ReStore score!

[dogmir]

Went to ReStore to grab some pegboard as they have it for $1. Ended up grabbing two files for $3 and wrench for my table saw arbor. Saw this for $10 and couldn't leave it there. 1/2" x 8' x 1' . I googled it and found a 1/2" x 24" x 48"Makrolon® Polycarbonate Sheet for $173 so I would say I did allright lol. Plan to use it to make jigs and other various woodworking projects.

 

[kavisiegel]

Niiiice score man! I volunteer at my local ReStore every once in a while, now and then there's a good donation like this annd you're lucky it even made it to the floor

 

[dogmir]

Yeah it is usually pretty picked through when I go was about to give up hope of ever finding anything good, then this.

 

[nine4gmc]

Great score on that Polycarbonate!! Perfect for a taper gage and circle guide and more.

 

[Al Bundy]

You ****!

 

[zkling]

Niiiice score man! I volunteer at my local ReStore every once in a while, now and then there's a good donation like this annd you're lucky it even made it to the floor

Good to know they are dishonest.

 

[G_P]

Good to know they are dishonest.

So is Goodwill. I've seen employees loading up their cars as I was dropping stuff off.
Tools never make it to the floor at both stores near me.

In fact I've never seen more than a rusty wrench at a ReStore either....

Sent via carrier pigeon.

 

[beatcad]

its been awhile since ive been to a restore and it was weak.

be it restore or goodwill or salvation army Id hate to paint all the employees as "dishonest" but I could be wrong.

not quite the same situation, but close. when I was younger(my early 20s) I worked in a used book store where we bought/sold/traded books. people brought books in all day long. we(the employees) of course saw 'em all and we were the stores best customers. but we were readers/collectors and kept the really cool stuff for ourselves.
this was long before ebay. I don't recall anyone keeping stuff to turn a profit.

you guys would be surprised at some of the stuff I've owned or still own

 

[Harley94]

I made a "deposit" at our local restore a couple weeks ago and decided to do a walk through. Found a like new (still had mfg label) old style 5 gal plastic gas can for $5 Made my day.

 

[bczygan]

My restores have lots of stuff for garages. One thing is their selection of rest room fixtures. Toilet paper holders, soap dispensers and paper towel holders of every type. Medicine cabinets, toilets and sinks, light fixtures and even file cabinets. Plus great appliances (Shop fridge, stoves and microwaves) for the shop kitchenette and furniture for the office or lounge. Shower stalls, windows and doors, ceramic tile by the pallet load that match. Door hardware, paint, kitchen cabinets and Shutters for the windows. Even rugs and a welcome mat for the front door.

 

[bad_idea]

Good score at the ReStore. My local ReStore typically has some cool stuff, but they want prices that are sometimes higher than new. I'm not looking for them to give it away, but come on! They would have wanted $150 for that sheet of polycarbonate.

 

[JakeKohl]

Good to know they are dishonest.

It doesn't mean they're not buying the stuff. Some people volunteer at these kinds of stores to get a buying advantage on this kind of thing.

 

[zkling]

It doesn't mean they're not buying the stuff. Some people volunteer at these kinds of stores to get a buying advantage on this kind of thing.

It doesn't mean that they are either

 

[trainman1385]

That deserves a you ****. Anytime I find anything good at my local Restore its not for sale.

 

[Ign]

Woulda been really cool if it was 1 1/8"..........then you could say it's bulletproof

Makrolon is the competitor to Lexan BTW

I've found plenty of good deals at my ReStore, and times when they wanted WAY too much for items. They had some oddball draw bar/trailer ball combo that was meant to bolt up to some sort of a bumper (not your standard step bumper). It had been there for at least a year and overpriced at $25. I told them I'd give them $5 for it, the wife makes the trailer balls into spider bodies for metal art. The woman was indignant and clearly thought I was trying to rip her off, she just said, "I know what they're worth." I thanked her politely and put it back.

Go figure, 2 months later it was still there. I'm not an expert in how to run these stores but you get your sh*t for free and I thought a bird in the hand was worth two in the bush; they have sat on this odd trailer ball thing for at least 14 months I know of; take the offer of $5 and move on. You make money by moving inventory thru I thought....and again, you didn't PAY anything for that inventory in the first place so keep it for a reasonable time and then clearance it out to make room for more. My store is always OVERFLOWING so I don't know why they'd want to hoard things.

edit: oh and the wife would take the files you got too.............those are ***** toad bodies (but of course, everyone knows that)

 

[OctoMan]

I scored some slatboard to hang stuff on. Haven't installed it yet. Our store sells tools as well as misc. hardware.

