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Do you score better deals shopping sales or hitting Goodwill?


mommyoffive
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It's a hit and a miss for me. There are days that I find awesome bargains at Goodwill; then there are times I get nothing. I can't shop for the kids anymore at Goodwill because they are too picky. Dd (12) goes with me and can find basics. I lean more towards sales/clearance anymore. Also for some reason, the kids clothes at Goodwill are junky. I used to be able to find brand names there all the time for the kids, not sure what is going on now. 

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Actually, Salvation Army is a lot cheaper than Good Will.

And if you are in a metropolitan area, try to find out where the central processing SA site is and go there.  In my city they skim all the best stuff and put it in a section there called 'Collector's Corner'--lots of antiques, collectibles, and designer/better clothes.  I got my whole back to work wardrobe there after my maternity leave was done, at about 1/10 of what I would have paid in stores.

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The Goodwills around me are always having sales.  Every month one store has a $1 day or 15 items for $15, something like that.  This Saturday actually is $1 day for our area.  I typically use this time to ensure my kids have jeans.  Kid shirts are better to buy at the store.  Sometimes they have nice kid jackets.  Kid shoes are hit or miss.  Adult clothing/shoes are hit or miss as well.  If it's 20 minutes one way, I would say try it.  I drive a lot further for the better Goodwill in my area (but it is so worth it for us).

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I find that Goodwill is hands-down the best place for *stuff.* Here all women's shirts are X price, so it's a steal if you can find high end shirts, but some walmart shirts and the like are priced more than new! The local thrift store prices based on quality and brand, so you're less likely to get a steal on something, but basics are cheaper. 

 

Our Salvation Armies have terrible clothing, but excellent furniture and great prices. 

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It all depends on the area you live. In my area there are 3 Goodwills within a 10 minute drive of my house and probably at least 10 within 30 minutes. If I'm looking for more expensive brands then Goodwill is always cheaper especially on their sale days. Today all kids clothes are $1. If it has the color tag that is 50% for the week then it is 50 cents. Last Tuesday I spent $6 at Goodwill and finished off my 3 year olds winter and fall wardrobe. Today I'm hoping to do the same.

 

For adult clothes it really varies. Women in the medium sizes generally have a much better selection. When I was sizes 4, 6, or 8 I could buy exclusively at Goodwill at great savings and looked great. Now that I'm anywhere between 12, 14, or 16 it is a crap shoot. I can usually find one nice piece each trip.

 

I wouldn't drive 40 minutes to go but if I was in that area I'd check it out once to decide if it's worth it

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Sales at the store. Thrift shops are high priced here, for low end clothing...rarely see anything not from a discount store. For quality ladies clothing, a consignment shop is a better deal, if you wear a popular size.

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Actually, Salvation Army is a lot cheaper than Good Will.

And if you are in a metropolitan area, try to find out where the central processing SA site is and go there.  In my city they skim all the best stuff and put it in a section there called 'Collector's Corner'--lots of antiques, collectibles, and designer/better clothes.  I got my whole back to work wardrobe there after my maternity leave was done, at about 1/10 of what I would have paid in stores.

Yes, we find the best deals at Salvation Army.
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My Mom always gets really great deals at second hand stores. But she goes once a week. She still does almost all the shopping for my family. She just gives us stuff and asks for money. Occasionally I get things that aren't right, but even considering that it is a great deal for me. I just place a general order with her as in, "1 microwave, 1 four slice toaster, 4 pairs of shorts for the boys, 4 new tops for me, 2 pairs of pants for Dh". Then I wait 3 weeks or so and she has usually got all of the above for me. :)

 

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Goodwill. Primarily because a lot of the clothing is old enough that it is American-made. Getting American-made clothing is significantly more expensive now, since there are fewer factories making clothing here.

