Phoenix AZ is experiencing a boom in Goodwill store openings. A friend owns a bar in a retail area where the anchor grocery closed, and a Goodwill just moved in to replace it. He's angry about it. I recommended that he start serving Milwaukee's Best Ice on tap.

What bugs me is there is a chain here called Value Village that takes in donations from people in the community (and even solicits the donations in the local newspapers) and then charges outrageous prices for the donated clothing. I've seen used t-shirts, just your normal fruit-of-the-loom or other plain one-color shirts - nothing fancy about them at all, for $7 each when you can buy them brand new at WalMart, or Sears for $5. The last time I was there I happened to spot a simple top and skirt set, that was just plain black cotton with a little blue lace trim on the collar. The price tag was $22. Its insane and I won't shop there anymore. I go to the Sally Ann instead.

Value Village is a for-profit thrift store chain. They take donations in the names of various charities and yes, the charities do get some money (and the advantage of not having to run their own stores). Still, their prices are higher, sometimes much higher, than small one-of thrift stores or the Goodwill or St. Vincent de Paul.

I only shop VV on $.99 Mondays.

This is a clear cut case of supply side economics. Obviously, if we get rid of the supply, i.e. drugs, pirated music, or second-hand clothes, the users, i.e. addicts, pirates, and poor people, won't demand the products anymore. So we just need to criminalize the Salvation Army and Goodwill stores and our war on poverty will be almost won, exactly like our war on drugs and war on piracy.

Yes, the preceding was sarcasm. There's nothing wrong with buying from Goodwill or the Salvation Army stores, even if you're not poor. You might find a good deal and the profits go to helping others. It's win-win.

Best thing I ever found at a thrift store: A brand new (it still smelled like screen printing) Pink Floyd Division Bell tour T-shirt. Now, this wasn't official merch -- it was from the parking lot bootleggers, which made it an even better find. Unfortunately, I misplaced it somewhere at my parents' house. I think it's still there somewhere. I need to find that shirt.

A close second would be the vintage handmade green velvet jacket. It didn't come close to fitting me, so I'd let my friends wear it on St. Patrick's Days in college. Good times.

@Neecy I used to work at Value Village quite a few years back. They gave 52 cents to charity for every two paper grocery bags worth of stuff they got. That didn't include furniture, and the like, which charity got nothing for. I don't know if that has changed recently, or not.

It's definitely a profit driven place. I recommend Goodwill, Salvation Army, St. Vincents, and the like, instead.

Best bargain I have ever found was a book called Black Bondage: A Novel of the Doomed Negro in Today's South, first edition (1959) in excellent, like-new shape.

Not only is it a really cool read, but it is worth well over $100 and I paid 78 cents for it.

Also, one time, I found a working accordion.

Goodwill stores around here have gone "boutique". They look like boutiques, they don't have much in the way of useful junk, and clothes start at about $10 and go way, way up from there.

The only Salvation Army store I know of near here sells only furniture.

If it weren't for the smaller local charity thrift stores I'd have to go naked.

That reminds me: I've got about 3 bags of clothes to donate in my garage.

Thrift stores sometimes have useful stuff, but for clothes I really like the grass-roots clothes swaps. Selection is only limited by number of people invited and their styles. (Groups of friends and/or acquaintances, everyone brings a full bag to donate, can leave with an equal size bag or their own stuff... whatever's left is donated to thrift.) The best prices I've found with for-profit thrift are at church rummage sales. The best deal I found at a church sale was a magnificent (vintage handtatted lace) Mexican wedding dress for $12. (Alas, I was too tall.)

Pants are overrated

@bangbangbonnie: Is there such a thing as a 'working accordion' ??

In my experience, they pretty much sound the same when they're broken (rim shot please).
Like the Far Side...
"Welcome to Heaven. Here's your harp."
"Welcome to Hell. Here's your accordion."

[www.nopantsday.com]

Participation is going to skyrocket next year.

This is good timing I suppose. I have a whole closet full of trousers to donate since I lost 2 inches.

