Are you "badass" enough to buy clothes from Goodwill, etc.?

[swampwiz]

I had posted about this article earlier, but there is a mention of folks who buy clothes online but are too lazy to return it, and just give it away:

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/08/online-shopping-and-accumulation-of-junk/567985

On a recent weekday, I stopped by the massive warehouse where workers from the Goodwill of San Francisco, San Mateo, and Marin sort donations to Bay Area stores. Some of the stuff that’s been donated has never been used. Near the front of the warehouse stands a rack of clothes with their original tags on—a $245 blue Nicole Miller cocktail dress, $88 Kit and Ace pants, a pale green J. Jill blouse. “We are seeing items that have been barely used or not used, because when people shop online, it’s a lot of work to return it ...”

If clothes like that is at the Goodwill, it seems that it would be quite Moustachian to shop there!  But even if not, it seems that buying clothes from there is akin to buying a used car, which obviously is very Moustachian, so I figure that anyone that is "badass" enough to dumpster dive would be "badass" enough to wear clothes from Goodwill.

[11ducks]

I'm a big fan of thrift store clothes. I get most of my clothes there (excluding underwear/socks/nightwear). My winter jeans cost $3 and are worn daily for 2 months a year.  I also got a few sets of work pants and work dresses. I both like the savings and the thought of recyclying clothing, rather than buying the ethically ambiguous and poor quality cheap stuff from kmart/Walmart.

[Loren Ver]

Not just clothes, but other things all the time.  DH will do the goodwill outlet where items are sold by the pound.  Great prices, if you are willing to do the work and dig.  Since we are builders and crafters, it is a goldmine of things to get.

LV

[Cranky]

I buy all kinds of things at Goodwill. I have a ReStore in my neighborhood, though, and go there weekly (household stuff, not clothes.)

[Trifle]

We have always shopped at Goodwill and other thrift stores for clothes.  I don't feel there's anything 'badass' about it -- it's just common sense.  I don't understand why more people don't shop thrift stores.   

I think maybe some people have a preconceived notion of what they are and never tried it.  Or maybe got turned off by one particular thrift store and gave up?  They are highly variable.  There's a whole spectrum from ratty to high end.

[swampwiz]

I saw the title and thought “whoa! Did swampwiz actually start a thread that isn’t just them posting a link to an article?”
But then it was “Nope! There’s the article”

Um...
Yeah, we’re mustachians, of course many of us buy clothes from thrift shops/goodwill type stores. Why wouldn’t we?

You should notice that when I so such a post, the question being asked is the primary topic, with the link merely supporting material and/or motivation for the question.  And I typically add a quote from the article which directly correlates to the question.  But thank you anyway for being a forum nazi.

[Davnasty]

I saw the title and thought “whoa! Did swampwiz actually start a thread that isn’t just them posting a link to an article?”
But then it was “Nope! There’s the article”

Um...
Yeah, we’re mustachians, of course many of us buy clothes from thrift shops/goodwill type stores. Why wouldn’t we?

You should notice that when I so such a post, the question being asked is the primary topic, with the link merely supporting material and/or motivation for the question.  And I typically add a quote from the article which directly correlates to the question.  But thank you anyway for being a forum nazi.

And you posted the same article with a different title 20 minutes earlier... That seems to be a bit much. It's not a big deal to me but then, I'm not really familiar with forum etiquette.

[Raenia]

Since when is buying from thrift stores "badass?"  That's pretty much standard procedure around here, I never buy something new unless I can't find it after shopping a few different thrift stores (exceptions for undergarments/socks, etc).

[AccidentalMiser]

90% of my clothes come from the thrift store.  I am a professional and wear slacks and a button down every day (or a polo from time to time).

Mrs. AM is an incredible thrift store shopper.  The biggest problem I have is keeping my current collection down to a managable level. 

Anyway, I don't look like a bum and our thrift stores aren't the best in the world but there's a lot of money to be saved by thrifting regularly.  Just don't buy ten things when you only need two!

[SimpleCycle]

Yes.

