Dear Thrift Store Worker:
Hi there!
You know I love you, right? I mean you make my thrifting dreams come true so very often. If it wasn't for you, I never would have found some of my greatest treasures.
I would be without my cool typewriter collection, my vintage cameras and many many more great items.
For the most part, you look out for me and my vintage-loving thrift store shopping friends. But, I gotta tell you something.
Packing tape.
The kind you use to bind all my vintage treasures together?
 |
| (My lovely croquet set. Sigh.) |
Yeah, let's talk about that.
It's got go. Got. To. Go.
I can see where it would be enticing and a little exciting to just keep circling my items with packing tape. Again. And again. And again.
And again.
Let's make sure that lid on the Pyrex bowl is not going anywhere. Ever.
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| (Oh, look, they carefully put the balls in a plastic sack so we wouldn't lose any) |
But we really have to break your love affair with the roll of tape.
You know I can't resist buying something at a great price, but when it takes me an hour to dismantle the tangled maze of tape off my vintage Cosco folding step stool . . . it's too much.
When I have to spend an eternity using a q-tip and Goo Gone to carefully get the sticky reside off my set of china . . . it's too much.
When it rips the paint off my lovely croquet set . . . it's too much.
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| (Nice job of taping the ever living heck out of the painted wooden handles. They never had a chance.) |
Just lay off the tape. Please.
Signed,
President and CEO, Thrifters For A Tape Free World
P.S. We can talk about using black grease marker to tattoo prices on the front of books some other time.
Like this post? Check out some of these other related posts:
Tricia Kokoszka
Amen my thriftin' sista!
pinkcamojeep
One more? What about the plastic t-style tag holders that they use the needle-type gun to shoot into garments? Some stores will stick the plastic tag holder into the seam where it doesn't injure the garment BUT ... there are those stores who will just cram it right through the sleeve or placket or collar and create a run or make a hole (like in leather) that won't/can't heal. Oh my. Such a waste of a beautiful item. So much sadness.
Michelle Price
Yes! Exactly! And price tags smack in the middle of a mirror when there is a whole backside that will never be seen once it is on the wall. Why????
Anonymous
Try heating with a blow dryer (not close, not on high) first. I have found this works on most items, at least to the point of tape coming off without destroying the item.
Kathy
Great topic! I've purchased a few old leather items which were ruined when I removed the tag. Also have removed a tag at the checkout in front of the cashier and decided not to buy the item.When I worked for the GW I was very concise of how i tagged as I am now in my booth I like the idea of sweetening the suggestion at your local thrift!
Jeri Sherfy
Amen on the packing tape. Here are my 2 complaints. Stapling the price tag I into the leather purse and putting the price sticker right in the middle of the beautiful silver plated tray! Glad it's not just me!
Pam
Staples!!! What is with that! I bought a beautiful crocheted handbag from the 70's and they had stapled the price tag on it so when I tried to get it off it snagged the yarn!
Mary
I agree with you and every word!! However my pet peeve is the damn price tags/stickers that they go crazy with. They put them everywhere as if we can't see just one of them! ugh! Then they are impossible to get off of some things without using goop. Thanks for the subject! I had to vent too!
Pam
YES!!! Why a sticker on the bottom and two on the top and one on the side? I can read ONE sticker just fine, thank you!
kim
OOOO! Price tags on the bottom of china plates and cups make it IMPOSSIBLE to identify the makers mark. If I'm looking for antique bone china, I'd like to identify it right away without having to discreetly peel back the price tag and risk being called out for tag swapping. As for old sheet music, some stores put them in plastic or acid free sleeves and mark the sleeves, not the music. Much nicer to those of us who like to frame and display our finds.
susan
I have to say as a thrifty shopper, I actually love the packing tape on the items, it's so frustrating to have my local thrift stores sell pyrex without the lids because some unattended child or careless shopper just broke the lid and ditto to the other items that are sets only to have a child carry part of it to another part of the store where its either broken or lost forever. Packing tape is my friend, yes it's a nuisance to have to remove--adhesive and all--but at least the sets would stay together. Our thrift stores here just don't use much of it. When I donate, I use my packing tape so they my sets WILL stay together without breaking.
Pam
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!
Aenne
Examples of my pet thrift store peeves:
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!
Ashley
This is an old post but I’ll try & answer some questions:
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!
Kathleen Mills
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.
Maria
This is to funny! but I agree people need to be careful when they are selling something thrift or no thrift that they don't ruin theses treasure with tape which can strip off the paint on some of these valuable pieces. Great post!
Kathy Owen
hahahahahaha, tape not funny......you are funny......a hoot. I hate the tape. Thank you!