Author Topic: Goodwill bargain!  (Read 22522 times)

Kitsunegari

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Re: Goodwill bargain!
« Reply #50 on: December 11, 2015, 09:41:06 AM »
A few weeks ago I found a cute cashmere cardigan, in very good condition. Today I looked it up and apparently it retails for almost 250$ O_o

Sister C

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Re: Goodwill bargain!
« Reply #51 on: December 17, 2015, 02:25:06 PM »
Thanks for the inspiration everyone!  I am making a conscious effort to get back into thrifting.  Lifestyle inflation has creeped in (coupled with moving from an area with fantastic thrift stores to a new town with mediocre ones).  But, I still have the air popcorn popper I picked up for a few bucks at a local thrift store for a few bucks... seven and a half years ago.  Thinking of that whenever I get the urge to buy something at Target/Amazon! 

My goal over the next few weeks is to scout out more thrift stores in the area- I have a hunch that the selection is way better out in the burbs than the city.

TomTX

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Re: Goodwill bargain!
« Reply #52 on: December 18, 2015, 06:49:56 AM »
I'm having a moral conundrum with Goodwill.
I've been a faithful shopper for years, and I especially searched for good quality fabric - especially wool.
But Sunday I went on the busiest time, and as I was watching the people around me looking for new clothes, looking more destitute that I do, it suddenly occurred to me that that pretty cashmere sweater I had in my basket might be the difference between someone being warm or not, getting a job or not. I felt as if, by looking for bargains, I was stealing from poor people the only nice clothes they could afford.
So yeah, I'm taking a break form Goodwill. I have enough clothes anyway.

Goodwill gets 10x as much clothing as they sell in the store, the rest goes overseas or gets pulped.

BrickByBrick

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Re: Goodwill bargain!
« Reply #53 on: December 18, 2015, 02:16:43 PM »
I'm having a moral conundrum with Goodwill.
I've been a faithful shopper for years, and I especially searched for good quality fabric - especially wool.
But Sunday I went on the busiest time, and as I was watching the people around me looking for new clothes, looking more destitute that I do, it suddenly occurred to me that that pretty cashmere sweater I had in my basket might be the difference between someone being warm or not, getting a job or not. I felt as if, by looking for bargains, I was stealing from poor people the only nice clothes they could afford.
So yeah, I'm taking a break form Goodwill. I have enough clothes anyway.

Goodwill gets 10x as much clothing as they sell in the store, the rest goes overseas or gets pulped.

TomTX is right.  A lot (admittedly subjective) of the clothing Goodwill gets doesn't even make it to retail due to the sheer volume they receive.  Of course, it varies wildly by location, but generally speaking excess and unsalable clothing either goes to the landfill, is recycled into insulation/textile, or is shipped overseas to Africa or Southeast Asia.

When it arrives in Africa/Southeast Asia, it is resold very cheaply and tends to glut the local markets - driving out local homegrown businesses - depending on who you ask it is a net good thing or bad thing.  Personally my understanding/percwption is that it's very bad over the long term.  And of course, I imagine most people would rather it not end up in a landfill.  The recycling option is great, but the available supply often outstrips demand.

All that to say that you are really doing Goodwill, and society as a whole, a better service by shopping at Goodwill rather than feeling unfounded guilt.  I shop at Goodwill frequently and for every shirt I've bought there were dozens more like it - all the while providing a job to someone who needed one.

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Re: Goodwill bargain!
« Reply #54 on: December 18, 2015, 03:19:53 PM »
I'm having a moral conundrum with Goodwill.
I've been a faithful shopper for years, and I especially searched for good quality fabric - especially wool.
But Sunday I went on the busiest time, and as I was watching the people around me looking for new clothes, looking more destitute that I do, it suddenly occurred to me that that pretty cashmere sweater I had in my basket might be the difference between someone being warm or not, getting a job or not. I felt as if, by looking for bargains, I was stealing from poor people the only nice clothes they could afford.
So yeah, I'm taking a break form Goodwill. I have enough clothes anyway.

Goodwill gets 10x as much clothing as they sell in the store, the rest goes overseas or gets pulped.