I have found a lot less at my local Goodwill lately. I don't buy used clothes (nothing wrong with it, I just don't do it)

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. - 1 Corinthians 13:2

I still find some decent items. The biggest problem here is there are so many people that live on whatever Walmart sells. So the offerings are used Walmart clothes and particle board furniture. There are a few thrift stores in the area that get decent items though.

The bigger score is at the consignment stores. The people that bought expensive clothes they couldn't afford on credit are trying to get some money back out of them.

Salvation army has frequently been overpriced as well (again with the $7 stained tshirts) on basic stuff. But a great deal on not so basic stuff, i.e. business attire, dresses, furniture, etc. However, here in MA, they've shut down all over the place. Many, in the areas that need them most, citing that they could no longer afford the rent. There are the Yellow Drop boxes for clothes, which I see people using all the time, but no place to GET clothes if you need them, which is utterly ridiculous. I've stopped dropping my clothes in donation bins, because I have no idea what's happening to them..... I hold them until I hear of a church doing a clothing drive, or drive out of my way to find a GOOD goodwill store.

Man do i hate for profit 'thrift' stores. A lot of them in this area were putting misleading, and false signage on their collection boxes.

I think thrift shopping is somewhat overrated. I went to buy a cheap couch from Salvation Army, and the only one which was even approaching decent was $350 dollars, and it looked like it was right out of the '50s.

most of my clothes and a decent amount of my household stuff are from thrift stores. i think it's insane to pay $25 for a pair of pants when you can get a pair for $5 just because someone wore em a few times.

I am a huge shopper at www.shopgoodwill.com which is an online version of goodwill. Recent scores include three Hugo Boss dress shirts for $12.00, lots of pants (NWT = New With Tags) for $5 - $6 bucks each , artwork, antiques and lots more. You do pay shipping, but no tax if the Goodwill location is not in your state.

It is an auction site, like ebay, where you bid an amount and try to win the item. And you can pay with credit cards, no evil PayPal.

Warning, it is addictive.

Haven't seen any general shortage of stuff around here ... yet. 12+ years of shopping at thrift stores, it's all a hit-and-miss anyways. It's not like I'm shopping for things I truly need anyways ... just better stuff than what I have. My $8 Toastmaster coffee maker works, but $8 for a Cuisinart is very justifiable too. [www.cuisinart.com]

Like my $3 bread machine, this one was barely used too.

Specific shortages, though ... yeah. It's been over a year (and 200+ visits to over 30 different thrift stores) since I found any Animaniacs shirts. No fault to the stores, of course ... just seems that folks haven't been giving them up or I've been to all the wrong places over all these years. In the dozen years, from Portland, OR to San Diego, CA, I've only ran across (and bought, of course) about 20.

Here in RI a "charity" clothing collector was interviewed. His company puts the big bins that say "Donate Clothing" in various locations. People assume their donated clothing will be sold in thrift stores to help a charity. I hope to god no one is dropping designer cocktail dresses in those bins, because this company simply gathers up huge amounts of donated clothes, compresses and bales them, and ships them overseas; he is paid by the pound or ton or whatever.

Well...I suppose I could bring in a few pairs of Minnesota Vikings Zubaz to help out; the ones I have in 44-inch waist have been a bit snug lately.

If you're a savvy shopper, you can still buy brand new clothes dirt cheap. JC Penney's near me was selling huge racks of shirts and pants for $5 marked down from $50. In the womens department, my girlfriend found $50 clothes selling for $1.97.

@RedmondDesomma: Went to my first clothing swap a few months back and am a total convert. I've worn every item I swapped for (well, except the shoes, 'cause it's not the right season for them yet) on a regular basis--which is more than I can say for some clothes I buy new, get home, and decide I don't so much like.

85% of my wardrobe (excluding bras and panties) comes straight from Salvo. And I don't wear casual clothes for the most part, I'm a professional working in an office building. Nobody has a clue.

Salvation Army is my Clothes God.

I don't know how many large trash bags of clothing I've donated. I never go thrift shopping any more mostly because I rarely go clothes shopping, but my grandma used to take me to thrift stores and such when I was a kid. Good times :(

@DashTheHand: Ah, yes. My grandmother's often-espoused philosophy, handed down to my mother and now me:

"Any damn fool can pay full price."

I was 23 before I realized that buying clothes from something other than the clearance rack was, technically, an option.

