I enjoy shopping here but find it an adventure in slumming. The majority of the items are rejects. These are the items that most people did not want when the items were for sale in their regular Goodwill stores so this is the last resort. Still that does not mean that you will not find something worthwhile to buy, it is just harder. If your sole purpose is to find items to resell, well, the majority of the items I so far found may have about a resale value of $5-$30. There might be a few designer brands as I have found but mostly they are either damaged, missing tags, dry clean only or something else that may make it difficult for resale or simply to own unless you are crafty or willing to pay a dry cleaning fee. I would not buy dry clean only items here even if they look clean as the clothing is mixed up with dirty merchandise on huge bins.
The majority of the buyers here are aggressive and selfish I find. They are of course after the ultimate bargain like everyone else would be. But some are more so. I admit I am selfish as well as I want to good stuff but I am not pushy and compulsive like the ones who are like bees swarming a beehive collecting honey, each time a new bin of items are rolled out to go through. I wait for what is left over but I am not disappointed. Still I do not expect to find something amazing. If I want that, I go to a regular thrift store.
Everywhere I see shopping carts stuffed with merchandise. Some customers have two carts filled with merchandise. Generally, merchandise is sold by weight- about $3 per pound which can add up especially with shoes, dishes, books and electronics. You have to consider if it is worth it to buy certain things if the overall cost is more than the value of the majority of the items you found to buy. Even sometimes going to a regular Goodwill might be better overall to buy some of the items for sale instead of here due to their weight. Even a pair of Vans hightop shoes can weigh up to 3 pounds!
I saw an early 1900s Singer sewing machine there and unless there is an alternative way to determine price, this item would be heavy so by weight, price would be quite high! I would think there must be an alternative pricing system in such circumstances. Another example where perhaps, buying such an item at a regular Goodwill store would be better in the long run.
I wish these Goodwill outlets actually had a scale in the back for people to use before they go to the counter to purchase. It would save a lot of time and less hardship when you find the final price is more than you want to pay. It is easy to impulse buy here and later you ask yourself, - why did I buy this item? Why did I not notice the damage on this item?, does it actually have resale value?, would I actually wear it or display it in my home?, or where will I be able to store all this stuff?!? And if you are looking to resell, what if none of these items or only a few ever get sold, can I accept the financial loss of how much I paid for these items here? - bargain or not, it can still be a burden. read more