[We be free if we try]

Goodwill in San Francisco is at a whole other level. It's the only place I buy clothing, though they are more expensive than, say, Goodwill in TN. They have a "Goodwill Boutique" for higher end stuff, which is pricier, if you need, say, Gucci in tiny sizes from 2001. I used to have a bit of a clothes shopping habit, and Goodwill kept me out of too much trouble, but now that I own 20 cashmere sweaters, etc, I don't shop much anymore.

[I'm a red panda]

Our Goodwill is really small and their prices are often higher than Target/Walmart.
But in the past year I've gotten most of my new-to-me clothes from the Buy Nothing Project.  I now give my clothes on there instead of donating to Goodwill.

[J Boogie]

I will usually either buy my pants from Taylor Stitch/J Crew/Dunderdon (70-120 pair) or from Goodwill (5-15 pair).

I'll wear the nice pants to the office for a couple years and then they'll be utility pants, and then cut off into cutoff shorts a few years later.

The goodwill pants will go straight to utility/work pants or cutoff shorts right away.

I don't really bother with other clothes from Goodwill.

[LaineyAZ]

A 3rd generation thrift store shopper, here.  Just normal life, not particularly badass. 

The stores here in metro Phoenix area are so swamped with donations that every other Saturday is 1/2 price off *everything* in the store.  On those sale Saturdays there are shoppers lined up outside the store before it opens at 9 am. 
I suspect some of those are re-sale shoppers who are cherry-picking what they can resell online.  I don't begrudge them making a few extra dollars, but it is a race to get some of the better items, hence the rush to get in the door first. 

On the other hand, I have visited some thrift stores that don't have this sale cycle and they seem overcrowded with the less than desirable clothes, household goods and misc.  I think having some one-half price days really helps with keeping down the sheer amount of merchandise, and also keeps the store fresh. 

[Dicey]

I had posted about this article earlier, but there is a mention of folks who buy clothes online but are too lazy to return it, and just give it away:

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/08/online-shopping-and-accumulation-of-junk/567985

On a recent weekday, I stopped by the massive warehouse where workers from the Goodwill of San Francisco, San Mateo, and Marin sort donations to Bay Area stores. Some of the stuff that’s been donated has never been used. Near the front of the warehouse stands a rack of clothes with their original tags on—a $245 blue Nicole Miller cocktail dress, $88 Kit and Ace pants, a pale green J. Jill blouse. “We are seeing items that have been barely used or not used, because when people shop online, it’s a lot of work to return it ...”

If clothes like that is at the Goodwill, it seems that it would be quite Moustachian to shop there!  But even if not, it seems that buying clothes from there is akin to buying a used car, which obviously is very Moustachian, so I figure that anyone that is "badass" enough to dumpster dive would be "badass" enough to wear clothes from Goodwill.

I wouldn't pay a premium at GW for the privilege of buying something with a tag still on, especially overpriced designer crap...

There's a new GW very close to me. Their prices are too high. I shop at the one* down the street, where I know the manager and the proceeds go to a local hospital. Recently, I noticed GW had a "New Lower Prices" banner, so i went back. Nope, still too high.

I consider this normal, not badass.

*I should have said "thrift shop down the street." Sorry I wasn't clear.

[sol]

You're not a badass if you shop at Goodwill, you're a dumbass if you don't.

Every single item you buy brand new at retail prices immediately becomes a used item, and is worth goodwill prices.  You NEVER own anything that is actually brand new for more than a few minutes, so why would you pay brand new prices?  Every item of clothing in your closet is "used", even if you've never worn it.  Your absolute favorite items are the most used ones, so I'm pretty sure we all love used clothing whether we realize it or not.

[Livingthedream55]

Hardly badass - I'd say this community utilizes thrift stores, yard sales, clothing exchanges with family/friends, getting clothes from the local Buy Nothing group on FaceBook - I certainly do.

[Mustache ride]

I saw the title and thought “whoa! Did swampwiz actually start a thread that isn’t just them posting a link to an article?”
But then it was “Nope! There’s the article”

Um...
Yeah, we’re mustachians, of course many of us buy clothes from thrift shops/goodwill type stores. Why wouldn’t we?

