Goodwill/SA/Thrift Store Discussions & Finds

It was a good night at the outlet. Buried at the bottom of a bin a vhs tapes were four 1950's pinup magazines. One has a multipage set of Betty Page. Also found a book of Jamaican poetry, first printing. Big big money. As usual sorry for the sideways photos, no way around it with my phone.

Cool finds! Did you find any examples of that poetry book that have sold? I did a quick search and found it listed for $200+ on Amazon, but Amazon lies about value. Ive found quite a few examples of books priced up into the $200-$500 range on Amazon because of some kind of automatic pricing glitch. My gut is telling me that book is worth around $50-$75, but I could be wrong!
 
It was a good night at the outlet. Buried at the bottom of a bin a vhs tapes were four 1950's pinup magazines. One has a multipage set of Betty Page. Also found a book of Jamaican poetry, first printing. Big big money. As usual sorry for the sideways photos, no way around it with my phone.

Nice finds. Great way to turn a fiver into a hundy. There are book pickers with cell phone ISBN scanners checking book prices at my GW Outlet. They sit there all day long. Books are not my specialty but if I spot a nice architectural coffee table book that the pros left behind, I'm in for 75 cents. I then undercut ebay for a quick sale.
 
Based on abebooks and amazon, and the fact that there isn't a single true first printing among them, that it is in the $200 and up range. Most of those are third printings and later. And I always laugh at the people with scanners, because they always leave the actual rare stuff because it doesn't have a bar code. They take a book they're going to make $2-3 on, and I walk out with truly rare books on a regular basis. I don't really buy new books because I don't really have space for them, and for the most part, there's no scarcity(there are a few exceptions). But I feel extremely guilty leaving antiquarian books in those bins to get trashed, especially if they're valuable. Planning on buying a house this year, and there will be many bookshelves of antique books. It's something I grew up with at my grandparents' house, and it's something I want to continue with my own future children. There's something magical about old books.
 
Yeah, that's not a pricing glitch, because it's that high on every site I've been to, from bookfinder to abebooks to amazon. It's amazing what ends up in those bins, especially after all the "professional" pickers get done with them. I swear I find better stuff after all the switches are done and the crazies are out of the way.
 
Nice finds. Great way to turn a fiver into a hundy. There are book pickers with cell phone ISBN scanners checking book prices at my GW Outlet. They sit there all day long. Books are not my specialty but if I spot a nice architectural coffee table book that the pros left behind, I'm in for 75 cents. I then undercut ebay for a quick sale.

There are a couple book guys around here doing the Amazon thing... I just use my own pea brain to decide if a book is worth purchasing or not. Ive had a couple scores.. I was in a GW out of town last year and saw a couple that had completely taken over the book section. They were seriously scanning every friggin book. They had taken most of the books off the shelves and loaded up a couple carts with them. They were then scanning and sorting the books into a keep pile and discard pile. If They were pulling that nonsense at my local GW I would say something cause thats some b.s..
 
Yeah, that's not a pricing glitch, because it's that high on every site I've been to, from bookfinder to abebooks to amazon. It's amazing what ends up in those bins, especially after all the "professional" pickers get done with them. I swear I find better stuff after all the switches are done and the crazies are out of the way.

It might be worth that, but when a book gets priced up artificially it tends to bleed into all the other book sites.
 
I agree somewhat about it being annoying, but if it clears out the shelves and makes room for new merchandise, I'm not usually too upset. These types usually don't take anything I want, though, so if they were doing the same thing with, say, records, my ears would start shooting steam.
 
It might be worth that, but when a book gets priced up artificially it tends to bleed into all the other book sites.

Yeah, that is true. At this point, I'm not itching to sell, so when the time comes, I'll probably try starting relatively high and then get realistic if nobody buys. I really wish Amazon had a way to see actual sales history. I've learned that most things on the 3rd party marketplace are severely overpriced. Case in point, vintage lego sets. I don't know why people list stuff on there so high, because if you check ebay sales, they're usually far lower.
 
