Never were truer words said. I also work at a local thrift store and the number of people that take off price stickers, change tags, etc... is shocking! We try to only use painters tape which comes off easier, but there are times when you have to use the heavy duty stuff. I'm surprised you got all the pieces to your croquet set - most of the time they get parted out - pieces here and there. We have seen parents leave their children in the kitchen section playing with knives and meat cleavers!!! People destroy sets all day long, and it is not only frustrating but disheartening . We only love when wonderful things come and and do our best to price, package and display these treasures! It's a much harder job than you can imagine for which the average worker is making minimum wage or less.

I know these all pet peeves but as someone who runs a non for profit thrift store let me enlighten you on some of the things that were mentioned.

Tape: we tape to keep things together. People love to separate things. We find one shoe on this side of the store & one on the other. Same with dishes if we don’t tape them together they walk away or are separated as said above.
I feel you on the crochet set. They over did the tape but I promis it would of been in 50 pieces all over the store if they hadn’t.

Price tag crazy: thieves is all I have to say!!! People change tags, remove tags, write new prices on them and anything else you think was possible. So we tag a ton especially on higher priced items so they don’t randomly ask a volunteer and get that $15 vintage Tupperware set in mint condition for $3.00 cause the volunteer or employee doesn’t know what it is or the price.

Staples: hate them!!!!! Hate!!!! Agree that they shouldn’t be used!

Clothing tagging prong things: gosh do we try to put them in tags or other areas that won’t hurt the items but mistakes happen and we’re sorry for it. Also we try to standerdize where we put them so they are easy to find.

Non complete or items not together and price separate: you wouldn’t believe how people donate things! You put everything together clean and neat well most people don’t we get 10 totes of mismatched, dirty items and we have to sort, pair & clean everything! Please understand & point it out to us we most likely will pair!

I love the feedback & ideas!

Please remember that just because we get it for free doesn’t mean we can just give it away. I have to pay for the employees, the building, racks, cleaning supplies and all the other things that it takes to run a business. I’m very lucky and the company owns the building. But most have rent /mortgage. I only have a 40% profit margin. That means we only donate 40c on every dollar. So truelly id love to never hear that statement again considering all the money we do make goes back to our charity unlike othe thrift stores.

Again thanks & sorry for the long post

P.s. the amount of theft in thrift stores would blow your mind!

Finally! An answer to the packing tape irritation. Hope it works on plastics.

1. Price stickers put onto the top of an old leather covered desk, or directly onto a paper print (framed, but with no glass) so that the green and gilt leather finish or part of print come off with the stickers.

2. I have no problem with a pair of lamps or candlesticks being priced separately, but I often find parts of the SAME ITEM priced that way. Example: I found a pair of marble urns, took them, and as I walked around the store, I found their matching LIDS on another shelf, also priced. Another time I found a carved German creche priced as a set, missing the figure of Mary. I found Mary in another part of the store 10 minutes later with a price all her own. Then there was a porcelain tea set being sold AS a set - but with the tea pot and two of eight saucers being priced separately. Arrrrrghhhh!

That's a positive spin on packing tape if I ever heard one 🙂 I just wish they would put paper underneath the tape so it doesn't pull off the paint. My store has gotten MUCH better with using it sparingly though!

I work at a thrift shore and I here you. We never use tape. But our price tags are all full . Not as bad as good will or as big but I have had some complaints . We get them for free so what you going to do. So I'm really happy to here about the hair dryer. I will tell my customers . Thrift in my friends.