Nearby goodwill thrift store

I see it all the time, it just gets to me. For example in my town there's a grocery store near me, foodland. It started out in the state to help independent grocers compete with the duopoly that is Coles/Woolworths, but was meant to serve the locals and tried to stock both local products and things people wanted but didn't always make much profit.
Over the years depending on the owners it either flourished or died. The original owner here was good and didn't make a fortune but lived better than most, paid the employees well and the workers seemed happy and not overworked. he eventually sold and someone else took over.
Unlike the previous owner the new one cared only about profit, to the point that when sales started dropping they actually stopped stocking the cheaper own brand items that had a lower profit margin like dog food. This made it worse and eventually it closed. The building ended up being used as an ice skating rink during the summer for a while. Eventually though it got bought back by someone who wanted to make money by providing to the community again.
Time went on, years passed and the foodland was great again, fully stocked, fully staffed with happy workers, management/owner that not only treated people right whether customer or staff, they also have back to the community groups. They had a pallet set up at the entrance with empty boxes for anyone to take, stocked things you couldn't get elsewhere in town that the people in the nearby streets wanted (myself was pickled octopus). But the good times weren't to last.
Recently someone came into town from either interstate or overseas with money and wanted in (the town's predicted to grow soon with upcoming works around the state). They wanted to buy the bigger foodland in the town but only if they could buy both. They gave the owner of the one near me an offer they said they couldn't refuse, and bought them both. Then they bought the newsagent in the same building complex and moved everything into the foodland, effectively removing everything but the lottos and scratchies. Obviously less staff needed too as the same person can serve on both grocery and scratchies counters.
Needless to say the profit over people attitude took effect, and the good staff left, the ones that are still there don't look happy, and it's mostly family of the owner now. The deli section is unmanned and the checkout operator now also does the deli serving during the day. They don't stock many of the specials in the catalogue that don't make much profit, they've removed the standalone chicken warmer to save money, half the freezers are broken and just not getting repaired since they "can't afford it" and now it seems to be they're looking to sell, if not it will likely close soon again.
Every item I bought there is now either not getting stocked or gone up in price no longer under managers specials to compete (was always more expensive than the duopoly but not this much). No more cheap dog food, no more pickled octopus. They don't seem to understand the only way this particular store survived here was by sacrificing a bit of the profit to keep the customers happy. And it sucks more cos there's an independent living facility nearby, and multiple blocks of flats where elderly people live who don't drive and can only walk across the road. Now they will need to get taxis to and from the shops when cost of living is already making it harder.
Thank you rant over.

What's the best thing you've ever found in a thrift store?