You should notice that when I so such a post, the question being asked is the primary topic, with the link merely supporting material and/or motivation for the question.  And I typically add a quote from the article which directly correlates to the question.  But thank you anyway for being a forum nazi.

Sorry dude, I was just teasing you, I didn't think you would take offense since in the past many people have teased you about your article posting.

I get a kick out of some of your articles, but often find myself wondering what you actually think about the subject matter beyond just posting an article and asking for thoughts. Like, what is your original perspective, what made you find the article interesting?

That's why I sarcastically replied with respect to Goodwill. Is buying used clothes a new concept to you? If so, does it seem "badass" or extreme to you to buy used clothes? If so, why? What is your actual perspective on the matter?
You are a frequent poster, and yet I get very little sense of you beyond that you must read a fuck ton of articles and that you are very interested in what others think about them.

Would *you* buy clothes at Goodwill/thrift stores? Why? Why not?

Good luck getting a response. It took him months to stop posting just links without any commentary. He's graduated to at least writing a sentence or two unrelated to his experience/viewpoint on the topic. Yet for some reason I continue to open his dumb threads...

[bad-ash]

I also dumpster dive the bins behind the shop. Visiting my hometown right now and figured I'd check the bins while walking home last night - found a retro Patagonia synchilla snap-t fleece in a pretty wild colour scheme! You never know what the workers will miss.

[SunnyDays]

I used to buy more clothing at thrift stores than I do now, mainly because prices there have gone up a ridiculous amount, to the point where the difference between them and Costco is maybe a dollar an item.  Factor in the time spent searching through racks and racks of tightly packed clothes, and it's not really worth it to me anymore.  I'm slowly replacing some of my rattier thrift store finds with new Costco clothes, but trying to still keep my buying to a minimum.  If I look too much at the other stuff in thrift stores, I end up buying things I don't need, mainly because something half-way nice looks like a treasure among all the other junk.  I have to beware of this mindset.

[LiveLean]

Agreed. Costco is such a tremendous bargain when it comes to Adidas, Calvin Klein, Levis, etc., along with its own Kirkland brand that the time savings is worth any negligible savings at Goodwill. Though Goodwill is always the best for Halloween.

[brute]

Nope. I'm 6'4" and a competitive strength athlete. No one has anything that comes close to fitting me.

[ketchup]

You're not a badass if you shop at Goodwill, you're a dumbass if you don't.

Every single item you buy brand new at retail prices immediately becomes a used item, and is worth goodwill prices.  You NEVER own anything that is actually brand new for more than a few minutes, so why would you pay brand new prices?  Every item of clothing in your closet is "used", even if you've never worn it.  Your absolute favorite items are the most used ones, so I'm pretty sure we all love used clothing whether we realize it or not.

Since when is buying from thrift stores "badass?"  That's pretty much standard procedure around here, I never buy something new unless I can't find it after shopping a few different thrift stores (exceptions for undergarments/socks, etc).

There we go, I was worried for a second when I saw this thread.

Everything apart from socks, underwear, and shoes comes from Goodwill or Salvation Army.  Only exception in the last six years or so was three $9 shirts from Walmart that I bought right after moving while I was living without a washer/dryer and messed up my laundry timing.  So that was $27 in stupid tax.

The only exception I could see to this rule is people like @brute with less common size requirements.  But I'm a 5'11" normal weight dude with a 32 waist so there's plenty for me at thrift stores.  If I were to put on 30lbs of muscle and compete next to @brute I would happily pay more for clothes that fit me.

[okonomiyaki]

I don't feel there's anything 'badass' about it -- it's just common sense.

This

[sol]

There we go, I was worried for a second when I saw this thread.

You can go back to worrying.  The forum is still very proud of their luxury blenders.

