# Can you believe this?



## Hallowennie315 (Sep 5, 2007)

So i was just at target. While I was looking through the halloween section, a whole crew of people were working to try to take everything apart. Anyway, the were then carrying carts of halloween stuff away, one of which carrying a 6ft gemmy talking skeleton. I asked them where they were going, and they said that all the displays were being thrown out! A GEMMY 6 FOOT TALKING SKELATON. The best part is that it was for sale. Its not like it was a special display item. They said they couldn't give them to me. Dosen't that suck? (Can anyone think of a way for me to get it?):jol:


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## Otaku (Dec 3, 2004)

Dumpster diving, of course!


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## skeletonowl (Aug 8, 2006)

yeah I would have gone right to the dumpster and waited for them to leave!


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## Spooky1 (Aug 25, 2008)

Stalk the dumpster and dive in.


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## HalloweenZombie (Jul 22, 2007)

It sounds like an employee has that thing ear-marked.


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## berzerkmonkey (Oct 31, 2006)

I was at Spirit yesterday and wound up talking to a salesperson who said that after the store closes, they SHRED all the stuff they don't sell! They have an industrial shredder that they dump the costumes and other props that they (Spencer's Gifts) don't want to retain until next year. 

Apparently, they got tired of people dumpster diving and decided to just destroy the remaining inventory. 

The worst part is, they won't sell anything past that 50% off markdown - either it sells for half-price, or it gets shredded. Pretty sucky...


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## Spookie (Aug 26, 2008)

We were at Spirit today and bought the Gothic Zombie farmer and wife at 50%. So happy they were still there. I asked if Spirit would be there on Monday still and the clerk told me that they were in the process of packing everything up. The store would close at 3pm and they would do an inventory and the unsold stuff would be shipped back to the warehouse. So it was my last chance and I'm glad we stopped by, almost didn't.


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## Silent Requiem (Feb 17, 2008)

waaaaa! what a selfish waste!


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## Revenant (Mar 17, 2007)

They could at LEAST save the kids costumes and donate them. One of the podcasts, I don't remember either RFR or Rue Morgue was affiliated with a charity that took donated Halloween costumes and gave them to poor kids. Don't just destroy them. Jeez.


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## Frighteners Entertainment (Jan 24, 2006)

The reason for destroying the merchandise is because folks would pull it from the dumpster and then return it to the store for whatever refund they could get.


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## joker (Sep 25, 2007)

Frighteners Entertainment said:


> The reason for destroying the merchandise is because folks would pull it from the dumpster and then return it to the store for whatever refund they could get.


Another reason, blockbuster used to have this problem as well, was liability. A friend of mine is manager at a BB, and he said that if you put something of value in the dumpster that entices someone to go in after it you (your company) can be found liable if they are injured in the process. He said that's why Blockbuster's are using padlocked dumpsters.


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## Revenant (Mar 17, 2007)

Still doesn't change my point about the donations. They could also donate props to charity haunts and write them off. Waste.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Sadly, FE and joker make good points. And it makes you wonder if one of the reasons the stores won't donate the merchandise is fear of lawsuits if someone does something stupid with a donated item (I used to work for a guy who said every warning on a product was a result of a lawsuit). Example - the Salvation Army store in our area was refusing to take any donated toys recently because of concerns over anything made in China (as many toys are now).

Perhaps someone with retail experience could provide some insight as to why items wouldn't be sold for whatever can be gotten (going back to the comment about not selling below the 50% off mark).


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## GothicCandle (Mar 26, 2007)

thats so sad. such a waste!


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## Vlad (Aug 2, 2005)

And please be advised that dumpster diving is legally considered theft. As Jeff said above, there's a reason they why they trash the stuff (even if it is stupid compared to selling it cheap).


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## 4nntt (Nov 28, 2006)

Vlad said:


> And please be advised that dumpster diving is legally considered theft. As Jeff said above, there's a reason they why they trash the stuff (even if it is stupid compared to selling it cheap).


This isn't necessarily true. Dumpster diving isn't illegal per se, provided the dumpster is not located on private property and there are no local laws prohibiting it.


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## chisox100 (Nov 12, 2008)

at least but the stuff up on eBay instead of throwing it out


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## debbie5 (Mar 2, 2007)

Target won't even give you the cardboard displays or artwork, as it was designed by a designer and therefore intellectual property or something like that. They can't give you anything- not even the motor from inside a display. Our Target also shreds everything, AND they have their dumpster inside the backroom, so no one can access it. 
So much for companies trying to be "green". What a bunch of hooie. I think it's ridiculous.


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## Vlad (Aug 2, 2005)

> This isn't necessarily true. Dumpster diving isn't illegal per se, provided the dumpster is not located on private property and there are no local laws prohibiting it.


I don't know of any store that keeps their dumpster off the business property. A public store isn't on private property, but the store retains ownership of everything in that dumpster till it leaves the lot.


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## Eldritch_Horror (Jul 27, 2008)

Besides, if the skeleton was in fact dumpster bound, it may have been busted up beyond recognition before it got there. We had to do that to the stuff we wrote off when I worked at a few different retail shops. It actually reminds me of a funny story...


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Eldritch_Horror said:


> It actually reminds me of a funny story...


Oh, don't leave us hanging - tell, tell!


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## MotelSixx (Sep 27, 2008)

RoxyBlue said:


> Sadly, FE and joker make good points. And it makes you wonder if one of the reasons the stores won't donate the merchandise is fear of lawsuits if someone does something stupid with a donated item (I used to work for a guy who said every warning on a product was a result of a lawsuit). Example - the Salvation Army store in our area was refusing to take any donated toys recently because of concerns over anything made in China (as many toys are now).
> 
> Perhaps someone with retail experience could provide some insight as to why items wouldn't be sold for whatever can be gotten (going back to the comment about not selling below the 50% off mark).


I used to work for Target about ten years back. Its Targets policy NOT to give away or sell any displays, whether its a christmas display, or a stupid Star Wars LEGO set in a plastic case. The reason I was given is because the employees would take them and sell them. as far as the "dumpster". It is no more than a large contained trash compactor that is fed from the inside of the store. therefore no outsiders can get ahold of the merchandise.

I am currently a manager at an unnamed retail outlet, and hence have knowledge of the after holiday markdowns as well as "damaged" and "returned" items. Most items that don't sell after the mark downs will be stored for next year, called "pack away". Some items have a GVC, or guaranteed vendor credit, which means the store is reimbursed for such items and the vendor will then have the store destroy the items after it has been inventoried. Any items that are 'damaged' or 'returned' are either written off and destroyed, or sent back to vendor. As FE said before, if the items are not destroyed, people can fetch them from the dumpster, walk in to the service counter WITHOUT a receipt, and get store credit VIA giftcard. They can either use the store credit and buy something they want, OR if they are brazen enough, they could buy the item with the gift card, and ultimately return the purchased item for a cash refund.

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