Saturday, April 28, 2012

The 7 Deadly Sins Of Thrifting

Repent, all ye greedy thrifters. 

When most people picture the average thrift shopper, they probably are thinking of an ecologically-friendly, price-savvy guy or gal who enjoys knowing that their dollars are going to serve a good cause in the community. 

There are, however, those who use and abuse thrift stores with awful acts of greed, ignorance and total disregard toward the establishment, staff and even other thrift shoppers.

Those who perpetrate these acts are likely committing at least one of...

The 7 Deadly Sins of Thrifting

  1. Stealing. Stealing from a thrift store is robbing employees of a paycheck and the charities that thrift store supports.
  2. Price Changing. Price changing is stealing. Pay the price that's marked or don't buy it.
  3. Making a mess you expect others will clean up for you. If you knock a sweater off the hanger, pick it up and put it back. Don't leave it on the floor for someone else to step on.
  4. "Shopping" from other people's carts. Accept the fact that someone may beat you to the punch and grab something you just love. Unless they put it back to the shelf, they have dibs. So don't take anything out of their cart on the sly.
  5. Blocking the aisle with your cart. Intentionally blocking off an aisle of the store so you can scan the entire section undisturbed is just plain rude. If you end up blocking, clear a path if someone asks to squeeze past you. And hold the attitude when you do it. 
  6. Disrespecting the staff. Arguing prices or getting sassy with the clerk unlocking the fitting room if you have more than the limit allows...is simply unacceptable behavior. How would you like it if these thrift employees hassled you when you were trying to work?
  7. Condescension. Just because you may thrift for leisure and can maybe afford to shop elsewhere doesn't mean you have the right snub anyone in the vicinity. Also keep your negative opinions to yourself when it comes to what other thrifters are buying. If I'm buying a clown doll you think is hideous, chances are I know it's hideous... and that's why I'm buying it. 
I've been witness to some pretty disturbing thrifting behavior, and it's always disheartening to see. It's true that any job involving direct interaction with the public faces perils such as these. Employees and volunteers could likely tell you stories that would shock the hell out of you. Price haggling, shoplifting, physical if not verbal altercations between customers. It  happens. Yikes!  

But as I always say, thrift and let thrift. Don't cheat, lie, steal or be unbearably rude. Otherwise your thrift karma will be dangerously off-kilter, so much in fact, that you may be greeted with bare shelves and empty racks at thrift stores forever and ever until you come clean from your bad thrifting behavior. So be good little thrifters, ladies and gents. Be neat, buy honestly, donate and say hello to the staff while you're at it. 


What bad thrifting behavior have you witnessed? 


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