One of my favorite thrift shops has closed down

[human]

So one of my favorite thrift shops--Value Village in Greensboro, NC--has always had a big half-price sale the last Wednesday of the month, but when I went there this past Wednesday, I was in for a bit of a shock when I found an empty store space with a "Store Closing Sale" banner over the door. It made me kind of sad. I had found some good stuff there over the years, and at really good prices.

I used to go there once or twice a week, but since I moved across town almost four years ago, I've only been getting there maybe four or five times a year. The store had become increasingly junky and selection had gotten progressively poorer over the past couple of years, but there were still values to be had. When I was last there almost two months ago, I snagged an Electrolux Genesis LXe with its electrified hose, but no attachments, for $8. I guess that was a good enough note to end up on.

Come to think of it, another thrift store I seldom went to--Carolina Thrift--also recently closed its doors. Am I seeing a trend here? I can't believe the economy has improved enough that thrift stores are no longer needed. On the other hand, Goodwill seems to be expanding. Could they be squeezing out the competition?

 

[real1shep]

That's a bummer when you have a thrift shop close that had vacuums and closed. We had a place here called "The Country Store" and they even had a vacuum 'room'. Occasionally, she'd have Elux in there but we always got into a fight over the price. She never gave Elux vacs away like is the custom of Goodwill et al. Many yrs ago I paid her the unheard of price of $75 for a pristine G....about what they were going for on eBay at the time in that condition with full accessories.  


 


Goodwill here is heavily sorted daily by undocumented worker families. They call their kin when in the store and ask if they want to buy anything. So any unique values are very shortly there. Never seen a vac in there worth taking home. Same thing happens with garage sales here....although there is a limit to how much they pay before they pass.


 


I need to restore what I have and so I quit looking. Here at least St Vincent de Paul is holding their own againt Goodwill. 


 


Kevin 

 

[josh]

I read with envy the stories of thrift store finds on the forum. Thrift shops by me are so quickly picked over that I never find anything good.

It's a shame you had some decent thrift stores by you shut down. I wonder why they closed.

 

[kenkart]

I hate the Greensboro vv is gone

I found several things there. Only about a hour away from me. Any excuse to go to Greensboro always means. Stacey's bbq. Lol

 

[vacuumlad1650]

Tyler and I wanted to go there when I was in town back in July! It's a shame they closed. We only have Goodwill by me. There is a St Vincent de Paul near work, and a Salvation Army about 30 minutes away, but I have not been to either.

 

[TheSpiritOf76]

Same thing happend here....

My prime thrifting spot here in Downtown closed down a few months back. I had been shopping there since I was 11 years old, about 20 years of business. I found countless machines there, and small appliances and such. I was very sad.  I was told that it had been open about 50 years, and was possibly the first second hand store here. That is just even more sad. 50 years down the pipes.

 

[gsohoover]

Drove by

Last saturday, shame to see it go. I love hitting up the thrift stores in town, Greensboro has some good ones. Human, whereabouts do you live? I'm on the northside of town, about 10 mins from Reidsville. Maybe some of us NC guys could get together, for a mini meet. Hans, would you be up for that? Anyone else in the area would be welcome too.


 


-Tyler

 

[fan-of-fans]

That's too bad. We only had one thrift store close, and it was St. Vincent's. It wasn't a big store but I did see some interesting things in there when I went, though I didn't go much because it had inconsistent hours.

I haven't found much lately at Goodwill, it's been pretty slim pickings lately, I usually go on Friday evenings. Habitat hasn't been very exciting in a long time, although they do seem to get a lot of newer Kirbys. New Hope can be good at times, especially their other location. They seem to be the best for small appliances, vacuums are hit and miss, but they will usually have at least one good one, and do sell them cheaply as does Goodwill when they come in.

Salvation Army, I rarely bother with, it always is the same stuff in there, nothing like back about 10 years or more ago when my neighbor worked there, place was always packed, not so anymore since they remodeled.

Probably best I stay out of the thrifts and especially the flea market since it has been picking up lately.

