Thrift Stores, Goodwill and Salvation Army

[weezyree]

I have recently become in love with our local Thrift Store. It is on an Army base and is only open a few days a week, but I go once a week on my lunch hour.

I have used this thrift store to sell items on consignment and made over $300 in just three months. A dollar earned is a Disney dollar!!

As a military fam we move frequently compared to our civilian counterparts...sometimes as often as every 18 months and we have over 13,000lbs of household goods. It's nice to purge stuff and sell it. We have also sold items on Craigslist and Ebay as well, but that takes a lot more effort on our part so I prefer the local thrift store.

Another perk is the turn around of items. Sellers can keep their item there an allotted time and then it becomes thrift store property at which point the price drops. It's at that price for one more month and then is in the discounted section for one month and then donated. So, in otherwords old stuff isn't around too long.

I have recently bought my daughter some uniforms for school there as well as a stockpile of belts which she seems to lose. I have also found her some shoes since she seems to be growing too fast and these are like new and in fact, some are.

My recent find was yesterday. I found a brand new ball cap with the Cars characters on the front for my 3 year old grandson who will be going to WDW this June for the first time. I have also found like-new Osh Kosh bibs for 38 cents, a like new GAP denim jacket with a stitched truck for 38 cents....that's better than paying brand new prices!!!

My daughter has a part-time job there and is keeping her eyes out for a like new Mickey mouse and Minnie mouse stuffed animal or anything relevant to WDW.

It's a great place to sell items, but to also find treasures!!!

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

Another military family here - I love the thrift store on post and keep meaning to take things there for consignment but just never seem to get around to it. Thanks for the reminder. I need to get my butt in gear and take stuff in SOON!

I am so glad we live 35 minutes off post or I would be up at the post thrift every day it is open. We always find treasures there and DS3 loves the toy room. Lately ours has had new Disney books for $1 and he has been able to pick one out to buy if he behaves in the store.

We just got here and move again in 18 months.

 

[LOVETHATMOUSE]

I wish we had a consignment shop around me. I have so much to donate that I take it to our local thrift shop, but we only get a tax deduction. I could have taken a 10 day trip to disney for free with what I donated last year! If anyone wants to open a Plato's closet or good consignment shop on Long Island let me know

 

[DawnM]

Pretty much 90% of our clothing comes from thrift stores or 2nd hand somehow. Much of it is barely used at all! My budget is about $500/year for all 5 of us for clothing but I don't always spend that much!

We find a lot of Disney clothing- T-shirts, baseball type caps, even Disney jackets! I send the kids over to the kids' section to look for Disney stuff while I shop. We have really great Disney T-shirts.....Pirates of the Carribean shirts, Animal Kingdom shirts, Animal Kingdom rain ponchos for .25. Mickey Magic Kingdom rain ponchos also .25. I found a VERY nice fleece Disney Bambi purple coat for $3. Kids have Disney sweatshirts for $2 each!

We LOVE thrift stores and yard sales. It is our "retail therapy!"

Dawn

 

[tomthebarncat]

I too love the base thrift store, but the one near me is so unorganized that I am reluctant to consign anything with them. I went in and they literally had a mountain of stuff and I have 5 original Coach all leather bags to consign. Since living in Europe I have upgraded my handbag collection, and have no use for them. They could not guarentee that my expensive bags would not get lost in their black hole. We also have ramsteinyardsales website, that is a like craigs list but geared for the military. I am going to try them to sell the bags that way. Yes, moving every few years you do accumulate alot of stuff, thankfully I have been in the same place for 12 years now but hubby is a contractor!

 

[LoveBWVVBR]

I love the church thrift store near my house. I am a major purger so I donate a bag there every Sat. and then I go shopping on the kids' clothing rack. It's a small store but yet I always seem to find a treasure. They price things sooo cheaply, too. 2 weeks ago I found 5 Mini Boden shirts there in the next size up for my DD for a whopping 50 cents each That label is $$$$. I've found a Kelly's Kids outfit there for $3 (had it monogrammed locally and my DD wore it for 3 years, LOL!). It seems like I find some high-end treasure there every week for $2 or less...love that! One other thing that I found there is our Little Tikes swingset. Someone donated it in like-new condition and I happened to drive by right after they donated it. The store sold it to me for $75. It was still up on the Little Tikes website for over $500 at the time 4 years later it's still going strong and gets used pretty much daily One of my best friends found a bag full of Leapster games there for $1 apiece. She has a son so she gave me the girly ones for my girls

