7 Reasons I’ll Pay High Prices at Thrift Stores
If there’s one thing we love, it’s cheap prices at thrift stores.
I’m lucky that I’ve got the best thrift stores here in Maryland.
But this week I stumbled upon an upscale thrift store that made me stop in my tracks.
(See the other amazing stuff I found at the thrift store this week, too).
I’d never heard of this store, Life4Animals Thrift, in Gaithersburg, Maryland. This was a new neighborhood about 30 minutes away (I live in Silver Spring). I was about to get into my van when I saw it. I had to stop!!
The first thing when I walked in was this massive dresser! The first thing I said to a passerby when she commented on how beautiful it was, was “Yeah, but how in the world am I going to get up there?”
Then I gasped when I read the pricetag:
$3,200!!!
Apparently dressers like this go for $13,000 (so said the employee), but still, there was no way I was paying that amount for a dresser. From a thrift store, at that.
I kept walking and saw this vintage buffet. It was pristine.
I noticed the price was $250.
Which made me wonder, “Would I pay $250 for a buffet?” I’m so used to finding buffets (like this vintage buffet I made over) for $50 or less, it was hard to imagine paying that amount.
I turned to my Thrift Diving Facebook page and posed the question: “Would you buy this buffet for $250?” and got a mix bag of responses, from “That is NOT a thrift store” to “It looks antique & if it is and in good condition I would pay $250.”
And I wondered what YOU would say…
Would YOU pay $250 for this buffet??
Yesterday I thought I wouldn’t.
But the more I thought about it, and how clean this thrift store was (excuse me, upscale thrift store, as they call themselves online), I think I would.
And here’s why:
7 Reasons Why I Would Pay Higher Prices at a Thrift Store
1. Organized = They Care
Talk about organized! This was so unlike my usual Value Village thrift store (located on New Hampshire and Powder Mill in the Hillandale shopping center, for all you locals). It was the difference between going to Walmart versus going to Walgreens, if that makes sense. Things here weren’t all scattered and misplaced. It looked like someone took thought to carefully place and arrange items, as if they were valuable and loved.
Even the kid’s section was cutely organized. My 3 sons could hang out in this spot while Mommy shops, and it felt more like a play area at a cool bookshop. I really liked that!
2. It didn’t smell!
You know that familiar thrifted odor, right? The kind that hits you in the face as soon as the door opens and makes you hold your breath? But then you realize you’d rather shop than faint, so you just adjust. HA!
When I leave my favorite thrift store, I want to douse my hands in disinfectant (don’t say you don’t want to do the same).
But this place….smelled normal. It was welcoming. It was cleaner. Less icky. And because of that, I think I’d be willing to spend more money if the “ICK” factor isn’t there.
3. They weren’t ripping people off.
They had this amazing mid-century modern buffet for $150. Again, although more expensive than what I usually buy, it was still a solid piece.
They had these end tables for $40 for the pair, which I thought was reasonable, too. I’ve paid $30 for one end table at Value Village, where I get all my deals. So $20 for one here was reasonable, I thought.
And the fact that I walked out of there with the cutest OWL BRACELET for only $3.00 (love it!!), and a wooden necklace for $3.00, it was a happy shopping experience! I liked that I could find treasures at cheaper price points without feeling like everything was jacked up. There was something there for everyone.
I also picked up this desk lamp for $10. It was solid!!!
And this Coach belt I got for $3.00, too!
And I got this mirror for $12! I’m going to spray paint it pink (maybe) and put it in my master bedroom, which I made over recently.
And I also picked up with metal little table with glass inserts, for $8!
Even though I didn’t get this headboard, the fact that it was $8.00 impressed me. I felt like it should have cost so much more. It would have been a fabulous bench!
I also didn’t get any of these pieces of furniture. They were about $100 each.
4. It came highly recommended.
I love talking to other thrift divers. You get the whole story about a thrift store. One of the customers had found this ah-mazing coat rack for $40. She said she’d been shopping at this store for years, and that they had the best stuff. She was also a DIY-lover of painting furniture and making things over. You have to listen to the regulars. If they say it’s a great spot, then you’ve found a goldmine. We’ve got to support the good shops!
