Are you getting gouged at Value Village?

Finding a deal there is a rarity now.
I wonder if it’s a marketing ploy though. Bump up prices, have more “special” days (50% off, seniors, members days etc), then sell it for what it is worth on those special days. If you want it bad enough to pay “full price”, you’ll pay it.

I mostly shop at Goodwill because not only are their prices lower but they don’t have to charge tax as Value Village does. I won’t go to 50% off days because it’s too crowded. I also try not to donate to VV.

Even if I agree with you that some of the VV prices are getting too high, thing is, prices at Walmart and others are too LOW. I do not take pride in encouraging them.

I loathe giving money to WalMart so try to avoid it, even for a bargain.
I personally would rather shop in a vintage store where the owner/buyers have combed through used clothing shops across the city and pulled out the best of the best. I don’t mind paying a premium for the luxury of looking at a small rack of finds instead of a gymnasium-sized store. Also more than happy to be supporting an independent business.

I just read the other comments…Goodwill here is twice as expensive as VV. 20$ for jeans! Pardon me, 20.02$. What’s up with their crazy palindrome pricing?

For someone who has worked with value village for five years, the prices have gone up slightly but so has prices in every store, so for you people who complain about us marking our. Stuff too high yet you can get it from walmart and other companies for cheaper, that’s bull. I was just in a walmart right now and the cheapest baby item was a pair of newborn socks for $3.77. We price ours usually at .69 each. I love shopping at value village even before I worked there and ill still shop there after I leave the company. So to the customers who all just complain, the prices here and everywhere else aren’t going down, especially with the economy these days, so get used to it. Finally just FYI, we don’t get our stuff for free, 4% of each cart we weigh goes back to charities in each district. You may think that’s not a lot but we process over 5000 items a day so all in all it helps the community with the extra $715.00 they get from us each day. Thats why things are taxed in our store because WE DON’T GET STUFF FOR FREE!! However we PST tax isn’t included in childrens clothes, shoes and our books, there’s some good news. As a cashier hearing the same complaints about our prices, it gets old very fast so there’s some education about our company. Nothing in life comes free so stop being so negative. Sincerely vv employee:)

It’s also called Value Village in some areas of the US, such as Oregon.

I live in Calgary, Canada.One of the most expensive city in Canada, and North America too.VV was a few years ago, good deal. but my husband everytime joke and sometimes,…im thought : His could be right : in VV the clothes and donations (high quality of clothes brand news…..etc…) is come from people how died.or passaway….(sorry english is not my first lenguage), so, between that, im understand how some clothes is look new…..very new, and im sad because the exploted by them bussines this. In other hand, I checked here in Calgary, they are tricky, yep! because, they overprice some brands and i found a lanvin pant (so top french and stranger designer for 4.99$) and We can think: ok! the people how put the price dont have idea how kind the designer is come from, BUT IM VERY VERY THINKING ,NOT! THIS JUST A TRAMP…..THE MAKE HAPPY FOR A DAY A FAMILY VIA FCBK OR BLOGS…..ABOUT HOW GOOD DEALS YOU CAN FIND IN VV AND THEN :CATCHIT!….PRICE MOVE UP AND UP……MAY BE WHEN THEY DONT HAVE TOO MCH STAFF!…. SO WE NEED (COSTUMER) TO BE SMART…AND NOT GET THE STUPID IDEA TO SAFE THE PLANET BY THE WAY TO BUY USED AND NASTY AND NOT TRANSPARENT BUSSINESS PEOPLE

I’m with you Kerry, I prefer to shop new and on sale over shopping at thrift stores most of the time. True, the thrift stores can be cheaper but you can find some amazing clearance deals at the mall and at the department stores that are nearly as cheap and sometimes even cheaper than the used item as you so clearly pointed out.

While I’ve never shopped at a Value Village (Goodwill is the second hand store that I tend to frequent)I completely agree that those prices seem outrageous. However, there is an argument that you may be able to find better brands and higher quality clothes, even if used, at thrift stores than at some of the chains, which are notorious for mass producing cheap and inexpensive clothing. This makes those clothes more likely to be disposed when they fall apart after a couple of wearings and end up becoming more crap in our landfills. Not sure there’s a good answer to this dilemma. Just something to think about.

Value Village is overpriced most definitely. I rarely ever go there, having long ago noted that buying new is more thrifty. I do, however, similar to others who have posted like to avoid buying everything new. I find I have been pretty lucky with getting clothing at .. yes, garage sales, hand me downs from friends and clothing swaps. I will though spend quite a bit of money on wool, to knit a sweater that takes hours to create. That is not savings of either time or money when you compare it to the price of a sweater from the mall. Sometimes I will buy something from an artisan that costs quite a bit too (in comparison). All of our choices laden with values that have their own unique worth, sometimes outside of the price tag.

Kerry,

I shop at the same Value Village as you, and I would agree that their prices are particularly outrageous. Kelowna and Kamloops don’t seem quite as extreme, but they’re rising also. I’m lucky inasmuch as my work generally allows me to shop the half price sale days, so I when I can go, I head in early. Otherwise, forget it!

They also seem to have fewer promotions (i.e. stamp cards) and when they do, the spending/donating requirements are much higher than they used to be.

VV has been over priced for quite awhile now. I read an article on the “big” business these types of places are doing based on the fact that their products are donated and it was astounding. That being said Wal-Mart isn’t really cheap when you have to buy 3 of the same items a year because of quality. I find that buying cheap can be more expensive in the long run… My personal argghhh? The can opener. Under a buck at Wal-Mart but I would go through one a month because the dang thing would always break.. Smartened up, albeit after a few months too many, and spent 10 dollars (on sale) for a well crafted name brand one and have been using it for over a year with no issues…

I tried on some jeans there last week. When looking at the price tags, one pair I grabbed were $69.99!!!!! For used jeans. Unbelievable.

I live in California and lost faith in thrift shops long ago when I found a very used basic torchiere lamp for $14.99 at a local thrift store. I was positive that it sold new at Home Depot for that price! I still occasionally attempt thrift stores when looking for Halloween costumes or one time use items, but more often than not I leave empty handed. I get my bargains at the Dollar Store, Target and WalMart sale racks! Also, Craigslist (don’t forget to check the Free section!)

I have noticed the prices seem to be getting high. I still go there, but find myself leaving empty handed more often than not. I can’t believe some of the stuff that gets onto the floor sometimes…. but I still find a deal on the odd occasion.

PRICES ARE TOO HIGH I HARDLY SHOP THERE .

We do not have a Value Village where I live in Campbell River,BC, but there is one in Courtenay. Although, we do have a Salvation Army Thrift Store, whose prices are probably higher than Value Village, especially their Christmas stuff. They price ornaments higher than what you can buy at Walmart or Can. Tire. I also prefer to donate items like womens clothing to the local Womans’ Centre where clothing is given out free. Even the Liquidation World store is cheaper.

Value Village also pays for clothing collected by the Can. Diabetes clothing drives that do scheduled Pick ups in our area. I have always found good deals at Walmart on their clearance sales.

I almost wrote a book in response to this post, but I’ll shorten it a bit. Yes, I still shop at VV, for the same reason as Callie–options are limited for plus-sized women. Other thrift stores don’t size their merchandise. I also shop at Wal-Mart, because really, being poor and a 2X doesn’t leave you much choice.

But if you’re really broke (or just plain cheap), why don’t you try to eliminate cash altogether? It’s not only possible to get stuff free, it’s actually easy.

Through my church friends, I’ve been given a matching couch and chair set for my living room, an almost new condition sofa bed and lamp for my office, all of a quality that I could not afford even if used. When I was really down and out and needed interview clothes, I put an ad in our church bulletin, asking for clothes in my size, and got several big bags of stuff, all of which was in excellent condition. What I couldn’t use, I donated.

Or you can do what we do now: Host a free event where people bring in new or almost new unwanted stuff. We sort the stuff, then we open the doors, and folks can take what they want or need.

A man who visited last night to pick up some of my excess guppies (given away for free), told me that he had done most of his Christmas shopping on Kijiji, which is another source of cheap or free stuff.

Hi there, and am liking the comments so far. I live in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada. Here the VV is still a value, IMHO. Yes, you can get cheaper sometimes by venturing to the new-stuff stores, but consider this: How much more time would it take to find those rare deals than to simply visit VV a few times a year during their 50%-off sales? If you are a time-challenged (and who isn’t?) but discriminating shopper, you can buy every category of stuff, of every make and style, in VV.

For my money, I’d rather find a whole whack of diverse, interesting goods that have already had the chemicals washed out and have NOT put more strain on the worldwide resources that go into manufacturing clothing (including the social justice angle on this). I suppose if you’re someone who likes to buy 6 of the same make and size clothes just in different colours, you won’t like VV (but then, how many Baby Gap bargain basement sales will have that anyway?).

From what I can see here, it might be a matter of where your particular VV is located. Mine are not jacking prices up like some of the folks here have seen, and the goods are actually high-quality in my neighbourhood (high standard of living for most, but still lots of people stretched more than ever).

And in general, all stores will have a few things that are a true rip-off. But one woman’s junk … you just have to know the value of something to you.

I love your articles – both their contents and their scrappy tone.

Michelle (aka SimplyRead)

I agree that VV is becoming more expensive, and that Vernon is more expensive than Kelowna.

I don’t get all the people complaining about the greed, etc., though. Value Village is a business, and businesses are in business to make a PROFIT.

I think a more legit complaint is that so many people think VV is a charitable org, when it is not, however, if you don’t like it, don’t donate to them. I donate to the local Salvation Army and Senior Thrift Shops, as then I know the money earned stays in MY community and helps local people.

We don’t have a VV here but we do have a for profit thrift store called Unique. What I like to shop for great bargains are several thrift stores run by local shelters. Each shelter whether for the homeless, battered women, teenage mothers, or other type shelter has a store of it’s own to accept donations and sells at very reasonable prices. Often the people in the shelter does volunteer work in the store and gets store credit to spend when they get a home of their own. All store profits go directly to the charity running it. I often pay a price higher than I believe it should be because I know who will benefit. “For profit” thrift stores are just not my idea of shopping for bargains or giving donations.

Nope. I recently discovered the St. Vincent de Paul (Vinnie’s) – money goes to charity, great selection, very reasonable prices. Not going to tell you what town I’m in – it’s my little secret!

I’ve never been to Value Village, but have been told it is a great store here in St. Catharines, Ontario.
Was also told to wait till after Holloween to go there, because of the holiday’s prices.
But now after reading all this, I may not go there at all.
If any of your readers are from St. Kitts, please let me know what you think of the V V store on Ontario St.
Thanks

Tom

I live in the U.S. No V.V. near me…. However in the past, I have purchased LEVIS at great prices After your description “No one’s crotch has ever worn, wiggled in, or worn out my brand new pants. Crotch-free shopping for less, people. I’m into it.” I have decided to purchase new! LOL!

p.s. You Rock!

I live in Vernon and have stopped going to VV. The prices seemed to have more than doubled in the last two years alone. About five years ago you could get some really great bargains, but honestly I agree with Kerry. I looked and looked until I was exhausted; for the price a lot of the merchandise was garbage and handsomely priced. So I turned around and went to the mall and was pleased with the garments and the price. That makes me sad, really sad for those who used to depend heavily on VV.
I now give to the Salvation Army or directly to those I know personally have needs, my stuff always looks brand new and that makes me feel glad for those who will walk away with what i have brought.
When my children and I fled from an abusive now ex it was the salvation army that provided the Christmas hamper for us. I did not know such a thing existed and my oldest son just happened to talk to the head of the army and told him our situation. He filled up a box with his own turkey, presents and treats and drove my son home . I cried for weeks from the kindness showed. So I will happily take our things there and have a look see what I might get for a good price.

