In hard times, many turn to thrift stores to save on everyday needs. But they might not find what they’re looking for.

Nonprofit retailers rely on donations for their inventory, and rising competition is combining with the weak economy to make high-quality items scarce.

“I think people aren’t buying as much, and when they’re not buying, they’re not donating their old stuff,” said Tom Giles, director of Bay Area Enterprises Community Thrift Store, which funds job training and support for handicapped people.

Traditional thrift stores are up against the popularity of online selling. One big factor is craigslist.org, where anyone can post images and descriptions of items for sale. Online auctioning service eBay is another, said Major Susan Jones of the Salvation Army in Coos Bay.

“People are selling what they can,” Jones said.

The stores themselves are more numerous these days.

“We’ve been here 13 years,” Jones said. “When we started, there were a few thrift stores. Now there are so many options.”

In that environment, finding inventory can be the toughest challenge.

“There is a big competition in the resale business to get that good stuff,” Jones said.

Her store relies on a steady influx of furniture in reasonably good condition. Lately, those donations have all but stopped. Jones recalled a woman who came in looking for a table. She planned to pay for it with a voucher from the Salvation Army’s social services department. The store didn’t have one.

“People are coming here with vouchers, but we don’t have what they need,” Jones said.

Yet there is no shortage of junk routinely dumped at the store. Once a week, the Salvation Army sends a truck to the landfill, loaded with open containers of paint, broken TVs and busted furniture.

“People need to ask themselves, ‘Am I donating, or am I dumping?’” Jones said. “We don’t have the personnel to repair these things.”

She plans to make a sign listing unacceptable donations.

“These things cost money to dump,” she said.

Not all local thrift shops are experiencing an inventory downturn. South Coast Hospice Thrift Store, which employs 13 people, is bucking the trend of dowdy donations.

“Our store looks like its full of new stuff,” manager Pam Dennis said.

Housed in a former roller rink, the North Bend business is getting more than it can handle. It recently halted dropoffs of clothing and linens for a few days so staff would have time to sort it.

“We’re doing so well, we can’t keep up with it,” she enthused.

Nationally, thrift stores have experienced an upswing in sales, said Lauren Lawson, a national spokeswoman for Goodwill Industries. She credits the economy and an effort by earth-conscience consumers to buy used goods.

“A lot of stores are reporting that they are seeing new faces,” Lawson said.

Consignment sales are a bright spot, at least for one Bandon shop.

Becky Taylor is the owner of Begin Agains, a commercial enterprise specializing in upscale used women’s clothing, antiques and collectibles. People can sell their high-end items there and take home a percentage.

“In this economy right now, I think this is the way people are going,” Taylor said. “People aren’t donating like they used to. They want money.”