TomTX is right.  A lot (admittedly subjective) of the clothing Goodwill gets doesn't even make it to retail due to the sheer volume they receive.  Of course, it varies wildly by location, but generally speaking excess and unsalable clothing either goes to the landfill, is recycled into insulation/textile, or is shipped overseas to Africa or Southeast Asia.

When it arrives in Africa/Southeast Asia, it is resold very cheaply and tends to glut the local markets - driving out local homegrown businesses - depending on who you ask it is a net good thing or bad thing.  Personally my understanding/percwption is that it's very bad over the long term.  And of course, I imagine most people would rather it not end up in a landfill.  The recycling option is great, but the available supply often outstrips demand.

All that to say that you are really doing Goodwill, and society as a whole, a better service by shopping at Goodwill rather than feeling unfounded guilt.  I shop at Goodwill frequently and for every shirt I've bought there were dozens more like it - all the while providing a job to someone who needed one.

The cash you spend at a thrift store is much more valuable to the community than the items you purchase. 

On that note, last week I got two pairs of black dress shoes an a pair of black pants for the children's Christmas concerts for a total of $10.  One pair of shoes was found online for $50. The pants go for $14.

coopdog

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Re: Goodwill bargain!
« Reply #55 on: December 18, 2015, 04:12:50 PM »
Does anyone know how Goodwill works logistically speaking? I live in a rather affluent area. I've wondered if the contributions to my local store get sold there too, or does it go to a central distribution facility?


TomTX

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Re: Goodwill bargain!
« Reply #56 on: December 18, 2015, 08:27:11 PM »
Does anyone know how Goodwill works logistically speaking? I live in a rather affluent area. I've wondered if the contributions to my local store get sold there too, or does it go to a central distribution facility?

It's a blend. Some stuff will go right out on the shelves, most stuff goes elsewhere. In Austin there is a computer-centric Goodwill location, so a lot of the computer donations end up there.

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Re: Goodwill bargain!
« Reply #57 on: December 18, 2015, 08:43:56 PM »
Does anyone know how Goodwill works logistically speaking? I live in a rather affluent area. I've wondered if the contributions to my local store get sold there too, or does it go to a central distribution facility?

It depends on the Goodwill chapter.  The Goodwill in my area has approximately 35 stores.  Smaller goods and  things like furniture are sorted, processed and placed in the store where it was donated. All other goods are shipped to a central processing plant where they are sorted.  Seasonal items, like Christmas goods, are stored there until needed and then shipped to the stores.  The store managers tend to have a good grasp of what sells well in their stores so they "order" certain items for their stores. Our local Goodwill is considering doing away with most of the central processing and doing all the sorting, processing, and store in-house so whatever is donated to a particular store will be sold in that store.  They are testing this out in the coming year.

Many Goodwills already use this model so it definitely depends on the area and the Goodwill chapter. 

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Re: Goodwill bargain!
« Reply #58 on: December 21, 2015, 07:49:09 AM »
Around here, I was told they send everything away, and get stuff from elsewhere.

The reason I was told was that they were afraid of pissing off potential donors. People (at least some around here) would be livid to see "their" furniture in a friends house or unique clothing on someone at the local grocery store. Especially someone "beneath" them.

At least that's what I was told.

Kitsunegari

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Re: Goodwill bargain!
« Reply #59 on: December 21, 2015, 12:01:49 PM »
Around here, I was told they send everything away, and get stuff from elsewhere.

The reason I was told was that they were afraid of pissing off potential donors. People (at least some around here) would be livid to see "their" furniture in a friends house or unique clothing on someone at the local grocery store. Especially someone "beneath" them.

At least that's what I was told.

I'll be surprised if this kind of people donated to Goodwill...
Out of sheer curiosity, where do you write from?

ilsy

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Re: Goodwill bargain!
« Reply #60 on: December 21, 2015, 01:15:45 PM »
Goodwill is too expensive for me, I buy on Craigslist, or free.

For myself I only buy underwear, bras and socks brand new once a year or two at a retail shop and using discounts and sales. The rest of clothes, if I want to mix-up my wardrobe, I get second hand for free from Craigslist. I'm skinny, so I fit into teen girls clothes perfectly and those are getting thrown away constantly. Teen girls don't want used clothes, which means they have no resell value and I have no completion when they are available for free. I have tons of clothes since I haven't changed much since I was 19, everything still fits and looks great, at that age I was buying quality. My secret is to have tons, so each items gets worn rarely and needs to be washed rarely, that way everything lasts pretty much forever.

