On Tue, 22 Mar 2005 14:36:46 -0500, Chad Fernandez <fernande at internet1.net> wrote: Speaking as a Goodwill employee, I can tell you that a lot of these places don't exist to make money per se. Instead, the focus is often on providing as many jobs for as many kinds of disadvantaged people as possible. If we can break even and employ 30 people, or turn a small profit and employ 20, we're going to choose the "less efficient" way every time. This is doubly true when we can provide a sheltered, supervised workshop environment (such as your "out of town factory") to people who cannot by themselves hold a job or interact with others socially. To remain somewhat on topic: what would the list recommend for teaching people who've never touched a computer how to distinguish at a glance between "junk" and "stuff"? I'd like to turn computing paraphenalia into a bigger revenue stream, but it's always an educational issue. Currently my method is to have them save anything that looks like a "computer" or a "monitor" that they can't cover diagonally with both hands stretched out side by side (approx. 18" diagonal). Printers, scanners, speakers, joysticks, keyboards, mice, cuecats... I just don't know how to deal with by proxy. I know for a fact I've lost several "video games" such as a Vic20 and an Odyssey this way, as well as about 10 Sun pizza boxes. On the bright side, I've refurbished most of the office machines at Goodwill with scrounged parts, and managed to sell a few complete systems as well. -dhbarr.

David H. Barr wrote: I don't get it.... what does covering with both hands diagonally do? When you say lost, what do you mean..... it went into the dumpster? Why can't all of it go onto the sales floor? It seems to me that as long as it doesn't have razor blades sticking out of it, there's no harm in at least trying to sell something. If it's a questionable item, as far as, a sale goes, pull it after a few days, or lower the price. If it doesn't work give the buyer 7 days to return it, as long as it they have a receipt. Chad Fernandez Michigan, USA