I wasn't saying that thrift stores are required by ordinance to operate in a certain way. Just that if they are not operating within certain parameters, then they aren't really a thrift store, and it would be dishonest of them to call themselves a thrift store. Of course they are free to operate however they want. But the main target customer demographic for thrift stores are people who either want or need to be more careful with how much money they spend. I didn't say that the purpose of their existence is to exclusively serve people of a limited income bracket. If a shop is truly a thrift store, they will want to price things to attract thrifty shoppers; they don't want to price used items at amounts greater than the prices that the items can be obtained for brand new.
Please offer your idea of what defines a thrift store. I'll provide mine.
Do you have data to support thrift store demographics as being anything other than the general public, or is this just what you think a thrift store should be?
The problem with this discussion is that many of us seem to have different ideas about what a thrift store is, or should be. Until we know how a thrift store is defined by the individuals we respond to, we cannot really offer an appropriate response.
A thrift store may or may not be associated with charitable activities. But when it is, our expectation seems to be different from that of one which is not. The word "thrift" as used in the context of a store carries no expectations beyond finding a reduced price on used items. The association with charitable endeavors is a matter apart from the thrift aspect. Without making that distinction this conversation will continue to be difficult to sort out.
Please note that in the original post the store was identified only as a thrift shop. Some responders made the assumption that their was a charitable component involved. That was not mentioned in the original post. Additionally, other responders brought in a component of guilt or Karmic retribution to the conversation. I even added a meme in response to someone else's idea of Karma being in play here. Yet the OP never mentioned any of this in the original post.
A retail store deals in new merchandise and tends to sell those items at the retail prices. Those prices are not negotiable but the store might discount them. Their customers are anyone willing to pay the price.
A thrift store deals in used merchandise and tends to sell those items at a price lower than when it was new. Those prices are often negotiable. Their customers are anyone willing to pay the price.
An antique store deals in used merchandise and tends to sell those items at a price higher than when it was new. Those prices are often negotiable. Their customers are anyone willing to pay the price.
The difference between a thrift store and an antique store is our expectation of how they price their items. If a thrift store leans predominantly towards charging higher prices it might want to rebrand themselves as a antique store. But a one time, and possibly erroneous mis-pricing of an item does not warrant that. And discussing the matter with the thrift shop comes with no ill will towards the buyer unless he believes it does, and that was not stated in the original post. It was simply a matter of asking about paying X price for Y bass.