For my kids I get very cheap or free, also quality clothes, that I resell after they are done with also on Craigslist for the same price or even more. I have a woman (found her on Craigslist) that I have bought clothes from for my son for the last 6 years and 3 years ago I found one woman who buys those boys clothes from me after my son is done with them. So this arrangement even saves me time on finding the seller and the buyer. I meet with them at around same time each year, we know the drill, it takes no time. So my son's clothes/shoes, snow pants, coats don't cost me anything.

I would like to find the same arrangement for my daughter's clothes, but haven't found it yet. So her clothes take a bit more effort to find and then resell, but are also free to me. Similar to me, my kids have a lot of clothes, so each item is worn rarely and therefore in excellent shape for the resell. I only budget about 50$ a year or two for my underwear, bras and socks. Shoes for me are a different story, I do get some for free, but most of my shoes are very high quality, expensive shoes  that last for very long time and cost some money. I do buy them on deals and sales, and pay about 50%, but I see that as an investment for many years. I usually don't budget for shoes annually, since they last more than 5 years and rarely I buy a new pair.

Overall my budget for clothes/shoes, socks and so on for 3 people is max 50$ a year. Since there are so many nice clothes in their wardrobe I have never heard them say that they want me to buy them more clothes.

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Re: Goodwill bargain!
« Reply #61 on: February 17, 2016, 12:04:21 PM »
Around here, I was told they send everything away, and get stuff from elsewhere.

The reason I was told was that they were afraid of pissing off potential donors. People (at least some around here) would be livid to see "their" furniture in a friends house or unique clothing on someone at the local grocery store. Especially someone "beneath" them.

At least that's what I was told.

I'll be surprised if this kind of people donated to Goodwill...
Out of sheer curiosity, where do you write from?


I'm in a super rich, east coast town in a poor, coastal county in South Carolina. My zip code average house price is $400k. My county average house price is $100k. 

These people donate prodigiously to Goodwill. They have stuff that HAS to go. Nobody has time for craigslist, and it'll cost them to have someone take it to the dump.
Some of them cycle through full homes of furniture every 5 years. Goodwill sends a truck to pick it all up, for free. Plus, they get a tax break. I see the truck in my neighborhood at least once a month.
« Last Edit: February 17, 2016, 12:09:50 PM by CALL 911 »

MilesTeg

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Re: Goodwill bargain!
« Reply #62 on: February 17, 2016, 04:01:17 PM »
I'm having a moral conundrum with Goodwill.
I've been a faithful shopper for years, and I especially searched for good quality fabric - especially wool.
But Sunday I went on the busiest time, and as I was watching the people around me looking for new clothes, looking more destitute that I do, it suddenly occurred to me that that pretty cashmere sweater I had in my basket might be the difference between someone being warm or not, getting a job or not. I felt as if, by looking for bargains, I was stealing from poor people the only nice clothes they could afford.
So yeah, I'm taking a break form Goodwill. I have enough clothes anyway.

It depends on what you are doing, and what your real goal is. If you're going there regularly to find things to resell for a profit, you are crossing a line. If you are a FI person who just wants to be cheap for the sake of being cheap, you are crossing a line. If you're a well off hipster who thinks an ironic wardrobe is the ticket, you are crossing a line.

But, if you're a typical working class or middle class person in need of a more thrifty lifestyle to meet important financial goals and have exhausted other options (cheaper car, cutting the cord, etc.), it's all good. Just buy what you _need_ and give back when you can.

« Last Edit: February 17, 2016, 04:04:51 PM by MilesTeg »

merula

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Re: Goodwill bargain!
« Reply #63 on: February 17, 2016, 04:18:34 PM »
+1 on all the defenses of Goodwill and similar shops. My biggest bragging finds:
-A really nice Columbia winter jacket with the cool reflective interior: $5
-6 salad plates of my mother's wedding china pattern: $0.75 each. She was over the moon.
-A beautiful 100% silk dress from Banana Republic in perfect condition. Not my size but luckily I was shopping with my sister and it fit perfectly. $3

That's my favorite way to thrift shop: with someone else with different sizes and tastes.
« Last Edit: August 19, 2016, 02:02:56 PM by merula »

BrickByBrick

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Re: Goodwill bargain!
« Reply #64 on: February 19, 2016, 12:06:31 PM »
It depends on what you are doing, and what your real goal is. If you're going there regularly to find things to resell for a profit, you are crossing a line.

