I got an email the other day, from a resale shopkeeper who attended my workshop, The Price is Right… or is it? at NARTS Conference in June.
She (or he, the complainer was anonymous) complained that I wouldn’t tell her
precisely what something was “worth.”
There is absolutely no absolute value for anything, as much as the complainant wishes there were. To think there is is
absolute rubbish.
The consignment, resale, or thrift shopkeeper missed my main point, that there is no such thing as what something is specifically “worth.”
She complained that I told her that
the value of any item in her shop was worth what she did.
Well, it is. Everything a shopkeeper does, from such large issues as location and advertising to the mundane like vacuuming, opening ten minutes early, even whether she shopkeeps clad in jeans or St. John, sets the price for her goods.
Don’t miss the free PDQ from my workshop. And for goodness’ sake, if you don’t have The Money-Wise Guide to Accepting & Pricing, better get it before all those lovely new-season things come in. Jeans or St. Johns, couches or crib sheets.
Auntie Kate The Resale Expert 
Value equals what someone is willing to pay for an item. And you are right, the store ambiance has a lot to with the perceived value to the customer. There is no set price for most things we sell. We have an average price for categories and adjust it based on the condition, brand, and demand for those items.
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