 

[kenkart]

Re mini meet

Hi. Tyler hope we can have a mini meet soon. Don't forget I'm still planning on having a big sale the middle of january but you all can come anytime you can everything will be very reasonable

 

[tolivac]

The Salvation Army place near me isn't really a "thrift" store but a more upscale used clothes store.NOTHING interesting there unless you need mainly womens clothes.No longer go there.Thrift shops otherwise are hard to find in Greenville.

 

[human]

Neither of the Salvation Army stores in Greensboro have much to offer and what's there is generally over-priced. That said, I did pick up an Electrolux Discovery Plus (sans hose and tools) there a couple of years ago, but I paid too much for it, compared to the other Electrolux uprights I've gotten recently. Oh well, such is the nature of thrifting.

There's also one in town called Freedom House Thrift that supports a local women's shelter. I've never even seen a vacuum cleaner in there, but I did get a set of brass fireplace doors at a good price there earlier this fall.

 

[kenkart]

Well at least!

STAMEYS BBQ is still open!!!!That is worth the drive to Greensboro!

 

[gottahaveahoove]

i rarely stop in at my local ones.

But, Every Thursday, I do my routine 'go through' in the Philadelphia burbs. I go t a huge store, "2nd Avenue" and "Impact!", which has recently become 'Heaven's Treasures". I've found incredible Hoover items there, plus a few non-Hoover species for others..... yes, I HAVE been known to pick up things for my fellow collectors.
Just the other day, I saw a Brand New Oreck "Portapower wannabe" in the box. $25.00

 

[gottahaveahoove]

Went into both again yesterday. "Heaven's Treasures

has changed drastically. I think it's starting to die a very slow, painful death. I haven't found anything in there is weeks, most unusual. I always picked Hoover belts, bags, sometimes, even a cleaner, some Lenox china. Recently, NOTHING. Dismal, actually.

 

[electrikbroomgu]

Thrift stores

Aren't what they used to be but somehow I scored 4 machines this past month, mainly from Goodwill stores in neighboring towns. I found a yellow and brown Hoover Constellation with tool holder still in place and the original hose, a 1959 Regina 600 Electrikbroom in good working order, and two Electrolux canisters- a model R with cord winder and an Olympic with a shot hose but a good working powerhead.

The best part was all but the Connie were half price!

I have also noticed a disturbing trend among existing stores. Once remodeled they seem to get far less appliance related things in and really seem to heap on the clothing and garments. Finding machines is truly a rare thing these days even at estate sales.

 

[fan-of-fans]

Yeah, I noticed my local Salvation Army had much fewer appliances and items in general after it remodeled. The store is bigger so maybe it just feels less crowded, but I don't see new things coming in whenever I go which isn't all that often.

Another thrift store here that remodeled and actually added an addition to the side of the store always seems to get new stuff whenever I go. I think being it's the only thrift store in that town is partly the reason.

And yeah, estate sales rarely seem to have any good vacuums here either. Once in a while you'll see an Electrolux or a Rainbow, but otherwise it's the newer bagless uprights, and the oldest thing you might see is a Eureka Bravo. You'd think being an estate sale you might see an old Hoover Convertible or something but that's rarely been the case. I guess people don't hold on to old vacuums like they do other things.

 

[tolivac]

It seems like for machines and appliances-the people are selling them on EBay and Craigslist rather than the garage or estate sales.Just noticing.

 

[fan-of-fans]

That's true too, but a lot of times when I see older vacuums at estate sales, they want very little for them, which leads me to believe whoever is running the sale doesn't think they have any value. Now, Rainbows and other DTD vacuums are usually priced quite a bit higher. But if you saw say a Hoover Constellation at an estate sale it would probably be priced less than $10.

Even thrift stores rarely price vacuums highly, I see plastic Electrolux vacuums at Goodwill and new Hope for $20 or so, same with Kirbys. My Habitat would price them about the same. The odd thing is my Habitat seems to price Kenmore canisters fairly highwhen they come in . A couple years ago there was a blue straight suction Kenmore from the 60s with only the dusting brush and hose and they wanted $25. Then a few summers ago there was a white/woodgrain/orange Sears Best canister missing the Power Mate for $25 also. Right now there is a newer orange Kenmore canister for $30.