GoodWill is not frugal

[marla]

Is it just me or is GoodWill no longer a frugal place to shop. I went to the lacal store and I hadn't been there for about 6 months and the prices floored me. Clothing is 2 to 3 times what I can get it at garage sales. Plate sets and other things are more expensive than I would be willing to pay and the variety isn't near as good as I remember.

Is this just me or is it happening other places too?

[jacquelynrose]

It is happening at other places too. I went to the Salvation Army and their prices were outrageous!!

Jacquelyn

[marla]

Is this the effect of things like ebay where people are buying up their inventory to resell or are they just overpricing things now?

[Momof3grls]

I think they are just overpricing. I hate goodwill I never have shopped thier I do go thier to look but its too expensive I can buy the stuff on clearance cheaper new.

For example today I got my girls pjs brand new sets for $3 something at target & I have found capris at Target for $1.33 before. And sears is always having clearances last fall I got my dd a dora bed in a bag for $5. Now goodwill they want $2.50 per clothing item in the childrens section & I never even pay that at sears or jcpenneys for new stuff. Why would I want to pay it for second hand stuff KWIM

My bestfriend on the otherhand is a thrift store nut & cant understand why I dont like them!!

[DivaJen]

Around here garage sales have always been cheaper than thrift stores for clothing. I still think thrift stores can prove to be a frugal choice if you get higher quality goods for the same or less money than getting shoddy clothes new at some other store. I have noticed prices going up on name-brand kids' clothing (Gymboree, etc.) and I think it has to do with eBay and people buying at thrift stores solely for the purpose of reselling. I have friends who've been making about $1000 a month doing this. (They sell many different high-end items, not just kids' clothing.)

[SeeAPenny]

Yes, I've noticed that item prices at Goodwill are not necessarily the lowest of the low (yet I assume they must somehow be pricing according to market demand??). Still, the Goodwill shops I've been in are usually reasonably clean, well lit, organized (as compared to the Salvation Army store here -- where the prices are cheaper, but the store darker, dingier, items lumped in piles, etc). Our Goodwill here in town does offer 'half-off days' from time to time, and then it's a fairly good deal ....

[zoegirl]

as i have known someone who worked for goodwill i will tell you each store sets their own prices..i have one i love to shop at becasue they are very resonable but just the other day i went to one in oak ridge and they were outragoues... 10.00 for a used ratty comforter! i was shocked! 8 dollars for used shoes.....i will not shop there again.. oh and also their paperback books were 1 dollar a piece where as the one i like they are 5 for a dollar or .25 cents a piece...

[ggbwg]

Yes, Goodwill and Salvation Army prices are going up more. I don;t shop at them no more. I found that my local thrift stores are a better deal. At 1 store they offer 1x a month a brown grocery bag full of clothing for $5 and i am going to be taking advantage to get that my husbands work clothes. At another store they don;t have set prices except for the larger items
They just tell you to make an offer, if it is reasonable they will accept it. But also if you have an item that is $15 and you have a $20 he will say why don't you just give the whole $20 instead. It's for charity. That place helps homeless people.

[jodi]

I don't know if anyone else has Thrifty Shopper stores near them, but the ones around here have a children's bin, 2/$1. That's where almost all of my kids clothes have come from (sizes usually only go up to 4 or 5T). The other clothes are usually priced around $5 an item, but they also have a lot of sales.
I agree that garage sales are USUALLY a better bargain - but around here I see a lot of people trying to sell items for $5 or $10 (for kids clothes!) just because they paid so much more for it and want to get some money back. I personally refuse to pay more than $1 for any item of kids clothing, unless I REALLY like it!

[Amy752]

I agree that Goodwill is not as cheap as it once was, but for me, it is still extremely frugal! I buy some really nice clothes for $3-4 each that would normally cost $30 and up. I never have luck at clearance racks. Usually it's all weird sizes and colors. Just my opinion. Not sure if anyone here lives in Cleveland, but they used to have $1 days once a week.

[mbhunter]

Salvation Army around here is still a good place to shop because they will make deals. Others sometimes had good prices, but then just started asking way too much and putting these cranky signs all over the store that basically allowed them to charge whatever they wanted when I got to the register (because I might have switched the prices). Good grief.

Some fail to realize that a thrift store is a business just like anything else, and that they won't stay in business if their prices aren't competitive and if they have cranky employees. One store in particular I almost refuse to go into, because listening to them complain about everything while I'm trying to shop is like fingernails on a chalkboard. Or if they're not cranky, they set prices higher than what you can get stuff for at Wal-Mart new because they spent so much time cleaning it up to sell. Well, buyers don't really care about all that work. If it's used, they want it cheap. Period!

[crosses]

I find that garage sales usually have better deals than GoodWill or Salvation Army in my area. Toward the end of the year when everyone is donating for tax reasons is a good time to find things at GoodWill. That is when they seem to have the best selection.

[seaar2000]

I agree with you that Goodwill and Salvation Army are expensive. In the next town where I live there Goodwill every third Saturday has a 1/2 price sale, so the prices are not that bad when they do have their sale. I think garage sales and estate sales are the cheapest places to go to if you want to buy something. The St. Vincent de Paul store where I go to have very good prices. I usually shop there if I want to get some nice jeans.

[Tree0164]

I don't have any goodwill stores near me but my local thrift store does have markdown days or fill a bag day.

[momma4]

the good will by me is nuts on prices too. You have to really look at thrift shops nowadays. I even noticed ppl are getting nuts on garage sale prices too. It is getting harder and harder to save money 2nd hand.

[BillsGirl]

I notice that started when certain older clothes got in fashion like hippie clothes several years back whenever I use to go to thirft stores it cost more there than what I would pay at a store in the mall, like $20 or more cause they knew it was a "hot item" I also notice they charge threw the roof for name brand stuff too, they get thats stuff donated to them and I feel it's not fair for them to do that!! Whenever I was getting married I went to thrift stores to look for a wedding dress they were priced $150 and up!! which is nuts becuase I went and bought a brand new dress and it was beautiful and it only cost me $99

[DivaJen]

There are four thrift stores I like to frequent - Resuce Mission, a woman's shelter, and two for retarded citizens (that's the name, I'm not trying to be un-PC here or anything). In the past couple of months I've gotten a pair of Ann Taylor casual pants, a pair of Old Navy pants, an Old Navy denim top and a trendy knit top for about $19. To me, that is a good deal. Like someone else said - these places are businesses. They have bottom lines. It isn't as cheap as a garage sale, but it's still a lot cheaper than shopping even the sale racks at most stores.