Great investigative post. You’ve articulated what we’ve all been feeling. I havn’t been to value village in years. As soon as jeans passed the $10 mark I was done.

I agree about the VV price shift, and its ‘for-profit’ slant. I prefer to shop at the Salvation Army, Goodwill and MCC thrift stores where I know profits will help others, AND I will get more bang for my buck. VV is still better than new in my books though, because I know I am not putting money directly into the hands of companies that use sweat-shops, and it’s just better all around to reduce and re-use.

Goodwill is just about as bad. Their prices are way too high for used stuff that someone donated. Additionally, their hiring practices are criminal but because they are “Goodwill” they get away with it. My daughter who is mildly handicapped was hired at our local store. She was one in a long line of employees fired on her 89th day of employment because she was eligible for insurance benefits on her 90th day. Because of high unemployment people are willing to take these minimum wage jobs and be treated poorly.

This is a BIG profitable business. Their materials are free, they get tax breaks, their labor is dirt cheap with government subsidies to them for ‘hiring the handicapped’, and then they get off with paying no benefits.

Someone is getting rich here.

Firstly let me say I have found deals at Value Village but shop there seldom anymore for several reasons:
1: the ever increasing high prices for half worn out items is insulting
2: their whole business model-basically we are giving them their inventory for them to make money. that would be like all of us donating to Can. Tire or the Bay so they can resell it back to us.
They have been investigated many times for their misleading advertising that leaves people thinking they are donating to an non-profit org. or that Value Village supports charitible org thanks to your donations, When in fact they give less to charities than an a normal company.

In my view it’s a scam but it only works because we support them both with giving them their inventory then buying it back at more and more inflated prices. After awhile we have to help ourselves.
I try and boycott them as much as possible but admit that once in a blue moon I do go in for a quick look.

I do make sure all my donations and 99% of my business goes to other thrift stores.

Although VV is for profit it does purchase clothing that was donated to not-for-profit organizations giving them much needed $. Check their policies when donating.

And, both Goodwill and Sally Anne seem expensive too – better to shop on their sale days.

In defence of Value Village! I consider vv the costco of used item shopping where everything is under one roof. I have just bought a coat there after driving around to find cheaper new/on sale alternatives at better known outlets. No luck. Next, I had to get boots and the same thing again. My time is precious and where else can you get a bargain on everything from sweaters to skis? I think that not all vv stores are created equal but mine here is great, clean and spacious. You just have to look around and shop often. You also get a rebate for bringing in household items for re sale.

I do find some of the prices at VV too high especially when one can get the same item new at a dollar store. However, in my town I have found the Goodwill more expensive for housewares, at least e.g. $2.02 for a 1L canning jar vs. $0.69 at VV.

I do agree with some of the comments above in that I do not want to frequent Walmart because of their business practices. I also want to buy used for environmental reasons. I hope these thrift stores do some rethinking of their prices, but I will still continue to shop at them and find what I consider bargains without taxing the environment by consuming new products.

MARGE; I AGREE WITH ALL OF ABOVE, I USED TO BE A REGULAR SHOPPER IN SYDNEY,NOVA SCOTIA. HOWEVER IN THE PAST YEAR I HAVE NOT BEEN IN THE STORE. THEY ARE OVERPRICED SELLING DOLLAR STORE ITEMS FOR $2.00 (TAGS STILL ON BOTTOM OF ITEM SHOWING DOLLARRAMA) ORNAMENTS WITH BROKEN PARTS @2.99, CLOTHING THAT IS THREADBARE,CHEAPER TO BUY NEW AT END OF SEASON SALES. RETURN POLICY IS TERRIBLE AND MOST OF THE TIME THE STAFF ARE NOT POLITE OR FRIENDLY WHEN YOU DO RETURN. THIS IS AN AMERICAN OWNED CO. WHO GIVE VERY LITTLE TO THE DIABETES SOCIETY AND ARE GOUGING THE POOR.
GIVE TO THE SALVATION ARMY, THEY HELP THE COMMUNITY IN TIME
OF NEED. PLUS THEIR IN STORE PRICES ARE GREAT. THEY ARE THERE FOR THE NEEDY. FRENCHY’S IS GREAT TOO.

THE SMELL IN THE STORE AND THE JUNK WHICH SHOULD BE PRICED AT .25 CENTS OR THROWN IN GARBAGE IS ENOUGH TO DETER ANYONE.

MARGE CAPE BRETON NOVA SCOTIA

Interesting! We moved last year, and I just chalked the prices at the new store up to being in a different part of town. I wonder if there isn’t as big a disparity as I’d assumed…

My personal experience is that I’ve several times found items that were priced higher than retail and when brought to the attention of the store, they’ve reduced the prices. But for general higher pricing, yes, I wait for the 50% days too.

Hi Jen,

You peaked my interest when you mentioned GBF in Grimsby as I shop there all the time. You’re right….great prices and decent merchandise. It’s one of my favourite places to buy books and they even put them together by last name of author!

I had never heard of Talize but looked it up and see there’s one in Hamilton. I’m in St. Catharines now, so don’t get up that way much anymore, like I used to but I’m definitely going to check it out. I can always find an excuse to go that way with a friend, who also appreciates great thrift stores. Thanks for the tip!

Thanks Keri for the great postings with photos! I thought I was the only one thinking that Value Village prices have hit the roof.

As Dawn points out VV is FOR PROFIT. I’m for profit but when so much is donated I expect the price points to be more reflective of this.

I rather go to local hospital thrift shops, wildlife animal thrift shop and the like. My donations go to such shops (but I really hate it when I buy my own stuff back!)

Thanks for your entertaining writing.

The Salvation Army is awesome and the money goes to noble causes.

Its not just $49.99 wool coat (men’s small), alongside the $19.99 wool coats (men’s x-large, xx-large) it is also the absence of products. For instance gloves, umbrellas, working lamps, shoes (8 1/2–just tennis shoes and soccer cleats). Things they used to have (clocks, small boxes (wood), small storage boxes (tupper ware style, warm shirts) that are never there anymore.
I’ve watched people go through the floor lamps and buying 10-15 (and still counting when I left). One man buying 10 pairs of children’s shoes that were nearly the same size.
I’ve witnessed one of the small size semi trailers being unloaded in a VV parking lot (8:30pm in a winter night’s rain as well as during a sunny spring morning) with merchandise (furniture) being set aside and picked up by people. Picked up between the trailer and the delivery door (without going through the store). In Seattle. (No raincoats in VV Seattle. Couldn’t find a winter coat to fit me in Edmonton.)

Benefits???? It’s a thrift store-most retail stores do not pay their employees benefits. All retailers have bills, they pay for brand new and clean. VV get’s good for free or pennies a bundle. Enough with the excuses.

I have only seen framed art nice enough to warrant the prices twice, and they no doubt sold quickly. I wanted unique picture frames for some art I bought-which I could not find so looked closely at the more ‘run of mill’ frames. Closest I found was not in good shape so I ended up in Walmart-Where- Same quality frames, some exact, without the crappy outdated artwork at walmart on a promo rack-half the price of VV, brand new no scuffs no broken backs…. Come on Value Village re-think. Shoes…do you want to move these items, prices way out of proportion again for out of fashion footwear, some prices gouged just for the name, they are still old and still used.

Housewares-prices have gone wayyyy up. I returned a dinner sized decorative (blue mountain pottery)plate I bought for 19.99 because VV had placed the price sticker over a chip on the back. Next time I went back-sticker was again on the same spot-14.99. Another beautiful blue glass plate I would have bought if not for the sticker price-79.99!!!! It was on the shelf forever- Probably in a store owner or Managers house.

I used to love the thrill of finding treasures at a great price. Now I don’t dream of given VV anything. Frequenting other treasure troves.

BETH:

“In reading all the comments I feel that there is definently a lack of ignorance. ”

You are correct. Everyone seems to understand exactly what they mean.

Beth…I am sure you meant there is a lot of ignorance. Otherwise you proved the whole point of post.

When I shop at thrift shops is is normally for the reduced prices. And like everything and anything else I go with a budget. But my main reason for going is to reduce. reuse and recycle. Frugal living is (for me) is about cutting cost buying what I need but most of all reduce my environmental footprint of my little space called earth!

I am going to have to disagree with the vast majority here…

While there are overpriced items at Value Village, they still have loads of great deals, and you can find much faster than at a Goodwill. Like any store, it is buyer beware.

On a recent trip to a VV in Toronto, I bought the following items, all like new –

A Nanette Lepore dress for $15 – these usually are $300-400.
A 100% silk Sandra Angellozzi blouse for $12 – these usually start at $100
A wool Banana Republic skirt for $10 – these usually are $80
A Banana Republic blazer for $12 – usually $100

PLUS I had 30% off coupon! I was there for only an hour to find these amazing deals. I spend the equivalent time at Goodwill or Salvation Army and come back empty handed.

Also – I think it IS better to spend $15 on a pair of gently used Gap jeans than $15 on a new pair. Recycle! Its better for the planet.

Also – on the “crotch” comment in the blog post – you realize that people try on new jeans at the Gap right? Your crotch isn’t the first and only crotch to inhabit even a new pair of jeans?

I’m in the US. Savers is actually my favorite thrift store. Like any other thrift store, you need to watch. A lot of times things are cheaper new.
Basically what I am saying is that I don’t think that your observations are unique to Value Village. It is a widespread problem, at least at the thrift stores that I shop at.

Aside from their ridiculous prices, Value Village is deceiving the public as according to the Webster Dictionary, the definition of the word ‘donate’ is: “to make a gift of; especially : to contribute to a public or charitable cause.”
So how can a for-profit business like Value Village blatanly use the word ‘donate’ in their advertising and signage, to solicit ‘donations’ and mislead consumers to think they are helping a local charity? That ain’t right. Not only does it hurt actual charities who rely heavly on local donations, VV does nothing for needy individuals or support local community help programs.
Value Village (Savers) is a very secretive, intensly private, for-profit business that uses a charity like Canadian Diabetes Association here, as shield to hide the truth. The real story is disturbing. They are takers, not givers. Why haven’t Consumer Affairs and the Advertising Standards associations investigated this deception? And why does CDA spend more on their donation pickup program, than on diabetes research? Where is Geraldo when we need him?…. Hello CBC Marketplace? 20/20? Nightline? Anyone?

Value village charges way too
much for their baseball caps

Thanks for posting this! I was disgusted when I went to buy kids clothing for my daughter. Instead I buy kids clothes from a locally run consignment shop (in much better shape and for a way better price). We donate our used clothes to the homeless shelter and to the Society of Services which runs a local thrift shop with great prices (aka: the needy can actually afford to shop there, and the money they make goes back into the community… a double-win!) I think it’s important that people know WHO they are donating to. We specifically avoid religious groups, and anyone who makes a profit on someone’s poverty.

