Thrift Store Black Belt Tactic - Patience Pays For A 50% Discount

When you thrift for income, it's essential to minimize costs to maximize profit. Below is a good example of where dedication and patience can pay off.

Some thrift stores offer 25%-50% discounts based on the color of the price sticker to move inventory that's been stuck on the shelves. Many people may assume that anything left over for a week or two to qualify for such a discount would be junk. Usually this is the case, but not if I have my way.

When I find something priced well, I buy it right away. When I find something that's a great seller (popular/new/in demand), but it's priced too high for my taste, I usually hide the item in the store with the intention of coming back to buy it when its tag color turns half off.

• On July 25th, this sealed printer toner set was $39.99 in the store, routinely selling for $125-$165 online.

• I could've bought it then for an easy profit of $65-$70, but I don't like spending that much to make so little profit, ratio-wise.
• After some analysis, I put the toner under the shelves in a spot that often has boring stuff on the lower level. I was going to wait for a better price or not take it at all.

• I came back to this store during my normal thrifting routine over the following weeks, but must've missed the blue tag color sale day on its first cycle. No harm done. The item was still safely under the shelf where I left it.
• On one trip back there was a false alarm when the toner was gone from my hiding spot!
• I walked around the store and found it on a shelf. Relieved, I put it back under the shelves in the same spot.

Patience pays...

• I came back today and store's discount color of the day was finally blue.
• Now for the big reveal if the toner is still where I hid it...
• Boom, it's there... I win!!
• Here's the item back at home before listing it.

• While I saved $21.77 in cost, it was 50% off. In resale, that's smart business.
• Projected profit from this sale is roughly $85-$90.
• Item should sell in 1-2 weeks. (Update: sold for $93.74 profit in 4 days.)

Proof:

Bonus Tip - Store employees are allowed to buy items after they've been on the shelves for a few days. Check throughout the store for their hiding places, or for spots where other shoppers are trying to get sale price breaks like I did.

@steemmatt