that I'd normally not do something like that; but, given how they treated you, I'm glad you pulled one over on them. Of course, they went belly up, just like the last two or three thrift stores around here that were @$$holes. I look for the one that I bought the TV from to go under real soon.

OTOH, I have a friend that sets up at flea markets and has done so for the past 25+ years. He has a friendly attitude towards customers and he'll usually work with you if the price seems high. His theory is that as long as you are making a profit, sell it! It all goes back to how you treat people. That's why he's been going for so long.