I still find good things at VV (I’m in Oakville, ON). I originally went there for clothes for my son – in the GTA there are NO boys clothes on clearance racks at Gap/Old Navy.. and for me, a size 2, no sizes left once things are super cheap. On Sunday I went to VV’s 50% off (LOVE that they open it up on Sundays now) and got an amazing vintage lamp (working!) for $4.99 (not part of the sale), 3 tops for my son each under $3 and jeans for him for $4 that look brand new. I buy things for him when I see them even if they are larger sizes than he needs at the moment. Also LOVE the toy prices! I often take my son there when I want to treat him and he’s 4 so doesn’t care about the toys being used. I find most stuff is dirty but I clean the items and magic eraser marks off stuff and it looks brand new. I think the prices range greatly and I just stick to what I am willing to pay.

I haven’t shopped at VV in a long time but went in recently looking for scrapbooking odds and ends that usually come bunched up in plastic bags. I ended up leaving without anything since they packaged bits of lace, which i did want, with sewing machine stuff that I did not want. the prices are way too high. I then went to MCC only to find that as soon as they dressed up the store, the prices also got dressed up. Don’t go there much anymore. UGM is still pretty good.

OMG busines is business if you don’t like value village don’t go and stop your whining. Wait for your once a year sales at the big box stores. If enough people stop going maybe they will bend and lower prices.

So glad I found your experiment article!! You are completely right, prices are out of control!!! I often see many items for 75% more than their original home @ Dollarama!!! What was a buck there, is 2-20 AT VV. We do not shop there anymore as a result of their crazy prices and the fact that they are, as Slim Pickens mentions, “…. a very secretive, intensly private, for-profit business that uses a charity like Canadian Diabetes Association here, as shield to hide the truth.” My husband used to get so wound up and almost ‘rage filled’ after leaving VV the last few times and his negative energy was contagious. What should be a pleasant experience, or so we thought, turns out to be followed by, a ..”What the heck is wrong with these people?!!!” rant all the way home and continues on from there….I too could write a book after reading this!!! Just glad to know we are not being over exaggeratedly unappreciative people. I will confess though, we have made it a sort of ‘outing’ in the cold winter months and gone to VV to simply let our toddler run around the isles and sometimes, straight to the toy section (antibacterial hand wipes in pocket)!!!!! We will buy something, if it catches our eye while observing our toddler, and even then, that is pretty rare. Sometimes, while I observe my toddler and interact with her or walk briskly down isles with her, my husband will start up conversations with others about the prices and educate them about the fact that VV is private and for profit, and then mentions all the places he knows that are non profit places to shop and find things they may need. Sometimes, he stops people right at the drop off depot area and does the same. No point in emailing them. I feel confident that they already know about their prices and it would be a waste of time. Some big wigs got to go there and do a consumer program special or something. We all know that there is a plethora of information to do so. Anyway, thank you so much for this article, I am posting URL re facebook right now!!!!
P.S Hope you enjoyed your green overalls!!!

Who ever prices this company’s books and records and puts them behind the “special area” is an idiot. Scratched Beatles records for 19.99! Books that are book club edition for hundreds of dollars! Yes some book club editions are nice, but 250 bucks for a book that sells on ebay for 100!?!??!?? Get your act together Value Village and stop ripping people off.

We have been shocked by the prices at Value Village too. We wander through from time to time, more than half expecting to not get anything because of those ridiculous prices.

Sometimes, though, like with your cute green kiddo overalls, we do find a bargain. I rescue Barbie dolls, some for my own collection, some for my little granddaughter who is just starting hers, other to clean up and give away…but the thing is even at Value Village’s odd pricing, to find the older dolls at all is great! And at anything under $20 is all the better. I once found a #2 Barbie for $3.99! Granted she was in need of clothes, but some of these particular dolls go for hundreds of dollars!
My roomie is into manga and anime, or the Japanese books like Naruto, Black Butler, Samurai Champloo. These can sometimes be found for the price of children’s books, while they retail at $10.99 or more. And many of them are no longer available.

There is the “thrill of the hunt”…but Savers/Value Village needs to keep in mind they ARE a thrift store!

Thanks for the well done article!

Absolutely excellent article and comments.

Now, I know my local Value Village employees kids and probably lots of first timers in the work force. And I do still find the odd deal on a book or hobby item.

But donating to Value Village: NO WAY!

The thing that so sticks in my craw … Tom Ellison, owner, bought this waterfront mansion:

“This landmark compound, “Harmony,” sold in 2012 for $21.6 million. This was the most expensive LW Map of the Stars® waterfront sale in 2012. It was listed at $26.9 million … From the listing: “Resting gently on 2.93 acres, Harmony commands an extraordinary 324 feet of Lake Washington waterfront and sets its vista on the Seattle skyline and Mount Rainier . . . Waves roll gently up on the beach as the sun shines down on two private docks. . . [nearly 20,000 square feet in 4 buildings]. . living wing plays host to the grotto, saline pool and exercise areas. Upstairs two guest suites each with their own bath and walk-in closets . . . private outdoor spa . . . A world like no other.” The listing was featured in a 3/20/11 Seattle Mansions Blog. The seller was Marsha Stroum Sloan Glazer. The buyer was THOMAS ELLISON, the principal owner of the Value-Village/Savers chain of stores.”

You have to be kidding me.

The man is making a killing on other peoples’ ignorance.

Its literally highway robbery.

Mind, I need the exercise, so I’ll still walk there, especially in the winter, for a warm pit stop.

Again, great site, article and posts.

I agree that the prices are terrible! This seems to be consistent with other big name thrift stores like Salvation Army and Goodwill (Have to wonder how they get away with making money SO MUCH MONEY off of merchandise that is donated AND delivered for free!)

The prices are generally high but there are things you just have to stop and laugh at. I think this is partially because employees are sifting through so many items that they can’t pay enough attention to properly price merchandise. Pieces are grouped into general categories and priced accordingly. For example, the other day I found a pair of 7 for all mankind jeans for $9.99 (Retail $200+) beside a pair of George jeans for the same price (Retail $14.99).

Having said that, I am still a huge thrift store advocate and have been able to consistently find good deals. I would, however, like to mention that there are plenty of amazing thrift stores that are 100% charity centered and have amazing prices, if you live in the brampton/georgetown area, you should check out the UCHS thrift store located in Moore Park plaza – Georgetown. Fantastic items, dirt cheap prices and friendly staff. Pet friendly!

Hi everyone I complained to Value Village on their FB page and posted pics as evidence of their overpricing on some items and they blocked me and deleted all of my posts. For the VV employee who responded here I just want to say, its not that we don’t understand that the cost of business goes up and did go up but when an item is so obviously ridiculously priced, it just seems that something smells rotten!!! Yeah, we’ve all heard how generous VV is by giving to charities but they will get tax deductions on these charitable donations, that still doesn’t mean that they need to suck every conceivable penny out of your wallet…too many examples are out there for all to see…used children’s bikes $149.99 (?), it was probably only $89.00 new so who does that research and comes up with that price? If it’s deemed a collectible they jack the price up to even more ridiculousness, why? They do this because someone with authority said “Make them pay!” THAT is at the heart of the pricing issue, the obvious gouging of their customers. Now don’t get me wrong, there is still good deals to be had on used items in VV but the ridiculous pricing is overshadowing any good pricing.

Hahaha, I used to work at that exact Value Village, Kerry, and let me tell you, it’s the bosses who make the prices too high. And when the stuff doesn’t sell on the floor, it’s packed up and SOLD to third world people for them to resell.

My sister ran a business right next door to Value Village (Edmonton) and they had a garbage dumpster (huge) that was full of good items. Brand new hiking boots (looked like never worn), Betty Crocker cookbook (never opened), pocket books, luggage (just like new), shelves, children’s toys, children’s bike, wall pictures, clothes. They might not have sold quickly, which is hard to believe so they tossed them in the garbage dumpster (huge), that was picked up every week. Did I tell you the dumpster was huge… at least 6 feet deep and 10 feet long… huge. She was caught taking perfectly good items out and they told her they would call the police and report her. This was garbage so how is she stealing. This went on week, after week, after week. The stuff they THREW OUT was overwhelming – this made no sense. So if you give them something, you might just find it in their dumpster, that was huge…..

The prices at Value Village are criminal. Every once in a while I’ll find something that’s escaped their price-gouging, but most of the prices are comparable with brand new items. For example, faded and worn tops from Walmart that probably cost more than they did new.

Recently I found a pair of Silver Jeans where the top of the jeans fit, but several inches of the bottom were destroyed (not in a fashionable or deliberate way!). They were asking $14.99, so I asked if it would be possible to get a discount because I was going to have to make them into shorts. The “supervisor” condescendingly explained that they were Silver jeans and that they were worth $120. I laughed because I happened to be wearing a pair of Silvers that I bought brand new from Bootlegger for half that much. There’s no reason to pay full retail price when there are frequent sales.

Lots of great comments here; loved reading them. I fall somewhere in the middle. Certainly the prices at VV have gone up (in some cases to ridiculous levels) but I still am able to find great deals with careful shopping. I’m in the camp with those who would rather buy a lightly used quality brand than purchase poor quality new items at Walmart. The local VV stores around Puget Sound WA area like to price name brand jeans between $15-18 which is usually more than I like to pay but since when can you find Levis anywhere for $15? I picked up a like new Columbia fleece vest a couple weeks ago for $6, I’ve not seen that on any clearance rack (and I do shop clearance). I would like to see VV reduce the everyday price on their merchandise rather than focusing on the holiday half off days to make it easier to find bargains all the time. Happy Hunting Everyone

If you notice on the VV Value Village web site (or Value Pillage, as I like to call it, they say that they pay the charities for every pound of “soft goods.” Unsold “soft goods” are re-sold overseas. They pay the charities nothing for the furniture, electronics, books, the unsold go to landfill; housewares, the unsold goes to landfill; or jewelry. I’m not sure where the unsold overpriced jewelry goes but I heard a sales manager gloating about a $12,000 watch that had been donated. And not only that but they get the charities to collect it all. It makes me so mad that an American company comes and provides a great second hand shopping box store experience, as a contrast to “the dirty smelly thrift shops” (they spray Febreeze from dispensers on posts near the ceiling) driving most of them out of business. Value Pillage is the Walmart of the thrift shop, and has basically cornered the market on what Canadians give to charity, as they have done since the beginning of Canada. Now Canadians are no longer “giving to charity” except by the barest stretch of the definition. And the prices! If they would only price housewares so that a poor person setting up an apartment – maybe they got it through the John Howard Society – could buy some pots and pans etc. like how about a dinner plate from China for .50$ instead of $1.99 . So people go to the dollar stores and buy new trash, which ends up unsold at Value Village. Where’s the re-cycling in that? I find this wildly unethical and perfectly legal. Give us back our thrift shops.
Sorry to go on so long, but you’ve struck a nerve with this one. I think the blog is great, and I look forward to reading through the posts. Thanks for your time, and the space on the page.
Suggest to your friends to donate their soft goods to VV if they wish, and to donate other items elsewhere if they can.

Honestly, last time I went to VV I got my boyfriend a nice suit, and I got myself 3 lovely (and barely used) skirts, as well as 3 tops. For $40.
The suit was from Tip Top Tailors, so it likely wasn’t cheap. It had both pants and jacket. Black, and clean. Not a stitch out of place on any of the items I bought.

So that’s $40 for 8 items, essentially.