For the reasons listed on this thread previously (i.e. excessive waste, oversupply), I disagree.  Flipping something for a profit that may otherwise wind up in a landfill is a win-win for everyone involved.  If you were to sell something on eBay for example - Goodwill, eBay, yourself, and the ultimate recipient directly benefit from this secondary market economic activity.  Additionally, you have satisfied someone's need for that thing without them having to go out and buy something new - in many ways like recycling (and reducing the carbon footprint associated with said manufacturing).  The typical Goodwill customer who is shopping there because they really have too is not going to miss the type of more unique items that a re-seller would be looking for, as they are a dime a dozen.  I have never seen a Goodwill that looked "picked over" - and I have never seen empty clothes racks and/or shelves.

If you are a FI person who just wants to be cheap for the sake of being cheap, you are crossing a line.

Not sure I understand - does a FI / FIRE person 'upgrade' their lifestyle, shop at big brand stores, and stop looking for bargains/deals when they need to make a purchase?  Again, there seems to be the wrong assumption that Goodwill gets a limited supply of items.  And remember there are plenty of other thrift stores (especially religious organizations) that do the same thing, Goodwill is usually not the only place in town.

If you're a well off hipster who thinks an ironic wardrobe is the ticket, you are crossing a line.
For the same reasons above, unless they are showing up with trucks and carting off most of the store, repeatedly - I don't see how this is harmful.


If anything - Goodwill would make more money, allowing them to hire more people who need a job and job training.  Less stuff goes to a landfill, more items get recycled/reused, less items go overseas - the vicious circle might actually slow down a little bit.  I'm reminded of MMM's article http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/04/09/what-if-everyone-became-frugal/.

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Re: Goodwill bargain!
« Reply #65 on: February 19, 2016, 12:21:38 PM »
I'm having a moral conundrum with Goodwill.
I've been a faithful shopper for years, and I especially searched for good quality fabric - especially wool.
But Sunday I went on the busiest time, and as I was watching the people around me looking for new clothes, looking more destitute that I do, it suddenly occurred to me that that pretty cashmere sweater I had in my basket might be the difference between someone being warm or not, getting a job or not. I felt as if, by looking for bargains, I was stealing from poor people the only nice clothes they could afford.
So yeah, I'm taking a break form Goodwill. I have enough clothes anyway.


It depends on what you are doing, and what your real goal is. If you're going there regularly to find things to resell for a profit, you are crossing a line. If you are a FI person who just wants to be cheap for the sake of being cheap, you are crossing a line. If you're a well off hipster who thinks an ironic wardrobe is the ticket, you are crossing a line.

But, if you're a typical working class or middle class person in need of a more thrifty lifestyle to meet important financial goals and have exhausted other options (cheaper car, cutting the cord, etc.), it's all good. Just buy what you _need_ and give back when you can.


I disagree.  Goodwill's stated mission is to provide education and skills training for work. Their shops does that in two ways- it provides a place for job training and it provides the income to run their programs. There is nothing in their stated mission to provide people who are "down on their luck" a place to shop.

You are not stealing from anyone when you shop at Goodwill looking to find something to turn a profit. You are helping Goodwill meet its mission.  Goodwill would not be able to run their program if people who don't "need" to shop there stopped doing so.

Goodwill themselves take the "best" stuff and sells it in boutiques in higher end neighborhoods and online.  Which is one of the reasons it is harder to find flips- the sorters are being trained to weed out the "good stuff". Years ago you could find American Girl dolls and Coach bags in stores, now it is quite rare because they get pulled for online sales.
« Last Edit: February 19, 2016, 12:24:19 PM by iowajes »

a-scho

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Re: Goodwill bargain!
« Reply #66 on: February 19, 2016, 10:12:42 PM »
I agree with brickbybrick.

