I’m sure that most of my readers have been to Goodwill before. And if you haven’t…you should go. Honestly, you can find brand new household items there, not to mention some name brand clothing and all the DIY projects you could ever desire. For a low price. But I will write about regular Goodwill’s later.
Today I’m doing a post about the Goodwill Outlet. This is an entirely new breed of second-hand stores. Honestly, it reminds me so much of being in a third world marketplace….except that people actually form lines. Ha!
The Goodwill Outlet is on Woodman Dr. in Kettering, and it an…interesting…place. Let me explain.
This is not a typical Goodwill, or even a regular thrift store. The first time I went in there I was shocked because I was expecting items to be organized neatly on shelves. NOPE. Forget neat, and forget shelves. This store uses bins. And the organization of the bins is….non-existent. There are clothes bins, shoe bins, book bins and then EVERYTHING-ELSE-AND-THE-KITCHEN-SINK,-MAILBOX-AND-FRONT-DOOR bins. I’m not kidding…I think you could find each of those items in those bins.
For example:
Apparently the workers in the back simply dump the donated items into the bins and then wheel them out. People line up to dig through these “new” items that have been brought out. When we were there last time, we even noticed that there was a security guard standing by just to prevent fights and drama.
Now, I don’t think the bins have ever been cleaned…so, yeah. Don’t even think about that. And good luck finding a matching pair of shoes. Or all the pieces to that puzzle. Or the leg to that barbie doll. I’m actually not kidding.
This place is a disaster, and it’s not very clean. The first thing that you will notice when you walk in is that the general population obviously does not possess a large income. I’m trying to say it nicely…it’s the Goodwill of Goodwill’s.
BUT! I make it sound like this place is hopeless. But hear me out. Here are some good things about the Goodwill Outlet:
- You pay by pound. When you are done shopping, you roll your cart up on a huge scale and they weight your items. We got 3 baby gates, a nice corkboard/whiteboard, a baby doll a rattle and a board game for $8. Because you pay by the pound.
- The restroom is clean! I was really nervous to use that bathroom, let me tell you. But my bladder ain’t what it used to be…and besides…all I have to do is remind myself that I’ve used much, much worse. So I was pleasantly surprised by the bathroom.
- Treasures CAN be found. You may have to look really hard, but it is possible to find some nice things, in decent condition.
- The furniture is decent, with decent prices.
So here are some tips if you decide to brave the Goodwill outlet:
- Wear some gloves! Honestly, I haven’t worn gloves the past two times I have been…but it’s not a bad idea. That way you can really dig and not worry about what you may accidentally touch.
- Be ready to dig! Seriously. Theo got an entire Marble Works set…but he had to dig through several bins to find all the pieces. The item you want is not going to be sitting pretty on the shelf..it’s going to be hidden…behind a whole lotta crap.
- Don’t judge. Like I mentioned before…a lot of the people milling around in there are very, very low income (if any income at all). These people are not going to hurt you, rob you or harm you in any way. They are there to find rock bottom prices and I assure you that you are just as safe in their company as in the company of the person who can afford a $200 basket from Home Goods.
- Pay by the pound and get some AWESOME deals! I’ve mentioned it before…you can find some great things and get those things for a great price. You just have to be willing to look!
Let me know if you are interested in checking this place out! I’d love to take you with me next time I go!
Have you been to the Goodwill Outlet before? Were you surprised? Shocked? Excited? What was your experience?