Waited for Gold at the Thift Store, got it stolen instead

[1treasurehunter1]

I'm furious right now!

There is a Bibles for Missions thrift store not far from my house. A lady comes in once per week, the same day and time and goes through the jewelry to price it. She prices gold far too low, like $400 worth in melt for $25. I've gotten lucky a few times. Maybe got $1000 worth of gold in a year for cheap. I waited around patiently from 1pm to 4pm and helped her with hallmarks as she can't see them always, she shows me a ring, I see 14k and I tell her that its 14k, (its white gold with diamonds, possibly weighs around 6 to 8 grams just looking at it.), she shows me a few more, all 925.

I have a lady who competes with me and waits around as well, she's been doing it longer than me and knows the lady who volunteers there pretty well, she has her on facebook, etc.

The volunteer lady hasn't priced those rings yet (one was 14k, rest 925), she leaves them by the counter so anyone can steal them. I was watching the area the whole time and this lady who competes with me was looking at them, touching them with a magnet. I saw her make a quick motion to her jacket pocket; goes in maybe 1-2 inches, doesn't take anything out, walks away.

The competition notices me and says to the volunteer "he's waiting around all day like me, is he my enemy?". If you want to visualize what she looks like, 40s, 5ft10, niqab. She even has the nerve to pick out not yet priced earrings and tell the volunteer to put them aside for me please and dont sell them to anyone else.

I wait an hour longer and the rings are finally ready to be sold at $10 each. The competition doesn't even want to look at them, I know what I want and go looking for that ring, and it’s not there. I say: "that 14k ring isn’t in there" to the volunteer and she's like what?? I didn't sell it.

She wasn't very pleased about the theft and I told her what I saw. So I waited all that time for nothing, just to have my competition steal it so I don't get it.

I got her back 100 fold. I don't do this picking thing for a job but I think that lady does, so I offered to volunteer for the store, 8 hours a week, I told her (volunteer) I would teach her how to weigh the gold, acid test it, how to calculate the market value, where to sell (refinery) so that damn B---h never gets cheap gold ever again. I haven't seen her anywhere else I go so I don’t care if I don’t get any gold deals here, at least she won’t and her bad deed was countered with a good deed helping charity.

I said everything in front of that thief and she was pissed! She said that customers at the thrift store should get a ring for $10 even though a refinery will pay $100, the volunteer disagreed with her.

Like I said, she's my only competition so I'm not burning anyone else but her and myself and there's not a lot of gold that gets donated there anyway.

 

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[Beachkid23]

I made an enemy doing this before. But it turned out really well in the long run. She had cut me off twice. the first time pushing me out of the way to get A bag telling me I better watch where I'm going! The second time she just cut in line in front of me and said I'll take that right there and I said but I was waiting in line for it! And she said that she was a senior so I should give her priority! Well I asked the cashier how much the bag was that she told me $20 and I said I give you $50 for it! She said she cannot do that but she would call the manager out and I told a manager I give her 50 bucks for the bag. And so the manager decided not to sell the bag!

Fast forward three months later they are putting stuff in their case and it's cheap and I walk in and 10 minutes later so does mean old hag! She's like you're not going to get anything out from under me this time I brought all my money with me. I said that's good I brought a credit card LOL! But the manager comes out and tells both of us that she's not selling the jewelry to either of us and we both have to leave.

I come back in the next day and I go to the manager I talk to her directly I apologize for the way I acted and I asked her if there was anything I could do around the store for free for a couple hours to make up for my mean behavior in the store. And she says do you know how to price Jewlery?

Oh yes yes I do. So now I go to their store I price their jewelry and I get the buy whatever I want to. And I get all of their gold no questions asked but I pay 70% a spot for it. They opened up another store and I get to do the jewelry for that one too and by all the gold every time. not a single piece of it Will ever hit the showroom floor as long as I'm working there and They don't want that because it kept getting stolen.