Yeah, that is true. At this point, I'm not itching to sell, so when the time comes, I'll probably try starting relatively high and then get realistic if nobody buys. I really wish Amazon had a way to see actual sales history. I've learned that most things on the 3rd party marketplace are severely overpriced. Case in point, vintage lego sets. I don't know why people list stuff on there so high, because if you check ebay sales, they're usually far lower.

I think its an automatic pricing thing and then all of a sudden you have $30 Lego sets listed for $586.78.. I'm with you on the books. I only buy newer if its something im going to read. The books with real value rarely have a barcode!
 
I agree somewhat about it being annoying, but if it clears out the shelves and makes room for new merchandise, I'm not usually too upset. These types usually don't take anything I want, though, so if they were doing the same thing with, say, records, my ears would start shooting steam.

Its simply rude. Just because you want to scan the books doesnt mean you get to take over that entire section. Ive only witnessed that behaviour one time. Every other book scanner will just go down the shelves like a normal person would. Lol.
 
Yeah, that's not a pricing glitch, because it's that high on every site I've been to, from bookfinder to abebooks to amazon. It's amazing what ends up in those bins, especially after all the "professional" pickers get done with them. I swear I find better stuff after all the switches are done and the crazies are out of the way.

I noticed that with my pro picker competition. I do not hang about and like to hit and run. I'm always surprised there is anything left and yet, $50 profit on a 20 minute visit is normal for me.
 
...I always laugh at the people with scanners, because they always leave the actual rare stuff because it doesn't have a bar code. They take a book they're going to make $2-3 on, and I walk out with truly rare books on a regular basis...

Great tip, that ups my game.
 
I have a very good eye for rare books, but I also have a policy that if it was printed before 1900, it comes with me regardless, unless it's like a textbook or something like that which has no real intrinsic value. I would have trouble sleeping at night knowing that something that survived for well over 100 years would just get trashed.
 
There are a couple book guys around here doing the Amazon thing... I just use my own pea brain to decide if a book is worth purchasing or not. Ive had a couple scores.. I was in a GW out of town last year and saw a couple that had completely taken over the book section. They were seriously scanning every friggin book. They had taken most of the books off the shelves and loaded up a couple carts with them. They were then scanning and sorting the books into a keep pile and discard pile. If They were pulling that nonsense at my local GW I would say something cause thats some b.s..

Our local SA has 1/2 price clothes on Wednesday and it's like that there. People will go grab like 100 pairs of jeans then head over to the furniture section to sort them out. The electronics guys are there too. They wait at the door and run over to the section. Literally run. Most often they grab crap and miss the real stuff though. Forget that I refuse to play that game, flipping is a hobby/side hustle, I don't pay my bills off it.
 
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I know there's a garage sale / estate sale thread on AK but it's late, my phone is running low and I wanted to share tonight's finds quickly.

Long story short - I run a regular wanted ad on the intranet at work for hifi gear, records etc. I get a call at work today, lady says she is having a garage sale tomorrow and would I like a look before it starts - they have a turntable and some records.

I went this evening and scored a Thorens TD160 with Garrott P77 for $30, a big Perreaux equaliser for $5 and once the seller has taken out a few LP's he wants to keep, the rest of the 150 or so collection is mine for a buck a title. Tons of cool stuff prog rock, pop, classic rock, indie.

The tt and eq are home with me now and records in a few days. Great start to the weekend!!!!
 
Cool thread, I'll have to post pictures of some of my hi-fi finds when I get home.

I've been picking thrift shops for 10 years or so now. It seems like competition is increasing, at least in my area. I often see others who are obviously picking for resale. There was one older guy who used to hang out in the furniture section all day, relaxing on the couches, waiting for them to put new stuff out. I think they kicked him out though, lol. Is anyone else noticing more reseller competition?

How often do you all go picking? I usually do the rounds once a week. Sometimes hitting up a store a second time if I'm near it doing something else.
 
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