[jeninco]

Goodwill in San Francisco is at a whole other level. It's the only place I buy clothing, though they are more expensive than, say, Goodwill in TN. They have a "Goodwill Boutique" for higher end stuff, which is pricier, if you need, say, Gucci in tiny sizes from 2001. I used to have a bit of a clothes shopping habit, and Goodwill kept me out of too much trouble, but now that I own 20 cashmere sweaters, etc, I don't shop much anymore.

I'm glad I'm not the only one -- sometimes I walk through the Hippistan Goodwill (or Salvation Army, or local thrift shops) and just run my hand over the sweaters to see if they have anything excellent. My  sweater stack has gotten a tad embarrassing, to be honest.

On the other hand, I paid like $5 for those cashmere sweaters! So I wear them all the time and wash them on the delicate cycle. I figure this is a real definition of luxury -- wearing cashmere (and merino) sweaters like they're sweatshirts.

[pbkmaine]

Most of my clothes are thrifted, from Goodwill and a local hospice thrift shop. A few are from consignment stores, EBay, or the deeply discounted rack at Kohls. I recently bought a dress for a fancy wedding from Lilly Pulitzer and paid FULL RETAIL, and my friends were shocked speechless. I may never live it down.

[Apple_Tango]

Got an awesome Ralph Lauren zippered sweater for $3 from goodwill about 2 years ago. Sometimes there are great finds!!!

[Dicey]

Nope. I'm 6'4" and a competitive strength athlete. No one has anything that comes close to fitting me.

Have you tried Costco's website? You might be surprised.

[MMMarbleheader]

The town I live in has a thrift store that supports the local schools and has donated $1M since it started

https://www.google.com/amp/marblehead.wickedlocal.com/news/20180403/magic-hat-reaches-magic-number%3ftemplate=ampart

[LaineyAZ]

The town I live in has a thrift store that supports the local schools and has donated $1M since it started

https://www.google.com/amp/marblehead.wickedlocal.com/news/20180403/magic-hat-reaches-magic-number%3ftemplate=ampart

That's very impressive.
On a side note, I finished a memoir of a woman who grew up with siblings and a mentally unstable, mean alcoholic mother.  The kids were just this side of feral.  School clothes were obtained by the kids themselves by searching clothing donation boxes after dark and picking out what was inside. 

[anonymouscow]

I buy everything but socks, underwear, and shoes from the thrift store. Prices have gone up in recent years, I only buy when something is on sale. I pretty much wont pay more than 2 dollars for a shirt or pants, and that’s if it’s nice, I shoot more for an average of a dollar. One time I spent like 20 dollars and my shopping for clothes was done for the year.

[MMMarbleheader]

The town I live in has a thrift store that supports the local schools and has donated $1M since it started

https://www.google.com/amp/marblehead.wickedlocal.com/news/20180403/magic-hat-reaches-magic-number%3ftemplate=ampart

That's very impressive.
On a side note, I finished a memoir of a woman who grew up with siblings and a mentally unstable, mean alcoholic mother.  The kids were just this side of feral.  School clothes were obtained by the kids themselves by searching clothing donation boxes after dark and picking out what was inside.

PTO's staff it from the various schools and it is very competitive because the moms want to get first dibs.

That is some New England Yankee thrift in action haha

[Goodidea]

Love me some Goodwill and salvation army. It's a great place to pick up some clothes when you have a spending itch. It's difficult to spend $100 in a single shopping session and you walk out with maybe 80% savings vs retail.

[accolay]

Really setting the bar low if you call shopping at a thriftstore baddass.

I don't usually go to Goodwill, we have Savers. The prices are better.

[okonomiyaki]

Sigh. American goodwill prices. In Australia thrift stores sell things for $15-20-30, which is still 1/3-1/5 retail, but... It's not $3, ever

[JanetJackson]

… Notes from a (friend of a...?) person who may or may not have worked for GW Industries for over a decade. ;)

Without getting into too much detail about their business structure, labor practices, and ethics... look around in your town to see if you can find a thrift shop that is NOT Goodwill.

