Myself and my boyfriend started thrift store shopping when living on the mainland, and have found some great items. We have since moved to Oahu and found that we like the Goodwill stores in Kapolei and Kaimuki. We lived in the Kapolei area, so the Kapolei store was convenient, and now we live in Waikiki so the Kaimuki store is convenient.
I have never shopped at a thrift store in my life prior to meeting my boyfriend a year ago, I just had the idea that my family or friends would say cruel things, if they knew i shopped at a second hand store, so i never did it. They have always made remarks like " i would never shop there" or " who shops at thrift stores- poor people" . Any-how, my boyfriend whom is in the iron-working field buys his work clothes from there, because they are going to be soiled in grease in no-time. So basically, he got me hooked.... I like interior decore, and have found some great pieces of stylish and shabby chic furniture and beach inspired pieces....
This is where the story turns....Yesterday 01/06/2014 @ around 4 or 5 pm , we dropped-in to the Kaimuki Good-Will store to see what we could find, an hour later we purchased a vintage copper candle holder , a woven unique decorative pillow , a weathered Hawaiian cook book , and a pair basketball shorts. Before leaving, but after our initial purchase we stopped and looked at the case with the higher end product and saw a cool musket, asked to see it from cashier #1, we decided not to get it...so, i asked cashier #2 to put it away because cashier #1 was busy...she said OK....So we headed out of the store, towards the jewel or juice store across the street.....when we heard a woman shouting...."Huuiii huuii wheres the stuff"... I wanted to die....First, its shame in my mind to be there....now, a cashier is accusing us of stealing from there.....so, we went back into the store with her and, sorted everything out with the main manager..but during this process a rather large Samoan or Polynesian male stock helper comes from the back of the store and says to my boyfriend while looking at him up-and-down, why did you walk out of the store with it...., which we didn't....and then throws an attitude and says out loud...I get off of work at 6:00 p.m.....The manager was very professional.
The 2 bad points were...The accusing and yelling from the cashier, when she should have double checked, if the product was still in the store first before heading out to hunt for us.....and the intimidation from the stock worker to my boy-friend.....I have never been accused of stealing in my entire life...so, yes it was shameful.
I think we still love the fact, that you can find cool stuff for great prices....But just a hint, make sure to give a heads up to the initial cashier that u work with when looking for stuff out of the case, that u are done looking at the item...or you will hunted...LOL.... read more