Didn't want to hijack a thread so-----------

 

My local Habitat store has a "no bargaining" policy.  Whatever price they post is what they want/take---whether it is ridiculously overpriced not.

 

My daughter's local store will still let you dicker & many times will voluntarily adjust the price on their own initiative. Except it's over 800 miles away.

 

So how is your local store??  Maybe they are privately owned?

 

BTW I'm not trying to steal the stuff but having them try to sell the goods at full or close to full retail is insane.   

 

smitty

We have one here, just opened up about a year ago. I've been there a couple of times when looking for a speciality item. So far I haven't found anything I needed. They have mostly furniture.

You must live in an area where they don't get many donations.  The store here prices the items very competitively so they can move it quickly.  Their storage area is always jammed full with new items coming through the door daily.  The price is the price as far as I know.  Never asked.  The tags on the items have a date code on them and they will lower the price if it sits too long. 

To the best of my knowledge, each Restore is local to that county.   There are a lot of Restores all over the country and some of them have 2 stores (Like Cleveland/Cuyahoga County).   Whether they "deal" or not is up to the local administration and the same for their pricing (at ours they look up the price online and most of the time if they find it the item is tagged at 50% or less of retail;

sometimes a lot less).   Other items someone simply makes an educated guess as to a value; it's all priced to go.   We DO get complaints from folks that our prices are too high, but generally our prices are pretty good and most people realize it's for a good cause.   we did have a manager at one point who was making all kinds of deals, but it gives our customers the feeling of a flea market instead of a store and that's pretty much been stopped.  One thing he did say that made sense (well, at least to me) was that we don't get paid to store stuff (of course, we don't make anything on it at give-away prices, either).

 

A lot of what gets donated seems to depend on where the store is located, population, businesses, etc.   To be honest, it often looks like grandpa or grandma passed away and the kids don't want any of their stuff - furniture, dishes, tools, hardware, you name it. 

 

I just volunteer there - not on the board and no authority over anything (just ask my wife).

14 hours ago, lew said:

We have one here, just opened up about a year ago. I've been there a couple of times when looking for a speciality item. So far I haven't found anything I needed. They have mostly furniture.

same here and used cabinets..

Ours seems to have changed course over the past 18-24 months. I haven't seen a stationary power tool or bench top power tool for months. Used to always be something along that line. I suspect a volunteer or two is either cherry picking or holding for a friend. During the same time frame, two local CL posters always seems to have stationary/bench tools; their postings seem to roll over reasonably quick. May just be coincidence; seems odd though.

 

There used to be a very good hardware selection too...no more. The "showroom" is 100% exclusively furniture anymore. Last trip (a couple of days ago), the warehouse area was probably 25% furniture, 25% cabinets, then maybe 10% each for hardware/tools combined, appliances, tubs/showers/toilets, misc doors/windows, and just miscellaneous.

 

Prices are usually pretty fair IMO...they have a color code price tag which relates to duration in store. Green is current price, orange is 20% off, yellow, 50% off, blue 75% off. They have worked with me fairly on prices for quantity or larger purchases. I know it's all donated but that doesn't equate to 100% profit. They do have some FT paid staff, some PT paid staff, and lots of volunteers. Recipients of the new or remodeled homes usually work the paid positions developing job skills in many cases and often transition to volunteer positions.

 

I stop there first before going to a BORG for plumbing fittings, some hardware etc. Almost always 50% less than the BORGS if they have it...Easy parking and in/out store plus very clean bathrooms.

There is one Restore near me.  I stop in occasionally, but I don't think I have bought anything there yet.  A lot of mismatched paint, used window/door units, ceiling fans and a lot of furniture.  Very few tools.  Don't know if they will deal on the price or not, but I think not.  Seems like a year or so ago I was in and seen some pipe insulation - it was priced higher than new at HD and the girl just shrugged.

Anyhow, it is on the opposite side of town from me where I seldom go.  It is across the street from the farmers market where I buy my honey, so I will continue to stop in occasionally.