when it comes to where the cool kids shops are. Plus I gained weight after quitting smoking 11 years ago. If I lose weight I'll research where they are in this city.

Just depends on who donated what recently.

Books are also good finds.

Sometimes nice dishes or mugs with cool designs

My dad in 80s haunted thrift stores for old cameras

I love thrift stores.

My favorite is a set of antique Ainsley bone china in an absolutely stunning pattern that was discontinued in the 30s. Got it for almost nothing.

Replacement is expensive if I break a piece, but that set has become the symbol of family holiday gatherings and good times.

and all of her friends go there-----they have it down to a science,even know when new stock usually arrives.

The aforementioned are all people who live in nice suburbs and have kids in pricey colleges.

They believe buying brand new clothes is a complete waste of money---which it is.

energy these days but there was one near me where I got some clothes and some fantastic houseware items.

Now I donate to get rid of too much "stuff".

Cause I live in Florida. I was thinking with all the snowbirds and retirees we have I might find just what I need.

Unfortunately, it seems northerners get rid of all their cold weather gear before moving here.

Like you mentioned, there were some great items. If you live in Florida!

at second hand stores, I love them!

i rarely, rarely, rarely wear dresses.
this one looks good on me, and has POCKETS!!

more useful was a like new eddy bauer giant winter down coat. the kind you only need a few days even in chicago.
wore it for 10 years, paid $8.

but that is about the only place i ever buy clothes.

Please slide us a picture !!

I fool around making my own jewelry and Goodwill is a great place to find old or vintage jewelry that I can take apart and put back together in my own design.

I recently found a Pyrex 2- cup measuring cup there that for some reason stores don’t carry anymore.

I’ve bought “art prints” there just for the frames. (I recently made a photo collage for a gift)

The store near me even has music CDs. Sometimes I find something good if I search through the racks!

Same with paperback books.

And I was thrilled to find a gorgeous designer label sheath dress, BEADED! That looks good on me! In a consignment store I frequent. It’s a beautiful rose beige color. If I’m ever invited to a summer wedding, I’m all set! New York label ... $28!!

Where I live, the City Mission stores have a better selection, better prices, and they’re not for profit like Goodwill.

Please do not post blatant untruths.

And their CEO makes about $750,000 a year. In my book, that’s profit. Plus they’ve started charging way more and are now offering a senior discount only on Thursday.

Goodwill doesn't care about that.

However, I won't be buying things, I have 3 bags and counting ready to go.

I don't always go to Goodwill specifically, but thrift stores and consignment shops in general are my favorite. The flip side of the deals one can find is the consumer mentality that often leads to simply throwing perfectly good items away. It's a step down from Goodwill, but you should go rummaging at the dump. When I was a kid, I found a Mongoose BMX bike frame at the dump, fixed it up, and rode it for a couple years. A few years ago, while I was living in an apartment complex, I discovered they were throwing away paintings that had been hanging in the foyer. Snagged one of those! I did some research on it and found out that it was a 3D reproduction that retailed for $600 with the frame. And that was just one of a dozen pieces they had thrown away.

thrift stores for plaid golf slacks. To this day I truly believe that it was because her grandfather was buried in his favorite plaid golf slacks. He was a dapper dresser for the most part. She actually found some really nice stuff.

something about goodwill ceo being a millionaire and pays his workers pittance.

An American multi-national corporation, which accepts millions of dollars in government funds, pays its top executives more than half a million dollars per year in total compensation, while simultaneously paying some of its employees less than the federal minimum wage.

Some employees earn just 22 cents per hour.

And the entire racket is perfectly legal thanks to a Depression-era loophole in federal labor law. Is now a good time to mention that this corporation also doesn’t pay any taxes?

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-hrabe/the-worst-corporation-in-_b_1876905.html

It's a travesty. Even more infuriating is that I have talked with people who are being paid those low wages who don't want to rock the boat in order to protect their jobs. They expect that little from their fellow citizens when it comes to being treated as human.

She's been there 19 years as a career specialist. At first the focus was mostly on trying to find jobs that would accommodate disabilities and would pay more than minimum wage.