Ă¢â‚¬â€¹

Ă¢â‚¬â€¹On the other hand, purchasing new encourages companies to keep offering American-made items. Realistically speaking the American clothing factories are kept afloat through large military and union uniform contracts, but I like to pretend that I'm doing my part to support the domestic economy. :)

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Thrift stores. Absolutely. There are a jillion in the Phoenix area, all packed with great stuff, like New and super cheap. It really is astonishing what we can find.

My cousins live right outside of Phoenix and my favorite day of any visit is the day we spend the whole day going to thrift stores. I absolutely hate shopping for clothes but the volume of good scores on that day is so exciting it is worth the shopping.

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The other thing I like about Goodwill is that I can bribe DS to cooperate with trying on clothes with a promise of buying him a new game or toy if he behaves and cooperates--and STILL save money over even the clearance racks at retail or outlet stores.

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We go to our local Savers (thrift shop) once a month.  We always donate so we get at least a 30% off coupon.  Just about everything in one section is all priced the same, of example all ladies' blouses are $4.99.  Could I get a blouse cheaper at Wal-Mart?  Probably.  Could I get a blouse from a high end boutique for $4.99?  Unlikely.  Also, it has been washed at least once so I know it is not going to shrink or run or fray, so in some ways I feel more confident with used than I do with new.  My children's clothes have been 90% used since they were born.  Prom dresses, orchestra skirts, halloween costumes, church clothes have all come from the thrift store.  Just last week I needed a large piece a fabric to tear up for a class I was teaching, so we went to Savers for a sheet which I found for $2.99.  We also found a pair of Sorel snow boots that still had the tags & stickers on them.  These normally run $150-$200.  They were marked $50 and it was 50% off day, so $1.49 for the sheet & $25 for the boots.

 

Amber in SJ

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Thrift stores (but not Goodwill or SA) and garage sales are our main shopping outlets. We don't purchase new when avoidable for ethical reasons, so I have a running list on my phone. Whenever we are near a thrift store or garage sale we pop in and see if we can find any of our list items. My latest score was a new pair of converse for older DS and two pairs of good condition Columbia pants for younger DS -- grand total $6 and change for all three. Even DH's North Face jacket is from thrifting. As long as you are shopping for quality items you will do better at a thrift store/garage sale, you just can't plan on picking everything up in one trip.

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For kitchen junk- yes if they have things I want. I find it much harder to shop for clothes since many places sort clothing items by type or color rather than size. It just isn't worth my time. I much prefer buying end of season clearance from Walmart, targe, even REI, and saving stuff for the next year.

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Don't forget consignment sales. They are a great way to get used clothes for cheaper than sale prices with a better selection because a good sale won't have clothes with stains, fraying, etc. The falls sales is where I always find Christmas outfits for the kids if I haven't already, which I found DD her outfit for a $1 at Goodwill today. I also get winter coats and boots there if I haven't found them cheap.

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It really depends what we are shopping for. If an item would be $5-10 in a regular store, it is unlikely that the same item at a thrift store will be significantly less. For more expensive items, it can really be worth the hunt.

 

I get decent deals at Savers on kitchen appliances, which seem to be priced at $5-10 each, regardless of condition or regular retail price. I got multiple crock pots to use for a big party buffet for not much more money than buying disposable trays.

 

Kitchen glasses, mugs, and plates are always about 50 cents each. No big savings over IKEA's price for a set of glasses, but if you are looking for nice china, you can get very lucky.

 

They charge about the same price for a Brooks Brothers dress shirt as they do for a kids t-shirt, so one is a deal, the other not so much.

 

 

edited a typo (there are probably more)

Edited by slackermom
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The Goodwills in our area are quite expensive. As an example, I buy dd9 puzzles at used stores.  At Goodwill a  used, kids puzzle is $3. A pair of jeans are over $10. My daughter needed a Hawaiian shirt for school, it was definitely used and faded and was still $5. Anything with a brand name will be at least 20% of the new price.  So a nice dress shirt would be $10-12 dollars.  Used athletic clothing are about $5 a piece. 

