Weird TS experience...

[only1genevieve]

My mom and I decided to stop by the Goodwill today, so I could peek and see if they had any AG stuff. Well, after digging through a TON of baby dolls, I didn't have much luck.

However, while my mom and I were going through the furniture section, I saw a girl my age taking things out of her cart and putting them on the various pieces of furniture. Among the things she put out? Two little wooden dutch shoes that would be PERFECT for Kirsten (right size and everything). She had turned around and was doing something else, so I started to pick them up saying, "Oh, you don't want these?"

"Yes I do!" She snatched them back. Uh, ok. I smiled and moved on. Well, I was pretty sure the girl didn't ACTUALLY want them (and was just being defensive of something she was indecisive about) and so my mom and I hung out nearby to see what she would do. Well!

So, the girl's cart was PACKED with stuff. At first glance, it looked like she was setting up for an apartment. Then, on closer inspection, everything in her cart was stuff that would have high resell on ebay--Bakelite kitchen utensils, a Bert And Earnie cake pan, Atari games and that sort of thing. So what did this girl do when she thought no one was watching? She took everything out of her cart, including a bunch of little junk items. Then she switched the price tags of the collectable items with the junk items, and put the junk items back! She took the tag off of the little shoes altogether!

Further more, a man who worked there was sitting there watching as she did it, like he was keeping an eye out.

Is that strange or what? Since she definitely came in after us, and I know I didn't see her shopping at all, and I KNOW I didn't see any of the stuff that was in her cart on the racks (I specifically went looking for Atari games for my brothers, and I recognize Bakelite when I see it) I think the worker had been holding stuff aside for the girl, knowing she would sell it on Ebay!

UGH. The thing is, I don't mind if people sell stuff on Ebay that they find in TS. It's part of the thrill of the hunt, right? And a lot of people make a living at it. It's just that 1) she was going to get rid of those shoes until I said I wanted them 2) The idea that this guy was holding stuff back for her kind of stinks, because it means other people didn't have a fair chance at it, 3) She was stealing from a charity because she was switching price tags. Grrr, the nerve of people really gets to me sometimes.

[wrxgirl]

How horrible! I do believe in Karma, and I know if people keep it up, they will get whats coming to them! This world is really messed up and the sad thing is, the more the years go by, the worse it seems to get! [img]frown.gif[/img] Very sad...

[KariS]

That reminds me of what happened to us last year. One of my neighbors had a garage sale last year and offered to sell some of my DD's old toys/clothes/videos. I dropped the stuff off already marked with prices that I thought were appropriate - and most of the toys (all in really good shape) were a couple of dollars. Later, when I went to pick up my remaining items and money, the woman who had the sale commented that she couldn't believe how cheaply the items were marked. Turns out someone was peeling the "cheap" price stickers (like a $0.25 sticker that was on 3 pair socks) and putting them on things like our Little People doll house. So someone was getting like-new toys for practically pennies. The lady running the sale (sorry) had to have been kind of dense to think I was selling stuff that cheap, but regardless it ****ed me off that people do things like that.

[monimarine]

I agree with wrxgal, Karma. What goes around comes around. Unfortunately it can get worse than your TS experience. My first year being a coordinator for Toys for Tots, the veterans told me to watch the barrels very closely. There are people who will REMOVE (steal) toys that have been donated. I caught other people using my donation barrels as trash cans. Popsicle sticks on brand new donated stuffed animals. [img]frown.gif[/img]

As if they can't see the bright, big poster with red letters that say USMC Toys for Tots?

[bethmn]

That's just plain wrong.!!!!

[amyjoy]

That is awful!!!!!! It is horrible the things people do, I just can't believe imagine being like that!!!!!! Shame on her!!!! [img]graemlins/thumbs_down.gif[/img] [img]frown.gif[/img]

[sparkygrl]

We actually have to go through the items we collect at the firehouse for Christmas, you wouldn't believe the old "stuff" people donate -- broken toys, dirty stuffed animals. It's like they clean their basement/garage and bring it to us to dispose of as charity... I really do hope they mean well, but...