alright so burner account because this scares the shit out of me and i dont feel like i can talk to anybody close to me about it. (rereading this before i post its was longer and a bit darker than i ment it to be but i really think i needed to get this off my chest) so background, im roughly 20 i still live at home cause im currently going through school and i do drugs from time to time; Not anything too bad just weed and the occasional mushroom. This is relevent soley for the fact that i was having a mushroom trip by myself one night, vibing, and i walk by a mirror and i just get so genuinly upset that i look the way i do. for the past three years i have been taking every beauty cream, peice of hair adivce, makeup tip and rudimentary fashion rule into account. This is mainly due to the fact i live with all women and they give me this advice so i "feel more comfortable in my own skin". Theyre right to suggest i dont. I havent felt comfortable in my own skin since puberty started. Not to say this isnt normal, im sure every pimply preteen feels there skin crawl when they begin to develop, hormones are a bitch, and i kept repeating this to myself throughout the whole ordeal. At first i wasnt super concerned how my peers saw me as i was of the mindset that people would like me for me rather than how i prefered to dress, and before highschool most kids didnt REALLY care just ribbing about how i looked like a boy and how i probably liked girls. I did admitidly dress oddly, flannel shirts, graphic tees and the kind of haircut you get when you go to your moms hair lady and ask for a guy haircut, but at least it felt like me. Highschool started and so did the bullying, you could not pay me to have to shuffle around in a baggy uniform facing the corner of a girls chageroom during gym again, in fact after the first day i changed in the bathroom for every other day of the year. when i tell you those girls had mastered the art of psychological warfare hooooly shit. but there was good stuff too. I moved in with my dad and step mom and met a whole bunch of kids who were like me, they wanted to figure out who they were for themselves. It was comforting to know i wasnt the only person who was looked at like a weirdo or butt of the joke. It was fun, for once being an outcast wasnt a bad thing i started making friends with other people who felt like they were on the outside watching in and we watched from the outside together. I started to become more comfrotable in my skin, i binded my chest with real binders instead of bandages i learned how to cut my own hair decently (for the most part) and i found a really cheap thrift store near by that had cheap clothes i felt okay in. i upgraded from looking like a geek to a 13 year old boy in uncle clothes, but i was happy and comfrotable. My dad and stepmom didnt really approve of this suggesting i just try to act normal, it was around this time they started having 'intellectual debates' with me a 14 year old on why i think the LGBT+ community should have rights. It started mildly with the athlete debate, then gay marriage then the legal right of transitioning. They made fun of any friends i would bring over to the house saying they were trying to be something they werent. it really hurt because they were my friends and they were just trying to be happy with themselves. Additionally, i had joined an LGBT alliance at school so the information i was getting from home and shcool was a bit conflicting. I told my parents it was an art club. I told them that i wasnt straight a year or so later. It was a very awkward silence. It got progressively worse to the point they began going through my mail and drawers berating me for ordering a binder and buying 'masculine' clothes,. I dont know why my parents did this. I dont want to assume that theyre bad people but they really fucked me up and as bad as the ribbing was from school, home hurt so much more. After three or so years I couldnt take it, i wanted my parents to love me and i coulndt handle having to defend my existance every day at home. so i swallowed my pride grew my hair out and started dressing more feminine. I told my friends and they were confused but they supported me. I was right it kinda helped at home. And then the lock down happened and i was stuck with my parents in the same house everyday. There was a lot more going on at home than discussing my aesthetic and i think i was a fool for thinking giving up my individuality would help. it was the worst point in my life. At some point the mental and physical abuse was enough to pack up my shit and "visit" my mom across state. They joked about me not coming back so i didnt. its been three years since then, three years of living uncomfortably. SO REMEMBER THE MUSHROOM TRIP? im sitting there infront of the mirror and im so confused and uncomfortable. Im not a girl. Im definitley not a woman. it sounds weird to just say. but i told myself for so long it HAD to be that way because if it wasnt what would my family do? and i realise in this mushroom addled state that i havent talked to my dad in months, because he can be an asshole. so why was i letting an asshole i dont talk to (and tried to abort me but thats another story) decide how i dress? I have this moment of clairty. Ive never felt like a girl, I hate how i look with long hair and curves and i feel content when people 'mistake' me for a guy so why do i look like this? why cant i just act how i want to act? So i made a pact with mirror me that i wasnt gonna make any huge changes just yet i was just gonna let myself choose my own clothes, hairstyle and if i wanted to actually put makeup on in the morning or not. I kept it tame cause i was very much aware i was high as shit. its been almost 2 weeks since then and a woman called me sir in the pharmacy today. I chopped off all my hair, and i started wearing the binder ive been hiding at the bottom of my sock drawer for years. I feel comfortable again, I feel like im in my own skin and when i walk by a mirror i dont get a pit in my stomach. I know this sounds dumb but am i trans? does anyone have any advice or anything?
TLDR Got fucked up on mushrooms, reviewed my trauma, might be a dude. any advice?

Won an amp in a goodwill auction. Now need help to get it picked and shipped.
I am planning to call a couple of UPS stores, but not sure if they can pick, pack and ship.
Any help is welcome.
Thanks

What's the weirdest item you've ever found at a thrift store?

Have you ever had a dream that came true and what was it about?

What is the weirdest or most unexpected thing you've ever found in a thrift store or garage sale?

What is the most unusual thing you've found in an old antique or thrift store?

