Goodwill!

I shop at Goodwill and other thrift stores all the time for all sorts of stuff. Clothes definitely because I could care less about brand names. Part of the fun of thrift shopping is the hunt to me. Not everything there is great, but when you find that dress that's normally over $100 at Nordstrom and get it for $8 (which I did once) it's amazing. Plus, the thrift stores have lots of other things too. I got a big canning pot there and used books for dirt cheap and beautiful old dishes and glassware.

 

Wow! After reading this I think I will be taking a trip to Goodwill. We have a Salvation Army near by, but I can never find anything in there. I have shopped at Goodwill but it has been a very long time! Thanks for sharing! You got some awesome deals!

 

You can't really go into Goodwill and know what you are getting. It's more like a hit and miss because you never know what you are going to find. I have walked into Goodwill and found absolutely nothing and another time I walked into the store and immediately saw a cheap limited edition Bulls hat! Its always a nice store to go into once a week because their inventory is constantly changing due to donations everyday. It is certainly an interesting store.

 

What is Goodwill like? Are they just surplus of different clothing companies? Some branded and some brandless? Would you happen to find knock offs there too? Where I come from, we have sorta the same thing but it's just piles upon piles of different clothing, both knockoffs and the real thing, though you really have to dig through all the coal to find diamonds. I guess it's kinda like Goodwill, if I'm not mistaken?

 

We just had a Goodwill upon up last month in town and every time I've gone there it's been packed with people. I haven't really browsed through the clothes section since it's always crowded but I've been able to get my hands on a bunch of DVDs and china set for fairly cheap. It's all about hit and miss there. And you have to do a bit of digging around to find stuff. You never know what you'd find there. If you see something you want and don't grab it, there's a huge chance that it won't be there the next time you go there.

 

I love thrifting. Goodwill is not my first choice in stores, however. My area is quite saturated with second hand stores, some better than others. Goodwill, I have noticed, has increased their prices quite a bit in the last few years. I used to be able to do great with $10, and now may only get 1 or 2 things for that amount.

 

Usually in the GoodWill stores around my area you can find name brand clothing that still has tags on it, along with shoes, furniture, bikes, you name it they have it. I furnished my entire apartment for $45 by shopping at the GoodWill and everything I purchased either still ahd the original price tag on it or was gently used. To the point that the last owner could have sold the item in the newspaper and made a pretty penny. All of the other thrift stores seem to have older, more worn items at higher prices in them.

 

I don't really shop there anymore. There used to be one near me that always had clothes from American Eagle, Aeropostale, Nike, etc. all with the tags on. But then we moved, and the one near me now is awful. It's all gross-looking clothes that I would never want to wear. Nothing name-brand, and nothing with the tags on. Count me out.

 

I am also a big fan of thrift store shopping, and I worked at one for a year or so. There are a lot of good hints from other posters if you are interested in shopping at thrift stores. One insider hint is to visit the same store several times over a two or three week period. Most thrifts have a rotation markdown system that is color coded. If you visit regularly for a few weeks, you'll be able to figure out the system and get the best bargains when things are at their lowest price.

 

I don't particularly care for brand names for clothes because, well, I don't care for clothes all that much. But I love digging through Goodwill for all the cool things I can find at cheap prices besides clothes like mugs, old VHS movie tapes, picture frames, etc.

 

I love shopping a the Goodwill! Here the first Saturday of the month everything is half off, I love going for that sale. My favorite thing to buy there is name brand kids clothing. Kids can be hard on their clothes but usually they out grown them so fast that they are still in good condition when donated to the Goodwill. I find lots of Childrens Place and Gymboree brand clothes at my Goodwill. Sometimes I find a shirt or something for my husband or I but with 5 kids I usually find stuff for them. I have also got some great non-clothing items there too. Picture frames or shelves that I just spray paint and they look good as new. I've found some nice pottery barn items too. I even found a disney princess CD player new in the box for $4 for my daughter at Christmas time.

 

Regardless of economic conditions, it's always a good idea to shop at these and similar stores.The prices may be low, but the quality is the same as you'd get in the big name stores - they're selling the same brands, even if they are (or seem to be) second-hand.

 

Thrift stores have other advantages besides saving money. A portion of the proceeds help support charitable organizations. Some thrifts also hire members of the population they serve for sorting and other tasks.

You are also helping to reduce the amount of material that enters the waste stream, which is good for the earth. So not only can you save money, but you are also helping others.

 

I would say that depending on what part of town that you are on, Goodwill has a lot of nice things for a very good bargain. It does help the disadvantage and gives to different charities which is a good thing. They help so many people that don't have a job and also they do a lot of training for the people that needs to be trained. So they are an outstanding organization and I am very proud of them for doing such a great job.

 

I absolutely love Goodwill. I have found many good bargains there. I also recommend checking out shopgoodwill.com This is their website and a lot of people don't know about it. It is auction format and a lot of things on there go for pretty cheap!

 

I recently started thrifting as well and I could believe the great things I found. My best find was a Michael Kors top. I also found a Vera Wang dress for $15 dollars. I could'nt believe my luck. I go to various thrift stores about twice a month now. You really can't beat the prices, and it actually fun when you bring friends.

 

I used to have a Goodwill quarter day addiction. I have seen name brand clothes there. I have gotten my daughter Tommy Hilfingers there and I had seen a Liz Claybourne shirt there for a quarter. I have stocked up on mine and my daughter's clothes that way. Kids grow out of clothes so fast I hate paying high price for clothes that may fit for a season or less.

 

I haven't had much luck with clothing at Goodwill but I do find really good deals on household products. I actually bought 4 full length lace panel curtains there for $5. There are very well made and absolutely beautiful. I have also been able to get things like flower vases, picture frames and dishes that were very unique for really cheap.

 

I have shopped at our local Goodwill before, but only for smaller items. I know the clothing is good quality, but I have had some bad experiences of buying clothing here. I know this sounds bad because it is seconds, but the clothing simply wore out within a couple of days of buying it.