And your prices from Wal-Mart? I have NEVER seen baby clothes for fewer than $10 at Wal-Mart. And that’s for a hat. Not a shirt, or pants, which cost considerably more. A freaking baby hat was $10 and Wal-Mart. I found the same one at VV for $1.

I’ve gone to Salvation Army recently. Do you know how much they wanted for a shredded leather jacket? $30. It had holes in it. Large holes. And I’m pretty sure that crusty stuff inside, surrounding some of the smaller round holes was blood. Which would mean it wasn’t cleaned.

Frankly, I’m going to stick with my shopping at VV. So far, it’s been more than reasonable for me.

Sounds like the Value Village stores in Canada are different from the ones here in Oregon. I have always found the prices to be average thrift store prices, and every week they have had a half-price tag color. Now they have expanded that to three colors a week, for 25%, 50%, and 75% off! That’s what our local St Vinnie’s used to do before they closed their local store. I enjoy finding overlooked things at the super discount. The people who work there are polite and helpful, and the store smells like, wait for it, a thrift store. What do you expect? And anybody who buys clothing or textiles at a thrift store and does not plan to wash it when they get it home is a real gambler!

I have never seen prices here like some of you folks have posted. I have bought plenty of kid and grandkid clothes, sewing patterns, and textile items to be made into something else. It’s true, some of the baggies of stuff combine unlikely items, but it’s often the case that it’s still a good deal. I agree with some of you that it’s better to avoid Wal-Mart and keep a smaller carbon footprint. When I donate things it’s usually to either Goodwill or one of the local shelters, because I am aware of Value Village’s for-profit status, but I shop there often.

If you are tired of VV prices and live in the oshawa ontario area… try Star Thrift Store at 200 John St.. Midtown mall. The prices are about 1/3 what you pay at VV and they always have tag colour sales as well as frequent 50% storewide sales. Even big brand names are cheap. Got guess jeans there.. looked brand new. Tag was 5.99! Can’t find better deals.. I’ve looked. Check them out starthriftstores.com and they support Canadian Cancer Society.

So glad to read all the comments from others about V.V.
Like everyone else, I no longer shop or donate goods to V.V.
I personally hope V.V. goes out of business soon.

i am a book collector (just collect, don’t sell). stopped in the other day and saw a “special” book they had sealed in a bag priced at $5.97. I was interested and they allowed me to open it. Not only was it a used school book (but vintage) but it had the back page torn out which essentially renders it valueless. If they don’t know the fine points of pricing books why do they even attempt to classify some as “special” and thus price them higher than a “normal” one?

VV has a FB fan page and people are always leaving negative comments about the ridiculous pricing, VV’s canned response is to “bring the matter up to the store mgr”…well my hubby was in a VV in Richmond, BC yesterday looking at an item that was overpriced (a dish that was lidless but originally had a lid)I suggested to him, over the phone, to see if they could do better on the price because the dish was missing it’s lid. He wanted to talk to the mgr oh, but guess what!!! The Mgr didn’t even BOTHER to come up front to speak with him. Nice Customer service there VV!!! So “speak to the mgr” is just a lot of talk and no action. Shame on you VV and your mgr’s!!!

Value Village is a large FOR PROFIT CORPORATION. It is no different than a regular retail corporation.

I helped write an article on Wikipedia but it was stripped by the marketing maffia of Value village

Village village is owned by a millionaire…its a corporation making money on false advertising and and information of Canadians and Americans

It lines it self up and pretends its like Goodwill and Salvation Army…which it is not.

Value Village is a FOR PROFIT COMPANY. Please take your used items to these non profit organizations a much as you can. Avoid giving your used items to Value village if at all possible

Ohhh goodness……….. Ive read the first 20 or so posts…. AND get this people.. Value Village in Canada is owned by WAL MART…. the first V.V. to open in my home town was about 20 years ago… prices were OK about same as other Charity shops. Saint Vincents..Salvation Army Thrift Store… BUT the store was smelly (sewage smell) which found out later that this particular store had problems with sewage back up…. Worse yet was the condition of the cloth put out on hangers….. Skid marks….. blood stains , crusted unidentified masses on cloths…. so wrinkled that a wash and iron probably wouldnt smooth out the creases of the item…. SO…… Been there maybe 3 times in my life and was always disappointed with item or prices…. I turn my FRUGAL NOSE TO YOU VV and WALMART

Just wanted to say “hear here” to MiffedExVV’er’s comment…..you’d think you’d get over the aggravation we all seem to have with VV, but each time I see another comment on the outrage of their prices, I vow all over again that I won’t support them any longer, in any way.

Anyone else noticing equally egregious price-hiking at other so-called thrift stores? Or is it just alaska? Every second-hand shop here seems to think they’re selling gold fucking bullion.

I have been a thrift store shopper for years and love it. I cant afford brand name stuff for my kids so i pick it up cheaper where I can. Its true VV has gone up but so has all the other thrift stores. I am a busy mom who really doesn’t have time to shop so I cant be at the mall every sale to check out what’s cheap, i go when i need something. I tend to go more often to the thrift stores that support the local community (salvation army, bible thrift stores, even hospital ones). i checked on line and found one of the Goodwill stores i went to had it charity license revoked because of false claims so these smaller ones donate to your local hospital and churches even shelters and community programs. It’s worth looking in to.

I’ve noticed it quite a bit lately. I dot even bother to shop for myself, I only go on 50% off dayto get my hubby enough jeans to last a couple months for work.

an example is the Gap 1969 jeans that say wtf savers. Those jeans retail for $80 and are being sold for less than 20% retail. We can’t take into consideration when things could be sold at an amazing discount be a second hand vendor to begin with, that’d be like saying you saw someone sell an XBOX 360 for $1 at a yard sale so we should sell it for .25 cents. A yard sale doesn’t have the same overhead, nor does it give any of the proceeds to charity.

While I have got many deals at VV particularly in the electronics area I do find their prices trending upwards.
I have looked for clothing but refuse to pay more than $10-15 for any shorts or pants.
I have been to the Salvation Army and goodwill by me as well and I find VV has the better items in their stores.
I wonder why that is?
If people only knew how much profit or charity these stores get or give then people would be able to make better choices when donating their goods..

Yeah, it’s hard to find something good. But occasionally the store just doesn’t know what they have! Got a pair of 200$ winter riding pants for 8$. Awesome. I worked there once and I quit. I was working in the book section and someone seemed to have donating someones collection! There was a copy of peter rabbit worth easily 50$. Tossed in the garbage.

Hi used to be a VV customer until I discovered retail sales. Reitmans is especially good for this sort of thing and they also sell petites and plus sizes. Another good store is Rickis which is a very expensive store but I have bought brand new skirts for work at their sales for $9.99, $4.99 and also for $1!!
You have to be savvy and figure out where to go for what you want.

I was recently in VV to look for a costume. I tried on a Danier leather coat that was for sale for $59! Seriously, I can go to the Danier outlet in Cambridge and buy a brand new leather coat for just $20 more.

Which brings me to another point. When I first started shopping VV in the 1990’s it was possible get some truly beautiful clothing there – in fact designer stuff that had never been worn because it had the original tags on it. This stopped being possible around 2008 when all of that clothing was likely directed to high end second hand shops where it can earn more money. I still have some of the beautiful evening wear pieces I bought from back then, very classic, and black. Cannot be found today in VV.

Finally, I remember once returning something I purchased at VV because it had a huge tear in it that somehow I never saw – it was a sweater I think. They took it back and a week later when I went into the store I found it back on the rack. 🙁
They also stopped their return policy too – it became ridiculous.

I have to politely disagree with the majority of the posters on this one…at least partly. Yes SOME prices at VV are completely out of sync with what items are worth, this is mostly true for those items that originate at discount stores (i.e. walmart, target, joe fresh in Canada etc). For those items you might only be paying slightly less (and sometimes the same or more) than you would at the original store. Generally not worth it. Where the value comes in is getting those items that are of high quality (and I don’t just mean names, but looking at construction, materials, and fit which is much more important) for a fraction of what you would pay new. As an example I bought a beautiful wool and cashmere designer fall coat in a very classic style with the tags still on for $20 — the original price was $565. Some recent purchases have been a wool blend pencil skirt for $6 (retail about $70), a pair of high quality designer boys jeans for $4 (normally $40), a boys sweater for $4 (retail $30), a pair of $200 Citizens of Humanity jeans for $9, a brand new wrapped $60 board game that was on my wish list for $3, a silk dress for $20 (retail about $200) among many many others.

You have to be choosy, but there are still lots of good deals to be had. Especially when you consider that I purchased most of these items with 30% off coupons or on 505% days (which I did not reflect in the prices listed above, so I paid even less)

Not only are your savings from what you would pay over retail higher on the better quality clothing at VV, but with good quality clothing in great condition, most items last longer, so your cost per wear ends up being very low.

There are a couple of other reasons why I do most of my thrift shopping at VV over other thrift shops (although I do go to other thrift stores as well as yard sales and swap meets). Firstly, I’m a very small size and there are less items that fit me, having to go through racks upon racks to find the few items in my sizing is generally not worth my time, and time is also money. Also, I have had terrible luck with Good Will, although I know many people who swear by the stores. The two nearest me are not only completely disorganized and have surly staff, they are both utterly filthy. Like really really gross. Even if I’m shopping on a budget, I still don’t want it to be a decidedly unpleasant experience.

Also, as far as shopping at discount racks at regular stores, I do that but I find a couple of negatives which puts me in favour of VV as my number one clothing source. Firstly again is sizing. If you are a Medium or Large then there’s usually lots of choice, XS or a larger size pickings can be slim. Also, the styles that are left over and end up on the clearance rack can sometimes (although) not always, leave something to be desired. For instance, sometimes items are there because of a fit or design oversightand often the styles may not be what I’m looking for. However the biggest issue, is that regularly shopping these stores, means that I have to be going regularly. Often I go to VV and pick up a dozen or more items at once. I would have to go many many times to the clearance racks to get the same number of desirable items and I find that just takes too much time.

Anyhow, that’s my two cents. But if anyone knows of some great thrift stores in Toronto, I’d be totally open to broadening my horizons!

After several years, I returned recently to Value Village looking for a pair of jeans. I really noticed a big price increase. I used to pay 5.00 for jeans…they were now between 10 and 15 dollars. that is a 2X-3X price increase. The store was filled with a lot of junk. There was not much to choose from…slim pickings at high prices. Instead I went to Marks work warehouse, and found new jeans with nice styles and cuts, and the prices were very reasonable, like 20.00. I bought them, and have been very happy with the style and fit. I will not be returning to VV ever again. come on value village..your selling stuff people throw out, so get real. sheesh.

I completely agree! A fact that very few people are aware of………WALMART OWNS VALUE VILLAGE AND SAVERS…….
That is the answer for why the prices have sky-rocketed!
How much is actually given to the charities???? We will never know. The Salvation Thrift stores are 100% a non-profit charity. I take all my goods there now. SHAME ON WALMART!!!

Dear VV: I am breaking up with you.

I have enjoyed thrifting with you at many locations over the years, most recently with my son in law in the prairie stores in Canada. I used to work as a buyer for film and TV and also collect certain vintage items. I do not shop for everyday items with you because you are extremely overpriced, but I am still able to find some treasures that your pricers miss in their Google searches because of their limited knowledge of these items and their focus on recognizable N. American brands.