Plus, there is sooooooooooo much inventory that is being moved to the warehouse after it has been on the sales floor for a month with no takers. At the warehouse, they sell it by the pound. I am able to find things to flip, but only because, by that point, goodwill is selling it for about a dollar a piece. I figured if the goodwill pickers rejected it and  customers who would like nice clothes at a great price rejected it for a month,  I don't feel I'm crossing a line by buying things I don't "need" for the purpose of making a profit.

Rosy

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Re: Goodwill bargain!
« Reply #67 on: February 20, 2016, 11:36:04 AM »
Quote
Goodwill themselves take the "best" stuff and sells it in boutiques in higher end neighborhoods and online.  Which is one of the reasons it is harder to find flips- the sorters are being trained to weed out the "good stuff". Years ago you could find American Girl dolls and Coach bags in stores, now it is quite rare because they get pulled for online sales.

This is true - and it is the reason why I think that Goodwill is crossing a line, from how I expect a non-profit to operate, this smacks of pure capitalism to me and is not providing a service to the "poor" in the community.

The GW in my immediate neighborhood is always busy to the point of being overrun. You would have to shop/look every day to find even one item worthy of re-sale - so yeah, it is still possible to do, if you are willing to put in the time and there are quite a few people obviously trolling for items to resell.
It is also quite obvious that GW is culling the nice items, but if you like the hunt, you can still get lucky.

Their prices border on the ridiculous for used furniture, but you can haggle with them:) No true poor person could afford what they are asking for a "refurbished" mattress or a nice set of dining furniture. The clothing, well they have plenty of it and it flies out the door especially on mark down days.
GW is just not my world for clothes shopping, but I did buy a like new pair of fabulous red leather gloves there once, but in general, their nice clothing is priced higher than at the outlets and the fleamarkets that abound in my area.
Tip: Buy your wintercoat there while you are on vacation:) - they are dirt cheap, because we don't need winter coats in Florida.

As a matter of observation:
1. The "well to do" often furnish their condos and beach houses via GW - I'm always torn on that one, because I have to grin and think to myself this is how they came to own a condo or beachhouse in the first place - more power to them. I've even seen some come with their decorator for a shabby chic look, which takes the cake - slumming are we?:)
On the other hand, it irks me, because yes, that drives up the prices and keeps a genuinely poor person from finding a nice piece of furniture at a bargain.

2. I can't control that, but I can control the places I do or do not donate to.
Trust me, around here in old people heaven, you are better off to go to garage sales put on by the relatives from out of state so they can close out the estate. They are in a time crunch ...

3. Believe it or not - the tourists shop our thrift stores. WTH - who does that on their vacation? A few months ago I listened to a German couple who bought a complete silver service, rummaging through the 25 cents per item silverware mangled mess.
They are taking it back to sell it at a nice profit in Germany - damn clever way to pay for your vacay.

So it is what it is,
Goodwill has become an evil empire and there is a lot going on behind the scenes
... the few things I know about are drivers taking their pick of the furniture for free for instance. I don't even want to know about the shenanigans their managers are engaged in, which I have been told about from people who have worked there - so it is hearsay only, but the local papers and TV stations recently reported on salaries and perks and well, shenangans.

The idea behind it is good, the execution is becoming a bit too muddled for comfort, too many hands in the pie including local politics and kick backs at least here in our area - they get away with murder, because they can.
They are practically the only game in town dealing with addicts - they are sorely needed, so while far from perfect, it is a much needed community resource.

crispy

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Re: Goodwill bargain!
« Reply #68 on: February 20, 2016, 02:09:14 PM »
Quote
Goodwill themselves take the "best" stuff and sells it in boutiques in higher end neighborhoods and online.  Which is one of the reasons it is harder to find flips- the sorters are being trained to weed out the "good stuff". Years ago you could find American Girl dolls and Coach bags in stores, now it is quite rare because they get pulled for online sales.

This is true - and it is the reason why I think that Goodwill is crossing a line, from how I expect a non-profit to operate, this smacks of pure capitalism to me and is not providing a service to the "poor" in the community.

The GW in my immediate neighborhood is always busy to the point of being overrun. You would have to shop/look every day to find even one item worthy of re-sale - so yeah, it is still possible to do, if you are willing to put in the time and there are quite a few people obviously trolling for items to resell.

