Reader Question: What To Do When a Thrift Store Item is Priced High? + Haggling

I'm getting a lot of questions about thrifting and reselling right now and I love it! I'm using stolen time to get a helpful reselling eBook written (and many more from there!) so please, send me any and all questions, it helps me make sure I write a complete book that addressed all the common problem areas. A reader, Tracy, sent me a long list of helpful questions that I'll address in the book (good ones like, "do thrifted items need to be in perfect condition" and "is there a quick way to tell if something's worth money or in high demand?") but the following is one that comes up often:

"When you find that perfect item at the thrift store but its priced to high in your opinion. My question is sometimes I see things in a thrift store and wonder if they have priced it too high. And even if its priced fairly when should you walk away from a piece that might be at a price point where you may not make money off of it and its not worth it. That made me think of one more haha. When thrifting at your local thrift store or at a goodwill or salvation army is it in poor form to haggle or is that considered smart thrifting?"

I like to be able to at least triple the amount I paid for the item, especially for reselling! If I did the math and it didn't equal at least twice what I paid for it, I will leave it alone. I will pay more for items that are extra special to me, that I really feel like I'll treasure forever for my own collection, but not for reselling. If I felt like I would only double the profit, I might still buy the item if it was very unique and interesting.

You will get a feel for what will sell for what price the more you resell, but in the meantime,  you can also whip out your phone in the store and find the same or similar listings and see if they sold and what they sold for. You should still continue research on the norm to keep your skills for picking the right items in your chosen "genre" sharp.

Haggling is a polarizing topic, for me it definitely depends on the venue, the amount of the item, whether it's a group of items and the "feel" I get from the individual. Most vendors from my experience are not insulted if you ask for a group deal, it helps them get rid of more stock. Asking for discounts at not-for-profit organizations that benefit charities is generally considered poor taste, but if it's a big and/or costly item or a group deal you're still giving them money and I don't think it's a problem. I'll admit I've been guilty of asking for discounts on items that were $3.00 or less long ago in the past, but now I have more empathy. That person's out there trying to make money just like you, just cough up the $3.00 if you really like the item or walk away if it's not even worth that much to you. There is plenty more junk out there. Trust me!

A rule of thumb with haggling, if the store's or individual's wares are very neatly categorized, organized, and priced, they are less likely to haggle. If the wares and jumbled and you have to dig, they are usually more welcome to haggling. This is not always true, I've haggled with very tidy vendors, and I've offended "junk" dealers by trying to make lower offers, but it's something to take into consideration.

What do you do when an item is priced too high? Most of the time I take a picture to remember it if allowed, then walk away. I will buy if it's something extra special and/or necessary.

Daily thrifting updates, information, & Inspiration: Follow Thrift Core on Twitter and Facebook.