This Goodwill in Monument, Colorado is the largest, cleanest, best organized thrift store I have…read moreever visited. In my reviews of other Goodwill locations, I've joked about finding hidden gems buried on shelves stocked with tobacco-scented alarm clock radios and "gently used" tubs of Vick's VapoRub, but this location has nothing but clean, desirable merchandise, all at unbeatable prices.
Most thrift shops look like a hoarder's mansion (misplaced merchandise tossed with wild abandon), but this Goodwill is organized like a department store. The clothes are sorted by size, the music and movies are sorted by genre (impressive), and the electronics are stacked neatly on the shelves. The more expensive items (e.g., jewelry, rare games, a gently used tub of Vick's VapoRub donated by Ed Asner, back hair included, etc. ) are stored neatly in locked glass cases.
My dad and I make a stop here on our yearly pilgrimage through Colorado and New Mexico. He invariably walks out with a stack of $2 t-shirts*, whilst I invariably walk out with a cart full of DVDs, CDs, and video games. On our most recent visit, he picked up six shirts, and I brought home a brand new, complete-in-box "Wii Fit" balance board and game for only $11.99. I also found a pristine copy of the 1985 gothic rock classic "First and Last and Always" by The Sisters of Mercy for $1.99.
Here's a first for a thrift store: complimentary coffee and cookies in the books section! My dad was impressed with the coffee ("hot, not piss warm," he assured me) and spoke favorably of the cookies, which he likened to Pepperidge Farm. I partook of neither but appreciated the scent of the coffee -- the floral, spicy aroma of the methylpropanal, the pungent, fruity notes of the acetaldehyde -- as I rifled through stacks of musty polka records.
Definitely check out this Goodwill if you ever pass through Monument. You're sure to find something that piques your interest. If you're in the market for God-awful Wii games, a urine-stained wheelchair, or a box of Depends, however, give this store a wide berth and visit the Goodwill in Huntsville, TX. That store is a treasure trove of third-party Wii shovelware and geriatric curios.
*On our first visit, I had to explain why a "Straight Outta Compton" t-shirt didn't quite match his red "MAGA" cap.