But here is why we must part ways …

I have a friend who likes Lu Lu Lemon. She cannot afford it new so I keep an eye out for it when I’m thrifting in your stores. This brand rarely shows up in decent condition and still you overprice it @ 29 for hoodies/19 for yoga pants – pilled and faded fabric and all.

Anyway …

I was in just before Christmas and had a cart full. On the way to the till I spotted a vintage-y light weight nylon Lu Lu Lemon zip-up misplaced on a rack at the end of the fabric section. It was in decent shape and only 4.99 because it wasn’t immediately recognizable as Lu Lu. The Omega symbol was hidden under the collar and the pricer missed it and other features of this brand.

Yay for me for spotting it!!!

Yeah, but …

When I got to the till, I was not ‘allowed’ to buy it.

Why?

Because when the cashier asked me how I did, I told her, “Look! Lu Lu Lemon for $4.99!”

Instead of her saying, “Yay for you!!!”, she seized the jacket and called her supervisor who told me the item had been mis-priced and would have to go back to production for re-pricing.

Say what, now?

(Note to self: from now on, be the Ikea lady and don’t celebrate till you get to the car.)

When I pushed, I was told that many people switch tags or ‘pop’ tags and that this jacket was likely popped.

Okay, sure. But why was it still on the racks? If someone changed the price s/he would either be wearing the jacket as we speak or the cashier would have caught it and pulled it, no? I asked the supervisor to review the tag for sizing and production to verify that the tag was correct for the garment and she said it was, but it was underpriced.

There is something very insidious about this practice.

I spend hours combing through certain sections of your stores and it behooves me greatly to know that if a cashier believes an item to be ‘underpriced’, she can take it and I don’t get to buy it. Nor do I get first right after somebody in the back has looked it over and re-priced it – of course, at a higher price because it has been flagged for that very thing!

I was told that the production line prices an INCREDIBLE amount of items per hour. And things get overlooked- just like this – not-immediately recognizable brand of – Lu Lu sweater. When this happens it is great for people like me who know branding: it gives us the opportunity to get a deal. But this other policy negates the nature of your business and only works in your favour.

It’s ridiculous, actually.

So, VV … we’ve had some good times since 1986 or 7 when you first opened on Hastings in East Van. I have found some awesome shit over the years and I have come to love my little hobby. But it’s time to let you go. You price above retail in many case; more and more of your community partners are starting to open their own shops rather than sell their donations bulk to you. I have started to thrift elsewhere and have found some wicked deals recently from these vendors on the items we collect.

So adieu, old friend.

And yes … it’s totally you.

If you ever get some help for your issues let me know and maybe we can try it again,
A. Thrifty Consumer

I’m also done with VV. I needed to find a last minute dress for New Years Eve, decided to check out my local VV (Richmond, BC) and spotted a cute red dress priced at $19.99, went to try it on and noticed the hem was coming undone, seams were coming apart in places. Promptly put that back on the rack and hit the Forever 21 at the mall and found a gorgeous red lace and satin dress for $24!! I’m also a custom doll artist and usually hit thrift stores for my supply of dolls, VV sells beat up used Barbie dolls for more than the same new doll at Target, Walmart, and Toys-R-Us, $14.99 at VV, $8.99 to $9.99 new. I used to donate to VV thinking I’m doing good,never again.

It really depends on location and part of the city. Some parts you get great (new or almost new) high quality merchandise (Harry Rosen, Harrods, Marks & Spencer) for very good price (well $20-$30 if you find a good $200-$300 classic fashion piece is pretty good deal I consider). Other parts of town is exactly as you describe, mould, months, mice, stench, cockroaches, dust, stuff is around for ages, price tags hilarious and everything is in a worn-out with yellow stains of sweat. Usually area codes with high incomes or trendy areas with thrift stores are good areas to get good finds.

Found EIGHT pairs of seven for all mankind jeans for $7.99 or less……I think you guys just need to search a little harder. Remember VV doesn’t look at the make of the jeans.

They have MOUNDS of stuff to sort through and jeans just get bucketed into a certain price group (3.99 – 9.99) for example. You guys are acting like they have time to go through each pair of jeans and and see what they are going for and if they are on sale somewhere. Lets be realistic here and cut them some slack.

Hun, there are bigger things to be reporting about then value village pricing…just saying

In this day and age, most stores have to keep up with inflation. it’s 2014 not 1989 ( hence price increases ). Value Village is designed for those who shop frugally. Fashionably speaking Value Village’s clothing selection has an “air” of retro to it. However you can find some current and fashionably up to date items. It is impossable to go into Value Village and find anything in 20 minutes. Anyone who goes into VV needs to spend on average a good solid hour. I LOVE Value Village and support their causes. On almost every occasion I will donate items to them. Lets be real and understand that prices everywhere will increase……. not just at Value Village………………. That’s All

This is a topic that we (as a family) debate all the time and as someone in the process of going through the long process of opening a good thrift store, I can tell you that Value Village has several bad practices.

I live Calgary Canada where depending on the area, you can find a number of thrift and consignment stores within blocks of each other. In 2 such areas, Value Village is one of those that are lumped into the mix.

I agree that Value Village is overly expensive even compared to other for profit stores. The operations are clearly not what they should be as it is common to find items that are sub standard, even by thrift store standards, but that are still priced ridiculously high. To comment on one post above that indicated they don’t have the time to go through every item. Certainly not to research they but they should be spending the time to ensure that items are in good condition…no rips, tears, stains, chips, cracks or breaks just to name a few. These things should not even make it to the sales floor.

I have already done a break even analysis as it is required for a business plan and I can confidently tell you that there is no reason AT ALL for Value Villages prices to be as high as they are.

Yes, they have to purchase the inventory they sell. It is cheap! Soft items such as clothing, are purchased by the pound while housewares and furniture are kicked in at no cost to them. Yes, the costs associated with running a store that size are high but if it is operated and managed properly, there could still be a decent profit margin without the enormous prices.

Many people believe that by supporting a for profit with donations, means that a store owner is filling his/her pockets and do nothing for the community. If fact, more private owners do more for the community than those that claim to be not for profit. Small privately owned stores have more to loose. Their life savings for example so rely heavily on the members of the community to patronize the establishment where large chains like Salvation Army, Goodwill and others, get tax breaks, government forgiveness and several other perks just because they give 10% to some organization or another. Because of this heavy reliance, store owners, not all, go out of their way to help in troubled times. It may not seem like much at first but when it is weighed against what the so called charitable chains are doing, it is quickly identified that the little private store, with no taxable deductions or government assistance, is doing more just on a smaller scale.

Finally, they next time you go to one of these “charitable centers” ask yourself how likely is it that someone with very little income could afford to shop here after they pay living expenses? In many cases, they can’t!!!

Just some food for thought.

Hi I was just at value village in owensound on. And i have to disssgree. While Yes the shoe and dress prices are too much, there r plenty cheap clothes. I got a carters skirt for My daughter for 1.99 that would normally be 15 dollars in store. I also got two bluenote shirts for 3.99 each that would normaly be around 12 dollars each in store. Is say there lots of savings at vv. I also got a tonka truck for 4.99 that is metal!! They don’t make them like that anymore.

I am so happy I found this. I was at “Value Village” in the dress section and the dresses were $17.99 to $24.99!!!! For a freely donated item?!? As if! If I wanted to spend over $10 I would buy new! Let’s all call and complain.

Value Village and Goodwill both are rip off, not only their pricing policies of used donated items is inflated, but also in many cases they sell things which should be sent to the recycle bin. Some electronics are not working, many items are expired. It is cheaper to buy things at Walmart than to buy it from the goodwill or Value village. Now, Goodwil has started an auction every Saturday for items considered in good condition, and items in shabby in condition are left to the consumers.

The very first time I was in a Value Village store was the one they built in Peterborough Ontario Canada a few years ago.
I had heard that they were a cheap store to shop in .I went to the Men’s pants section Low & behold there were about 10 pairs of men’s jeans that had been donated by Walmart size 38 to 40
My size is 38 so I thought I hit the jackpot
Why even the Wal-Mart price tag was still on them Wal-Mart price $9.99 Value Village price $22.00 YES $22.00 They didn’t even hide the Wal-Mart tags I found a manager pointed out that Wal-Mart was selling them brand new at $9.99 ( the $9.99 was NOT SALE price but regular price for these blue jeans )The manager looked at all the jeans ripped off the $9.99 price tags and said there we go Thank You for your help I was astounded I said you cannot do that these blue jeans are only $9.99 BRAND NEW & you now want over twice what the new price was All she said was That’s Correct Thank You for your help .I told her that was down right Thievery You cannot price them higher than brand new .She said why not some one will buy them I just shook my head and walked out

so I found this site by looking for value village experiences on blogs etc. I recently got a deal on something (a giant minion plush that was unused for 10 bucks) but I normally come in here to look at ties and belts. and noticed prices had gone up noticeably (to the point where buying new on sale somewhere else would be the same price).

one thing i want to point out to people is: value village does NOT receive the items for free. they buy items from charities. even when you donate the item directly to VV they are required to ‘buy it’ from a charity. The price they buy it from the charity for is a set amount per cubic foot (i.e. they pay the same amount whether its a walmart item or a holt renfrew item).

that being said. They then decide on the amount to sell it for – and they are clearly attempting to gouge stupid customers. they are still abunch of money grubbign corporate shills trying to sell themselves as a charity when they really aren’t.

I so agree with you, VV sucks!. I refuse to give any donations to this store. I use to buy all my granddaughters clothes from here but now I would rather go else where.

In the UK they have wonderful car boot sales every week-end. I would rather go and sell all my gently used clothes at something like this. Not only is it fun to sniff out “that bargain” but you make a little bit of money on the side.

If you are all about the charity bit then you could donate all monies that you make to your favorite charity.

Maybe doing this VV will think twice before they start gouging us. Shame on you VV!!!!

I have worked with several of this “thrift” operations

You will all go back. I know it and you know it. We all know it. Every last one of you will go back to VV and you will buy. Thats how we stay in business. You gripe but you are all talk.

Whether its bibles, goodwill, Salvation, or VV … its about the money. And that’s all its about. Charity? All give a small portion to charity. Very small. Management makes a killing and staff costs are high. Real estate is acquired with the $. Notice all the brand new Goodwills for instance? Where do you think the $ comes from? That land is solid wealth which can be disposed of later and pocketed.

Salvation Army owns large lots in the center of cities everywhere. Prime!

How do we do it? Because you – the so called little people always shop with us. You complain but I know you will give me money again. You cant help yourself. Some people feel they haven’t the right to shop anywhere else. The rest … cannot resist a possible bargain. You will be back and find something and then you’ll buy it. All this other BS is just that. Thats why Thrifts are popping up everywhere, renos being done .. its a war right now and even in this war prices have been higher. Thanks to you people. You like paying as sales are way up.

You are the same people that complain about your wages, taxes etc. YOu do nothing about that either. Because you just show up and take whats given to you. YOu couls make your own life and forge your own path but never do. Just whine with your $ out. Thank you!

High-Value Village priced based on brands. If somebody donate a true religion jeans they will automatically put a high price around $49.99. “THATS INSANE”!!! Electronics stuff is so expensive aswell “(are you competing with bestbuy or future shop and feels like open box item?)”
A old Yamaha cd player cost $24.99 without returns? Scarry eh?
I rather go with Kijiji.ca or Varagesale where you can buy whenever you want. Thats all folks.. remember it is not Value Village, it is now called HIGH-VALUE VILLAGE!!!!