I've downloaded two wardrobe apps and I'm finding them surprisingly useful in a couple key ways, so I thought I'd share.
OpenWardrobe: Free
Features: multiple wardrobes (plus some vague lookbook functions), a Chrome extension (very helpful for those of you who use Pinterest to keep track of your wardrobe, as I do. Also the extension is integrated with a number of stores, so you can go to the product page and use the OW extension there and the information will auto populate, an AI bot who suggests outfits, share wardrobes with friends. A sprinkling of educational videos + creator content available as well.
How I'm using it: AI outfit suggestions are my main use. I am having a blast trying them on and documenting them.
Set 6
Set 5
Set 4
Set 3
Set 2
Set 1
*doesn't include the outfits I rejected/discarded because they included an item I had removed from my wardrobe or they were not really worth creating (a dress + a shoe that felt bland, for example)
These AI outfit suggestions are very, very interesting and helpful to me.
--If I find myself reluctant to put on the item(s) that's a clear sign that the items aren't really working in some way and it's time to reconsider their place in my wardrobe.
--Because the outfits aren't constrained by my own preconceived notions, I get some really fun and cool combinations.
For example I absolutely LOVE this outfit which is crazy because I never would have put these all together but somehow they work. Ditto the Stephanie pants, cashmere deep v neck, metallic clutch and flip flops look (although I've since removed the v neck and Stephanies, the formula is helpful). I added the stretch knit longline bra under the top for a bit more coverage, but something about this is so kitchy and fun, even if the app did have this under "work" for occasion (ha ha!!)
--Seeing pictures of myself in certain items I was hanging onto, hoping to find a way to make them work Exhibit A because they were expensive, HTF, or cool, is helping me move on from them and pass them along to someone who they'll be a better fit for.
--Because the outfit suggestions are generated from my own outfits, I can start to see patterns. What type of combinations do I tend to go for, and are they working. I can see that I tend to wear a dress + shoes, or other very simple combinations, with few accessories, something I'd like to change.
Whering: Free: Whering was a PITA to get my wardrobe loaded, but it's 90% in there now, so the fun can begin. Whering works in a very similar manner to OpenWardrobe: one uses screenshots, native to app pictures or camera roll pics to populate your wardrobe--but there's no Chrome extension. However you can bulk upload pics so that's nice. There's a pretty granular level of detail you can include, like color, purchase price, size, brand, etc. Whering will give you stats, primarily what are your favorite colors, most and least worn pieces, price per wear, how much is used vs. new. It was a real eye opener that Whering had "black and gray" as my favorite colors (meaning most frequent). I actually went through my wardrobe and culled my black items from 20 total down to 6 as a result.
But the real gold is the "dress me" function You can combine 2, 3, or 4 items (although you can't select which type of items are in the rows, Whering does that for you) and then make an outfit, to which you can then add more (accessories, another layer like a coat, etc). The bottom row is footwear, and accessories are not a row option. You can swipe through each row and then use the pin toggle to tag those items in place once you pick your item, onto a canvas like those seen here
The app also has a Lookbook function; this one I actually use for planning. I've planned out a couple 10 x 10's, a set of "does this shoe I'm considering work for my wardrobe?", and a handful of formal outfits, as I'm trying not to go nuts and buy all new occasion outfits every few months, heh.
It was interesting to see my stats, I show 31 dresses, for example (although that includes special occasion dresses and things like "interview dresses"). Hard numbers like that help me refrain from buying MOAR DRESSES when the slightest excuse comes up. I can also see that I'm 50/50 "preloved" (meaning thrifted or new to me via eBay, ThredUp, etc) and new. Over time I can see my most worn items, and my least worn, so that should help me be more objective about the reality of if items have a place in my closet.
I've been using Pinterest for over 5 years to keep track of my outfits and build inspiration boards, but these apps take it to the next level.
Downsides: bopping between apps trying to keep track and make sure everything is included or culled is a little tiresome. Both Whering and OpenWardrobe have really limited color palettes, Whering in particular lacks any nuanced greens, blues, or browns--and the colors aren't labeled in the palette when you select them, and aren't visually accurate, with khaki, ecru, and beige being pretty far off.
Both apps have limited brands loaded, so for OpenWardrobe, which requires a brand be added to your item, you have to type in the same brand they don't know over and over (ahem LILITH) for each item which is a pain. OpenWardrobe isn't super-clear on how to get LolaAI to make suggestions (it appears to be M/W/F around 10 AM that new suggestions are added but that's not documented anywhere. There is an instructional video in the app however, which gives some minimal instructions for the AI) and I'd personally like about 4x the amount the app is currently making. Whering confuses 'favorite' with 'frequent' and includes things like shoe color in your wardrobe, which is irritating because most of us have more black shoes than any other color, but most of us don't consider black shoes to "count" in what color we wear most often.
However, despite those drawbacks, I'm really loving this wardrobe app exploration and will continue to use them.
How about y'all? Do you use wardrobe apps? If so, which ones? Share to us!