Our entire Little People collection of playsets and "people" came from there, etc. The prices are like 25 cents for a book (kids books and grown up books too), a dollar or 2 for toys, anywhere from 50 cents to $3.00 for clothing. One other thing that I've found tons of at this store is GK Elite gymnastics leotards. I've found a boatload in my 5 year-old's size for $1 apiece They are like $40+ at the gym! They're all in like-new condition, too, so I think that people sign their kids up, buy a leotard, and then donate the leotard when the kids quit. Whoohoo! People at gymnastics must wonder how my daughter has a different GK leotard on every week I'm sure that it never crosses their mind that I buy them at the thrift store

 

[ssawka]

I'm sure the thirft stores on base are different, but I would not feel right shopping at the Salavation Army or Goodwill. I know people get good deals there, and it is a growing trend (it was even covered on our local NEWS), but my opinion is that if I can afford to buy new stuff then I should and not take merchandise out of the hands of people who are not as fortunate and really need to buy used. This is just my opinion and is not meant to pass judgement on anyone.

 

[wovenwonder]

I'm sure the thirft stores on base are different, but I would not feel right shopping at the Salavation Army or Goodwill. I know people get good deals there, and it is a growing trend (it was even covered on our local NEWS), but my opinion is that if I can afford to buy new stuff then I should and not take merchandise out of the hands of people who are not as fortunate and really need to buy used. This is just my opinion and is not meant to pass judgement on anyone.

The Salvation Army and Goodwill thrift stores are intended for the general public - not just those in need. In fact, by shopping there you are helping those in need because the money they take in from their thrift store sales goes directly back into your own community to help the needy.

 

[Crystal0608]

I love thrift shopping! This past weekend I got my ds a Columbia jacket $2, Gap tee $1.39, Old Navy skull polo $1.79, Abercrombie tee $3,and Aididas l/s new tee $2 between 2 Salvation Armys and a church thrift.

 

[Robinrs]

I'm sure the thirft stores on base are different, but I would not feel right shopping at the Salavation Army or Goodwill. I know people get good deals there, and it is a growing trend (it was even covered on our local NEWS), but my opinion is that if I can afford to buy new stuff then I should and not take merchandise out of the hands of people who are not as fortunate and really need to buy used. This is just my opinion and is not meant to pass judgement on anyone.

Thrift stores are for SMART shoppers, not the poor. I go to thrift shops and I'm an executive. I save money on clothing so we can put the money in places that it can grow. Buying new only benefits the retailer.

Clark Howard, the media financial guru and former co worker of mine, buys from Goodwill and he's a millionaire many times over. The availability of these items are not perishable and there is a HUGE amount of inventory, NEVER feel like it's coming out of someone's hands.

 

[IUTBAM]

The Salvation Army and Goodwill thrift stores are intended for the general public - not just those in need. In fact, by shopping there you are helping those in need because the money they take in from their thrift store sales goes directly back into your own community to help the needy.

Exactly. We are very financially comfortable, but there are two Goodwills in close proximity to my house, and I love shopping at them....I love a bargain! It als makes me feel good to know that the money I spend there is going towards programs that help the disabled, which is near and dear to me as our son is developmentally disabled. It's a win-win situation as far as I'm concerned.

 

[pilesoflaundry]

I love the base/post thrift shops. You can find good stuff so cheap. We don't have one here and I have withdrawals!

I don't bother much with goodwill or SA. I donate to them but don't buy. It's junk here. Where my dad lives has a great SA for furniture and I have shopped in that one when I go back to visit.

If you have a st. vincent de paul thrift store and a lot of patience you can find awesome deals. They are so cheap.

 

[herdtoDisney]

I'm sure the thirft stores on base are different, but I would not feel right shopping at the Salavation Army or Goodwill. I know people get good deals there, and it is a growing trend (it was even covered on our local NEWS), but my opinion is that if I can afford to buy new stuff then I should and not take merchandise out of the hands of people who are not as fortunate and really need to buy used. This is just my opinion and is not meant to pass judgement on anyone.

I feel like I am reusing and recycling by shopping at thrift stores, as well as keeping people working whom otherwise might not have employment opportunities (such as Goodwill). It also leaves more money in our budget for giving to organizations we support.

I like new stuff too and also buy new. I donate stuff to thrift stores, which helps them and helps me.

 

[jacksmomma]

I love the Goodwill! I have found lots of great deals there...

A Vera Bradley purse with the tags still attached for $15

A brand new in the box Leapster Explorer for $13

A Toy Story 3 game for $5

Full size Buzz Lightyear for $2

It is like a great adventure looking for the deals.

