Salvation Army fail

[amo_mea_filiis.]

The Salvation Army seems to price things weird around here. Some stuff is so expensive, like an entertainment center for $499! They price couches around $200, coffee and end tables $100+. Twin comforters start at $21! I can a new twin comforter cheaper than that.

 

Yesterday a dress caught my eye. It still had new store tags on it. Original price was $40-$50, but it was on clearance from the store for $5. Salvation Army tag was $10.99, and the sharpie attempt to cover the original tag was pathetic.

[Melissa in Australia]

same thing happens here. I don't know what is going on with op shops these days.

[FaithManor]

We are having the same problem here. The Goodwill is nuts! Same kind of pricing...jeans with the knees ripped out of them for $4.99 each, broken t.v.s for $40.00, clearance sale items from Target and they want double the clearance price Target was asking, couches that aren't fit for use for $200.00, etc. They are losing business big time too. When I pointed out that the busted up, nasty particle board dresser priced at $75.00 was no bargain when the antique store in the same town had a nice, solid cherry dresser of the same size with excellent quality workmanship for $125.00, I was told that people should be willing to pay such high prices for junk because this is a charitable organization and the money goes to a good cause. So, think of it as nothing more than making a donation.

 

Grrrr....here's the problem with that mentality. Many of us that can afford to make a $75.00 contribution, can afford to pay the $125.00 at the antique store. If I need a dresser, I am not looking to make a "contribution", I'm looking to buy a piece of furniture so it does not behoove me to buy high priced crap. On top of which, the Goodwill used to be where many lower income families shopped for needed items. Now they are priced so high, they can't afford to shop there. So, exactly WHAT good is the "contribution" anyway????

 

I swear common sense does.not.exist.any.more.

 

 

[bettyandbob]

We are having the same problem here. The Goodwill is nuts! Same kind of pricing...jeans with the knees ripped out of them for $4.99 each, broken t.v.s for $40.00, clearance sale items from Target and they want double the clearance price Target was asking, couches that aren't fit for use for $200.00, etc. They are losing business big time too. When I pointed out that the busted up, nasty particle board dresser priced at $75.00 was no bargain when the antique store in the same town had a nice, solid cherry dresser of the same size with excellent quality workmanship for $125.00, I was told that people should be willing to pay such high prices for junk because this is a charitable organization and the money goes to a good cause. So, think of it as nothing more than making a donation.

 

Grrrr....here's the problem with that mentality. Many of us that can afford to make a $75.00 contribution, can afford to pay the $125.00 at the antique store. If I need a dresser, I am not looking to make a "contribution", I'm looking to buy a piece of furniture so it does not behoove me to buy high priced crap. On top of which, the Goodwill used to be where many lower income families shopped for needed items. Now they are priced so high, they can't afford to shop there. So, exactly WHAT good is the "contribution" anyway????

 

I swear common sense does.not.exist.any.more.

AND if a person wants to make a donation they usually want to get a tax receipt--you can't use your payments for overpriced junk as charitable donations on your tax return.

[JustEm]

Salvation Army by us has been overpriced for years!! They have terrible turn around on items because of it. I always see the same crap in there still priced too high. About 2 years ago the Goodwills got more expensive and I basically stopped shopping at them. But in my area it seems that Goodwill at least has started to realize they were over pricing because things are much more reasonable then they were a year ago

[Lara in Colo]

Didn't I hear somewhere that the head honcho at Goodwill made some astronomical amount of money last year????

 

[Um_2_4]

Most of the "thrift" stores here are the same. Kids clothes 4.99 and up. Um, I buy Gymbo and Crazy8 and Children's place on sale with coupons for less then that and can then resell them for close to what I paid. LOL.

I just ordered summer dresses for the girls for next year (got 15 total) and 4 shirts and 1 jeans for DS3 for about $90 (incl tax) from Crazy 8.

[FaithManor]

The CEO of the Oregon region (they break it down by region with the owner, Mark Curran, ultimately overseeing the whole thing) made approximately $719,000.00 last year. The Mark Curran made $2.3 million.

 

Where that breaks down in relation to CEO's of other charitables, I don't know. I have no problem with them being paid well for their expertise. It does take some serious, specific business and legal knowledge to operate a charitable org on a national level, but I don't have the info for how this shakes out in terms of % of gross. Goodwill claims to use 82 cents of every dollar for their programs. I'm struggling to figure out what those programs are. Still, I will say this, it's not cheap to run those stores. The one closest to us pays about $3000.00 a month in rent, and my guess is liability insurance is rather stout. So, if you multiplied that by say one store in every major hamlet (though not every county because we have many counties without a Goodwill, but then counties around the city, so maybe...I don't know...100 stores, that's $300,000 in rent and if rent is this much around here, it's probably worse in the city.

