Figured Out Why Goodwill Prices Nationwide Suddenly Skyrocketed

[AusTexDude]

They are using AI now to price things and that AI gets it's info mostly from eBay. Totally ridiculous. Half of their customers are resellers. They are trying to squeeze us out.
I'm seeing things priced that are more than brand new, and the things are not even in great shape.

I hope this affects their bottom line fast and forces them to make changes.

 

[releventchair]

Years ago it was a pretty regular scene to see potential customers looking up items online.
Obviously resellers themselves.

I see plenty of vehicles when the nearest one is open. Like most resale places.
Used to be a stigma people didn't want to be seen there. Not no more!

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Yep. Rummage sale, goodwill, garage sale and flea market goods get turned over on eBay.

 

[philber]

They are using AI now to price things and that AI gets it's info mostly from eBay. Totally ridiculous. Half of their customers are resellers. They are trying to squeeze us out.
I'm seeing things priced that are more than brand new, and the things are not even in great shape.

I hope this affects their bottom line fast and forces them to make changes.

Sadly, people are endlessly stupid and just tolerate such crap and nothing gets done to correct what shouldnt be happening. Thrift stores are not supposed to be full retail pricing (especially so Greedwill can use the vast majority of its income to overpay their executives). Politics on any level is a perfect example. Everyone bitches about the overspending and corruption, but nothing gets done, when in fact it is the people who have the power if they'd learn to use it instead of letting such things continue.

 

[AusTexDude]

Sadly, people are endlessly stupid and just tolerate such crap and nothing gets done to correct what shouldnt be happening. Thrift stores are not supposed to be full retail pricing (especially so Greedwill can use the vast majority of its income to overpay their executives). Politics on any level is a perfect example. Everyone bitches about the overspending and corruption, but nothing gets done, when in fact it is the people who have the power if they'd learn to use it instead of letting such things continue.

Funny you say that. About 3 hours ago I sent this letter to Goodwill Management. I doubt it will make any difference but if enough people do this then maybe.

Dear Goodwill Management,
I am writing as a long-time Goodwill shopper who has supported your stores consistently over the years. I value Goodwill’s mission and have always appreciated the role your organization plays in the community. However, I feel compelled to share a growing concern that has recently made it difficult for me—and many others—to continue shopping at Goodwill locations.
Over the past year, prices across nearly all categories have increased to a level that no longer feels reasonable or competitive. Items that were once affordable and accessible are now often priced at or near what they sell for online, despite being donated, untested, and sold as-is. As a result, visiting Goodwill has increasingly become a waste of time and fuel, as it is common to walk out empty-handed.
This pricing trend is discouraging loyal shoppers, resellers, and everyday customers alike. When shoppers repeatedly leave without purchasing anything, they eventually stop coming altogether. I believe this shift will ultimately cause Goodwill to lose foot traffic, goodwill (in the literal sense), and community support—including from donors who expect their contributions to remain accessible to people of all income levels.
I understand the desire to maximize revenue, but pricing that consistently exceeds what customers are willing to pay undermines the very ecosystem that made Goodwill successful in the first place. Many people shop at Goodwill specifically because it used to be affordable, unpredictable, and rewarding. That experience is rapidly disappearing.
I hope management will seriously consider reevaluating current pricing strategies and finding a better balance between revenue goals and customer retention. I would genuinely like to continue shopping at Goodwill, but under current conditions, that has become increasingly difficult.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and for considering feedback from a loyal customer.
Sincerely,

 

[DizzyDigger]

Well stated ATD...

Been a thrift store shopper since my late teens, as I found out I could get a
decent shirt for $2 instead of $20. No stigma here, as it just made sense to
shop there.

 

[ConceptualizedNetherlandr]

Funny you say that. About 3 hours ago I sent this letter to Goodwill Management. I doubt it will make any difference but if enough people do this then maybe.

