I now hate my Goodwill even more

[Keith Jackson]

I went in to my local Goodwill for the first time in a while and went to check out their books. I have always felt that they were overpriced, with paperbacks being $1.67 and hardbacks being $2.79. Now when I am looking at the books, I noticed that they are all individually priced, going all the way up to $9.99.

 

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[AlienLifeForm]

Gotta pay for those brand new stores and the CEO's salary somehow.

 

[Waterbug]

I agree with you guys.All of the Goodwill and other 2nd hand stores are getting toooooooo greedy from items they receive FREE.A couple of years ago I could pick up most electronics--CD players,disc players,record players,etc for around $10,give or take a few bucks.Now,they are $20 and up.I have even found some items priced more than retail stores.But,some good deals are still found at yard sales.
Alien is correct.I live in the Phoenix area and GW is building new stores all over the valley.

 

[TommyB]

I understand that they are not a good charity. About 90% of money goes to the organization - not charity. Only reason it's non-profit is that it goes to wages of the execs.
I don't donate to them. They just help themselves

 

[Keith Jackson]

I was surprised when I was in there today to see that they had actually packaged an entire surround sound system as a bundle. In the past, they have sold each speaker separately.

 

[Slingshot]

Goodwill is just a big corporation that plays a different type of money game than most corporations. I do very little business with them now than I did in the past, simply because they are too high priced on things I have an interest in, and most of what they do offer is simply junk. So, don't spend your money there, and if everybody gets a clue and does the same thing, then they will either change their ways, or cease to exist as a corporate entity.

 

[fish1on]

GW in my neck of the woods is a supply store for re-sellers and they have it down to a science. Store opens and they have their routes and grab as fast as they can. Then as the employees roll carts out they push and shove everyone and grab what they can.

It is crazy to watch and there is never a "good" item left for anyone else.

 

[walnuttree]

Yup, alot of people buy from GW and resell. GW prices are sometimes high but there's still deals there, and stuff they miss or know little about. Yeah these non profits I believe are mostly a tax free scam as most of the money goes to administration and little goes to the cause or even the store employees.

 

[DFW_THer]

Don't let the price of the books get you down--so much that you stop going. The key is persistence. These stores are constantly changing. They might have just tightened up on books, but would you look at that, they lost their main jewelry person and now gold is slipping through the cracks again. It's cyclical.

I'm in a major hub for the big new Goodwills. Totally hit or miss. Persistence is the key to success.

 

[diggummup]

Goodwill is just a big corporation that plays a different type of money game than most corporations. I do very little business with them now than I did in the past, simply because they are too high priced on things I have an interest in, and most of what they do offer is simply junk. So, don't spend your money there, and if everybody gets a clue and does the same thing, then they will either change their ways, or cease to exist as a corporate entity.

More importantly, don't donate your goods to them. No merch., no business.

 

[The_Piratess]

NONE of the GW's in my area even sell costume jewelry! They have opened up an auction site like eBay for their jewelry, watches, costume and junk jewelry too. Just hope that doesn't become a national trend or they expand their auction items and leave their high priced clothes and other items for the poor who can't even afford to buy from them anymore...

 

[DFW_THer]

NONE of the GW's in my area even sell costume jewelry! They have opened up an auction site like eBay for their jewelry, watches, costume and junk jewelry too. Just hope that doesn't become a national trend or they expand their auction items and leave their high priced clothes and other items for the poor who can't even afford to buy from them anymore...

The prices that shop.goodwill manages to get on jewelry, and especially bulk jewelry lots is absolutely insane... I always meant to win one to see what all the fuss was about, just haven't ponied up the cash. They get stupid money online for the things I typically pick. A lot of times their auction prices exceed eBay historic prices. People get a thrill from buying online from goodwill I guess-or there are some really bad eggs on the inside that drive up the bidding. I've read some stories, but it has been a while.

 

[Holt0222]

Peronsally I will still shop at goodwill, but I focus on looking at the Textbooks. I find ones that are selling back instantly to websites. Then again my goodwill still does 2.99 for books. I also will go on sunday and take a look at what items will be going to $1 on monday.

 

[Beachkid23]

Off subject but we just had a Salvation Army here close. They marked everything at eBay prices. No one bought. They closed. There is still other stores but 1 down!

 

[P.ALLEN]

They are for profit, I always go for Salvation Army. The one in my town offers 50% off on Tuesdays to military vets, police, fire, and medics.

 

[Holt0222]

I almost always went to Salvation Army when we had one. The had super good prices on everything. I mean like Large Art Frame - $3, plates, bowls - $.50.

 

[diggummup]

Off subject but we just had a Salvation Army here close. They marked everything at eBay prices. No one bought. They closed. There is still other stores but 1 down!

I went to a Goodwill in West Palm once that had their items priced the same way. I think it has to do with the "class" of neighborhood the store is in sometimes as to how they price stuff.

 

[mugsisme]

The people who work in GW move fairly quickly. Sometimes it is a new person who is pricing them.

I've had two horrible instances in my local GWs. One store sold a jar for $319. For that price, there should be gold in it. JUNK! I called the manager, who told me they had a new girl doing the jar. I called cooperate to complain. I spoke with them for a long time. I don't go back to that GW, so I can't tell you if the jars are better or cheaper.

This week, I went to another one and they had a jar for $250. I spent 30-40 mins checking this jar out. My gut kept saying to leave it. There was some silver rings, and I thought I saw a gold chain ... which usually means there is a pendant on it. In the end I took it. JUNK! i seriously was going to go dump the whole lot in there and ask, WHAT IS WORTH $250 But I didn't. (I really should have!) Manager told me that they had a new girl doing them. I told him I have crossed them off my list and won't be buying jars there anymore.

The point is, so many times I have seen them over price things, and then people don't buy them. Then when that person moves on, they come back down again. Several of my GW stores have had this happen, where the jars shoot up, and then no one buys, and then they come down. I would call the manager and let them know that the books used to cost X amount of dollars, and now they cost Z. Good luck! Sometimes the managers just aren't aware what is going on in the back, which is crazy, cuz that is there job.

 

[Honest Samuel]

Their drivers keep the good stuff.

 

[aa battery]

ok here it is. somewill hired me to accept donations but i turned it down. The somewill here is a franchise and has nothing to do with helping the needy .