 

Wiki, if it is to be believed, said Goodwill's tax documents from 2013 were just released and indicated that a very large % of stores pay less then minimum wage under the sub-minimum wage act of 1938 - don't know how many employees this affects - and total compensation to executives was 53.7 million. It appears that gross monies ran in the 4.4 billion range. Again, it's Wiki...not the best source of info, but tax info is tax info and if they are inaccurate, you'd think Goodwill would have been all over that by now.

 

So, I guess that in terms of gross income, executive compensation is not that large. However, for the disabled employees falling under the sub-minimum act, it looks like compensation runs 22 cents or so per hour. I am not familiar with the programs that Goodwill underwrites so don't have an opinion on whether or not these are worth high priced used items, executive compensation, and low wages for everyone else. But, I do know that I'm not paying that kind of money for beat up things.

 

 

[Tiramisu]

I used to live on thrift store stuff but now I'm finding it cheaper to hunt through discount stores and clearance racks.

[Violet Crown]

There's a Goodwill next to the main Half Price near me, with shelves full of books still with the $0.50 yellow Clearance tag from the HP's shelf (literally yards away), being offered now for a couple of dollars. Any time Goodwill gets hold of a book from before 1970, they apparently decide it's an antique and put it in their display case for a high price. It's amazing.

[Guest inoubliable]

Our SA is like this. They built a huge new space several years ago and it seems like they're paying out the nose for it all. 

Our Goodwills and the thrift shops run by the SPCA, the hospital, and the local hospice are MUCH lower in price and have a lot more people in them at any given time. 

[twoxcell]

Our Salvation Army is ridiculously cheap. The best is when they have 25% off everything days or 50% off books. Goodwill is a bit more expensive but you can still find some good deals. In Lane County I prefer St. Vincent De Paul. It is interesting thought that the thrift stores in Portland are way more expensive than the rest of the state.

[GSOchristie]

I stopped shopping at Goodwill for this reason, I have never actually been to our Salvation Army. There is an amazing, HUGE thrift store here called Value Village, they are dirt cheap for lots of name brand items, and they put everything that has been in the store for more than 3 weeks on sale for half off, 3 weeks 75% off. I just got Asher a pair of Ralph Laren boots that look brand new for $2.50 and a Gymboree barn jacket with no wear for $1.50. I can't even shop at Once Upon a Child anymore because they seem expensive.

[Julie Smith]

Unrelated.

 

My Mom use to work at a fancy fancy dress shop. She would buy her clothes from the Salvation Army. But when the other employees asked asked she would say, "I got this outfit from SallyAnn" Lots of people ended up thinking there was another fancy clothes story in town.

 

To this day The salvation army, or Goodwill or Value Village is called, "Sally Ann" in our family.

[Greta]

Didn't I hear somewhere that the head honcho at Goodwill made some astronomical amount of money last year????

While paying employees LESS than minimum wage, yes.

[twoxcell]

 

While paying employees LESS than minimum wage, yes.

My MIL works at Goodwill and makes more than minimum wage. Minimum wage is quite high in Oregon.

[Greta]

My MIL works at Goodwill and makes more than minimum wage. Minimum wage is quite high in Oregon.

I didn't meant that they pay all of their employees less, but they do pay some less. I'll see if I can find some links.

[twoxcell]

 

I didn't meant that they pay all of their employees less, but they do pay some less. I'll see if I can find some links.

I have never heard that so I'm curious as well.

[ondreeuh]

We don't have my national thrift stores in my town, but have several church-run ones. The best is a Catholic one. Picture books are $0.10, most chapter books a quarter. Curriculum is about $0.50 to $1.00 (and they often have great stuff!). They are very busy and have a super quick turnover. I try to go once a week.

 

There is a Value Village 10 miles away and it's hit or miss. Plain shirts are like $9, but I did get a nearly new chemistry set for $25.

[Greta]

I have never heard that so I'm curious as well.

I'd heard it, but hadn't really looked I to it, so I'm glad you prompted me to investigate it.

 

Apparently there is some antiquated law which allows them to pay disabled employees less, because they are less "productive". I'm finding some articles that say some of their employees earn as little as 22 cents per hour. It's nothing more than legalized discrimination. And particularly shameful for an organization that calls itself a charity!

 

https://nfb.org//americans-disabilities-protest-goodwill’s-subminimum-wages

[twoxcell]

 

Apparently there is some antiquated law which allows them to pay disabled employees less, because they are less "productive". I'm finding some articles that say some of their employees earn as little as 22 cents per hour. It's nothing more than legalized discrimination. And particularly shameful for an organization that calls itself a charity!

Wow that is sad. :( I have always wondered what charity Goodwill actually provides. It sounds like not much, like I suspected.

[Lara in Colo]

Not only that, but a lot of their workers are people working off community service hours for various court judgements.

[Lara in Colo]

I would actually like to see what their "good works" are.  I have to believe that they actually do good works, but I cannot actually think of any I have seen.

