If a thrift store opened up down the street from you, what would you do? Would you say, “How convenient!” and stop by daily? Or would you lament, “There goes the neighborhood,” dreading all of the poor people sure to traipse by, looking all poor and stuff and committing crimes? That’s what the residents of an upper-middle-class neighborhood in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan think is going to happen once a Value Village store opens there. But only when they get to share their thoughts anonymously.

“I’m not opposed to building a used clothing store. Go ahead, build as many as you want.” one resident told weekly magazine Planet S (anonymously, of course.) “But think about where you’re building it first. We really don’t have the market for that kind of store here… How many people on my block do you think wear used clothes? Um, how about none.”

Um, how about middle-class people looking to save some money, looking for vintage finds or collectibles, or who don’t want to pay retail for clothes their kids will grow out of in five minutes?

Never mind. In response, I offer this photo from the Consumerist Flickr pool of three Lexus SUVs parked in front of a Texas Goodwill store.

Great find, MPR-Photo.

Clearly, this area of Saskatoon needs more hipsters, so wearing used clothes can be a point of pride. As it should be.

Six Degrees Of Stupid [Planet S] (via Shopping Detox)

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