 

So, while the items are cheaper than a regular store....they are not cheap.  I once saw a Build A Bear in the box, with an outfit for $20. It was a current animal, but seriously! It is a stuffed animal.  When dd was into Build a Bear, we used to watch for items there.  There were oftne  pairs of BAB shoes or individual clothing items for $5.  

 

Goodwill here, will do 50% off sales but it is by color tag, so it is the items that have sat for a few months and not sold. 

 

 

I don't even bother anymore.  I do better at sales or Ross/TJ Maxx.  

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Goodwill and the like vary widely.  They sell what is donated, so in wealthy areas the item quality is often better than in poorer areas.  In areas with a lot of donations the prices will be less than areas with less donations.  There are quite a few thrift shops in my local area, and they are each quite different in terms of their selection.

That said, if I am looking for quality, and I usually am, Goodwill is the way to go.  For the same price as a low-end piece of new clothing that won't hold up for long, I can get a higher-quality item that will last longer and look much better.  We've been spoiled by higher-end brands bought second-hand, and now the new-but-cheap stuff just doesn't meet our standards.   If I can't find what I want at the thrifts, I often try eBay.  It's not as cheap as the thrifts, but if I'm looking for something specific, I may be more likely to find it.   

In other areas, the thrifts aren't as good, and I would be more likely to show new without bothering to look second-hand.

We do buy everyday shoes new (though we may go used for something that will only be worn a few times).  Shoes need to fit well and be in good condition, or your feet will suffer.  There, the significant investment in new, quality items is well worth it in the long run.

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I agree with everyone else...each thrift store has its own feel and style.

I also like the fall and spring consignment sales that pop up--I've clothed my children through these for the last 10 years.  Thrift store pricing (or a bit more), but tons of sellers, well organized, everything is in good shape, so it's fast to shop.  Ah, definitely my favorite.

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Always better at thrift stores, BUT... you usually can't just walk in and get what you want.  Sometimes you get nothing. Sometimes you get something but it wasn't what you were looking for specifically.  You have to be flexible with thrift store shopping and not be disappointed if you don't find anything.

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Does the place where you are going have more than one thrift store?  I try to hit several in the same area when I need to find stuff.

 

We have a Goodwill near me that always has stuff, and then there is another Goodwill where I never find anything.  So, it depends.

 

I think all Salvation Army stores are half price for clothing on Wednesdays.

 

 

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It depends on your area and whether you're buying kids or adult clothing. There is one by my mom's house that is in a more affluent area, great donations, I've purchased a lot there, not just clothing. 

 

The one where I live is so-so, smaller city, less affluence, and for a while it seemed like most of the stuff was size 2 or from Grandma's estate. I did get an almost new pair of Cole Haan shoes for $4.99 not too long ago. 

 

I prefer Goodwill because items are priced by category. Another store in our area prices by item and a newer or better brand item can be twice what another item is, sometimes way over new price. 

 

I found once ds got into clothes sizes that would last for more than one season, the selection got limited, then it was cheaper to buy new at sales. Since he's not picky we shop at Walmart for pants, Kohls sales for tshirts. 

 

My rule of thumb for thrift store shopping is to try everything on. The way an item has been cared for before can affect sizing and shape. Another benefit is checking for holes or odors. I tried on a shirt the other that didn't smell weird when I took it off the rack, but once I pulled it over my head, I smelled cigarette smoke. It went back on the rack. 

 

Where I used to live Goodwill had a huge book selection. I bought a lot of homeschooling books there. 

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Sales definitely. It seems like the Goodwills around me require you to stop in regularly to find good deals and none are terribly close. Plus most better clothes for kids tend to go to the consignment sales around here. I tend to shop Children's Place or Gymboree when they are doing an additional 25% or 50% off clearance. The clothes last longer and I can better find what I need. As my kids get older this may change.

 

I have found a few great deals at Goodwill, my favorite was a sewing machine for $11 that just so happened to be identical to mine from the early 70's.