Dear Goodwill Management,
I am writing as a long-time Goodwill shopper who has supported your stores consistently over the years. I value Goodwill’s mission and have always appreciated the role your organization plays in the community. However, I feel compelled to share a growing concern that has recently made it difficult for me—and many others—to continue shopping at Goodwill locations.
Over the past year, prices across nearly all categories have increased to a level that no longer feels reasonable or competitive. Items that were once affordable and accessible are now often priced at or near what they sell for online, despite being donated, untested, and sold as-is. As a result, visiting Goodwill has increasingly become a waste of time and fuel, as it is common to walk out empty-handed.
This pricing trend is discouraging loyal shoppers, resellers, and everyday customers alike. When shoppers repeatedly leave without purchasing anything, they eventually stop coming altogether. I believe this shift will ultimately cause Goodwill to lose foot traffic, goodwill (in the literal sense), and community support—including from donors who expect their contributions to remain accessible to people of all income levels.
I understand the desire to maximize revenue, but pricing that consistently exceeds what customers are willing to pay undermines the very ecosystem that made Goodwill successful in the first place. Many people shop at Goodwill specifically because it used to be affordable, unpredictable, and rewarding. That experience is rapidly disappearing.
I hope management will seriously consider reevaluating current pricing strategies and finding a better balance between revenue goals and customer retention. I would genuinely like to continue shopping at Goodwill, but under current conditions, that has become increasingly difficult.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and for considering feedback from a loyal customer.
Sincerely,

Dear loyal customer. If you are worried about the price you can't afford to shop here.

 

[tamrock]

I went to my local Goodwill yesterday afternoon. I didn't notice any extreme price increase. They did away with the jewelry case years ago. Still I scan the ailes just to be sure something may have slipped through their process of finding gold and silver. All that stuff is carefully sorted out at a large facility in Denver to be put on the Goodwill website. My last score was this 83.5% German alloy silver platter, back in July 2024 https://www.treasurenet.com/threads/a-piece-of-german-835-alloy-silver.699383/ Its since been sold. No doubt AI is a tool that'll be used in many occasions from here on out. My echo dot has now become a companion to carry an actual conversation with when there's no one around to talk to. If you have one suggest to it a few details, such as the adventures of a lost treasure hunt or a train robbery that took place back in the 1880s. It will then take those small amount of details and create a full story out those of details. It may even ask you what might be the gender and age of the caricatures that'll be in the story. Its amazing what it can come up with. It can then take it from there and create more chapters to the story. I can see AI speeding up the process of selling items online by just taking a picture and letting it do all the work from there to get it all written up and listed. Im afraid AI just may become the master brain that will control the whole world.

 

[jewelerguy]

Not really a fan of how Goodwill operates, seeing as how all their stuff is donated to them, although I have to admit I've taken stuff to them before at my wife's insistence.

I saw a video once where a police officer found a young girl living on the street who had no shoes. He went into a goodwill store and asked if they had a pair they could give her and they refused, saying "we can't just give this stuff away". Seems odd to me, seeing as how it was given to them. He bought them for the girl out of his own pocket. The store's reaction kinda hit a sour note with me. Maybe the stores do help some people in certain ways, but in other ways someone profits in a huge way from selling items that didn't cost them a thing.

 

[DizzyDigger]

I'm afraid AI just may become the master brain that will control the whole world.

We should all be afraid....won't be long until people are completely helpless
without their "AI" to guide them through life. Kids won't exercise their imaginations
any longer...and just as you are talking to some machine, they'll just have the old AI
whip up something to occupy their minds.

Ted Kaczynski was nuts, but he wasn't wrong.

 

[philber]

Funny you say that. About 3 hours ago I sent this letter to Goodwill Management. I doubt it will make any difference but if enough people do this then maybe.

Dear Goodwill Management,
I am writing as a long-time Goodwill shopper who has supported your stores consistently over the years. I value Goodwill’s mission and have always appreciated the role your organization plays in the community. However, I feel compelled to share a growing concern that has recently made it difficult for me—and many others—to continue shopping at Goodwill locations.
Over the past year, prices across nearly all categories have increased to a level that no longer feels reasonable or competitive. Items that were once affordable and accessible are now often priced at or near what they sell for online, despite being donated, untested, and sold as-is. As a result, visiting Goodwill has increasingly become a waste of time and fuel, as it is common to walk out empty-handed.
This pricing trend is discouraging loyal shoppers, resellers, and everyday customers alike. When shoppers repeatedly leave without purchasing anything, they eventually stop coming altogether. I believe this shift will ultimately cause Goodwill to lose foot traffic, goodwill (in the literal sense), and community support—including from donors who expect their contributions to remain accessible to people of all income levels.
I understand the desire to maximize revenue, but pricing that consistently exceeds what customers are willing to pay undermines the very ecosystem that made Goodwill successful in the first place. Many people shop at Goodwill specifically because it used to be affordable, unpredictable, and rewarding. That experience is rapidly disappearing.
I hope management will seriously consider reevaluating current pricing strategies and finding a better balance between revenue goals and customer retention. I would genuinely like to continue shopping at Goodwill, but under current conditions, that has become increasingly difficult.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and for considering feedback from a loyal customer.
Sincerely,

Well thought out and worded message; be interesting to see if you get a response.