I cannot wait for the day she walks into that store and I'm stand behind the counter putting out jewelry. Just gonna smile and say here I saved this for you and give her a big fake sterling necklace I take out with me on the showroom floor every time I put with jewelry! with her name on it! There's something to be said for good people and I have been one before as we all have I try not to be but if I can turn around and teach somebody something else there's a good possibility when I go to them next time they're going to trust me and respect that and the person who is meaner is going to get nothing.

 

[Lost&Found]

Yeah, some of the rudest people I've met are at my local TS. Pushing, shoving, grabing at items in my hand. I don't hesitate to tell them off.

Yet, I've also made friends with some of my "competition", we look out for items that each other might be interested. When one makes a score, maybe there is some jealousy, but it does'nt stop one from congratulating the other. In the end it equals out.

 

[mugsisme]

There is a guy around here who I have run into many times. Last week I got to the TS, and he walks in a few minutes after me. Starts grabbing at the earrings, drops some of the floor, doesn't pick it up ... So I told my DD, let's go. I said to her, he is so rude. She noticed also that he dropped the stuff and didn't pick it up. The guy is obnoxious. I've asked him nicely if he would aside so I could look. (He was on looking on top shelf at earrings; I wanted to see middle shelf; necklaces.) Doesn't matter. You aren't going to find what you aren't supposed to find. There is gold for everyone; no need to be greedy, rude, pushy, or just plain old not nice.

 

[Keppy]

Oh yes yes I do. So now I go to their store I price their jewelry and I get the buy whatever I want to. And I get all of their gold no questions asked but I pay 70% a spot for it. They opened up another store and I get to do the jewelry for that one too and by all the gold every time. not a single piece of it Will ever hit the showroom floor as long as I'm working there and They don't want that because it kept getting stolen.

You see this is not a good thing one's that work in the thrift store getting to pick over things that come in before they put them on the floor . .. People come in to find a deal not the workers picking out the good things for them selves…. I know for a fact that some thrift stores have a very strict rules about that sort of thing … There a a few stores around here that the workers and even the manager look over and take what they want then put the other stuff they don't want on the floor ….To me it is ..Really a bad thing so i do not like these type of things to me that is dishonest and you are cheating all the buyers that come to that store...

 

[gollum]

aaaahhhhh no one's getting cheated. It all goes to charity. If you don't like their policy, don't shop there.

I have been thrift Shopping for almost twenty years off and on. I can usually find some great deals in electronics and a couple of TS carry new clothes that were donated by stores (to get a retail tax write off rather than 5% from manufacturer). I have a closet full of Versace, Tommy Bahama, Armani, etc. I don't really do the jewelry, and in all that time, the few rude people I get are when I am going through clothes on a hangers. As I am going through everything piece by piece, they get close and push everything so it all gets bunched up in front of me. Last time a guy did that, I waited till he reached in for something, then I slammed everything towards him, crunching his hand. He yelped and I told him "Sucks don't it?" He walked away grumbling something in Spanish.

Mike

 

[Keppy]

aaaahhhhh no one's getting cheated. It all goes to charity. If you don't like their policy, don't shop there.

I have been thrift Shopping for almost twenty years off and on. I can usually find some great deals in electronics and a couple of TS carry new clothes that were donated by stores (to get a retail tax write off rather than 5% from manufacturer). I have a closet full of Versace, Tommy Bahama, Armani, etc. I don't really do the jewelry, and in all that time, the few rude people I get are when I am going through clothes on a hangers. As I am going through everything piece by piece, they get close and push everything so it all gets bunched up in front of me. Last time a guy did that, I waited till he reached in for something, then I slammed everything towards him, crunching his hand. He yelped and I told him "Sucks don't it?" He walked away grumbling something in Spanish.

Mike

Your wrong sorry to have to tell you that but you are wrong .. Items should be put out .. I know of ones being fired for pulling that sort of things in honest thrift stores …And well they should be..

 

[Beachkid23]

You see this is not a good thing one's that work in the thrift store getting to pick over things that come in before they put them on the floor . .. People come in to find a deal not the workers picking out the good things for them selves…. I know for a fact that some thrift stores have a very strict rules about that sort of thing … There a a few stores around here that the workers and even the manager look over and take what they want then put the other stuff they don't want on the floor ….To me it is ..Really a bad thing so i do not like these type of things to me that is dishonest and you are cheating all the buyers that come to that store...