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Always better at thrift stores, BUT... you usually can't just walk in and get what you want.  Sometimes you get nothing. Sometimes you get something but it wasn't what you were looking for specifically.  You have to be flexible with thrift store shopping and not be disappointed if you don't find anything.

 

This!  Totally!  

 

Until just recently the Salvation Army had $1 kid's clothes on Monday and Fridays.  This was in a ritzy area so the quality was high.  

For adults it is hit or miss.  But, I've felt like writing a Thank You note because I was pretty sure everything I bought came from one person.  

 

Although, I don't think I'd drive 40 miles just for a thrift store.  

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Where I live, Goodwill. Ours is amazing. It's cheap and the items are great. Plus we have a lot of homeschoolers in the area, so the book section is unreal. Last year I found Spell to Write and Read and the WISE Guide for something like five bucks for both. I got a like-new leather Coach purse that retails for $350 for under ten dollars.

 

I love our GW. I could go on all day about the awesome stuff I've found. It definitely varies by area though. We're an affluent but rural area. That seems to be the best combination.

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Although, I don't think I'd drive 40 miles just for a thrift store.

 

Yes, that could easily end up a wasted trip.

Better to know where the thrifts are around places you visit regularly, so you can stop in when you're making the trip anyway.

Also, the longer the list of things you're looking for, and the more info you have (kids' sizes, etc.) to help you in making decisions, the more likely you'll find what you need.

 

Beyond everyday clothes, consider browsing for:

  • Winter gear for kids (think ahead).
  • Cloth napkins and tablecloths - if you have a color scheme in mind, and know your table size, it helps. (I collect blue plaid cloth napkins, for instance; they mix-and-match well for a casual look.)
  • Jewelry - worth a look to find unique pieces to dress up your everyday outfits.
  • Scarves (ditto)
  • Totebags - the nice heavy cloth ones are sturdy for hauling groceries, and go in the wash to freshen them up.
  • Makeup bags - for storing sewing supplies or other bits and pieces - these wash up quite nicely.
  • Specialty clothing - dance leos, bike jerseys, and other kinds of sports gear.
  • Cutlery - Serving pieces are nice for taking to pot lucks (no worries if they get left behind).  Lightweight forks and spoons are nice to put in a lunchbox instead of plastic - they last forever and don't add to the landfills.
  • Serving bowls and trays - pick a color scheme or manufacturer so that the pieces will blend well with each other on your table.
  • Computer speakers - get yourself a $10 bluetooth adapter, plug the speakers into it, and you can run them from an iPod or iPhone (and charge the device at the same time).  With the right apps, you can listen to anything from the yoga channel on Pandora to the BBC and other radio stations from around the world.  Nice for the kitchen, or take them out to the patio for an outside meal.
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It varies.  For me, I generally go to a thrift store not looking for anything in particular, and then might stumble across something completely unexpected.  When I'm at a retail store sale, I'm usually looking for something more specific.  There's a far less chance that I'll find that very specific thing at a thrift store when I need it.

 

So in other words, I have better luck shopping at retail store sales if it's a specific item, but I often find something that I'm not even looking for at thrift stores.

 

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I've lived all over the country.  Which is better varies greatly depending on where you live.

 

Oklahoma had the worst Goodwills of any state we lived in.  I don't know if it was the higher level of poverty or just that the richer people tended to donate more to local charities, but I never found a single thing I wanted to buy there when I lived there, and repeatedly noticed their prices were higher than a non-sale new item at a discount store like Target, Kmart, or Walmart.

 

I have also noticed that the nicer the neighborhood, the nicer the Goodwill.  Our current closest goodwill has designer clothes galore, and weekly 88 cent and 44 cent clothing sales.  I've bought Ralph Lauren (purple and black labels), Under Armour, Nike, Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, J Crew, Lands End, LL Bean, Sperry, and other department store brands there in recent weeks. 