What is the most incredible natural phenomenon you have ever seen?

Hey there!
I'm Reed, I'm a 27-year-old guy from Orlando, Florida. I'm looking for a real, meaningful connection with someone seeking someone to enjoy life with. I'm really looking for a life partner and someone who is looking to get more out of life. I recently played a game where we were asked to use two words to describe each other, the words that were used to describe me were silly and compassionate. Empathy is a core tenet in my life and something I believe strongly in. I love to laugh and have fun but never at the cost of making someone feel left out or unincluded though I do have a VERY dark sense of humor and would love to find someone that can match my energy.
About me
I work a full-time job but also have a side hustle writing, I promise this is not nearly as exciting as it sounds but it is an increasingly lucrative thing that I'm looking to make my full-time focus sooner than later, still figuring out when sooner is though. I'm 5'7, about 140 lbs, Here's a recent picture of me for reference. And as I recognize this is important to some people, I do not drive, my eyesight is very poor and as a result, I cannot legally drive, this, however, does not stop me from living an entirely independent life, most people don't actually know/can't tell until I tell them that I cannot drive.
My Interests
I'm a big nerd and learning is my ultimate passion, I'm always reading about something or watching a YouTube video about a topic that interests me, I am a wealth of all kinds of knowledge, some useful and some not. I love all things artistic though I am not an artist, Art to me is passion + self-expression but my personal favorite art forms are film and music. Horrocomedy are my two favorite genres of film, the Shrek series has a very special place in my heart. Music wise I listen to a little bit of everything, and I mean everything, there is yet to be a genre where I haven't found something I like but some of my personal favorite artists right now are Lana Del Rey, A$AP Ferg, and Lil Peep. I enjoy PC gaming from time to time though I have less and less time for it but I'm always down to play something with you if you're a gamer yourself, I'm naturally competitive but not overly so, I enjoy winning but I don't mind losing. I also LOVE hanging out with friends and the best moments of my life have been spent in the presence of others, while I am certainly an introvert/homebody I love to get out and explore new things with people that I know, be that checking out random oddities at a thrift store (I've found some real goodies, ask and I'll show you) eating some great food or just sitting around somewhere nice when it isn't too hot, I'm typically down to get out of the house. I do not drink or smoke, totally cool if you do as long as it's in a responsible manner. I stay physically active in more fun ways but have also recently started back at the gym.
The Person I'm looking for:
I'm looking for a life partner, I'm looking for a woman who knows what she brings to the table and isn't afraid to be herself. Age is unimportant to me as long as you're 21+. Ideally, you would also be in Orlando but this is far from a dealbreaker. I don't have a type and I think all women are beautiful in their own ways but what is important to me is that you take care of yourself. At the end of the day I'm looking for a meaningful connection, I'm looking for someone to enjoy life with, to handle hardship with, to cherish and enjoy every moment just a little bit more with. I'm someone with a lot of love to give and I'm looking for a person to love me. This obviously will not be an overnight thing we will have to build our connection over time but I value clear communication and making my intentions known is important to me, and hopefully, you're the same in how important communication is to you. Emotional intelligence is the sexiest thing in a partner to me. I want someone who has my best interest at heart, and I there's. I'm looking for a best friend and more.
Thank you for taking the time to check this out, reach out if you'd like to talk and see where things go. Have a great week!
Reed