My town has 7+ Goodwills, yet I frequent an independently operated thrift that funds a nonprofit.  The prices are better, the selection is great, and I actually believe in what they are doing. 
Yes, it's more of a thrift store, it's not spotless... but I can get over that, I wash my purchases anyways.
I have gone to GW, but it's certainly not my preference.

Take some time, investigate the smaller and better priced thrift shops.  And eBay.

I only buy undergarments new, I buy everything else thrift, including shoes, dishes, etc. 
I've never known any other way.

[GrumpyPenguin]

I 100% support buying from Goodwill, thrift stores, etc... though I don't often do these days. I don't live too close to any, and I usually don't find good fitting options in my size at those stores that are closest to me.  Given the size of the average American I'm not too surprised.  Heck, I have a very hard time finding well-fitting clothes at Costco even.  I don't buy clothes very frequently in any case, so my total clothes expenditure over the course of a year isn't large.

[brute]

Nope. I'm 6'4" and a competitive strength athlete. No one has anything that comes close to fitting me.

Have you tried Costco's website? You might be surprised.

I tried Costco/Sams online stores, but to no avail. I'm that frustrating place where standard length shirts don't fit, but talls look weird unless they're perfect. 58" chest, 18" arms, and a 41" waist wreak havoc on most off the rack clothes. But, since I last whinged about it, I did wander through JCPenny, and their XLT polos fit pretty well. I swooped in and grabbed 8 of them since they were 50% off and I had a coupon for another 20% that they let be applied. 8 shirts for $50ish is a good time.

For day to day t-shirts, I just wear the ones I get from competition.

Suits, however, fit me nicely. I just have to buy the pants and jackets from different sets.

[DreamFIRE]

I've never even been in a Goodwill or any of similar thrift shop.  I've never bought used clothes from anywhere either.  However, I do try to purchase clothing on sale, off-season, clearance, etc. whenever possible.  My clothing budget is pretty low, and I've built up enough of a cache of clothing that I've actually been spending well below budget in recent years, and I'll spend even less if I retire within a year.  But this thread does make me want to stop in and check one or more of these places out sometime.

[Khaetra]

No.  I hate clothes shopping in general and foraging through rack upon rack trying to find something that fits is not happening.  If I need something like jeans, I will gladly pay to pop into Pennys/Macy's/etc. and grab a few pairs that fit properly and be out in just a few minutes.  I maintain my weight and take care of my clothes, so shopping for those items (besides undies/bras/socks) only happen once every few years.

[Cranky]

I've never even been in a Goodwill or any of similar thrift shop.  I've never bought used clothes from anywhere either.  However, I do try to purchase clothing on sale, off-season, clearance, etc. whenever possible.  My clothing budget is pretty low, and I've built up enough of a cache of clothing that I've actually been spending well below budget in recent years, and I'll spend even less if I retire within a year.  But this thread does make me want to stop in and check one or more of these places out sometime.

You have to enjoy the thrill of the hunt! I'm quite short and rarely find pants that fit me, but when I do, it's amazing!

I prefer to buy used things because of being one of those Save The Planet crackpots. ;-)

It's also more fun to have a shopping buddy. My sister and I have a great time thrifting when we get together, and some areas are better than others.

[neophyte]

I shop sometimes, and I've had good luck with kitchen stuff, but not generally clothes.  Poverty is a big problem in my city and the clothes are usually heavily used and heavily picked over. Conventional wisdom is that you have to go to the suburbs where the rich people live to get the good stuff.

[Zikoris]

I mostly prefer to just not buy clothes. So far this year we've spent $65 on clothing for two people - mostly replacing a bunch of worn out socks and underwear, plus one pair of pjs for my partner's new work uniform (working from home). I'm looking to to buy one new pair of jeans next month when I'm travelling through the one small town that has the one store with pants that properly fit women with a big ass and small waist. I might stop by the thrift store there to grab some cheap t-shirts since I only have two shirts right now that aren't athletic wear.

[Samuel]

I've never even been in a Goodwill or any of similar thrift shop.  I've never bought used clothes from anywhere either.  However, I do try to purchase clothing on sale, off-season, clearance, etc. whenever possible.  My clothing budget is pretty low, and I've built up enough of a cache of clothing that I've actually been spending well below budget in recent years, and I'll spend even less if I retire within a year.  But this thread does make me want to stop in and check one or more of these places out sometime.

