The Corner Penthouse

When you have a low income, you have to make every Dollar count. One way I can stretch those Dollars is by shopping at thrift stores, and other places that sell used goods. The American Thrift store in Baldwin, New York used to be one of the best, but over the past five or six years, the store employees have, seemingly, been trying their best to make me not want to continue shopping there.

The first sign of the store going down hill was when I noticed that sometime in early 2021 (or late 2020) the people who run the place started writing on the spines of videos and books with black marker. You'll notice in the photos below, which I took on Friday October 5, 2021, that all of the DVDs and books have a letter (a "G", "B", "W", or "R") written in black marker on the spines.


I would love to know why they, intentionally, desecrate their products like this? They didn't do this, originally, when the store first opened.


I've had to replace all of the plastic cases of the DVDs I bought, and didn't buy any DVDs where the markings were on parts that were NOT plastic cases. I refuse to buy any of their books because of these markings. For whatever reason, if they feel the need to put letters on the spines, put them on stickers that the customer can easily remove later.

I really wanted an answer, so I sent a private message to the store via the American Thrift Northeast Facebook page (and also the American Thrift Facebook page and the American Thrift Baldwin Facebook page). On November 9, 2021 at 10:50 AM, I actually received a private message reply from an unknown person via the American Thrift Northeast Facebook account:

Hi Paul,
We apologize for the inconvenience. We have to do this so our cashiers know how to ring up the items. The sharpie on CDs, DVDs, and books will easily come off with cologne, perfume, lotion etc. We hope this solves your issue.
Thank you.

I don't think the person fully understood the problem. No, black Sharpie marker ink will NOT come off of a paper item (such as a book or a DVD slipcover) if you put cologne, perfume, or lotion on it. Putting liquid on a paper item will DESTROY it! I sent the private message reply below on November 10, 2021 at 4:49 PM.

That explanation makes ZERO sense. Your cashiers will know how to ring up the items if you put a removable sticker on the items instead of desecrating them. They will also know because of the sign on the wall by the media areas that states that books are such and such price, DVDs are $1.50, and so on. I'm sure your cashiers will know what books are, what DVDs are, and so on. Also, the marker does NOT come off easily, and you can't put cologne, perfume, or lotion on PAPER items, such as books and some DVD cases.

I never heard back from the person, and the store has continued to desecrate their merchandise ever since. Thankfully, if the marking is on a plastic DVD or Blu-ray case, I can use a rag to rub it off. If it's on a slipcover, that marking will not come off. That means that some items I will no longer buy at that store, so they're only hurting themselves with this.

Fast forward a few years to Friday April 12, 2024.

For a while now, American Thrift was tied with the Salvation Army Thrift Store as the second cheapest place to buy DVDs and Blu-rays, as both stores priced them at only $1.50 each. (The cheapest place to buy used DVDs and Blu-rays still is a tie between the Sacred Heart Church's annual spring/summer White Elephant Sale, and the Antique Thrift Shop Flea Market in Valley Stream, both of whom charge $1.00 each; though the church discounts at "6 items for $5". Honorable mentions go to FourLeaf Thrift Store in Copiague, who charges $0.99 for DVDs and $1.99 for Blu-rays; and Retro Games & Toys of LI inside Tri-County Flea Market in Levittown, who sells used DVDs for $1.00, new/sealed DVDs for $2.00, used Blu-rays for $3.00, and new/sealed Blu-rays for $6.00.)


Well, American Thrift lost its place as second cheapest. I noticed on April 12th that the price had gone up to $1.99 each, which ties them with several other "used goods stores" I frequent that charge $2 each.


Ok, they were $1.50 for five or six years, so I can't blame them for rising the price. It's still cheaper than the Savers thrift store (usually $2.99 each), and significantly cheaper than the MyUnique Thrift stores, who regularly charge $3 to $5 each for DVDs and Blu-rays, depending on whether it's the Westbury or Levittown store. Then I went to check out and noticed that the cashier added a $0.25 "Supply Fee" to my bill before she even rung up a single item!


I asked the cashier about it, and she said that it's a new fee that they are charging everyone, whether they are paying by cash or credit. That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. Many stores, such as American Thrift, charge a fee if you pay by credit card, but never have I ever been charged a fee just to shop in a store! I don't belong to "membership stores" such as BJ's and Costco because I abhor such behavior.

When I first went up to the register, I didn't even see a notice about this new "Supply Fee". It was only when I went up a second time with the rest of my party did I notice a sign placed at waist level - not at eye level - which explained the fee.

Supply Fee

Due to the ever-increasing cost of supplies and our necessity to stay ahead of minimum wage increases, American Thrift Stores will be adding a Supply Fee of 25 cents per transaction. Please understand, we are doing this to help further our commitment to maintain the lowest prices for our customers in the thrift store industry. We sincerely appreciate your understanding and thank you for your continued loyalty.

This is a lot of words that amount to no answer at all. Since I brought my own bags, what "supplies" am I paying for? Why am I, the customer, being asked to pay the employees' wages? Furthermore, a retail store's operating costs - employee wages, rent, electric bill, plastic/paper bag costs, etc. - are supposed to be accounted for in the price of the items. No customer should ever be asked to pay separately to cover any of those costs. Stores should not ask you to pay for bags at checkout, either. Remember, no store ever charged you for a plastic bag in the past, as the price the store paid to buy those bags was added into the price of the items. The same principle applies to the paper and reusable bags today.

As previous stated, American Thrift raised the price of DVDs and Blu-rays by $0.50 each, which is double the "Supply Fee". That price increase, and any other price increases, is what is supposed to pay for the store's "ever-increasing cost of supplies and [...] minimum wage increases". That's what price increases are supposed to do.

While this "Supply Fee" may only be a Quarter, it's not the amount, but the principle that's is the problem here. American Thrift should NOT charge customers a fee just to shop in the store, especially after they increased prices. That's how American Thrift will lose customers, which will cost them even more.

[UPDATE - 8/30/2024]
After four months, I decided to see if the "supply fee" is still in effect. It is, but only if the cashier remembers to add it :-)


As seen in the photo above, on my sister's order (left receipt), the fee was added; on my order (right receipt), it was not. I'm not complaining, of course, but it would be better if they just got rid of the fee, period!

On a positive note, it would seem that they no longer write on the media items (videos, books, and CDs) with black marker. So, at least that's one improvement.

[UPDATE - 10/21/2024]
Two months later, and I am saddened to report that the employees STILL write on the media items - but only some of them. You will notice that most of the DVDs on this shelf were written on, but a few were not. Another shelf had NONE that were written on. As they all sell for $1.99, I could not see any rhyme or reason why most on one shelf would be written on, while most on another shelf would not be.


The same is true for the compact discs. I think books might still be writing-free, but I did not look at very many of the books to say for sure.


Finally, I was charged the $0.25 "supply fee" again.


Again, the issue isn't the price, but the fact that I am being charged to shop in the store, especially after prices were raised on the items.