 

[Ign]

I scored some slatboard to hang stuff on. Haven't installed it yet. Our store sells tools as well as misc. hardware.

The misc hardware can be a dream for machinists (or anyone who has a solid understanding of sizes and thread pitch) and often for model engine builders. My store has tons of the little packages of 6-32 thru 10-24/32 hardware in all sorts of lengths, usually complete w nuts. I've stocked up on lots of machine screws. Generally prices are good but sometimes they're pretty much retail because the employees have NO idea what they're looking at.

 

[bczygan]

Just went there today and got 10 files with handles for 50 cents each, a small NEMA box for a dollar and an old painted red UL labs knockout box (Very HD) for $2.

 

[Lkdelta]

Yup, I agree.. you ****.

I cant find a ReStore around here.
Sent an email to the link I found,
never heard back where they are

 

[zkling]

If a volunteer buys it that doesn't make it dishonest. The organization still got the money from the sale of the donated item.

I agree, but we don't know for sure if those employees are purchasing those items or not. And if so at what price compared to the public. Are they also paying tax on the items like a standard customer would? There have been many a reports from places like this that accept donations where the employees will cherry pick the items before going out to the floor. Heck one local thrift store actually admits to this.

 

[bczygan]

I agree, but we don't know for sure if those employees are purchasing those items or not. And if so at what price compared to the public. Are they also paying tax on the items like a standard customer would? There have been many a reports from places like this that accept donations where the employees will cherry pick the items before going out to the floor. Heck one local thrift store actually admits to this.

My Detroit (Of all places!) area stores, the volunteers get first pick and a discount. So do paid workers and staff. They don't make much, so they don't buy much unless there are other income streams in the household. Lady a block away furnished her whole house beautifully.

They do clearances a couple times a year to get old stock gone.

They sell new items too, like paint and painting supplies and China made tools and rugs.

 

[McFarmer]

I gave all my old china tools to the local Goodwill, I go in on occasion and never saw any of it on the shelf. Maybe it goes to other stores or somebody grabbed it up.

I bought some stuff from Epsteins, it was China stuff and wasn't supposed to be. They refunded my money and I gave it to Goodwill. Good folks at Epsteins.

 

[DpSyChO]

So is Goodwill. I've seen employees loading up their cars as I was dropping stuff off.
Tools never make it to the floor at both stores near me.

In fact I've never seen more than a rusty wrench at a ReStore either....

Sent via carrier pigeon.

I know of at least one local Goodwill that will not let employees buy anything from the store that they work at, they even have a sign posted when you go into the door stating such.
I went in one day and found a sand blast cabinet, a small one like they sell at HF but made by a company called Cyclone. I didnt know anything about Cyclone at the time but I had been wanting a blast cabinet for a while and this one was about half the price of the HF unit. I took the ticket off and took to the front to pay and someone that worked there come up to me while I was in line all irate telling me someone was on the way to buy it, I told her the ticket was still on it, we fussed back and forth another minute. About that time the manager come out, the woman shut up started walking away. The manager could tell something had been going on by the other customers watching us and the woman walking away so she came and ask me if there was a problem. I told her the lady was trying to tell me it was spoken for but the ticket was still on it. The manager apologized and when she walked away I saw her go to that worker and take her the back. I guess since the employees were supposed to buy anything there, the woman thought she could "call dibs" on it for someone else.

 

[John Mc]

The local Salvation Army had a display for Halloween with axes, pitchforks, etc. that I had never seen on any visit.

I asked where they kept the tools, and the reply was: "Oh, we sell them with the bulky stuff at the weekly auction." .............What auction? There are no signs saying that you have auctions. "Oh the one at the main warehouse."

So I got directions and went down next week. Flea market vendors loading up on all the choice lots of tools, commercial laundry baskets full of books, appliances, office desks & chairs, etc. for next to nothing. And, oh yeah, cars, boats and trailers, too. No single item sales, just bulk lots.

 

[Craptain]

I asked where they kept the tools, and the reply was: "Oh, we sell them with the bulky stuff at the weekly auction." .............What auction?

I just found out about the local auction a couple of weeks ago. They advertise the car auction but the rest of the stuff is not too broadly advertised. I mentioned this fact in the store.