Not really. I price most of the silver fair. Before the gold was getting stolen by employees mostly or someone else who was there to look at it. I still price silver and most of it goes on the floor too. I put out two Tiffany bracelets today. Along with nine other pairs of Sterling silver earrings. The only time I buy silver is if it is scrap or if it is a major namebrand that a lot of people have not heard of. Mexican jewelry is a good example of that. It will sit in their case for six months or I can give them 50% what it's worth or what they sell for. Everything else costume jewelry it's priced the same as what it would be for. I could care less if it's a namebrand costume jewelry are not going on the rack for two bucks same with earrings just they wanted help picking out the stuff that was good. I did get 2 gold filled pocket watches. I looked them up online and price them and half of what they would sell for on eBay. One customer came in complaining that they were too expensive and another guy bought them and paied cash for both of them and left. From what I understand my job is to get the stuff sold. They don't want their forever and neither do I. But why let somebody buy something for a dollar when it's worth $300 and I'll give them $240 for it.

It could be worse I could print out an eBay auction and put it next to the peace!! We all hate that!

 

[EccentricInTexas]

I took a different route with situations like this. I Straight out right told them what I was looking for and that I would pay 75% of melt for any gold and silver. I would separate, weigh and calculate it all out right in front of them. Never had any problems with competition after that.

 

[gollum]

Sorry Keppy,

But you are wrong here. The policy of the store is up to the management of that store. If they choose to let employees buy items before they hit the floor, then that is their policy. Who are you to tell them they can't make their own rules? If the store has a policy against doing that, and that's what they are doing, then it is very wrong. My understanding of Beachkids Post is that the store allows everything that is happening.

Mike

 

[Rodbuster209]

I have to agree with the way Beachkid handled it, he came up and is reaping the benefits!

 

[Keppy]

Sorry Keppy,

But you are wrong here. The policy of the store is up to the management of that store. If they choose to let employees buy items before they hit the floor, then that is their policy. Who are you to tell them they can't make their own rules? If the store has a policy against doing that, and that's what they are doing, then it is very wrong. My understanding of Beachkids Post is that the store allows everything that is happening.

Mike

.. If it is one of a main thrift store there is a few of them you will find in just about any state….., Then it is there main office that makes up what is right and what is not right…. Not the management that makes it up …… They get there stuff free to sell to help out people .. Not to help out friends or ones that don't need it . Now if it is a junk store that buys most of the stuff they sell then it is ok The thrift store is there to help people the junk store is there to help them selves .. To me there is something morally wrong here ..

 

[trdhrdr007]

You see this is not a good thing one's that work in the thrift store getting to pick over things that come in before they put them on the floor . .. People come in to find a deal not the workers picking out the good things for them selves…. I know for a fact that some thrift stores have a very strict rules about that sort of thing … There a a few stores around here that the workers and even the manager look over and take what they want then put the other stuff they don't want on the floor ….To me it is ..Really a bad thing so i do not like these type of things to me that is dishonest and you are cheating all the buyers that come to that store...

Thrift stores are just like any other business. Their main goal is to make as much money as possible. As a buyer I want to get things for way less than they are worth so I can make money.....but I understand that is the exact opposite of the stores goal. There is absolutely nothing wrong with selling things before they hit the floor as long as the sale price justifies it.

Certainly there are thrift stores with strict policies against managers/employees cherry picking items. Those policies are designed to keep managers/employees from pricing items below market value thereby cheating the store of profit. It has nothing to do with cheating the customers.

 

[Keppy]

Thrift stores are just like any other business. Their main goal is to make as much money as possible. As a buyer I want to get things for way less than they are worth so I can make money.....but I understand that is the exact opposite of the stores goal. There is absolutely nothing wrong with selling things before they hit the floor as long as the sale price justifies it.