I recently went into the store in Peterborough Ontario Canada Thought I would look around see if there was anything I could buy
.I came across 6 pairs of New jeans from Wal-Mart that still had there $9.99 NORMAL price tag on each of them .
Now this was NOT a sale price but NORMAL PRICE
Value Village had put a price of $25.00 EACH on them ?
I went and got a manager and pointed out how VV had priced $9.99 Jeans at $25.00
I said it must be a mistake.
The lady said your right sir and REMOVED ALL the $9.99 price tags and left the $25.00 tags on them.
and started walking away I stopped her and said why did you remove All the $9.99 tags and leave
the $25.00 tags on them she said because people will pay thaty much for them .
I commented but that is a rip off She shrugged her shoulders and walked away
W>T>F
This is just pure rip off tactics
IF WE STOP GOING IT WOULD PUT THEM OUT OF BUSINESS OR CORRECT PRICING
Doug

Funny that I came across this article which dates back quite some time (2-3years) and there are still current replies to it. Nonetheless I will give my opinion as I feel like the comments have been quite negative and all for the wrong reasons. I honestly feel that most customers are very ignorant when they speak of increased pricing and all. The reason I say this is because it is as if the building VV operates in was donated, people all work as volunteers, and clothing just crawls out of bags jumps on hangers and walks its way out to the sales floor. They pay lumps of money to lease and operate in the buildings, minimum wage has jumped to $11. Ignorant people see prices go up but do not see expenses go up. I’ve recently been to the Vaughan VV at Weston Rd. and Hwy7, and they are one of the nicer VV I have been to. I’ve witnessed customers shopping through the racks like they were animals, pulling things off their hangers and throwing them on the floor leaving the store a complete mess, not something you see at a typical retailer. Do you think the store just cleans itself, maybe if they didn’t have to bring as many people in to clean the store the expenses wouldn’t be so high that they need to inflate their prices. Don’t get me wrong but I don’t agree that they always price things correctly, but if the price is not right simply don’t buy it. Then again, why are people going to VV to shop George, Joe Fresh, and all the other low end brands? I shop for the higher end stuff I don’t want to pay full price for like Bench ($80+ zip ups for $24.99), Mexx ($30-50 Shirts for $9.99-14.99) etc. if you honestly feel you can get the same item for less simply just go there to buy it.
I actually went by the same store this past Monday and the amount of “Donations” people drop off was astonishing, there were badly stained mattresses, and totally ripped and stained couches just to name a few. As I was curious, I went to ask the staff what they do with that stuff, they told me unfortunately it has to go into the trash as this is clearly somebody’s garbage they left behind and the reason why they said clearly was because they left it at the back of the building where no one will ever see. If people actually had good intentions and stopped throwing their garbage at VV there wouldn’t be as much labour involved and once again will cut down expenses.
We always only see prices rise but in the end who is to blame for all these inflated prices? A business is a business and if a business has higher expenses the only way to balance out is to have higher revenues aka higher prices. Maybe because I take business management and see things differently it has me understand the root cause of these things. I hear people compare a full out retail store with staff members and all to a garage sale, really?
Finally the most ignorant thing I’ve seen/heard… WHY PRICE THINGS YOU GET “FREE” SO HIGH, last time I checked VV helps CDA, OFCP and many other charities in the community. As for the price VV pays these charities it is really none of our business, it really is a business contract negotiated between the two parties. No one is forcing CDA to bring their stuff to VV, they are only doing it because they are mutually benefitting from the situation. Enough of me ranting on, but I felt as though VV is judged unfairly and they get nailed for all the wrong reasons.

I volunteer at my local clothing thrift shop in a small town in Alberta. We also have a household thrift shop in town. Both shops are run by local churches, but you don’t have to be members to volunteer there. The items donated run from absolute garbage all the way to brand new tags still on, high end designer items, leather/fur coats and even wedding dresses. Even after paying rent, utilities, etc. the two shops are still able to donate/put back into our community over $100,000 a year. Yet both our prices are still incredibly cheap compared to VV, loved the Value Pillage nickname BTW 😉 Goodwill and the Salvation Army. Folks, search out these small GEMS in your communities, they are out there…. 🙂

I can understand why many thrift stores are continually raising their prices. I have not been to value village/savers because the closest one is very far. I live in SoCal and popular thrift stores like Out of the Closet and St Vincent de Paul have been raising their prices because hipsters pick through the clothing and take it to their own stores and sell it for much much higher (I estimate about 900% increase). In one way they’re getting smarter about it. At out of the closet I will never be able to find deals but st Vincent I would (depending) I prefer locally owned thrift stores or the like. Another thrift store I frequent has nearly all the shoes ranging from 1-5$ some of the clothes can get expensive but they don’t charge tax. Also if I wanted to buy more than reasonably priced clothing I would go to buffalo exchange or Crossroads where they buy actually lightly used clothing directly from people (some brand) but I would only buy staple wardrobe pieces

I am in a bind and i must say when i first moved to kamloops, i gave so many donations to value village not knowing they sold them, I thought they gave stuff away to the the unfortunate, well i sure learned fast how wrong i was.I recently have become one that now needs help myself, i went into value village and I couldn’t believe my eyes when i seen their prices, I was speachless. I bought all new clothes last year and stored them in my shed. well I had to go away and take care of my daughter as she is very sick and has 2 kids which she sometimes can’t look after due to her lenghthy illness.I came home to get my clothes out and when i went to grab them mice popped out and were hitting me in the face, just all over, hundreds of them. nests and nests of babies. needless to say i have nothing. I have no money. If anyone happens to be donating any XL clothes of all kinds, Could you please get ahold of me. I have cried for days. Just don’t know what i’m gonna do. I need a winter coat even. I had such nice clothes. It’s devastating. I WILL NEVER EVER GIVE ANYTHING TO VALUE VILLAGE AGAIN AS LONG AS I LIVE. VERY VERY DISGUSTED IN THEM.

There used to be a Goodwill in my town. Now there isn’t. Don’t know why–but I did notice a rise in prices there that didn’t seem justified. They employed a lot of people who were disabled in some way so it was a shame they closed. I think the people who took it over were more interested in maximizing profit than helping people. The customers thinned out (who did they think were shopping there?) and the store had to close. They had a HUGE space in an under-leased strip mall. Salvation Army, Bible Mission store. That’s where I go and I get GREAT bargains. I am replacing all my furniture with flea market, yard sale and thrift store finds. You just keep an open mind–How can I make this old thing “sing”? LOL I’m soon to retire so I can’t afford new–which is usually a picture of wood over particle board anyway.

Uh, these prices in 2014, especially on clothes and shoes are way higher now. These Thrift Stores are selling our free donated items for more than regular stores on some things. I use to be a regular shopper and buy a cart full, now I go in there seldom, and often walk out with nothing, it’s just too expensive for me. I now wait for Mall sales and get my stuff brand new for equal the price or cheaper. Let me tell you, it’s not only VV that has these ridiculous prices, most Thrift Stores are following suit, There is no excuse for this, they get it free and they profit big time.

I was in there the day before their members’ 50% off day, just to have a look to see what potential ‘deals’ I could score the next day, and it was ALL THE SAME CRAP THEY’VE HAD FOR THE LAST MONTH! Yes, I go often enough but I would normally expect any company trying to make money to put newly donated stock out but they DON’T! Their tactic is to keep all the shitty stuff out as long as possible, then have their sale day, then the NEXT DAY they put out their new stuff, which dummy people buy because there won’t be another sale day for quite a while. I used to work there a few years ago, as a cashier and remember the sale days being ridiculous, putting $5000 through my register alone and people buying so much we ran out of large bags and started using garbage bags to bag their items. The racks of clothing were also so packed tight, you had to wonder where all the clothing came from. Now, no one is buying anything because the prices are so high, the racks are half empty, and sale days seem to be seldom events. Connection much? Put 2&2 together VV, your losing sales because your prices are so freaking high for USED clothing, no matter if it’s Lululemon, Bench, or Gap, that shouldn’t matter! Your a USED clothing re-seller! If you want people to buy more, stock your racks like you used to, and lower the prices. Simple as that.

I am an avid thrifter and love the deal we USED to get at Value Village. When I was last In Toronto I stopped at a few only to find out that they NOW cross reference items they have against eBay sales and projected sales. Then price them way out of reach for the average person. Not only that but some items they do not even check to see if A it is all there(complete) & B if it broken. I looked at 2 items they priced and both were damaged. Worth perhaps a 10th of the asking price. I agree with the clothing comments above, we can buy brand new unworn clothes from brand name stores.
I was just in one yesterday and every bag of toys is now 3.99, and every game and puzzle is roughly the same or more.
Goodwill’s around here are OK but the selection can be a lot weaker than other thrift or second hand stores.
SO IN THE END Can Not Wait for the summer to arrive again for Garage Sales, as these seem to be the best.

I rarely shop at VV or Sally Ann Thrift Shops, both are getting too expensive! I can get cheaper at Giant Tiger! They both started out as charities, but are getting too big & much of their profits from donations are now going to maintain their own payroll! Plus a girlfriend of mine, who has worked at our Sally Anne for 10 years (the last 2 or 3 as a manager) was just dismissed unjustly right before Christmas… Merry Christmas to her! She has talked to the Labour Board & is now hiring a lawyer! It seems, someone wanted her job… so she lost it! I will never go there again! Very unprofessional!

Yea! I wonder how much out of every dollar goes to charity?

Great topic,
I believe the merchants and wanna be collectors are ruining Value Village. They are in there every day pricing everything on Ebay before they buy and bragging about how much they sold something for. I’m sure clerks are aware of this, and I have a feeling VV is now using Ebay as a reference for their own prices. I’ve seen NBA jerseys priced at $80. LEGO sets as high as $150. Somebody is buying these high priced items, maybe us thrifters are also to blame.

CG

If someone takes an item to a ‘buy and sell’ type store, they expect to get some money for the item, since the buyer is going to sell the item for profit, which is why i won’t donate to Value Village, since they are making profit from my items, i believe i should get a cut.

The Salvation Army is non profit, and they give me a $10 off coupon when i donate items…. they also have 50% sales every week.
The Salvation Army thrift store is much more organized than value village also. I recommend people to stop donating to a private company like Value Village and give their items to a charity like The Salvation Army.

I gave up shopping at any 2nd hand store after having a bought of bed bugs. Doing research on that subject they said never to buy used furniture or clothing or books if you don’t absolutely have to. These are where BB’s hide.

I could never get past the smell at V.V. anyway. I would have to hold my nose all the way through the store. I went with my daughter sometimes. She doesn’t go any more either.

I’m really thankful at this point in time that I don’t need those stores and I feel bad for anyone who does, especially if they are being ripped off like this.

Hey everyone.me and my mom sometimes go to value village in calgary.we also noticed many things overpriced or incorrectly priced.sometimes i dont know how people price things.an item from walmart will be like 14.99 while an item from banana republic or guess will be 9.99 both items in same shape..one thing u could try if u really like at item and thinks its outrages price.rip of the tag and bring to cashier.99% of times they will put a way more reasonable price.. 🙂 p.s. also i try shop only on 50% off days that way u actually pay what u should for the items

Value Village is not a quick shop. With the Seniors day, and 30% discount, sales things priced better, but what about the younger people who have not a lot of money…I can Pay 49.99 for a new well known jacket or 29.99 at Value Village. So guess what, I now have an extra 20 to spend on something else.. BUT… Why to set up a rack of ALL Major Brand names.. for example: $14.99 to ? All good brands in excellent shape or never worn. That way you know before you even start looking, you are expecting higher pricing. This is for clothes only…..