 

[robertk]

We should all be afraid....won't be long until people are completely helpless
without their "AI" to guide them through life. Kids won't exercise their imaginations
any longer...and just as you are talking to some machine, they'll just have the old AI
whip up something to occupy their minds.

Yep. Idiocracy, here we come.

 

[tamrock]

We should all be afraid....won't be long until people are completely helpless
without their "AI" to guide them through life. Kids won't exercise their imaginations
any longer...and just as you are talking to some machine, they'll just have the old AI
whip up something to occupy their minds.

Ted Kaczynski was nuts, but he wasn't wrong.

View attachment 2242661

There's no stopping it Diz. We're old and can be unwilling to adjust to many of the cravings the newer generations race after. They'll look back like we do one day with the same feelings and concerns we have now. Some like say the Quakers and commun-type new agers will always be around to reject the race to the future.

 

[pepperj]

We should all be afraid....won't be long until people are completely helpless
without their "AI" to guide them through life. Kids won't exercise their imaginations
any longer...and just as you are talking to some machine, they'll just have the old AI
whip up something to occupy their minds.

Ted Kaczynski was nuts, but he wasn't wrong.

View attachment 2242661

We have watched a small boy from birth- to now going on 8 yrs old. He didn't see a screen for the first 2 yrs at all. Only watches content that is supervised along side of him watching.
Animals, tractors, heavy equipment, farm stuff.
No TV, nor anything from the internet.

Result is this boy can carry on a conversation and think on his own, solve problems. A sponge soaking up everything and anything. Hear's a new word. then asks what it means sometimes. But on the next meet up he can use that word in the right context in a sentence.
I commented the 6yr old going on 16yrs old-the father agreed.

Almost scary on his abilities of thinking, and solving things himself, not a tablet or phone.
He uses power tools like a person 10 yrs older no problem, can operate a tractor no problem.

This is a normal child of another era-not a child of today's generated world.

 

[pepperj]

Funny you say that. About 3 hours ago I sent this letter to Goodwill Management. I doubt it will make any difference but if enough people do this then maybe.

Dear Goodwill Management,
I am writing as a long-time Goodwill shopper who has supported your stores consistently over the years. I value Goodwill’s mission and have always appreciated the role your organization plays in the community. However, I feel compelled to share a growing concern that has recently made it difficult for me—and many others—to continue shopping at Goodwill locations.
Over the past year, prices across nearly all categories have increased to a level that no longer feels reasonable or competitive. Items that were once affordable and accessible are now often priced at or near what they sell for online, despite being donated, untested, and sold as-is. As a result, visiting Goodwill has increasingly become a waste of time and fuel, as it is common to walk out empty-handed.
This pricing trend is discouraging loyal shoppers, resellers, and everyday customers alike. When shoppers repeatedly leave without purchasing anything, they eventually stop coming altogether. I believe this shift will ultimately cause Goodwill to lose foot traffic, goodwill (in the literal sense), and community support—including from donors who expect their contributions to remain accessible to people of all income levels.
I understand the desire to maximize revenue, but pricing that consistently exceeds what customers are willing to pay undermines the very ecosystem that made Goodwill successful in the first place. Many people shop at Goodwill specifically because it used to be affordable, unpredictable, and rewarding. That experience is rapidly disappearing.
I hope management will seriously consider reevaluating current pricing strategies and finding a better balance between revenue goals and customer retention. I would genuinely like to continue shopping at Goodwill, but under current conditions, that has become increasingly difficult.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and for considering feedback from a loyal customer.
Sincerely,

Welcome to what we have had for decades now it seems. Sally-ann can't compete even with the new versions of the reuse stores. They're totally profit driven up here and anything in the antique, silver, gold, collectables is not ever on sale, even if it was it would be priced higher than a snotty nosed antique emporium.
Garage sales are still a go as anything from an estate sale as they just want to get rid of the contents-sell the land and have the $$$.
It doesn't matter if it was a cherished item by the person, $$$ is the goal as nobody collects as the previous baby boomer did.
I see items that sold in the 1970s, not even get a second look at now.
Now the table full of glassware sells for a couple of dollars.

