Do you drop off goods to Goodwill? Do you take more than you give?

fuzzybuddy

fuzzybuddy

SF VIP
Location
The Sticks, Northeast PA.
Have you given goods to Goodwill? Are you a Goodwill frequent shopper? When donating goods do you buy more than you donated?
I have to admit that every time on Antiques Roadshow some guy has a $250,000 painting, he got from Goodwill for $5; I want to run down there and buy stuff. Giving stuff to Goodwill is a nice feeling. And my ex could not pass a by store without checking out everything in GREAT DETAIL.:( Wow, a glass insulator for only $1.
 

I'm a thrifter. I take my donations to PAWS thrift. They fund spay and neuter. I do take a few select things like yarn and some fabric to the little store downtown. The people who run PAWS now (Sue who started it was wonderful) do a lot of good and they are all volunteer. But a few of them are known to each other though working at the college. I think they are a bit privileged and don't understand people who rely on thrift stores for things they need. Like clothing.
 
We have more Salvation Army stores than Goodwill, but the idea is the same. It's a great source for used DVDs and I go there for those. $1.99 each. Over the years, I've collected hundreds. I do donate items also from time to time, usually clothing.
 
Remy said:
I'm a thrifter. I take my donations to PAWS thrift. They fund spay and neuter. I do take a few select things like yarn and some fabric to the little store downtown. The people who run PAWS now (Sue who started it was wonderful) do a lot of good and they are all volunteer. But a few of them are known to each other though working at the college. I think they are a bit privileged and don't understand people who rely on thrift stores for things they need. Like clothing.
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It took me a long time to feel comfortable buying clothing in thrift stores but I must admit I do it now.
 
The finds used to be better before so many people started buying for resale.

The Goodwill stores in this area move merchandise from one store to another rather than mark it down.

Before the disruptions caused by Covid I was an avid thrift shopper and found many wonderful things that I didn’t know I needed. 😉🤭😂

These days I donate much more than I buy.

When I make a donation I always take the time to go in and see what I might be missing.

This is one of the Waterford crystal lamps, from the 70s, that I found in the local Salvation Army store.

IMG_0073.jpeg

“Let us not be too particular; it is better to have old secondhand diamonds than none at all.”
- Mark Twain
 
Aunt Bea said:
The finds used to be better before so many people started buying for resale.

The Goodwill stores in this area move merchandise from one store to another rather than mark it down.

Before the disruptions caused by Covid I was an avid thrift shopper and found many wonderful things that I didn’t know I needed. 😉🤭😂

These days I donate much more than I buy.

When I make a donation I always take the time to go in and see what I might be missing.

This is one of the Waterford crystal lamps, from the 70s, that I found in the local Salvation Army store.

View attachment 394432

“Let us not be too particular; it is better to have old secondhand diamonds than none at all.”
- Mark Twain
Click to expand...
chic said:
I've donated to many charities in drop off bins wherever find them. I don't shop at Goodwill. There isn't one where I live. But I've given plenty to charity always. It's a good thing to do and someone else can benefit.
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We have trucks that pick up items in our area for 'Nspire Outreach and Hope for Domestic Violence. I give often.
 
No more Goodwill for me. I offer items to friends or have them at the curb the night before trash pick up.

A lady at Goodwill really helped me when me moved to town. I dropped a gift wrapped thank you present off for her. Silk PJs which were something she talked about. The manager took them away from her claiming everything on premise see was Goodwill property and he will personally see to them. His wife had the same size.
 
The only clothes I ever bought there was a zip up sweatshirt. It looked like new but I washed the heck out of it cuz who knows where it had been. I have looked for a cool weather jacket for doing outside work since I couldn't see buying new only to get it dirty when working, but haven't found one yet.

I've donated some items too which I swore I would use someday but never did, so enough was enough.
 
For a few years I had a fat phase. Then I had a bout of cancer, treated successfully, going on three years ago. Before treatment I had lost some weight, during the treatment my food intake was reduced, and I lost more weight.

I've gained weight back to my most-healthy normal level, so I'd wound up with many shirts, t-shits, and a number of pairs of pants that fit me during my fat phase. The ones that were in very good condition I've given to local thrift outlets. I've also contributed some useful small appliances and devices, if I no longer need them and they're still in good working condition.
 
I bought most of my kid's clothes at thrift stores when they were little. Everything except shoes, socks, and underwear.

Well, I did buy shoes there a few times, when I saw some really good ones in their size. I bought my oldest son a pair of Vans once, and he got all jazzed about it. Vans is still his favorite brand of sneakers. And I bought my daughter a pair of black patent leather dress shoes when she was 3. They looked like they'd never been worn. She wore them with her Christmas dress that year.

And I just remembered...I made that dress out of a red satin curtain and a lady's black velvet vest that I bought at a thrift store!

None of my kids' friends and classmates knew their clothes were second-hand. They didn't even realize it until they were about 9 or 10. That's when I started taking them shopping at places like Penneys and K-Mart.
 
Just a minute ago on our local Nextdoor Neighbor web site a
lady complained/whined about people bringing in donations
during this cold weather, said it make it too cold for employees!!! But then again a lady who is a delivery driver for
groceries, etc, said we "better" up our tips to drivers during this
cold weather, and a postal clerk posted a diagram of how we are to shovel snow in a certain pattern in front of rural mailboxes....!!!!!!
 
hawkdon said:
Just a minute ago on our local Nextdoor Neighbor web site a
lady complained/whined about people bringing in donations
during this cold weather, said it make it too cold for employees!!! But then again a lady who is a delivery driver for
groceries, etc, said we "better" up our tips to drivers during this
cold weather, and a postal clerk posted a diagram of how we are to shovel snow in a certain pattern in front of rural mailboxes....!!!!!!
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I assume some of those Nextdoor people are keeping track of who won't be getting a few twenties in an envelope next Christmas.
 
I've always donated lots to Goodwill because something about cleaning out a closet and giving a bunch of stuff away makes me feel light and airy (and I need to feel light and airy,) but these days Hubs volunteers at a free store so things don't even have time to make it to the closet and back out. This year we had some of our Christmas presents already in the free store even before Christmas was over. (My brother will never know.)

As for buying? Rarely, but when I do, I usually find it's better quality than I would normally buy for myself. I have a thrift store coat, red wool London Fog that I just love.
 
hawkdon said:
Just a minute ago on our local Nextdoor Neighbor web site a
lady complained/whined about people bringing in donations
during this cold weather, said it make it too cold for employees!!!
Click to expand...
I always wonder why some people, during the cold months, don't wear enough layers to insulate themselves for those occasions when someone happens to open a door for a minute or two.
 
I drop off lots and rarely make it home without something. There‘re a variety of stores to donate to and they all seem busy.

I found a great source for crystal and replaced a few glasses in our cupboards. There was always a revolving selection, then one day all that shelf space was empty. I suspect it’s one of re many resellers.

chic said:
I've donated to many charities in drop off bins wherever find them.
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You might want to check if those bins are for Value Village; they don’t label them clearly. VV is a for profit business.
 
Babs2u said:
It took me a long time to feel comfortable buying clothing in thrift stores but I must admit I do it now.
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I'm careful. I leave things in the car until I'm ready to wash. I bought a really cute cross body bag at PAWS today made with cat fabric. Since I can't wash it, I gave it the sniff test. Passed. It looks like new.
 

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