In its most general sentiency , thrift shoppingorthriftingcan name tobuying items — particularly apparel — secondhand . Someone might informally refer extend thrifting at a flea grocery , a thou cut-rate sale , or some other used establishment .
But a thrift shop ( or thrift store ) is n’t just any secondhand organization : As Current Boutique ’s Craving Current blogexplains , it ’s typically a non - profit that diverts its pay to openhearted causes . Housing Works , for example , is an organization that run a number of thrift shops in New York City and uses the money for community - based political program that combat homelessness and HIV / AIDS . This disagree from a consignment shop , which is ordinarily for profit .
It ’s not the only distinction between the two . If you ’re bringing a box of old clothes to a thrift shop , do n’t carry recompense : detail aredonatedto a penny-pinching store , not sell . What you’re able to do is claim your donation as a tax tax write-off , as long as you ’re willing to go to the bother of itemizing it .
You should n’t necessarily await to take the air aside from a consignment shop with a plug of cash , either . Some do pay off up front for whatever they take , which they then sell at a German mark - up . But it ’s more common for you to get paidafterthe store sell your item — adopt it end up getting sold . If it does , they ’ll take a cut of the profits and sour the rest period over to you , whereas if an item never sell , the storehouse will probablyreturnit to you . Consignment stores also typically have different principle regarding how long they ’ll keep something before giving it up .
Because consignment stores are trying to turn a profit , they ’re often selective about what detail they ’ll accept . There are even lavishness consignment store that only take designer goods . If you ’re trying to unload a closet - full of couture — and hoping to recoup some of what you spent on it — you probably desire to find a eminent - remnant consignment computer storage near you .
That say , parsimoniousness store have their advantages , too , and they often go beyond taxation benefits . For one affair , it ’s really easy to drop off a gang of stuff at a thrift shop ; you do n’t have towait for someoneto sift through it all and decide what ’s worth seek to deal . And it ’s always nice to bid adieu to your former belongings eff that you ’re helping your community by doing so .
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