Growing up, I remember spending hours at a time at both stores with my mom and siblings. There were lots of great finds and clothing at reasonable prices at both stores, though Salvation Army was a bit more cheaper than Goodwill in my city. Nowadays, I barely go to any stores because I can't find any decent clothing or household products and everything has gotten too high to the point where it's better to shop at a department store instead. Obviously, every Goodwill and Salvation Army store vary per city but even if it was still cheap for you to shop at either store, is it still worth it?
I don't specifically go to Goodwill and Salvation Army because they're not all that great in my area and like you mentioned, it's not necessarily as cheap as it used to be. I DO still think thrift stores and resale shops in general are worth it. I buy most of my clothes from these types of stores.
I will still go in them occasionally if I'm in the area of one and have the time to burn. I have found some great buys, more so at Goodwill. I think, however, I have had more luck at some smaller local thrift shops we have in my town lately. One is a church's thrift shop that is non-profit and funds their food pantry and the other is mostly children's items and is owned and run by a single mom. I feel good shopping at those knowing my money is going back into my community.
I find people go for several reasons; some to save money, to find items that you can't find elsewhere and to support the cause. My parents both volunteer in stores and they meet different kind of shoppers there. People go and buy and then sell on ebay or the market, some people have limited money and then people are lookign fro a bargain. I enjoy looking, but mainly for books or unique items. Clothes like t-shirts are so cheap you can buy them new for as cheap, so only some items are worth buying these days.
I have found good prices at both stores and I have found items priced higher than they would be brand new in the store. I like the thrill of the hunt, it is more an activity that I do to see what I can find. I have sold a few items on Ebay that I found at the thrift store. When my budget is tight and I need clothes I will shop at the thrift store, if I am looking for something and I find it at a price I am willing to pay I am happy. I think people tend to purchase more than they need and throw away items that are still good, shopping at the thrift store helps to keep good reuseable items out of the landfill.
I don't even bother looking for shirts at thrift stores anymore because they're more cheaper at department and online stores. I mainly look for pants, jeans, and jackets at thrift stores nowadays. Occasionally, I look for unique items that I know I would use more than once but nothing really wows me for some reason. I really want to find and resale thrift clothing on eBay one day but I need to do research on what's profitable and what's not profitable first.
I agree that Salvation Army and Goodwill are not that great where I live but we stores called Value Village and if you like a bargain you can usually find good deals here. I've gotten Old Navy jean skirt for $5.00 that was barely worn. I've found kids pants that still had the tags on and were a quarter of their regular price. What Value Village does is get clothes and household items that are donated to the Diabetes Foundation and sells them. Many people I know will donate their used clothing to this cause and will donate good quality things knowing that the proceeds are going to a good cause. I've had friends find Canada Goose coats there and great designer clothes.
I have a friend who buys everything at Goodwill. When we first met, I had no idea she shopped only at Goodwill. Honestly, I thought she was quite wealthy. Come to find out, she has only the finest name brands hanging in her closet. Se loaned me an authentic Kate Spade bag for a special event one night, and I was shocked when she told me where she purchased it and how much she paid. Admittedly, it has changed my opinion about shopping there. I haven't made my way to the store yet, but I am definitely planning to try it out soon.
I live in OK and i really do think it's all salvation army and goodwills. I use to shop there with my mother and siblings as well and i remember being able to go and buy an outfit for like 5 or 10 bucks but now they are just as much as walmart and every thing else in town. And i am sorry but i am not going to pay no 30 or 40 bucks for an outfit that is used! It blows my mind that these places suppose to be about affordable prices yet they are asking 10 and 15 for a used shirt with stains on it as if it were brand new! So, i just stopped shopping there all together.
Same here on Oahu as your home town for the prices at Salvation Army & Goodwill stores. I'd spend time before Walmart came up at Salvation Army and Goodwill stores looking for bargains. Then when Walmart opened up I found their prices are cheaper and goods brand new! There is a short pants I bought for only $3.00! I love these short pants for its been very hot and humid lately on island. I found that Walmart and Walgreens has goods very cheap and new and better than Salvation Army or Goodwill.
I used to shop at thrift stores in my area all the time when vintage clothes first became popular around 2001. I used to be able to find really cool stuff for good prices, but I stopped around 2004 when I started to notice the prices were creeping up to be about the same as regular stores. I thought the whole point in shopping at a thrift store was because you could be "thrifty". My favorite used to be the Hospice thrift stores, but now they barely have anything worth going in and looking for. I never really shopped at Salvation Army, St Vincent DuPaul, or Goodwill because they never had anything good. I'm really disappointed in my local Hospice store though. One of the things that made me happy to shop there was because the money was going to Hospice patients. Now it seems they are all about money and barely even provide much value anymore.
I always go for the books section first! I've gotten the best deals there. I refuse to buy tee shirts or pajamas or any already cheap when bought new item but will sometimes peruse the racks for dresses, designer labels, etc. I scored a dress that had a designer label and a 60 dollar tag on it for 3 dollars and some change once. That's rare. Very rare.
I never went to a Salvation army or Goodwill to actually buy anything, only to donate. However, the couple times I have been to a thrift store I could not find anything that I could buy, so I never even attempted to go anywhere else. I am not sure if quotes to buy it at Salvation Army and Goodwill are better or worse than at a regular thrift store, but I imagine it is similar.
Where I live I don't think its worth going because they don't have a good selection. Also the prices that they have are sometimes the same price that you could go to a regular store and buy brand new. In my opinion it's a waste of time and I would be better off going to the mall.
There are some second hand boutiques out there as well. They are usually just little, local shops, but some great deals on designer clothes and formal wear can be found. The best part is that often times, pieces of formal apparel are only worn once for a special occasion. You can pick up beautiful, gently used, things for a fraction of their original cost (which is even better if you only need to wear it once as well). With four daughters, I learned fast.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE our little local thrift boutiques and consignment shops. I have two daughters and they have really saved my life LOL. I bought a designer purse with tags still on it for 295 dollars at one for only 60. That's awesome.
I think with these types of stores luck plays a huge factor so it being worth the trip would probably depend mostly on what items will be there when you arrive. Usually stores like this will have a staple of items like clothes and if you're looking for those then you'll always have something to discover, but for others who are into the more obscure finds it really pays to be lucky since there isn't always unique items being sold in thrift stores.
We have one Good Will store in my area, and honestly it is so musty and dirty feeling that I rarely go in there anymore! The prices have gone up, and the quality of the stuff has gone down. I have found a good alternative in church sponsored thrift stores. The items are all donated, and the work is done by volunteers, so the cost to the consumer is much lower. I have even volunteered my time at one or two them.
For me it is worth it. I have a cousin that was able to find me a sewing machine from there. I also find huge bundles of yarn there for a cheap price. Plus, there tends to be a lot of old DVDs you might not find in other places.
That's a steal. I love finding stuff like that. These can be great places to shop for prom dresses, beaded bags, etc. My girls had gorgeous stuff to wear, without breaking the bank, and no one knew the difference. That's another great thing about thrift stores: you can often find lots of fabric at good prices. In fact, sometimes I buy another piece of clothing to use the fabric, like a dress or a long skirt, and I just use the pretty fabric from it to make something else out of it.
