Local GW Going Downhill Fast

Vhoov

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May 9, 2016
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Yeah they are barcoding here too...also heard all jewelry will go to auction site... disappointing [emoji20].
 

ARC

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Aug 19, 2014
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And whilst on the subject... the GW's competition... The Salvation Army... who also has become a "money grabber".

Both now suck here.

What kills me is... BOTH are PACKED with customers :/

I walk through and after seeing some prices I am amazed that people still flock to these.

Sheesh I saw a Harbor freight bug zapper ...USED... for 3.99. lol... THEY ARE FREE with a coupon here.
 

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randazzo1

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Feb 1, 2006
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And whilst on the subject... the GW's competition... The Salvation Army... who also has become a "money grabber".

Both now suck here.

What kills me is... BOTH are PACKED with customers :/

I walk through and after seeing some prices I am amazed that people still flock to these.

Sheesh I saw a Harbor freight bug zapper ...USED... for 3.99. lol... THEY ARE FREE with a coupon here.

That has always been mystifying to me. In the areas that I frequent, they’re are a lot of struggling class people who hit the thrifts for day-to-day goods and they over pay for a lot of stuff - same price that you would see in Target or dollar store etc. makes no sense. But so it is.
 

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trdhrdr007

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Nov 1, 2009
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Prices have been going even higher and selection has gotten worse since I first posted. I'm seeing a lot more stuff priced over retail. I've only bought one item for resale in the last 3 weeks.
 

Beans

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May 31, 2008
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Prices have been going even higher and selection has gotten worse since I first posted. I'm seeing a lot more stuff priced over retail. I've only bought one item for resale in the last 3 weeks.

I seldom buy at the TS anymore. HOWEVER I did pick up a pair of BOSE 301 Series III, matching pair. $8. They show wear but they still sound great.
 

mugsisme

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Jan 25, 2014
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I got the bad news that my Goodwills are not really making jars anymore. They are pulling most of the jewelry to auction. They recommended I go online and look at the auctions. Uh. No thanks. *sigh*
 

Drmad7

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Apr 26, 2014
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One of my local GW managers finally listened to us regular customers and started looking for the stuff they send from the store to GW for online sales. She has not seen any of the jewelry online yet. We have been telling them that GW is doing something else with the good jewelry and it’s certainly not going to their online auctions.
 

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scott9050

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20190411_132243.jpg

I still have decent luck with my local stores.


I found the blue cop at the upper right for $2, it sold for $18 at my booth. The Mickey Mouse S&P cost me $3 sold for $15 on Friday.
 

srcdco

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Dec 11, 2006
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About three weeks ago, all the Goodwills in the Rochester, NY area stopped the 50% off color of the week. Now all clothes are priced based on what they are and there are no discounts. When I asked why they stopped, the answer was "The 50% off color of the week was just bringing in the riff-raff and we don't want them in here." It's nice to know they think of their customers as "riff-raff".

Scott
 

Beans

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May 31, 2008
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About three weeks ago, all the Goodwills in the Rochester, NY area stopped the 50% off color of the week. Now all clothes are priced based on what they are and there are no discounts. When I asked why they stopped, the answer was "The 50% off color of the week was just bringing in the riff-raff and we don't want them in here." It's nice to know they think of their customers as "riff-raff".

Scott

So that is why they stopped me at the door. That is ok, I would never shop at a place that would let me in as a customer.
 

Kentuckiana Jones

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May 19, 2017
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64
KY
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My local one jacked up the prices several months ago so high that I just stopped going to it. Many items are priced higher than what I sell for in my booths. Haven't been to it in about 2 months now.
The GW in the next town over was my favorite (best prices of any I have been in) until a new store manager was brought in. She has doubled and tripled all prices. Some of the workers still price things close to the old prices so I still check it regularly.
 

Keith Jackson

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Aug 12, 2016
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I was in my local GW a couple weeks ago and their short sleeve shirts were all $6. You can buy nice new ones for less that that at the Walmart that is within sight of the GW.

They also had a whole load of sports shirts, jerseys and hats. The hats were $15 and the shirts and stuff were in the $25 - $60 range. Guess some place went out of business and dumped their stock on GW.
 

mh9162013

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Mar 22, 2019
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High prices or not, I've always sensed that Goodwills will pre-screen their items and list all the good stuff on eBay and put all the junk (and clothing) on the store floor.
 

Everester

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Mar 8, 2014
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Mid Michigan
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They don't need eBay, they have their own version of it if you go to their website. And yes that is where all of their good stuff goes.
 

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trdhrdr007

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Nov 1, 2009
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I still stop in every once in a while even thought I started this thread. Yesterday I saw a chainsaw marked as/is and priced at $119.99. Funny part is I needed a chainsaw a few weeks ago to cut a tree that fell on my rental property. Mine crapped out on me so I had to buy a new one. While shopping for a new one I saw the same one for 129.50 at Lowes.
 

tamrock

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Jan 16, 2013
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My local GW has zero, zilch, notta in any good jewelry anymore, so I'm sure it's getting sorted out at the main hub. I still go though, hoping for a surprise.
 

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JimDon

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May 6, 2009
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I just got a sterling Gorham ladle two Sterling bracelets new in the box and two Swiss Army and three vintage Swatch watches at Goodwill that never has anything. My nagging the manager seems to be paying off.
 

SCdigger

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Apr 6, 2003
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Nothing to be found at my local GW's anymore...if and when there is something interesting, it's priced WAY too high.
 

Tremec

Greenie
Mar 30, 2015
18
10
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A buddy of mine also got hosed on GW auctions
Wow, GW charges a handling fee on their auctions! Greedy organization arn't they?
I can't count how many times I've been bid right up to my Max bid within minutes of the end of an auction on their site. We're talking the price was $5 and my Max bid was $15. Thirty seconds left to go and Bam a $14.99 bid comes out of nowhere. I've been warned multiple times about shill bids, never believed it till it happened. If that isn't enough you have people bidding double the retail price for used items that aren't even guaranteed to function.

We have two GW and one SA in my city, all are filled with what looks like the leftovers from a yard sale. Too bad really, going to the SA and GW with my grandparents was a weekend ritual.
 

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