I've shown up at sales where there's boxes of stuff all marked "FREE"

 

[Prairie Gazingfox]

Sadly, people are endlessly stupid and just tolerate such crap and nothing gets done to correct what shouldnt be happening. Thrift stores are not supposed to be full retail pricing (especially so Greedwill can use the vast majority of its income to overpay their executives). Politics on any level is a perfect example. Everyone bitches about the overspending and corruption, but nothing gets done, when in fact it is the people who have the power if they'd learn to use it instead of letting such things continue.

I worked for a short time ( 6 or 7 weeks ) at a Goodwill in an affluent Chicago suburb.
Don't know how Any other locations operate but what I saw, endured time and again I can testify to.
The " rear" Donations door is actually the Front Left sliding door.
I was hired as " Pricing " team member. Pricer ,in other words.
However immediately I understood I would be doing Whatever was needed, whenever was needed and At a moment's notice. The main manager ( whenever she was directly in charge ) would rotate us pretty much every 15 minutes IF NEED BE. Including sending warehouse people to " do carts " which is put items on the shelves. Sorting, back door donations attendant for like 3 or 4 hours, then Sorting again for as Little as 10 minutes or as long as 2 hours.... then book separations, then Truck loading, unloading, sweeping at end of afternoon shift.
The biggest problem: The Company( established organization )does not let us use the 5500 lbs pallet jacks In the Narrow section of the warehouse- that stretch of like 13 yards or so. But that's the lenghts alongside the wall where the 8 bins are stationed
The actual Free width of the corridor we we run next to them back and forth was maybe 2.5 to 3m only

Because it's Narrow, IF ALLOWED to use the Jacks ,we would be using at least 25 minutes to do complete " Switch out " which is Pulling forward Each of the 4 softline 45s ( plastic collapsible crates ) like 1.5 meters forward so the Forklift can grsb them, and same for the Adjacent 4 " 45s" Full of Hardlines. Softlines and hardlines were almost always pretty much equally heavy. Because it was before Christmas.
Some of the heavier " 45 " square bins would definitely Reach 550 to 650 lbs when full.
I had to pull All 8 bins / crates in less than 1 minute, 15 seconds time. 2 minutes would be too Generous of a statement.
Or whoever was assigned the back door role...
One American born slim kid like 19 or 20 years old name Jackson ,I personally saw him only once Assigned the back door role by himself. BUT after I helped him pull 1 or 2 bins - because to my eyes he was struggling- The Assistant manager yelled at me 2 times " let him do it alone! You go back doing your job "

Anyway, my lower back I did hurt pretty bad. I knew it wasn't critical. Had to leave the job though.
I knew it didn't happen In one overexertion.. iI told thev2 main managers exact that. Told them they might have to REPLACE ME.
it happened probably over the course of 10 days, the lower back trauma.
Because the SPEED at which I had to accept donations PLUS the sheer weight of the bins and a lot of bulky items, The combination of the 2 factors got me!
Plus yiu have to run break empty boxes in seconds time and that's like 8 meters away at least from the INNER door( the broken one ).

So i told the 2 main managers over the phone in 2 separate conversations. I can't do THE DA ( DOOR attendant) for a while.
They let me do entirely " carts" only - basically arrange items on the shelves 1 SINGLE day only, the 23rd of December . On the 26th. In the morning While looking down towards the Office floor a Really nice Jentleman Assistant manager told me " Your are doing Back door today" He was the most Considerate guy from all management But apparently was Instructed that way.


Meanwhile the 2 main managers verbally telling me " As long as t doesn't go for quite a while, We can accommodate Your condition ".
Well , they meant quite the opposite!
6 days prior to that The MAIN store manager over the phone Was pretending Not to Understand that I Am telling her I am physically traumatized.... I assured her I am not gonna hold them responsible! Also I saidni know i have Protein synthesis body problem since Child and probably just need to rest and restore my Collagen mass around my lower back

Anyway, the store keeps only like 1/4 to 1/ 6 only.of whatever comes through the donations door. The rest is loaded up to 4 stories high in the WIDE area of the warehouse and Full lenght semi trailers come ( not every day i think ) and is loaded to be delivered to other outlets
...

