From her sparkly flower top down to pink-ribboned ballet flats, Marilyn McCullough’s entire outfit is thrifted. Self-described as “just an old hippie,” she’s a regular shopper at the Salvation Army Thrift Store off south Harvard Avenue.
“We were going to thrift stores in college. That was in ’71, ’72?” McCullough said. “I have really a lot of fun creating outfits, but I do get carried away.”
As an experienced thrifter, she says she’s found items she otherwise couldn’t afford. But some say thrifting has become more expensive. McCullough agrees. There was a time she’d get clothes for just 50 cents, she says.
Tulsa thrift stores confirm they’ve had to raise prices over the years, citing the higher cost of running their businesses. But if you pay attention to the sales, McCullough and store managers say you can still get really good deals.
At the mercy of the donor
Josh Williams is the general manager of the Salvation Army in Tulsa. They’ve raised prices by $1 or $2 on certain things, like jeans, over the last five years.
“We don’t like to raise our prices high because we know all of our donors and all of our customers are battling the same thing that everyone else is,” Williams said.
He says they had no other choice. The Salvation Army Thrift Store relies on donations. While some people bring in quality items, Williams says others are trying to get rid of their trash. The COVID-19 pandemic put donations on pause, and it’s been an uphill battle at times since then, he says.
The same is true at the Quality Thrift Store near 51st Street and south Peoria Avenue. Gary Huffar, store manager, says they used to have a call center for donations because there were so many. Now, they rely on occasional estate sales and buying shipments of clothes to fill inventory. They’ve also raised prices by around 50 cents to $1 on certain things, Huffar says.
“We used to go out and get truckfulls all the time,” he said. “Now, when the estate sales came along, I mean, it takes a lot. It takes a lot of labor.”
What’s best for business?
Pricing goes beyond just brand name and wear and tear. At Plato’s Closet in Broken Arrow, the age of an item and whether it’s in style are also factors.
“We’re picky,” owner Rob Holler said. “And the reason we’re picky is because we have to make an investment in every single piece that we buy.”
You may go to Plato’s Closet on a thrifting adventure, but the store actually falls in the resale category because they don’t accept donations. You get cash for your clothes at Plato’s Closet. That’s why items are generally more upscale and expensive.
Holler says they use a pricing software designed to turn someone who knows a little bit about what’s trending into an educated buyer. For example, he says they’ve been turning down crop tops people bring in because they’re falling out of fashion.
Tulsa’s thrift stores have also been moving online to make more revenue. Williams says the Salvation Army Thrift Store has a huge presence on eBay, which has become one of its largest streams of money. Sometimes, they get five to 20 times more online than they would’ve in-store, he says.
Shopping deals in Tulsa
The entire Salvation Army Thrift Store is 50% off Wednesdays and 25% off Saturdays. They also have auctions and days you can buy a pound of clothes for $1.49. As a last resort, Williams says they’ll sell extra clothes overseas so they can avoid the landfill.
Quality Thrift Store has 99-cent day Mondays where everything in the store costs 99 cents, with a few exceptions. Similarly, seniors aged 55 and older get 50% off Wednesdays.
As the higher cost of living weighs on Tulsans’ wallets, thrift store managers set prices with their wages, air conditioning bills and real estate taxes in mind. Prices have had to raise some. But they hope their deals and new ways of business will draw in as many shoppers as possible.
“It’s such a bargain for their buck, especially in a higher cost of living, especially when groceries are up, and all of these things,” Williams said.
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