5. I’ve paid $250 for Ikea….so why not vintage??
I’ve probably paid more for my Ikea bedroom furniture that we’re still rockin’ after 12 years (it’s nailed together, though…just sayin’…). So why wouldn’t I pay $250 for a buffet that would probably last long enough to pass down to my children’s children’s children? It’s okay to pay for quality. (Now…I have to say, if you’re buying $250 furniture to resell, you won’t make much profit. But for yourself?? Go for it!
6. It supports a good cause.
Let’s not forget the whole point of thrift stores: to do good for communities and causes.
So imagine if we spend $250 on a buffet. So what?? We’re helping a nonprofit (in this case, the Washington Animal Rescue League). Although, did you see the big stink going on about Savers and how they have been sued $1.8 million because they weren’t honest about the amount of their revenue goes to the non-profits they’re supposed to be supporting? Yep, read that article here. But for the most post, I think thrift stores are genuine, and our money goes to good causes.
7. We waste money on other things.
I could easily buy a blogging conference ticket for $250, which is a one or two day event, and then it’s over. Hopefully I would gain something from it that lasts a lifetime, but you know what I mean. If you can pay $250 for this or that, why not for quality furniture that will last a lifetime? Especially if it’s an in-demand piece like this buffet.
It’s all a matter of what we value. And while you don’t have to spend tons to get good furniture, when you do come across good furniture at a thrift store, don’t be afraid to pay a little more for it. In the end, you get your money’s worth!
So what about you?
Would you have bought any of these pieces of furniture for these prices? Have you ever turned down thrifted furniture because you thought it was too expensive? Leave a comment below and add to the conversation!
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You make some excellent points!
Why, thank you! There have been some other really interesting points of views in the comments section, too!
Yes, I would pay $250 for that buffet; I wouldn’t have to do anything to it and I would have an item of heirloom value. My daughter now owns my grandmother’s pedal sewing machine (which she displays in her Great Room) and a mini-buffet that I owned for many years. Vintage furniture, even veneered pieces, are much more durable and of better quality than today’s that are often made in China.
The sweet headboard appears to be missing its top, but yes, I agree that it would make a lovely bench. At $8 it is a bargain. After what you have showed us of the upscale thrift store, I really wish that I didn’t live 3,000 miles away! 🙂
Sounds like you taught your daughter the love of antiques and vintage. That’s awesome! I can’t wait to see what effect I’ve had on my 3 boys 🙂 I’m sure her Great Room looks amazing!
If I had the money and it was my style I would buy it in a heartbeat
Tomorrow that same store is having a 50% off sale for the holiday! EEK! I think I’ll NOT go so I don’t tempt myself. LOL
I would have bought it for that price. I’ve paid more for antique trunks and a beautiful tiger oak dresser. It looks like it wouldn’t need more than a good cleaning (I clean everything before I bring it into the house). I paid way too much for a steamer trunk that all the tries in the world couldn’t get the mustiness out of, until I scraped all the lining out of it, aired it out in the sun and then refinished the inside. Now it’s a treasure, and I would never part with it. I’ve always wanted a buffet like that, so I would hope I had my husband’s SUV and the cash if I came across it!
Oh wow! I think the most I have paid for something was an antique Victrola record player, and I don’t even know if it works properly, or if I am doing something wrong.
I’m not sure if I would have paid $250 for that buffet or not – but not because it was in a place that named itself a thrift store but because the market would not bear that down here. we call those places like you were in a used furniture store and we all expect to pay higher prices in those instead of thrift stores. My parents were antiques collectors so i’ve been in every kind of store you can imagine buying furniture pieces – non-smelly is always better!
Yeah, they called themselves an “upscale thrift store” on their website. Sounds like that’s a “used furniture store.” Especially the $3200 dresser! HAHA!
I think the buffet is totally worth $250.00. I live in Cincinnati and we have shops such as you went to. The pieces are gently used and some came from very old families of our town. We have a chain called Snooty Fox. They can’t keep home decor and furniture. It sells so quickly. Priced well also and I am a true bargain hunter also.
Awesome, Judith! I’ve never heard of Snooty Fox. Is it just for that area? I just Googled it and I think I see one in Virginia, too?
Hi Serena,
I really enjoyed reading about your experience at this store. I agree that sometimes
a higher end thrift can be worth checking out. My experience with this is mainly based
in NYC, and the outer suburbs of NYC.