[Violet Crown]

The last day I shopped at Goodwill, I commiserated with the checkout clerk, a tiny woman who looked about ten months pregnant and who was shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot, saying I hoped she got a chance to sit down soon. She said she wasn't permitted to sit at any time during her 8-hour shift. Just inhuman, and quite possibly a violation of federal law.

[kiwik]

I have noticed this trend in New Zealand too. I think they shifted from providing cheap stuff as a service to the community (is the charity in itself) to selling second hand goods to raise money to provide services for the community (fund raising). Here most of the workers are volunteers.

[Seasider]

Unrelated.

 

My Mom use to work at a fancy fancy dress shop. She would buy her clothes from the Salvation Army. But when the other employees asked asked she would say, "I got this outfit from SallyAnn" Lots of people ended up thinking there was another fancy clothes story in town.

 

To this day The salvation army, or Goodwill or Value Village is called, "Sally Ann" in our family.

Haha, my dad used to say Jacques Pene (pen-AY, in his finest French accent), referring to JC Penney's.

[amo_mea_filiis.]

Around here it's called "Sally's." Took me over a year to figure out what everyone was talking about! Lol.

[PrairieSong]

I have noticed this trend also.  Years ago there were much better deals at the Goodwill and SA.  I love our small local thrift store.  It's not as huge, but they have great deals and monthly sack sale days.  They also help the needy in our community, and the staff are all volunteers.  

[MrsJewelsRae]

We have a Salvation Army thrift store in town and it is dirt cheap! They regularly have their children's books on 10 for $1- that includes brand new hardcovers, kids novels, etc. kids wear is about 50 cents to $1 per item. It's a pretty shabby store, but I always find a few great gems in there that I'm really happy about. They had kids footwear on for 50% off in the fall, so it was 50 cents and they gave me brand new kids adjustable hockey skates for 50 cents cause they said it was considered footwear! I don't usually bother looking through the ladies clothes, they're really a jumbled mess with far too much wading than my kids would allow before going ape! ;) We have a few thrift stores like this in town, but we have a high welfare population. We also have Value Village which is often far overpriced, but it's very nicely organized, and I can usually find some things if I have the time to look it over carefully, their prices seem to have dropped lately.

[Guest]

I refuse to shop at Salvation Army or Goodwill anymore.  The prices are outrageous.  I prefer to shop at the couple small town ones we have that our local charities profit from.  One is run by ladies from a women's shelter, and the other runs to fund our local help center. (Gives rent assistance, helps with signing up for food stamps, etc.)

[DawnM]

Most Salvation Armies have 50% off clothing on Wednesdays.  I went a couple of Wed. ago and got two pairs of almost new Levi 501s for my husband for $3.50 each.  I would not have paid $7 for them.

 

I also got several T-shirts for my son for $1.50 each.  Again, $3 would have been too much.

 

We have some other thrift stores in the area that are not SA or GW and are cheaper.  I prefer to go there, but they don't always have the best selection.

 

Dawn

[eaglei]

We have a GREAT Salvation Army.  Really nice items, including clothes, VERY reasonably priced.  Books are generally a quarter for paperback and fifty cents for hardback - but - for quite some time now, ALL books have been a dime each.  (Too bad I quit buying even used books as a way of saving on the budget . . .)

 

One of the things I like best is that they have a Bag Sale every so often (clothes and shoes only) where it's one price for a totally stuffed bag - and usually clothes are hanging out over the bag because the proprietor really stuffs the stuff in and will not start another bag unless she absolutely has to.  Even the clothes on the *new* rack (that still have store tags on them) are included.  Also, during non-bag-sale times, she will quietly discount stuff when she knows a family is hurting or has been going through a rough time.

 

 

[amo_mea_filiis.]

We have 50% off Wednesdays, and that's usually when I go. Of course it's only shoes and clothes, and there's always an excluded tag color.

[amo_mea_filiis.]

Books are crazy cheap, but we rarely have much that's good. Or it's a good book in disgusting condition (I'm talking mold and cat pee!).

[ElizabethB]

You can look up most organizations on Charity Navigator. Salvation Army is exempt, however. Hmmmm.

 

I looked up Goodwill it seems to be broken up into smaller units, you can look up your local Goodwill or any you are interested in. Here is randomly the Denver one:

 

http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=8061#.UfMp0su9KSM

[Violet Crown]

The SA is a church and so doesn't file the tax form that Charity Navigator uses to evaluate charities.

[Mom0012]

Same thing with our local thrift store. I rarely go in anymore unless my kids just want to look around. I often see the same old stuff on the shelf. They have even started taking some of the better items they get and putting them up for silent auction. They used to have tons of homeschooling materials, and there are so many people that homeschool in our area, it's what you would expect. I think they've found a better way to make money off that because they never have anything anymore. I refuse to pay retail prices for somebody else's old junk.