■   Refers to a store, shop or boutique that sells high-quality used items from a particular time period.  Store owners actively shop for, and purchase, used and second-hand items to sell for a profit.  Merchandise is in excellent condition.  Items are used but not excessively worn or damaged

 ■   Vintage and antique stores are privately owned, for-profit retail businesses that sell curated items that are vintage (25 to 100 years old) and antique (over 100 years old).  Shop owners operate the store based on profits made from sales

 ■   Merchandise found in vintage shops have been carefully selected for in terms of age, theme, design, quality, and condition.  For example, a 1950's Radio Flyer children's wagon; a 1930s Art Deco dresser; a 1950s Sputnik wall clock; and a set of 1960s Pyrex cookware are curated items deliberately purchased for their resale value as they are highly desirable to collectors.  The items are researched, cleaned and/or repaired, marketed, then sold for a profit.  Prices are higher at vintage and antique shops because they reflect the physical condition of an item, its market demand, and the convenience of having someone else find the item for you

 ■   Prices for vintage and antique goods are based on the laws of supply and demand.   Because secondhand items in superior physical condition are limited--with fewer becoming available for purchase on the secondhand market--their scarcity will command a higher price based on availability, physical condition, and consumer demand for them

 ■   You do not pay less money for vintage items at antique stores because they are old, you pay a higher price because the item is scarce and in good condition.  

For example, Pink Pyrex bowls in the Gooseberry pattern were produced for a limited time in the 1950s.  The scarcity of those bowls, their physical condition, and the market demand for them will command a higher price because the item is rare and fewer are available for purchase.  Because there are fewer of those pink Pyrex bowls on the market, their price will be higher than other types of Pyrex bowls because there is a greater consumer demand for them.  Buyers and collectors of midcentury modern cookware will pay higher prices to own them.  The buyer is willing to pay a higher price to own an item that is increasingly scarce and in good physical condition.

On the other hand, if the market is saturated with a particular item--for example, used Keurig coffee machines--the price for them will be low because they are ubiquitous on the market and there is little demand for them

■   The price of vintage and antique goods always reflects the market value of an item’s age, condition, and availability.  The more limited an item is, and the fewer available for purchase on the market, the more expensive the item will be 

 ■   A brick-and-mortar store that sells items that have been donated by individuals, groups, and businesses.  Items can be new and used.  If used, secondhand items will have varying levels of wear.  Degree of wear determines price.  The lowest prices are found in extremely worn items, such as a lamp that needs rewiring or a shirt missing buttons

■   Thrift stores are run by nonprofit organizations that sell items donated to them at low prices.  The goal is not to make a profit but to generate funds to carry out the organization's charitable mission.  Proceeds from sales are used for such altruistic causes as feeding or sheltering the homeless, providing school supplies for the poor, or educational labor training programs

■   Thrift stores are usually run by a church or charitable organization such as The Salvation Army or Goodwill.  Their profits support benevolent causes like feeding the homeless, operating shelters, running food pantries, and providing disaster relief to the underserved 

■   Availability of goods at thrift stores is based on what has been donated to the shop.  Consequently, variety, availability, and quality of goods vary.  Donated items tend to be random.  Availability is based on what has been donated to the store at any given period.  The most common used items donated to thrift stores are clothing, toys, furniture, appliances, electronics, cookware, medical equipment, home decor, jewelry, and houseware items in varying degrees of wear

■   Donations eliminate the need to purchase merchandise as the organization simply sells what has been donated

■   Prices tend to be lower because:

1)  Thrift stores are autonomous.  They set their prices for quick sales based on the socioeconomic level of their community

2)  Thrift stores receive free merchandise. Prices are lower because the store never has to purchase or restock its inventory.  What is sold is what is available at any given time

3)  Thrift stores have low overhead brick-and-mortar expenses.  They rely on community donations and volunteers to keep operating costs low.  Money is not spent on inventory or labor.  Thrift stores also receive tax exemptions on rent, electricity, and labor, further lowering their operating costs

4)  The physical wear of items in thrift stores tend to vary.  Items can be new, used or extremely worn. Prices are based on the physical condition of an item.  The more wear and tear an item has, the cheaper it will cost

5)  Prices are set to sell quickly.   Lower prices ensure fast sales, enabling the organization to fund its programs.  These factors contribute to the affordability of items at thrift stores compared to vintage and antique shops.