All Managers just.like the regular team members Run like horses and DO A LOT of work almost All day long

But the Organization is not Good, not healthy.

I felt we were understaffed and THEY COULD HAVE HIRED ADDITIONAL warehouse person as early as November.

Also the attitude and some Unnecessary games by the main manager ,But I will not go into that.

Also, the long TV screen that is connected to the Cameras outside when a car arrives should have been working. It worked only for a few days in December! That was it. Like 3 or 4 days. They didn't repair it untill Dec 26. I left then.

We had to toss away way too much items so we could put only the better ones in the store.
" only the best of the Best " it use to say on the White board by the Manager's Majn office!

Not gonna go into greater details about what we had to throw away because I will be judged whistleblower.

Anyway.

 

[Chilli]

They are using AI now to price things and that AI gets it's info mostly from eBay. Totally ridiculous. Half of their customers are resellers. They are trying to squeeze us out.
I'm seeing things priced that are more than brand new, and the things are not even in great shape.

I hope this affects their bottom line fast and forces them to make changes.

Its the same here. You can see a used shirt for $10, yet when you check out the brand its Kmart and that same shirt at Kmart new is $10.
The prices are ridiculous now.
Lots of people flipping stuff on ebay and other selling sites like Gumtree, Etsy and others.
My misses worked in an opp shop as we call them. Many are for charities like the Salvation Army opp shops, Ambulance opp shops. So she was in St Vincent's one about 5 yrs ago. She said the theiving amongst the workers and sorters was off the chart. As soon as new batches of donations came in they were all over them filling bags and taking them to their cars. They were all flipping them online or at weekend markets. She couldn't stand it after a couple of months and left. Stealing from a charity shop. She said their logic was "well they're discarded items anyway what's it matter!"
This rat logic is really prevalent now isn't it. A recent survey here showed almost 50% of people think it's ok to steal now from supermarkets and large chain stores. This includes changing price tags to lower amounts, coming in wearing old shoes and leaving wearing a new pair, choosing on the screen one produce at a cheaper price through the self serve than the actual one it is. Say 2 kilos of carrots @$2 per kilo instead of the 2 kilos of cherries thats in their bag @$10 per kilo. And just outright shoplifting.

 

[AusTexDude]

And they ALWAYS put their stupid crappy price tags right over important info like logos, engravings, signatures. That part pisses me off, a lot.

 

[Prairie Gazingfox]

And they ALWAYS put their stupid crappy price tags right over important info like logos, engravings, signatures. That part pisses me off, a lot.

That can't be avoided because Pricing members( at Goodwill) are tracked by a computer system ) over periods of weeks and months ) that they TRY to price 90 items per hour. It used to be 120, the management would say.
This system doesn't achieve " better productivity ", irs just a stupid and stressful way to nudge employees to Be reminded of the quota.
After like 3 weeks the main Assistant manager came to my pricing station with 5 or 6 pages and started reading off of them howni was performing in comparison to specific co- workers of mine, including giving me names of the fastest pricers..
So he started giving me my % or whatever as judged by at least 4 factors.
I kind of analyzed this is my mind next 2-3 days and concluded that There is no Consistency between the judgement factors. And also the whole computer tracking system is a BIG bulshit way to stress out pricers! It's designed so management can make English speakers as well as Spanish speakers make them feel that their job as Pricernisnon the line.

The result, I believe is actually LOWERING overall performance by 10 to 15 %, not enhancing it.

90 items pet hour is crazy because a lot of times need to be examined, taped with bunch of layers, you need to spend some seconds finding the category on the screen, printing label, oftentimes then you have to walk at least 4-5 meters and place the really bulky already priced items or the floor of the walk path, but so that nobody trips over them.

I almost always looked for an empty blank spot to place the price label..But you lose time

The more experienced pricers often would not waste some seconds to putnitnonna blank spot.

 

[Oregon Viking]

Please give them more stuff ! Donate Donate !!

Goodwill CEO salaries vary significantly by local organization, but reports show figures often range from the high hundreds of thousands to over $900,000 annually for top executives, with averages around $650,000 for the largest regions, while salaries for the national CEO (Steven Preston) are lower, around $700k, and overall local averages can be lower still. These figures reflect local autonomy, revenue, and impact, with some CEOs earning well over $1 million, even if rumor suggests higher figures for the national leader.