You have to enjoy the thrill of the hunt! I'm quite short and rarely find pants that fit me, but when I do, it's amazing!

I prefer to buy used things because of being one of those Save The Planet crackpots. ;-)

It's also more fun to have a shopping buddy. My sister and I have a great time thrifting when we get together, and some areas are better than others.

I was a heavy thrifter back in high school (enjoyed dressing a bit oddly) and early adulthood (out of necessity), but rarely bother these days. I particularly hate clothes shopping and the return on the time investment is so low its not worth it to me anymore. My local stores are particularly overpriced and picked over, though, so I'm sure that contributes.

I did have a brief resurgence when dating a woman who was big into it. We'd take a Saturday every couple weeks and run a trapline of suburban stores with better quality stuff. It was a fun couples activity and it forced me to do at least a little badly needed clothes shopping. Of course I would take 5 minutes to scan the clothes then spend the rest of the time digging through the tools, records and other bric a brac while waiting for her. Good times.

[boarder42]

You're not a badass if you shop at Goodwill, you're a dumbass if you don't.

Every single item you buy brand new at retail prices immediately becomes a used item, and is worth goodwill prices.  You NEVER own anything that is actually brand new for more than a few minutes, so why would you pay brand new prices?  Every item of clothing in your closet is "used", even if you've never worn it.  Your absolute favorite items are the most used ones, so I'm pretty sure we all love used clothing whether we realize it or not.

Paying retail is dumb but setting alerts and getting screaming deals on new clothes with online shopping deal forums can get you new clothes cheaper than Goodwill salvation army etc.

[nessness]

You're not a badass if you shop at Goodwill, you're a dumbass if you don't.

Every single item you buy brand new at retail prices immediately becomes a used item, and is worth goodwill prices.  You NEVER own anything that is actually brand new for more than a few minutes, so why would you pay brand new prices?  Every item of clothing in your closet is "used", even if you've never worn it.  Your absolute favorite items are the most used ones, so I'm pretty sure we all love used clothing whether we realize it or not.

Paying retail is dumb but setting alerts and getting screaming deals on new clothes with online shopping deal forums can get you new clothes cheaper than Goodwill salvation army etc.

My primary reason for buying used clothing is environmental, not financial. Those five dollar t-shirts have a huge effect on the environment. This article summarizes the issues pretty well:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.newsweek.com/2016/09/09/old-clothes-fashion-waste-crisis-494824.html%3famp=1

[I'm a red panda]

I mostly prefer to just not buy clothes.

Agree. Clothes shopping is awful.

[boarder42]

You're not a badass if you shop at Goodwill, you're a dumbass if you don't.

Every single item you buy brand new at retail prices immediately becomes a used item, and is worth goodwill prices.  You NEVER own anything that is actually brand new for more than a few minutes, so why would you pay brand new prices?  Every item of clothing in your closet is "used", even if you've never worn it.  Your absolute favorite items are the most used ones, so I'm pretty sure we all love used clothing whether we realize it or not.

Paying retail is dumb but setting alerts and getting screaming deals on new clothes with online shopping deal forums can get you new clothes cheaper than Goodwill salvation army etc.

My primary reason for buying used clothing is environmental, not financial. Those five dollar t-shirts have a huge effect on the environment. This article summarizes the issues pretty well:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.newsweek.com/2016/09/09/old-clothes-fashion-waste-crisis-494824.html%3famp=1

who is paying 5 dollars for a tshirt.  i'm paying 5-10 bucks for full business attire when i find the right prices.  button down and slacks for 10 bucks brand new.  but i understand the environmental side

[MrThatsDifferent]

I’m definitely going in the anti mustachian hall of fame but I don’t and won’t shop at thrift stores. I’m looking at buying a $1000 wrinkle free suit for a business trip to Europe. I hope it’s the last suit I ever have to buy.