Tuesday 8 April 2008

everything $1 - or not

Sob - I've just had an unpleasant op shopping experience. Double sob. Now, I am a really committed op shopper, I barely buy anything new that I haven't searched for in my op shopping travels beforehand and through my op shopping I contribute, I admit, hundreds of dollars to charity each year. And I really enjoy op shopping, it's one of my favourite activities, so to have a bad encounter is quite, well, distressing actually. Perhaps we could institute an 'I'm-a-good-op-shopper' scheme, a little badge that you could wear when you go shopping so that people will be nice to you.

So, one of the rules on this blog is 'keep it nice' (which I must say all contributors adhere to admirably well - thank you) so I won't be naming names but where else can I get this off my chest??

At issue was the 'everything $1' box of children's clothes. Everything that is except half of the things in there which are priced otherwise. How is one to know if there is a special little 'discount-this-to-$1' squiggle somewhere on the tag which means that it actually is $1, not $5 or $2 or whatever as marked. Honestly, I didn't expect to pay $1 for a Seed 100 per cent lambswool jumper but I did, politely, comment that it was in the $1 box and wasn't that a bit confusing, perhaps it would be better to organise things a bit differently.

The response I received was positively frosty, 'well, we're very busy, you try doing it', and implied that it was the fault of shoppers that things were incorrectly in the box. Hmm, I'm sure that it is sloppy op shoppers who put things where they are not supposed to be (they won't be getting a badge) but I think that it is up to the op shop to institute pricing systems and arrangements that aren't confusing or open to such consumer-initiated price fiddling. And that lady upset me with her tone of voice.

Hhhhhhhha. Much better now that I have that off my chest. The jumper in question:


It will look lovely on blue-eyed, blonde baby bear. $12.

And:


a vintage apron which was without a price tag and in a different $1 box and after the preceding conversation was indeed $1.

One day when I write an economic thesis on how to run an op shop I will be recommending against the 'everything $x' box.

5 comments:

CurlyPops said...

I've had the same problem a few times, rummaging through the $1 box and finding things with alternate price tags. It is rather confusing!

Anonymous said...

I hate the $ boxes or the three for $ signs as well. Most of the time they work against me, not for me. I also loathe loathe loathe unpriced items, though i have got a couple of bargains that way. It just seems so arbitrary - and then when they do name a great price, I end up adding a couple of dollars to the price, as I feel guilty that the price is so low!!

Unknown said...

I hate when people get snippy for no good reason. Those boxes are always confusing, and if they are too hard to keep organised then don't do it that way!
Great find though.

Stacey said...

How rude. Volunteers or not, there's no reason to be rude to the customer.
My favourite shop has a lot of unpriced items and I always peek through the window before I go in to see who is behind the counter. If its the overpricing, snappy Manager, I just keep walking...

Tristie said...

What a fantastic apron!! Its almost good enough to make up for the unfortunate experience. LOVE IT!!!