When I Saw This On The News, I SMiled REEEEAL Big!

[Mike Taylor]

Polk County FL law enforcement just busted open a huge shoplifting ring.

Article Here

I saw this on CNN yesterday, and the shot of the courtroom showed a veritable sea of orange prison jumpsuits.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Fortunately I don't think we've been hit by a ring of shoplifters, unless I just don't know about it happening.

Interesting choice of products to steal though. Why would I pay ebay prices for a jar of Oil of Olay or some such HBA item (plus shipping) when I can just bop over to the drugstore for that? Why would I go to a flea market for Crest Whitestrips?

My parents and grandparents used to take me along on their flea market expeditions and I never saw commonly available consumer items being sold there.

[Mike Taylor]

You'd be surprised who will buy what, especially if the thieves charge less than the retail price.

[Rine]

Well, it's excellent that they were all caught. This is why I don't buy items such as that on ebay or at the flea market. I don't know where they get their stuff and it's highly likey that they got it from stealing.

We have scammers that come into our store and attempt to trade out Craftsman tools (sockets or screwdrivers and the like) that have some cosmetic damage and the like so they can get the new ones and sell them at the flea market. It's hard trying to stop people from doing that. We had this one lady that apparently used to steal other people's used tools or pick up used ones from flea markets and she would come in and trade for new items and then resell them herself.

This is why I occasionally check out places at the flea market to see what they are carrying, and if they are selling new Craftsman items, I memerize what they look like; I've stopped one person from scamming us so far because I recognized him, but he didn't recognize me.

Whew, sorry for the hijack...

[justZu]

My parents and grandparents used to take me along on their flea market expeditions and I never saw commonly available consumer items being sold there.

That was then...now flea markets are usually just row after row of tables full of resale junk, stolen HBA products and dented canned goods.
I wish I could find a flea market that actually consisted of just regular people selling stuff from their attics and basements. I miss those days.

[powerboy]

That was then...now flea markets are usually just row after row of tables full of resale junk, stolen HBA products and dented canned goods.
I wish I could find a flea market that actually consisted of just regular people selling stuff from their attics and basements. I miss those days.

It is like that around here. I usually go every couple of months. Should go again. Sometimes, I sell a project of mine.