Hey there!
I'm Reed, I'm a 27-year-old guy from Orlando, Florida. I'm looking for a real, meaningful connection with someone seeking someone to enjoy life with. I'm really looking for a life partner and someone who is looking to get more out of life. I recently played a game where we were asked to use two words to describe each other, the words that were used to describe me were silly and compassionate. Empathy is a core tenet in my life and something I believe strongly in. I love to laugh and have fun but never at the cost of making someone feel left out or unincluded though I do have a VERY dark sense of humor and would love to find someone that can match my energy.
About me
I work a full-time job but also have a side hustle writing, I promise this is not nearly as exciting as it sounds but it is an increasingly lucrative thing that I'm looking to make my full-time focus sooner than later, still figuring out when sooner is though. I'm 5'7, about 140 lbs, Here's a recent picture of me for reference. And as I recognize this is important to some people, I do not drive, my eyesight is very poor and as a result, I cannot legally drive, this, however, does not stop me from living an entirely independent life, most people don't actually know/can't tell until I tell them that I cannot drive.
My Interests
I'm a big nerd and learning is my ultimate passion, I'm always reading about something or watching a YouTube video about a topic that interests me, I am a wealth of all kinds of knowledge, some useful and some not. I love all things artistic though I am not an artist, Art to me is passion + self-expression but my personal favorite art forms are film and music. Horrocomedy are my two favorite genres of film, the Shrek series has a very special place in my heart. Music wise I listen to a little bit of everything, and I mean everything, there is yet to be a genre where I haven't found something I like but some of my personal favorite artists right now are Lana Del Rey, A$AP Ferg, and Lil Peep. I enjoy PC gaming from time to time though I have less and less time for it but I'm always down to play something with you if you're a gamer yourself, I'm naturally competitive but not overly so, I enjoy winning but I don't mind losing. I also LOVE hanging out with friends and the best moments of my life have been spent in the presence of others, while I am certainly an introvert/homebody I love to get out and explore new things with people that I know, be that checking out random oddities at a thrift store (I've found some real goodies, ask and I'll show you) eating some great food or just sitting around somewhere nice when it isn't too hot, I'm typically down to get out of the house. I do not drink or smoke, totally cool if you do as long as it's in a responsible manner. I stay physically active in more fun ways but have also recently started back at the gym.
The Person I'm looking for:
I'm looking for a life partner, I'm looking for a woman who knows what she brings to the table and isn't afraid to be herself. Age is unimportant to me as long as you're 21+. Ideally, you would also be in Orlando but this is far from a dealbreaker. I don't have a type and I think all women are beautiful in their own ways but what is important to me is that you take care of yourself. At the end of the day I'm looking for a meaningful connection, I'm looking for someone to enjoy life with, to handle hardship with, to cherish and enjoy every moment just a little bit more with. I'm someone with a lot of love to give and I'm looking for a person to love me. This obviously will not be an overnight thing we will have to build our connection over time but I value clear communication and making my intentions known is important to me, and hopefully, you're the same in how important communication is to you. Emotional intelligence is the sexiest thing in a partner to me. I want someone who has my best interest at heart, and I there's. I'm looking for a best friend and more.
Thank you for taking the time to check this out, reach out if you'd like to talk and see where things go. Have a great week!
Reed

What's the most ridiculous thing you've ever seen in a hospital or doctor's office?

So, this might be a bit insensitive but I approve of the LGBT+ and all that as I am apart of said community But the story is, while volunteering at a thrift store I saw a guy- (found out to be a FTM, but as a normal person you can't exactly know who is who and their personal history by just looking at them because the modern time is weird and confusing and you shouldn't jump to conclusion) -and they were wearing practically nothing, a tiny tiny sports bra and super short shorts, something a body builder would wear to model, showing way too much skin; which I said as I commented on their outfit when they left and the employee who was there with me just policed be for saying "she and her" despite I'm 100% confident they didn't know at first either, and I was told I was transphobic for saying her outfit was "weird" I understand the idea that you wanna show your body and say you're this or that, good for you, but in public, and not on a holiday or special occasion, you should be more appropriate especially if there's children around, but because it was a FTM trans I was told I was acting horrible
But here's the thing, if it was a natural born dude who was/wasn't super hairy and wearing THAT, I would've said the exact same thing as it was inappropriate.
Am I in the wrong for saying that showing too much of your body is bad when is some way that I didn't know about was a supposedly happy and round of applause for them?