When the economic crisis hit, they expanded their career services division in our state and now anyone can come in and while at the store use the computers there, get referrals and resume assistance, clothing credit in store for interview clothes, etc.

Right now they are also pushing initiatives to find employers willing to hire people who have criminal records -- last weekend they held an event to help people meet with lawyers to help determine if they can get records expunged, and meet with employers who won't discriminate just because the employee screwed up once in their life.

Also, at least here in Arkansas, they don't participate in the "Special Subminimum Wage Certificate" program.

Like most non-profits, it's helpful to look at local branches and their policies, and donate/support the good ones. I'm far more likely to donate to/volunteer at my local Humane Society than give to the HSUS, for example, no offense to those who feel the national branch is a better use of their money. And there's nothing wrong with deciding to support charities without the big name attached over the local branch of the one others might think of first, either (such as independent no-kill shelters, in my other example), so those worthy organizations don't get overlooked.

Before the store opened I figured I'd give Goodwill a shot. I got there about 20 minutes after it opened. Found a lambskin black Claiborne for men outerwear jacket. Looked brand new $20. The cashier and the manager both comment they knew it wouldn't last long.

BTW - Goodwill has a very bad rap in the Blind and disabled communities. They have a special exemption (like Colonial Williamsburg) allowing them to pay less than minimum wage. Their President or some higher up is blind or low vision and he keeps to the company line that it's better for them to have a job even at 1 cent an hour.

It's still working just fine and used every day.

Have great deals all of the time. Also the money goes to Habitate for Humanity.

Spouse will usually stop and drop off her collection of Novels and replace her stash with dozens of new ones. The Donation is free and she always pays the going rate for her newer ones.

for my house, library, and even collectibles.

I found an all wool Barnaby's New York great coat at the local Goodwill. In excellent condition and only $25.00. I still have it.

I worked at Macy's in Display and everyone was always complimenting my outfits and expected that I bought them at Macy's with my discount. Nope, the Goodwill (and other thrift stores) is the way to go.

Goodwill is the go to place for vintage audio!!!! I've scored a lot of killer stuff in there!!!

I work there and it is dreadful. Dangerous working conditions. Injure yourself you are gone. Medieval pay, except upper management, which pays itself quite well.
They create high paying jobs for relatives and friends to spread the wealth from your donations. Low paid store cashiers haven't had a raise in years. Psychopathic, inept and cruel management. Look at their reputation online and you will see. I am an old fat woman and can't seem to find other work or I would leave gladly.

I did not know any of this.

There’s a lot of info available about Goodwill. Long story short - it’s an exploitative and greedy business.

Here’s a sampler:

https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_1876905

I've been shopping there for years and never a negative word from any of the help.

Like a franchise i guess. Perhaps some are well run. Anything is possible. I know mine isn't and it seems there are others

Heartless scam organization.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10024319784

He's bipolar and used to have a big drug problem. He went to prison for a couple of years for burglary. When he got out, Goodwill was the only place that would give him a chance. He kept clean and worked his ass off there for a year until he was able to find something better. They even gave him a bike to use to ride to work.

She is mentally a little slow. She and other people like her that worked there were all let go. They were making a whopping $2.00 an hour.

They get all their clothes for free, but if someone in the community needs help because they lost everything in a fire they won't help. I'm just not sure what they are supposed to do except make money for their CEO.

Always enjoyed going to shop there.

I had a friend who made a business out of finding hidden gems at thrift stores, including Brioni suits, and reselling them.

someone got some good deals.

and she LOVES thrift shopping. She is a musician, kind of artsy, and she likes the retro stuff. She can take a $20 bill into one of these stores and come out with three complete outfits, and looks terrific. People stop her all the time to compliment her clothes! I get a kick when she turns her butt up to me and says, "check out my new jeans. I paid $3 for them. They go for $75 at the mall."

There is a thrift shop near me that I go to every once in a while, but I steer away from the clothes usually. They want as much as you paid for that blazer for old jeans and sweat shirts that are often in poor shape. I can get better cheaper on a clearance rack. This thrift store is associated with a non-profit, but I'd rather just donate money directly.