Also, in our area, after items are removed from the outlet, they go to salvage not to a landfill. Very little is actually sent to the landfill. All of the items that leave the outlet are sorted. Metal and paper goods and plastics are sent to recycling. Even single shoes are able to be sold for recycling. There are buyers who will buy any purses,electrical cords, toys,books, etc., that are left. I am not saying that those buyers never toss anything but Goodwill itself tries to monetize every item that is donated. It is a actually a pretty amazing and impressive operation. Not perfect, but pretty cool overall.
It is also quite obvious that GW is culling the nice items, but if you like the hunt, you can still get lucky.

Their prices border on the ridiculous for used furniture, but you can haggle with them:) No true poor person could afford what they are asking for a "refurbished" mattress or a nice set of dining furniture. The clothing, well they have plenty of it and it flies out the door especially on mark down days.
GW is just not my world for clothes shopping, but I did buy a like new pair of fabulous red leather gloves there once, but in general, their nice clothing is priced higher than at the outlets and the fleamarkets that abound in my area.
Tip: Buy your wintercoat there while you are on vacation:) - they are dirt cheap, because we don't need winter coats in Florida.

As a matter of observation:
1. The "well to do" often furnish their condos and beach houses via GW - I'm always torn on that one, because I have to grin and think to myself this is how they came to own a condo or beachhouse in the first place - more power to them. I've even seen some come with their decorator for a shabby chic look, which takes the cake - slumming are we?:)
On the other hand, it irks me, because yes, that drives up the prices and keeps a genuinely poor person from finding a nice piece of furniture at a bargain.

2. I can't control that, but I can control the places I do or do not donate to.
Trust me, around here in old people heaven, you are better off to go to garage sales put on by the relatives from out of state so they can close out the estate. They are in a time crunch ...

3. Believe it or not - the tourists shop our thrift stores. WTH - who does that on their vacation? A few months ago I listened to a German couple who bought a complete silver service, rummaging through the 25 cents per item silverware mangled mess.
They are taking it back to sell it at a nice profit in Germany - damn clever way to pay for your vacay.

So it is what it is,
Goodwill has become an evil empire and there is a lot going on behind the scenes
... the few things I know about are drivers taking their pick of the furniture for free for instance. I don't even want to know about the shenanigans their managers are engaged in, which I have been told about from people who have worked there - so it is hearsay only, but the local papers and TV stations recently reported on salaries and perks and well, shenangans.

The idea behind it is good, the execution is becoming a bit too muddled for comfort, too many hands in the pie including local politics and kick backs at least here in our area - they get away with murder, because they can.
They are practically the only game in town dealing with addicts - they are sorely needed, so while far from perfect, it is a much needed community resource.

Just wanted to point out that you cannot paint all Goodwill's with the same brush. Every  area is independent and are run differently. The whole mission of Goodwill is to provide employment and training services and they pay for this mission with donated goods.  It is not to provide poor people with nice things although that can be a benefit. 

Also, I can't speak for all Goodwills, but I can speak for my area Goodwill organization. Drivers and employees are not given first pick of merchandise...ever. Stealing or holding merchandise is a fireable offense, and it is taken very seriously since Goodwill cannot function without the trust of the people who donate. 

Also, wanted to add that everything that leaves the Goodwill outlet in my area is sent to salvage, not the landfill. After leaving the outlet, all items are sorted. Items like metals, plastics, etc., are sent directly to recycling. Even orphan shoes are sold. Other items like purses, toys, and books are sold to resellers. There is even a market for electrical cords. Almost every donated item is monetized in some way. It is actually a very impressive operation and there is a huge emphasis on keeping items out of landfills.

« Last Edit: February 20, 2016, 02:25:25 PM by crispy »

alewpanda

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Re: Goodwill bargain!
« Reply #69 on: February 20, 2016, 02:38:01 PM »
I love goodwill and similar thrift stores --

vintage makeup travel case -- 5.00; sell for 30-50 in flea markets
pyrex bowls -- 2-5.00 a piece depending on size
most of my wardrobe, including express jeans -- no more than 2-8.00 a piece
art....so much art to choose from
books -- 0.10 if you time it right...
pillows, lamps, shades, household furniture -- so much of our stuff is thrifted or gifted second hand, and when carefully culled and arranged, it never looks cheap!

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!