Isn't Goodwill for POOR people?

[naturalfrugality]

Hm, I always avoid Goodwill because I previously assumed that it was more expensive than other thrift stores.

I'd rather have nice clothes, though, than expensive ones. Only at a thrift store can you buy half a dozen items for the regular price of one.

[skcandles]

Even if Goodwill is more than other thrift stores, if it is still cheaper than new by a fair bit, its worth it.

We don't have an actual brand name goodwill, but we have a few "chain" discount stores, as well as some small stores that sell second hand clothing

[Victoira]

Some Goodwills have some good stuff sometimes I find myself buying bulk items and either selling or giving them away to family members. My latest addiction has been bike racks I buy them for about $6 and sell them between $25 and 45 sold 4 already.

[naturalfrugality]

Victoira, where do you have the best success selling things? We've tried to sell things on Craiglist and eBay without much success.

[Victoira]

Originally Posted by naturalfrugality

Victoira, where do you have the best success selling things? We've tried to sell things on Craiglist and eBay without much success.

We sold the bike racks on Craigslist since Colorado Springs is big on biking. Usually can sell them within 1 day. I also use eBay to sell the smaller things and had much success stuff like MP3 players Goodwill had a ton of them for $4 each so I purchased all of them and sold them on eBay for $44 each.

Another good thing to purchase from Goodwills are cell phone chargers and any kind of adapters. I made a good profit buying them for 99c each and selling them between $5.99 - $19.99.

[naturalfrugality]

Originally Posted by Victoira

We sold the bike racks on Craigslist since Colorado Springs is big on biking. Usually can sell them within 1 day. I also use eBay to sell the smaller things and had much success stuff like MP3 players Goodwill had a ton of them for $4 each so I purchased all of them and sold them on eBay for $44 each.

Another good thing to purchase from Goodwills are cell phone chargers and any kind of adapters. I made a good profit buying them for 99c each and selling them between $5.99 - $19.99.

Thanks for the tips! You seem to have a lot of success with those sites. I've considered buying things inexpensively then reselling them for more money, but we've never had much success selling things on Craigslist. Maybe we should give it another shot - we have at least one thing we want to get ride of.

[thameswind]

It really depends on WHERE the Goodwill is located .Here in Phoenix there are some really, really bad Goodwill stores full of trash. Literally, garbage. Nothing works, is half-broken, whatever. In other parts of the same city, the Goodwill stores have mostly nice and well-kept items for sale at awesome prices.

There's never anything poor about saving money and finding a good deal. Some of the richest people in the world are the most frugal!

[NicoleArmstrong]

I must admit sometimes I find the same "things" though, I don't mind 2nd hand but recently I've preferred just shopping department stores clearance items, love love love 75% off racks! I have nothing against Goodwill thought, I know someone who is quite the fashionista and she shop Goodwill all the time! I wish I had that same eye!

[ramblingfatgirl]

The title of this thread sounds kind of mean. Anywayz, I go to the Goodwill for books, you can buy them really cheap, and just donate them back or to the library when you are done. My husband has gotten good replacement golfclubs there. One thrift store caveat....The clothing is usually NOT washed before display/sale....so ALWAYS WASH IT.

[skcandles]

Originally Posted by ramblingfatgirl

One thrift store caveat....The clothing is usually NOT washed before display/sale....so ALWAYS WASH IT.

True. I knew a girl who worked at the local thrift store, and she said they do not wash it. And that they had quotas of how much they had to put out in a day, which is why sometimes you do find gross things in the rack or bad shape