Be very careful shopping at the Kelowna Value Village. They sell items in the display case but the product inside the box is switched out and replaced with older similar product. I got scammed twice because of falsely advertised product. I also must admit that the prices have skyrocketed since new management took over. They ask almost full price for the majority of items they sell. It’s a complete joke now.

Do you guys even know what they do for the community ??? Do you expect to get it all for 1.99 ? Really you shouldn’t judge till you actually know what your talking about ok ! Mabey next time you shop there you should ask , what they do with the community and what they do to recycle ? And last you Complain about VV but you all still shop there , stop shopping there then tired of seeing you complain !

Value village is so overpriced and under serviced . They make you wait in long lines for long time when there is staff available . They treat you like homeless people as if they are doing you a favor . The company is not a charity . It is a big business that gouges people who can least afford it . Often you can find things cheaper if you buy them new . They charge $4.99 for dollar store items . Just do not shop there .

Do you have any idea what you’re actually talking about? Maybe if you pulled your head out of 1950 where everything is $1 you’d look around and see what good we do for the world. Please I beg you to go to Oshkosh or Walmart and show me a onsie for less than $1.99. We don’t receive anything for free with paying our non profit partners or the Canadian diabetes association upwards of $10 a pound of donation they bring us.our prices are fair and reasonable and if there is a huge problem we’re more than happy to fix it. In 2014 alone we donated more than $200 million to our non profits and 90% of tthe stuff we don’t sell is shipped overseas to help stimulate stimulate he economy in developing countries. Also the company is American based, so here’s an idea, do some fucking research before you run your mouth. Just because you have a blog doesn’t mean you know what you’re talking about.

I agree with the author – Value Village (Savers and Unique Thrift in the US) has steadily increased their prices over the past several years and, IN MANY INSTANCES PRICES FOR NEW STILL-IN-STYLE ITEMS CAN BE FOUND AT DEPARTMENT STORES. As a FOR-PROFIT organization, pricing strategy is their prerogative (albeit greedy and bad for people who really need to be able to find affordable merchandise). What burns me is that Value Village / Savers REALLY focus on how much they donate / help local charities (as seen in the message above from “Value Village Employee” who’s been drinking too much of the Value Village / Savers kool aid) while being VERY careful to not mention their FOR-PROFIT status (which isn’t misleading but is “not exactly upfront” and, to some people is a deal-breaker). In summary, these days EVERYONE (sellers and buyers) are either out to make a “fast buck” or are out for a “deal” and EVERYONE (sellers and buyers) have to be aware of that fact and act accordingly. Aside from public media, the best way for customers to show their dissatisfaction with something a seller is doing is to vote with their feet and with their money – patronize preferred sellers and don’t give non-preferred sellers any business.

To the Value Village employee – you need to do your research also.
Value Village is owned by someone in the states who does not disclose his assets, and I’m sure they are a lot. Value Village was a great place at one time for people who didn’t have a lot of money, and of course now because of the way things are going – middle class disappearing and many people in debt there are a lot more poor people. Value Village gets free stuff all the time and that $10 dollar a pound might have a 3 or 4 20 dollar pair of jeans. And it so nice that they sell all the unwanted stuff to other countries – do some research on that – it might shock you. Some small clothing businesses in these countries have gone out of business because of the free shit the western world sends (we are always patting our self on the back, but we don’t think of the results) You do your research, and I totally agree with this article. What about people who can’t even afford to shop in Walmart, oh I guess it doesn’t matter – poor people just need to wear rags. And by the way some of those lower income people might be ecstatic to get a job at Value Village – good for you for having a job and being able to buy stuff. Do more research on this privately owned business and find out how much the owner makes, and find out how much is donated there – they get plenty of free stuff! People have a right to their opinion and Ryan – a bit of wind bagging there.

Value village is a great thrift store! You will find no better place. I don’t understand people’s complaints about the pricing. As far as I’m concerned the prices are excellent and I’ve never had any problems with VV. I go to the Value Village in St. Catharines. I will shop at Value Village until the day I die.

Back in the day, I was able to walk out of Value Village with 2 bags of clothes for my kids for $20 or less…now…that will only get 1 or 2 items. I used to love that store. The prices really are out of this world now considering everything is donated to them by the public. I now avoid Value Village at all cost. SOMETIMES I will go in as a last resort when seeking off the wall stuff. I don’t know how long they will be in business now that there are MANY other thrift stores, dollar stores, consignment stores and FB pages dedicated to people buying and selling. I would encourage people to use these other sources….not only cheaper but more quality control and not supporting this greed.

I think it all depends on the province and the manager. I have the feeling that the management in Vernon should retire. The staff turn over seems daily. I think its terrible when you move here and start asking hiw it is to work there and half the city has an opinion on how bad the work conditions have become in the last couple of years. Perhaps a change of manager could get the work conditions and the prices adjusted. Things are not always as they appear. Has anyone ever confronted the manager about the prices they feel are not reasonable? Just some food for thought, since so many peop,e say they wont shop there Im sure that may result in loss of sales and ultimately unemployment. What happens if that stores prices keep being unreasonable , people stop going there and due to poor management the store closes? Shopping seems limited in Vernon as it is. Perhaps we need to ask management to start managing and call for new management instead of a potential store closure. Im new here but I think there is way more to this story than some high prices. By the way I agree the store does smell and the prices are crazy on some items. I spoted a suitcase I had donated and there is niw a tear in it and the price is higher than the price I paid for it new. But just as we hold those accountable that manage our country why arent we holding management accountable in this case?

I do not doubt that many items at Value Village are in poor condition or over priced. However there are unbelievable bargains. I recently purchased a Danier leather briefcase for five dollars. A similar briefcase sells for $200.00. A British made trench coat was ten dollars. The same brand at Harry Rosen was more than a thousand dollars. I often read complaints of ebay sellers driving the prices up. If a person can purchase an item and sell it foe a profit on ebay, it is difficult to argue that it is over priced. I have also read comments of working conditions. It is unfortunate that service workers are often underpaid. This is not unique to Value Village. The percentage of money going to charities is a negotiation between Value Village and the charity. The charities must be reasonably satisfied or they would not enter into an agreement.

You are absolutely correct, Kerry! I used to shop at VV in Brampton all the time but when I went there about 2 years ago, I was appalled! The prices had more than tripled and when I asked “What the heck?” I was told “Oh – it’s because we are now under new management”. So I asked what gave them the right to gouge people who are trying to clothe their families while keeping food on the table and a roof over their heads! Diabetes runs in our family so I always called “The Clothesline” to donate any used items as the proceeds were supposed to be sent to the Canadian Diabetes Foundation. After they are picked up from your house, they are sent to Value Village for resale. I know this because my cousin (who wears a rare ladies size 11-1/2 shoe) found her exact pair of shoes at the VV selling for $15.00! Only a small portion of the proceeds actually make it to the charity. You are better off giving them an annual donation of $10 or $20. It works out to about the same!
As for the Goodwill, I was looking at a 3 piece dresser set there. It was WELL used with scratches and a few chips out the side but it was a solid piece of furniture. There wasn’t a price tag on it so I enquired and was told they were $300. I thought that’s not too bad – $100 bucks a piece but no, they were $300 EACH! You call that a bargain? It’s supposed to be a thrift store!
So far the only Thrift Shop I’ve found worth looking in is Talize! They have awesome prices and the items they sell all seem to be in really good condition. Thank you Talize!

Value Village has been a fucking rip off for years. I stopped going years ago. People who donate to Value Village are Suckers. Why on earth would you help out a company that is owned by Wallmart? Is Wallmart in need of donations? Pleassssse! Value Village says it gives to charity but it’s very, very little, in terms of what the company makes per year. They make millions and millions of dollars per year, give nothing to charity and pay their employees nothing and treat them like snot. Next time donate used goods to the Sally Ann or Goodwill at least your used goods goes to help people. You can however donate your cat piss stained mattresses and bags of dog shit to Value Village.

This might be unethical, but so, too, is price gouging under the guise of charity: my ex brother-in-law – bless his scuzzbag criminal heart – would swap a high price tag on an item for a lower one. The cashiers couldn’t care less about the accuracy of pricing. Nobody ever (to my knowledge) caught him or questioned him.

It’s hypocritical for Value Village to claim they help people in need, yet pay their front-line employees minimum wage and set their prices so high the low-income families they purport to help can’t afford their goods. Fu%^ them. I’m glad my ex-B.I.L. cut very slightly into their profit margins.

Value village were cheap in the early 90’s but now are priced so high I get clothes at the same price new and I don’t have to worry so much about bedbugs and body lice, I go in there once in a while for other items other than bedding and clothing I found 2 time that cookies come in that were musical and the tin turns around as it’s playing the music my sister loved it she collects music boxes, some say value village pays for the stuff I know for a fact this is not true I was with my friend twice when she donated the only time u get anything is when they have their card that gives u 30% off or something once you get so many stamps she got 5 stamps once otherwise she got nothing so she donates to other places now that give away the donated stuff, someone also said the staff don’t get paid their all volunteers I know they do get paid but are awful to their workers my one friend worked there until last year she got paid min wage and my other friend still works there she also gets paid

I agree that Value Village can be expensive for certain things, but like a lot of things, you need to know your prices. If you can get the same thing for cheaper somewhere else, by all means do so, but don’t complain about how much it costs here. I have the perspective of volunteering for a thrift store for many years, and I know that many of them have to pay expensive disposal fees for garbage that people give them that they cannot sell. This often amounts to thousands of dollars a year, and I imagine Value Village has this problem too, so that may contribute to the jump in prices. Also, some people donate to them because they like the fact that Value Village isn’t aligned with a religious or political organization that doesn’t match their beliefs (like the Salvation Army, for instance, which has a long history of intolerance towards LGBT people). Whether this is a for-profit company or not is irrelevant in this regard.
I have found some deals before ($200 like new Fossil purse for $8 was a good one – I’ve gotten lots of compliments on it and people are shocked when I tell them where I got it), but I agree that the pricing seems really inconsistent, even to someone like me with an understanding of their pricing structure. Ultimately though, it’s just buyer beware.

Over priced shit hole. Thrift stores used to be the place to get things for cheaper if you’re on a budget. Now with their on par retail prices, I just buy new.

Zero incentive to donate, or shop. Every thrift store in Victoria BC is price gouging. Everything is 400-500X more expensive then it should be. Everything. This really should be considered fraudulent behavior.

“Under new management” is what happened to my local thrift store (not VV). Suddenly they were stocking other people’s trash and charging outrageous prices for dirty, well-used garbage. They drove what had been a nice place for bargains and people who need them to a dump. Within 6 months the store closed. It think they kept all the good stuff and sold it on-line. I heard of one manager who did a pretty good business out the back door.

insane prices. damaged jeans for 15.99$? you’re out of your mind. used pants shouldn’t be more than ten dollars ever

you need to pick and choose there and you must know what you’re looking at. Another scam there that i see VERY often now is multiples of the same cheap item, brand new, at higher than market price. i.e. the item was BOUGHT at discount and put on the shelves. I’m also seeing many unused counterfeit items still with fake tags on them and i suspect these were bought online and put into the locked glass case to dupe unsuspecting buyer. (examples i’ve seen are $150 fake montblanc pen set, $30-40 for fake Persol and Rayban sunglasses) Not only could you be overpaying for common items, it’s now also a case of buyer beware with frequently stocked counterfeits.