My daughter and I both love thrift stores, and several times we have made the 45 minute to an hour
drive to the Westchester towns like New Rochelle, and Port Chester, rather than staying in NYC. Not
only is the furniture of better quality but there is more to pick from. I used to wonder why but now
I think not so many people in those towns ever go to a thrift store- so there’s more left for us.
I have a Thomasville chair from one of those higher end stores, and I’m getting ready to make it a slipcover. We must have owned this chair for about 10 years, and it still beats the higher priced finds
I’ve been seeing on Craigslist,( we only paid $30 for it, like I said many years ago.)
As high as furniture is now, I think I would consider a buffet from a place like you visited. I think they look really valuable and I’d be happy to own one of them.
Keep up the good work, I’m enjoying your writing and pictures!
Hi Janet! I have a friend that used to live in New Rochelle. 🙂 She’s in the Bronx now, but lived in a really nice high rise in New Rochelle.
I love that you go with your daughter to thrift stores! It’s really a tradition we pass down, isn’t it?! 🙂 I should write a post about that. I’m inspired. 🙂
Terrific article! So many pieces of furniture at thrift stores is cheaply made, I think people are used to seeing those prices. If it’s really well-made it’s what I think of as generational furniture, something you’ll pass on to your kids. There is no amount of money that I’d take for my late grandmother’s cedar hope chest, and if I came across a similar piece at a thrift store, I’d expect it to be at least $100.
You are exactly right! Although I do see a mix of stuff–cheap stuff, and the real quality stuff. But not THAT high of quality like that buffet! My buffet was $50 at the thrift store, and although nice, wasn’t this valuable, I don’t think. It was definitely worth the price.
That buffet in my opinion is not worth $250.00. Everything shaped like that piece: blocky with high legs was made C 1920’s. It might be better quality then the ones in other thrift shops however that style of furniture has never become popular therefore isn’t worth much. Not saying if you happen to have Grandma’s table and chairs in good condition and this piece is similar, that you should not purchase it! Just that the pieces like this are more appealing when done over in funky style. I’d probably never pay that much for something I wanted to paint.
Question, do you sell the furniture you make over?
Hey, Margia! Generally, I don’t see what I make over, but I will and have, but very casually. I once did a vintage booth for 6 months and sold a few things, but the hassle of it was not worth it. I generally refinish things for my own home. But if I can sell a few pieces that I don’t have space for, I will try to sell them. 🙂
I can’t say enough how much I LOVE this article and I hope there’s more to come in the future. It helps so much when another thrift hunter shares their ‘finds’ and lets us know the prices too. I found the three tier $8 glass table to be a good find and my favorite piece was the mid-century modern buffet for $150. I shop at several different thrift stores in my area and they range from ‘super thrift aka smelly’ to the ‘higher end which will usually always = pricy’ or at least more money than I really want to spend. Every great once in a while I will pass on a treasure because of the price and regret it later. I truly hate when that happens too. My husband helps keep me grounded with words of wisdom so that I don’t over-buy, but he also gives me these wonderful words of wisdom ‘If you ABSOLUTLY love it then buy it.’ He knows all too well how I have agonized over missing out on something I was in love with because I was ‘too cheap’ for my own good. The only extra thing my husband added to this is that if it’s a really expensive piece please at least call me and lets discuss it before you leave the store. I’m so blessed with such a wonderful ‘enabler’ to my obssession! Thanks again for this article and I would love to see more of this from you and maybe even some of your fans out there too. Thanks a bunch, Adrian
Hi Adrian! What a great comment! First, I have to say, your husband is AMAZING! It’s a struggle with my husband sometimes. He will keep quiet about my obsession, but then he will get fed up and blow up at me about “all the stuff” I keep bringing home. LOL. It’s not THAT bad, but to someone that doesn’t have that same passion for the old and/or ugly, he doesn’t get it.So that’s good your husband is supportive that way!
Second, I love posting thrift hauls! It’s fun to share the stuff I find! And then to make it over, is like closing the loop. Always fun :). I’m really thinking about updating my site so that people can upload their own finds directly to my site, but I have to figure out how I want to organize it so that it can be done easily for everyone. I’ll keep you posted on that!! Thanks so much, and I’m glad you’re a part of this blog, too 🙂