Being a small engine mechanic I go through pants and shorts(grease, oil, gas) like I go through rags. Thank goodness for cheap clothes

(at the 1:06 mark)

Blast from the past!

found some great things there. and yes. #1 is a vintage poly sweatshirt, but it is OLD poly. soft poly. and a lovely green horizontal stripe. i have my grandpa's old sweatshirts my grandma hoarded. #1 was never worn.

as people clean out their houses and donate old stuff, others can find some values. Good economic times and wealthy neighborhoods are great for thrift shopping. These stores were often picked clean during the Great recession.

The first one seen is the by the pound place on 6th Ave S and the other place is their main store on Dearborn. Got a night vision scope one time at the outlet by the pound place, less than a buck. The other store used to be my prime hunting ground for plastic dinosaurs. But after the toxic toy paint scares Goodwill started dumping to trash all potentially dangerous toys.

There've been a number of articles on that lately. Here's one:

https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2017/0725/Boomer-parents-One-day-this-will-all-be-yours.-Grown-children-Noooo

when my parents downsized in retirement, there was hardly anything my siblings or I wanted since we all live in urban apartments. Lots of stuff was donated to the church or Salvation Army.

You cannot point a finger in my house with out it landing on something I buy from them. Which reminds me I have to get this Evatt painting that I bought for $5.00 appraised when I get a minute.

And can’t. Lol. I go weekly. I love it.

But you often find something great you weren’t looking for. The best finds at thrift stores are often clothes that are out of season. I’ve been buying summer clothes and soon I’ll start buying winter clothes.

Can’t beat a bargain. And the bonus is in the lessened environmental impact from manufacturing processes.

for a party game, and when I went into the store I observed what a nice selection they had of great stuff. Including housewares. And a little secret - goodwill online as a great selection of old ("vintage&quot cameras if you are into collecting. Auction for those. But they go cheap.

If I had a nickel for every pair of vintage bell bottoms, cool Fight Club jackets, vintage western shirts.....hell my very favorite pair of boots, I'd not need to pay my mortgage.

The wife said Target donates a lot of items that don't sell to Goodwill. Not sure if it is accurate, but she said the store has many good deals on tableware, etc.

Retail stores (such as Kohl's, Macy's) that don't have room to store out-of-season merchandise will offload their good but slightly shopworn stuff at the Goodwill. I've see brand new sweaters and blouses with retail store tags, for $4 or $5 on the racks at Goodwill. Nothing wrong with them, they're just out of season and won't sell for the retail price anymore.

Finding the correct size is a problem for me, it seems I wear the same size that every other woman in America wants, so it's no help that they have nice things in size 4 or 2X.

My wife is superb at spotting some incredible bargains.

as kind of an outpost, we have lots of retired people who order online a lot. So many appear to not return things when they don't work out - goes to the thrift stores. Our thrift stores, other than Goodwill, take in so much they often won't take anymore donations. Americans have a lot of stuff. it is also a form of recycling.

And I also always round.

RESIST!

the clothes budget I give them goes further at Goodwill.

...yes, for clothes. If you're poor like me, they're Godsends. But mainly, for old books and CDs. My last trip alone, I found two Nero Wolfe paperbacks I hadn't read in decades, and some film music by Miklos Rozsa. It's those sort of off-beat serendipities that make trips to Goodwill so much fun...

Last edited Fri Jan 25, 2019, 01:10 AM - Edit history (1)

Amazon can't beat their prices.

My only issue with Goodwill is that Gopher from Love Boat was a Republican Congressperson and Goodwill's former President/CEO: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Grandy

Nonetheless, I get your point!

skirts and jackets, some awesome vinyl records and a gorgeous table lamp, among other things.

I also donate.


.

Their CEOs do well though.

Greedwill i call it

Is to never set foot in one again. They have such a bad rep in central Florida that, while there are almost no jobs in the area, there are plenty of 8.05 per hour jobs where I work. Only bonus is abuse

I got some polo shirts at the local post here.

I've found great things, interesting things and useful things. Sometimes I buy things I'm not sure about, but I figure if it's totally worthless it's still a donation to the organization. (Anyone know about pre-Columbian artifacts? I think I've got a whistle in the form of a bat.)