From Genesis1864, TalesFromRetail

I used to work a second hand store when I was 16. The guy who owned it was very nice elderly man who did a lot of work for the local community. Well, I got the job because a family friend told me he was hiring, but he didn't get into specifics on what it entailed.

So I started my first day as like an organizer/janitor/sales person when no one was around. So when I walked in, I was astonished. There was stuff everywhere, in no order mind you, it was just a jumbled mess of garbage and some cool second hand things.

Well as I was being oriented, this girl, who was about 15 years old came and she was to show me around. As a guy, I usually wouldn't mind this, but she was wearing a completely see through shirt with something I shouldn't even call a bra. In a place of work, that is NOT okay, unless you work as a stripper or something else where showing a lot of boob is needed.

The second and third guy working there were only there because they needed gainful employment after they were let out of jail. All in all, there were horrible to this old man because they used him way too much. They asked, a few days after they were paid, if they could have more money (not that they did any actual work), and he gave it to them! And when he left, they called him a F*** Cheap A** for giving them 10 dollars.

Anyways, as I was working, I came across an old CD case covered in so much hand cream it was like a 14 year old boy on the internet. I also found a yogurt container with yogurt in it. On my way to throw it out, he stops me asking where I was headed. I told him I was going to throw it out. Horrified, he took them from me and said, "You can't throw these out! I can still use them!"

What he would use them for I don't know, but I said okay. Then he threw them on top of everything else he was trying to sell.

When I sorted through everything in the backroom, he somehow found ANOTHER box for me to organize in that room. Though there was no room! Only stuff! Like he didn't have enough, he always found more!

Normally second hand stores have a store room to put things they're not selling in. His store room was his store. He had, no joke, at least 80 mattresses in 40 different places. He was a very nice man, but he couldn't part with anything.

He even refused to sell a man something because HE wanted it! And this all happened on my first day. I never really got used to it, because as soon as one thing would be cleaned, it would be dirty again.

--Genesis1864