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Our thrift stores here are in $$ areas and still only carry junk or charge big $$ for anything name brand. When I first read about finding name brand purses for cheap, I started checking out that area. Used purses selling for $40-65. These were not coach or the like(those get auctioned), just better than walmart brand purses. The $5 purses were the walmart/target purses. I can find new purses on clearance at TJ Maxx or Ross or the like for $5.

Clothes ditto. I get basics on clearance (leggings, tees, tank tops, shorts, etc) for less than I could get them at thrift stores and if I am shopping for something specific, I hit TJ Maxx or the like as time is money also. None of these brands people mention here as having scored would show up at the local thrift stores. I have actually seen a new with tags Walmart shirt that originally sold for $9.99 being tagged at $7.99 ??? I am sure it went on clearance for $3-5 when they were sold at walmart.

Also I found out from someone who worked teaching at Goodwill training facility(so she was at their main offices) that they take all donations to a main sort place and they sort out the $$$ stuff to auction (ebay or local auction fundraisers) and the cheap stuff is sent to the stores.

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I have found some really amazing things at goodwill and other thrift stores.

 

That was always offset by the large numbers of things I bought that weren't so great, didn't fit well, didn't work, etc.

 

I also found especially at Goodwill that their prices have gone way up and some of the stuff is barely less than new. I found some IKEA bookshelves for about $10 less than they were new. Other things, though, can be great deals, like the graphing calculator I got for $3.99 because they didn't know what it was.

 

I think if you are disciplined and patient you can do great. You just have to know if you are the kind of person who will buy all this stuff because it is a great deal, or if you can walk away from stuff you don't need or doesn't fit properly or whatever.

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It really depends on your area.

 

We used to go to the local hospital foundation thrift store, and it was outstanding. Sadly, they closed because their rent was raised beyond what they could cover and still donate to their various causes.

 

The Salvation Army isn't worth it for us. Mostly dirty and worn things. I've donated some nice things there because that's the easiest place to donate around here, but the store is run down.

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The prices at my Goodwills have gone up quite a bit in recent years.   I have four Goodwills within a 20 minute drive and two charity thrift shops.  The charity thrift shops are cheaper in price, but it's harder to find decent quality things there. 

 

That being said, when I shop Goodwill looking for clothing, I force myself to stick to whatever color tag is 50% off that week.  I buy a lot of my own clothes there.  A big reason I do so is that the clothing there is already pre-shrunk for me.  I can easily walk out of Goodwill with three pair of pants/capris and three new tops for around $20 if I stick to the tag color that is on sale.

 

Conversely, at the beginning of summer I went to Kohls and spent $100 on two pair of capris and three tops.  Two of those tops shrunk badly- despite following directions and washing in cold water.  

 

I used to have a friend who volunteered at GW for a time sorting donations.  The nicer, higher end clothing (and things like American Girl)  often got set aside and went to their Ebay/online sales.

 

 

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I seldom make it into thrift stores anymore. None very close. Well, we went to a Goodwill about a week ago and while they had clothes, we were looking for chapter books. They had a beat up copy of Little House in the Big Woods (we bought ours on Amazon I think) but we decided it wasn't a big deal because ours was in better condition. There wasn't much else there and I told ds it's all random, depends what people donate. We did score a couple used books at a book store that has a combination of used and new books, though. Some of which are not available at the library.

 

So I assume the answer to your question for you personally is "no way of knowing til you look." But probably not worth looking unless you already have a reason to go there. We were in town and made it a point to stop at these places.

 

Are you looking for anything in particular?

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I generally shop unmentionables and socks through sales and if I have coupons and extra money we'll look at sales racks for clothes.  Jean I generally do on sale on regular stores.

 

But I really do find a lot of neat stuff at Goodwill but I give myself a lot of time, search the rack thoroughly for anything in my size that I like the feel and style of then try it all on.  I find a lot of great tops there.  I can also find jeans but they are generally good for work but not for wearing out and about.  

 

When I go anywhere out of town I do stop at the thrift stores there because I find different things that at my local Goodwill or thrift stores.  

 

 

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