Oh...I dislike having to write this, but I have too. St.Vincent was the place I enjoyed going to…read morejust to escape the world and find some peace and quiet while I hunted and pecked to find deals...not for resale, but for myself. I am not slamming the top manager. He is only trying to make money for the program St. Vincent has to help people in need. As a past reselller, estate sale conductor, a once partner to an estate sale company, I can see things of value...not clothing, I can't stand that. But collectibles. I've noticed new patterns. 1. Prices are up to at least 1/2 the cost of an ebay asking price. 2. Broken collectibles still priced high as if undamaged. 3. Collectible pieces put behind the check out counter holding high prices. 4. A new sneaky practice I only saw at a Goodwill I was a manager at and discountinued, the practice of burying large items of collectible furniture, or marking it sold. To back up this claim, I have seen flippers (you get to recognize them after you see them a slew of times) ask for the manager...ugg...and he comes out and I hear, "Hey...what can you do on the price for this?" The worst piss me off time was when a man walked into the work area the public is not allowed to go in and he came out with the manager. He pointed to a folding MCM dining table, I knew what it was, and the possiblity of it's worth, and it was sold for 10 bucks. Yeah....a cherry/walnut folding dining table for 10 bucks. I've seen Heywood Wakefield dining sets behind chairs (we are talking now in the thousands). 1930s metal cabinets or display cases which bring in a pretty good 200-300 bucks return...sold for 15 dollars. That gets my goat more than anything. Goodwill stopped the practice of that. They do it for themselves now. The people who donate items out of generosity or need, may write things off their taxes. To me, this is against the policy of helping people in need. Yeah, people can say...if you want a deal get there before the flippers...I get it. Today was the 'straw that broke the camels back'. I was going to pick up my meds. I stopped at the store for snits and giggles. I saw two items...no price tag. The lady in front said she would get the manager. Now, she is new I think and have tried to talk with her before. Her attitude is worse than a person with hallotosis, and b.o. at the same time. Her attitude. She placed a price on them which if they were at regular price I would walk. But today was half off day. Score. Yes, I bought them. One for me and one for my daughter. Then I saw a wall coat rack bar. It was 6 feet long made of hard wood. Did i want to buy it for my wall and coats? NO. My bed broke last night and I had to repair the frame. So,I thought, hey, I could buy the rack and support the mission, and save money because I am a person in financial need. It was not priced. The lady who helped me the first time said, it was not marked I couldn't buy it. Then she called the 'manager' I was told it belonged to another piece of furniture. I said, no...it was a wall coat rack. She insisted it was part of another piece of furniture. I remained polite, and respectful. I pulled up a photo of a similar product to 'teach' someone it was not what they thought. It didn't matter. Now the story was, "it is not priced and had to go through the process." exact quote. I looked at her. "Really? You priced these two thing." She just reiterated her excuse. I had felt a feeling I hadn't before. On top of the sneakiness, high prices, and rudeness by this one person, I realized, I can't shop here anymore. I stopped looking for that cool handmade mug by an artesian from Europe. I stopped looking for the depression glass juicer. I stopped looking for Theodore Haviland China, Waterford Crystal, Limoges, Belleck..and more. This store has become a mutant offshoot of Goodwill and Salvation Army. Now, for clothing fine, and that is great for people who wear clothes. I do...lol...but for everything else...it just seems it is not about helping people anymore, but helping those who don't need it (flippers...hey if a person wants to flip, let them register and donate 25% of the profit to St. Vincent) and not helping those who do need help. Not everyone needs to walk in and fill out a form who is in need. Most of us, walk in and look for something to save a few or a bunch of bucks. Oh well...the last of thrift stores for escaping reality is over for me at St. Vincent, which a flipper may enjoy because I might pick up an American Brilliant Cut Glass with a first generation Copley marking which could bring in over $600! I know because I sold a second generation one ten years ago for $250. No more. And to top all this off, is hearing an employee talk about the flippers who come in. Okay fine. But don't rub our faces in it.