On the other hand, i’ve walked out with steals like $1000 and $1500 watches. $3-5 for genuine/authentic, glass lens sunglasses. They had 2 similar fishing reels, both priced at $160. One was a $120 reel the other was a $700 reel. I took the $700 reel and left the other. You can make it work out but you need to educate yourself.

Goodwill went out of business In Toronto. Soon enough Value Village put up all their prices, almost double and in some cases triple prior to Goodwill going out of business. I saw 2 pair of used jeans for almost 30 bucks each! THIRTY BUCKS FOR USED JEANS! All their shirts have doubled in price. Pair of running shoes used, 25.99 USED!!!!!!!!!!!! ALL their prices on everything have gone up exorbitantly. It stinks! Went there today and left for the first time ever without anything. I had a few items in my basket, but the more I thought about what they’re doing the more sickened I felt so I left my basket on the floor and walked out. I’m not going there again. No VALUE there. None. I’m done. It’s sickening what their doing. OH the last straw, a Joe Fresh USED short sleeve shirt, was priced higher than a NEW Joe Fresh shirt in their stores. cya

I think all people should know that Value Village always pay the minimum donation to big bros. That is 5% of net profit. That is a pittance for them. The top brass make more per year than a lot of people make in a lifetime. What a bunch of rip offs. Stop donating to them, the smaller good will stores and where you should go.

Don’t complain about prices. After paying salaries and overhead expenses, there has to be some left over for charities. We think of their prices as fair rather than bargains. We donate our used items knowing that we are giving not to bargain hunters, but to persons in much greater need.

The Value Village should no longer be allowed to advertise or say they are a non profit organization since SAVE INC net profit at the end of last year was 2.2 billion dollars. This is now a rip off the poor people organization just there to make big profit and a very little donation to charity

Things are looking alittle bit better. You got rid of your rediculous two hot wheels for $5.99 (worse price yet) and want $1.99 for two. Now maybe you will sell some and not lose them to sticky fingers. Stay down to earth and realize you are nothing without the donations of your customers. You give alittle you gain more. You get full of yourselves and act like a high class department store. Maybe your contents came from high class stores the first time but now they just come from you.

My husband and I shop at Value Village for things other than clothing and I have to say their prices have risen way too much over the last couple of years. I do feel badly for people who need to shop at discount places, they sure aren’t getting much of a deal here. Had a really bad experience today at a brand new Value Village (Ancaster, Ontario)….we wanted to buy an old box set of four books (that was published in 1965)….there was no price on it…when the employee finally came back they said 19.95 (seriously?? Keep in mind the set was probably $10 or UNDER in 1965 and the outer “box” was damaged)….the cashier, who claimed to be the manager was not willing to lower the price….I pointed out that they don’t pay a dime for their merchandise, didn’t matter….I’m quite sure we won’t be going back to that location, I am the customer after all ( I also pointed out to her that we donate A LOT to Value Village)…..bad customer service, bad pricing, dishonest (3% to the Canadian Diabetes Association ) is basically nothing…….not good at all.

I have worked at value village and yes even I am astonished at some of the prices, but I have to day that the people pricing the items have to go through so many a day that they may miss something in the item if so there’s nothing stopping you from showing a supervisor and them adjusting the price for you, but that item then becomes non-exchangeable. One of the most annoying things working at value village is how many people complain to the cashier who has no control over the prices what so ever!!!! I once had a lady come through my tI’ll buying one thing telling me that she could buy it for brand new at that price and all I could think was well then why don’t you then? I do have to agree through on the prices of books it’s sad when I have to charge someone $4.99 for a book, I’ve had so many people roll there eyes at me when they ask me what the price is ( we have to look for cover prices on the book and if we can’t find one we have to call a supervisor because we are not allowed to price them which just makes it annoying). Personally I never really shoped at value village before I worked there unless it was a %50 off day. Although working there I do see many items that are priced way lower then what they’re worth for the condition and the brand. If you have the time to look around you can find some great deals, but it’s understandable if you can’t, I myself can’t even look through everything. I have found some amazing brands for a steal such as bench, Adidas, Nike, and calvin klein to name a few ( there was a calvin klein bag for $24.99 which is a steal because many brand new are $150 and up). I just wish people would go to the right people when they complain or want more detailed information about the company because the cashiers do not have all the information or any control to do anything about the price problem and I personally don’t care about the pricing complaints anymore they’ve become so old and if someone does complain about the price of something I just get a supervisor because the can do something about it where as I can’t.

6 bucks for an old book at rip off village is just that, a rip off…,

Hi Kerry, I commented above and didn’t realize my last name would show. Could you remove it before posting please and thank you.

Was there in the Calgary, Midnapore location last week.
Every shirt I liked was $8.49. If it had been a great name brand, I could somewhat justify.
However I found a T-shirt from Aeropostale for $8.49. A) Aeropostale is closed in Canada and therefore NOT a top brand. B) I had just come back from the US and had visited a Aeropostale store. The T-shirts were $4.94 BRAND NEW!!
I found GAP jeans at VV that were $14.99 where as the a visit about 4 month ago I found the SAME pair for $8.49.
It went on and on.
My friend and I usually have a cart of of things to try on and then have to decide which not to buy because we love it all for the simple prices.
This last visit I bought one T-Shirt and she bought nothing.
Our weekly VV visits are also being reconsidered.
Superstores Joe has brand new clothing and the clearance section is LESS expensive then used at VV.

I mentioned to the cashier about the ridiculous prices. I mentioned I am into name brands and I am aware of cost and that VV is charging high amounts for brands that typically go on clearance AND are cheaper new then VV prices. She simply said “well maybe we are getting better quality items. I don’t know, I don’t do the pricing”.
I understand that is not her department but how about recommending to talk to a manager? The lady in front of us also complained and she got a eye roll with one worker walking away saying “well thats life!!”

Very disgusting VV!!!!

I used to shop at VV ALL the time. For books and shirts. I had a really tough time finding shirts that I liked elsewhere, so would just go to VV (this was 8-10 years ago) and buy like a dozen at a time. Their prices were reasonable then and made it worth my while. In the intervening time, their prices have just gone thru the roof. For everything! These days I can buy brand new clothing from Walmart and Winners and not have to contend with the VV. They’ve even priced used books out of the park – $5.99 for anything vaguely newish when the local libraries sell used books for $2-3 a piece and at least that money is going to a worthwhile cause.

VV needs to get its act together and realise who they *should* be catering too. I won’t be donating to them anymore.

What is left to say? VV is just a rip off. The problem is, thanks to them, many other thrift stores have jacked their prices also. We visited a St Vincent de Paul thrift shop and their prices were ridiculous! These places are supposed to be for people who can’t afford to shop at retail stores. It’s actually pretty sickening. But, that’s the world we live in. Greed rules.

Ripped off Yes. They are now charging taxes for used items- which DO NOT EXIST. Another way to steal more money- other than gouging prices put on items they got for free. I will never give them anything again. They are NOT giving much of anything to any charity. It is the biggest con game of all.

I’ve had a couple of instances where I went to the cashier and they refused to sell me an item because the price was too low. According to them “someone” may have swapped stickers which was basically an accusation against me. Embarrassing and shady. I spoken to some employees and they all complain they’re overworked so I dunno why they would fight on behalf of corporate.

Definitely prefer Salvation Army but all their store fronts are tiny. I get they’re non-profit but why not set aside a larger chunk of their profits toward the location?

My biggest pet peeve, I will collect items to donate so that I can have an immediate discount card. With that discount I buy clothes for one of my friends who is house poor and another single mom with 2 kids. This year those poor kids had no back to school clothes and I couldn’t afford VV.

Donations discount cards come to you time stamped, so if you don’t use it before the date of expiry too bad. The donations I made to them should be treated like a gift card. They make money and you save some…guess not so much anymore. Last year they put you on a points system, the more you donated the more points you got and that was based on the size of the boxes and the quantity of them.

yes I still shop at Value Village a friend of mine collects baseball caps so i’m always looking for him
I looked at the salvation army thrift store and when then wanted 4 bucks for one cap I left and didn’t buy one value village sells their caps for 99 cents to 1.99 so I bought them for him there

I like Value Village in Ottawa for jewelry components and a lot of other jewelry designers do as well. Prices have gone up but are still mostly affordable. My only gripe is that the selection has diminished by about 80%. I.guess too many people felt the same. I would like to try Vinnies’s.

I just recently found this article, and it just confirms what I have been thinking and saying for awhile now.I noticed the prices of housewares too have jumped like crazy.Vases for 19.99$.or Starbucks mugs for 8$,Japan porcelain dog 14.99$, a blanket 69.99$….WHAT! I have written them an email, but no response from them.
I even saw a winter coat from Gap for 60.99$ hell you can get a brand new one from the Gap for that price.It is disturbing that they are profiting from the needy, and FROM DONATIONS.AND THEY CHARGE TAX!

These VV stores have become dens of thieves. Almost all of electronic things I bought there are not working correctly and I had to repair them (when it’s possible), and they also sell new but deffective items like lamp bulbs still sealed in their original packaging but not working, and they don’t accept any return. I have been stealed both my money and hundred of hours of my precious time. In Canada they ask us to pay tax but it’s illegal as in Canada their is no tax for second-hand merchandise. I don’t understand how it is possible that VV can continue to operate in such a way to cheat on poor people buying in their dens of thieves. Is there no quality and price controls here in North America? Try to do that kind of commerce in some other countries and you go to jail!

I used to work at the store here in Kamloops, British Columbia a few years back, and they treat their staff like crap as well. I have diabetes, a dangerous case of epilepsy, and anxiety and depression that actually causes seizures and high and low blood sugars from the previous conditions I mentioned – which they all knew of when they hired me.

They overwork their staff, expect your whole life to be dedicated to them, are always angry with you, no praise, and what was the tipping point for me was their lack of care for you. The to best examples for me were when I was mentioning suicide, they sent me home in a police car. On the outside, it made them seem all good and responsible, but in reality, we all know the district manager who worked there – I think she runs the BC devision too? – sent me home cause it would “soil their impression name.” The other was when I mentioned (one of the many times I had to cause I have medical conditions) that I needed to go home cause I felt a seizure coming on, and I didn’t want to crack my head open on their floors. I got called into that same office by that same lady above, and she says, “Cole, I don’t care if it’s a medical condition or not, the next time it’s on you.”

I quit that day.

Do not ever shop here at Value Village. They abuse their employees and don’t care about their safety at all, medically, mentally, and from people who worked in the back there I talked to, physically at all.

Value Village in Pickering and Ajax Ontario has Managers calling up acquaintances to pick up any and all valuable items. Often these items are priced a lot lower and are handed directly to them before checkout. These people then put them up for extravagant prices on Kijiji or FB marketplace. Take a look at any Kijiji seller that has 1600+ items for sale there and these are the people that are there at 9am lining to get in by 10am. There used to be a time when you get off work at 3pm and find nice things there but now Managers are skimming through the best items and passing them to people they know shortly after opening.