Certainly there are thrift stores with strict policies against managers/employees cherry picking items. Those policies are designed to keep managers/employees from pricing items below market value thereby cheating the store of profit. It has nothing to do with cheating the customers.

From what i know no one is to buy what comes in until it gets put up on the floor … And a employee can not buy from the back room it has to be on the floor for them to buy it……… And they can not sell from the back room to a friend or a kiss ass..

 

[Beachkid23]

From what i know no one is to buy what comes in until it gets put up on the floor … And a employee can not buy from the back room it has to be on the floor for them to buy it……… And they can not sell from the back room to a friend or a kiss ass..

Why not? How is it any different then if you own the thrift store and some peace and nice jewelry came in and said of putting it in your jewelry case you stuck it on eBay. Because I'm pretty sure that's what goodwill does. It doesn't go up on eBay but I doesn't go on the showroom floor either. Anything of value goes to that site or that building to go online. What does it matter if somebody pays four dollars for something or $400 there to get their money out of it. I'm there to help prevent losses. If I own the store there's no way in hell I put something out there that's worth $300 for two bucks. It is going online and you'll never see it sorry! That it what yard sales are for.

 

[Paleo_joe]

My take is that Beachkid is more of a business partner than a regular customer. Any business, like this TS, can wholesale out stuff to another business, like Beachkid, if it makes sense for them. It is not an under-the-table deal, it's a business arrangement for mutual benefit.

I NEVER see jewelry at TS around here so I miss these fireworks.

 

[Beachkid23]

My take is that Beachkid is more of a business partner than a regular customer. Any business, like this TS, can wholesale out stuff to another business, like Beachkid, if it makes sense for them. It is not an under-the-table deal, it's a business arrangement for mutual benefit. I NEVER see jewelry at TS around here so I miss these fireworks.

To put it in perspective I'm required to pay with a debit card. They do take cash but when I buy from them I have to use a card. I have to prove that I have the transaction. A manager has to approve it. The manager is the owner so I am there for the owner and he uses his money how he wants. But I don't get paid, I'm completely volunteer. I have bought three things from the store and I have paid half of what they are worth or 70%. The other store has a different story however from this one it's not a national run chain it's a private individual store. All the other stuff goes out he put out three brand-new laptops that got at an auction I'm not interested in buying those. What is the difference if he sells a necklace to me for 70% a spot or takes it to a cash for gold store and gets 50% a spot or sells it in his case for three dollars. Owning your own business and selling smartly you keep your business longer. Owning your own business and selling foolish makes you work for someone else quicker

 

[cyberdan]

From what i know no one is to buy what comes in until it gets put up on the floor … And a employee can not buy from the back room it has to be on the floor for them to buy it……… And they can not sell from the back room to a friend or a kiss ass..

and this rule applies to every single TS in the entire country?
who made up this rule? and how can he inforce it everywhere?

 

[Keppy]

To put it in perspective I'm required to pay with a debit card. They do take cash but when I buy from them I have to use a card. I have to prove that I have the transaction. A manager has to approve it. The manager is the owner so I am there for the owner and he uses his money how he wants. But I don't get paid, I'm completely volunteer. I have bought three things from the store and I have paid half of what they are worth or 70%. The other store has a different story however from this one it's not a national run chain it's a private individual store. All the other stuff goes out he put out three brand-new laptops that got at an auction I'm not interested in buying those. What is the difference if he sells a necklace to me for 70% a spot or takes it to a cash for gold store and gets 50% a spot or sells it in his case for three dollars. Owning your own business and selling smartly you keep your business longer. Owning your own business and selling foolish makes you work for someone else quicker

You see…. Beach kid …. That is now a whole different story you are at a privately owned store so that is fine … but the company owned stores are different .. but still the co. owned stores are like most places they are just out for the dollar also …. And the joke about the thrift stores is the workers get less than min. wage but the Exec's make big bucks...

 

[Keppy]

and this rule applies to every single TS in the entire country?
who made up this rule? and how can he inforce it everywhere?

Hell i don't know i am just posting