The Story of Stuff... really.

I think it’s a Universal Truth that when you’re looking for THE BIG PAYOFF, you probably aren’t going to get it, and vice versa.  Today’s example can be found in the jaunt I took to a couple of resale spots I felt certain were going to land me in THE BIG FORTUNA.  One did, and one…. well let’s just say that I won’t be going back in THERE again. They probably won’t allow me anyway. Some crap about a restraining order… perhaps I should give you a bit of “back story”

In my never-ending drive to recover some of my coveted closet space (and cash), I decided to investigate consignment shops.  I was pleasantly surprised to discover that there several in my area, and they offer a wide variety of opportunities to either get rid of your stuff or buy someone else’s.  Every item you can think of, from housewares to hockey equipment, can be had on the cheap, and the nature of the beast requires that businesses insure their offerings are in decent shape.  I decided to unload several bags of children’s clothing and some sporting goods that everyone had outgrown.  My targets today were Play It Again Sports and Good Cents Children’s Store.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with Play It Again, they are THE place for “Let’s Try on This Sport” equipment.  Parents of kids aged 4 to 8 years old know that their interests change faster than Sally Field’s personalities in the movie Sybil, and second hand sporting goods shops really help take the bite out of equipment costs.  You can either trade in your old stuff for someone else’s old stuff, or take a slightly lower cash payout.  Five minutes in the store netted me $40.  Not too shabby.

Now we come to The Big Disappointment. The Good Cents Children’s Store operates on consignment; your stuff, if deemed acceptable by the store clerk, gets you 40% of the sale price which you can take as cash or a store credit.   I honestly thought that two overstuffed bags of late-model kid’s togs in excellent condition were going to finance my plans for the weekend.  NOT EVEN CLOSE.  I probably should have gotten a clue when I waltzed in with my trove and took a look at the Competition (everyone else’s stuff) and did not see even one Old Navy label in the offerings.  Nothing but Aeropostale and Abercrombie as far as the eye could see (and I really want to know what kind of goof buys their kid a Coach bag, because there was one in the Teen section… ).  The clerk took one look at my (awesome) stuff and deemed all but seven items unacceptable.  SEVEN.   I was shocked (vocally so, hence the restraining order.  OK, I’m kidding…) to discover that no one wants Old Navy.  I’m sure this is news to Old Navy, as I see the store doing a fairly snappy business most days.  Clearly, I’m going to have to find some other place; perhaps a ‘Less Than Tony Togs’ or ‘Mommy Won’t Buy $48 T-Shirts’ Resale.

For those of you who, like me, wonder how on earth we've managed to accumulate and need so much crap, this link might give you a bit of insight.  The Story of Stuff

I could go on for an hour about how a person's consumerism being tied to their self-worth is just a sickening idea, but the sad fact is, a lot of people seem to be okay with it.  There's no other way to justify the entire concept of retail pricing.  My kid's babysitter once told me that she had the shocking experience to view an entire New York wholesale warehouse floor FILLED with women's black pants.  She told me that buyers from stores like Express, Gap, and Banana Republic select their inventory from these places, mark them up and sell them to people who are probably not aware that their $75 'steal' was actually worth less than ten bucks.  Ouch.  If that doesn't make one feel like a big fat fool, I don't know what would.