 

[brewcrew]

I am so jealous of you all! I don't have a great thrift store or Salvation Army around me. If anyone lives in the Orlando area and knows of a great thrift store, please let me know!! The rest of you, enjoy your bargain shopping!!

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

I am so jealous of you all! I don't have a great thrift store or Salvation Army around me. If anyone lives in the Orlando area and knows of a great thrift store, please let me know!! The rest of you, enjoy your bargain shopping!!

There used to be 2 pretty good ones in Orlando - one on Orange Avenue and one up in the Edgewood area. They aren't Goodwills or Salvation Army so check in the yellow pages under Thrift and see if you can find them. The one in Edgewood was just called Edgewood Thrift. I don't remember what the one on Orange Ave was called. They may have moved locations - I haven't been by there in years.

 

[weezyree]

Another military family here - I love the thrift store on post and keep meaning to take things there for consignment but just never seem to get around to it. Thanks for the reminder. I need to get my butt in gear and take stuff in SOON!

I am so glad we live 35 minutes off post or I would be up at the post thrift every day it is open. We always find treasures there and DS3 loves the toy room. Lately ours has had new Disney books for $1 and he has been able to pick one out to buy if he behaves in the store.

We just got here and move again in 18 months.

You might want to check with them as most military thrifts do a PCS consignment. Instead of only taking 10 or so items a day, they let you bring 100 or a large amount. You usually need to make an appointment for that.

Then you can do it again when you prepare to move again!!!

Ours has several books too and I scarf them up for my almost 3 year old grandson!!! I will stick them in the back pocket of the front seat so we can read to him on the way to WDW in June!!

 

[weezyree]

I'm sure the thirft stores on base are different, but I would not feel right shopping at the Salavation Army or Goodwill. I know people get good deals there, and it is a growing trend (it was even covered on our local NEWS), but my opinion is that if I can afford to buy new stuff then I should and not take merchandise out of the hands of people who are not as fortunate and really need to buy used. This is just my opinion and is not meant to pass judgement on anyone.

As the other poster said, the Goodwill and Salvation Army use the monies collected from purchases to help their own goals. They help people find work, employ them to give them guidance on how to work and find a better job and do great things within the community.

I think it's great that you want to buy everything new and I agree with you to a certain point; however, if I can find children's clothing on the cheap then I will. Kids grow so fast it almost seems a waste to put any large amount of money into clothing. I draw the line at shoes since kids have different walk/wear patterns and shoes are just...well, shoes...stinky!!

I too have found ball gowns at the thrift store for myself for military balls. I have also sold them when I have only worn them once, they cost around $300 because I don't want to wear something someone else has on at the same ball and I can't wear it again (pictures, you know). I dry clean it and then sell it cheap. If anything, the lower enlisted can find great deals on these items....I use to be a lower enlisted and know the feeling of no money but wanting to enjoy those functions.

We make a great plenty of money, but I also am thrifty to save it too. I refuse to pay full price for a Disney Tshirt or any other number of expensive name brand clothing IF I can find it for cheaper. I do hit the sales racks at the stores at the end of the season for the following year, especially when my girls were smaller, but not now...they are growing too fast and teens.

No judgement taken, but I agree with other readers that the GW and SA are not for the poor but the public in general...even those with a good wod of dough to spend!!

Thanks for sharing!!

 

[weezyree]

Thrift stores are for SMART shoppers, not the poor. I go to thrift shops and I'm an executive. I save money on clothing so we can put the money in places that it can grow. Buying new only benefits the retailer.

Clark Howard, the media financial guru and former co worker of mine, buys from Goodwill and he's a millionaire many times over. The availability of these items are not perishable and there is a HUGE amount of inventory, NEVER feel like it's coming out of someone's hands.

Well said, and very smart too I might add. I feel the same way. The overhead on the products in the retail stores is so high. My daughter works for a brand name clothing company very, very part time and I refuse to pay the prices for the jeans there. She gets a 40% discount and I don't feel so bad about that, but haven't bought yet.

The money saved can be put to good use in other areas....debt, savings, nest eggs, or as I intended for this posting...spent on a Disney vacation!!

Thanks for sharing!!

 

[funkychunkymonkey]

I have used this thrift store to sell items on consignment and made over $300 in just three months. A dollar earned is a Disney dollar!!

If your looking to make a quick buck buy newer textbooks and older looking cameras at thrift stores then sell them on ebay. I bought a camera (1980's style) for 2.99 and sold it for 200!