Why do all thrift-shops smell the same?

Musty mildew and dust.
The odor comes from long term storage of items before donation.

You know what maybe it’s more simple than that even. Maybe, and go with me on this one, just maybe, all thrift-shops have a really old and really smelly Area Manager tha goes around store to store making sure things thing are all well in the thrifty world, and what we’re actually smelling is that remaining odor left by that Area Manager before they left to continue their quest of smelliness in another branch type thing.

Oh or, maybe, Oh God, maybe they have crap AC and the smell is actually us. Oh crap we smell.

Long term storage, Jeez, some people would come up with any kinda nonsense as an answer. Fairness.
Oh PS, yeah it is actually long time storage and such. I’m just bitter that dog got there before me

I’ve always thought of it as being kin to the smell of paper money–sort of an aggregated olfactory representation of our social whole.

hahahahahaha!!! I know what you mean but I have no idea why

why do old people smell the same?

@cheeb
Surely long time storage explains that one as well.