@TheUpMyAssPlayers: It depends on the city. In mine, Salvation Army is one big dirty store, with lots of crap. When I was on vacation in Charlottetown, theirs is clean spotless and a pleasure to shop.

Our Goodwills are crap. Being that I live in a poorer area anyway, it's not as if they are reselling fine items; it's mostly discount store items that sell at nearly the same price as new. They actually get overstock from Target's clearance and sell it for around 1/3 of the original price (even though you know it went clearance for 75% off that original price before they got rid of it).

"She had given so much to the Salvation Army over the years," he said. "She never thought she was going to be a recipient of the services."

Yeah, because you're a horrible human being if you shop at a thrift store. I wish people would get over that ignorance. You don't have to be poor to shop at a thrift store. I personally love going there, because you can find all sorts of interesting clothing (as well as furniture, electronics and other things) there. I used to dress in the ugly out of style look, so I really dug being able to find old suits and dress pants that looked like something a 70's used car salesmen would wear.

There is a chain called Plato's Closet that sells gently used name-brand clothing for very decent prices, and they'll pay for your old stuff. You bring in your clothes, they pick whatever they want, then pay you what they deem it's worth. Of course, they then turn around and put a 300-500% markup on it. They picked up 3 pairs of jeans I brought in, retail value about $450, gave me $49. I then saw my stuff on sale for $50-$60. Whatever they didn't take I took to the Goodwill Store.

You all should check out a Freecycle group in your town. It's a good way to donate or seek a donation (it must be free of any cost) and I hear it's a great way to find kids' clothes.

Thrift stores are great, but for the best deals, I stay away from the big names chains like Goodwill or Salvation army. And even then, some are better than others.

Timing is important. The good items go fast. More often than not, I don't find anything interesting... but just this weekend I snagged 3 pairs of dress pants and a pair of Levis for under $10. I look good today! lol

@Mikebrown: Mike, no reason to blame or criticize the OP for insinuations she never made.

When I read that the woman "never thought she'd shop there", I took it as no slight to people who shop there, but that the woman's economic circumstances have changed so drastically that she HAS to shop there.

Yes, many people choose to shop at Goodwill and thrift stores, who don't have to, but a significant number of thrift store shoppers are there because finances limit their choices. In today's economy, clearly more people are having to shop at thrift stores, the OP included.

And patronizing Goodwill and thrift stores does not mean only "interesting" or otherwise tacky clothes, i.e. your '70's car salesman look'. Many of us Goodwill fans (in my case, fortunately by choice) has enable me to have a staggeringly huge wardrobe of high quality, expensive name brand and designer clothing.

I have a hard time finding clothing at thrift stores or flea markets (except t-shirts) because I'm a nearly six-foot-tall woman. Nothing fits. Hell, I can't even find anything to wear in the regular store!

Most of my household stuff comes from the flea market, however. And I donate clothing when I can.

I found a local thrift store which funds a homeless shelter that still has bins of clothing for a quarter. They way overprice the crap furniture that gets donated, but they have a lot of nice household items and even framed art for <$8.

The place is hog heaven, but I learned not to go there when the locals gets their welfare/SSI check because it's a madhouse. Those folks will buy anything and everything they can heap into their cart, high on thrill of shopping again, I guess.

I've also seen many a Jag-driving country-club type there, too, looking for the Antiques Roadshow find of the year. :P

I love stopping in an shopping in my local Salvation Army, typically in the kitchen and dining areas. I'm always looking out for expensive (but beat up) knives. Cast iron (skillets, Dutch ovens) are especially common and cheap. My favorite stainless steel sautee pan came from there. And when I don't mind the effort, my totally awesome, 1970's popcorn popper came from there (although I normally just toss some kernels into a paper lunch bag and use the microwave -- no oil, no mess, no effort).

The furniture is usally not something that I'd consider, and the pieces that I would consider already seem to have "sold" signs on them!

I've never seriously considered shopping there for clothes, though. Maybe I should reconsider?

@wellfleet: Plato's Closet told my 24-year-old graduate assistant that her clothes were too old for them. Around here, they're high school and maybe barely college stuff.

@Neecy: Value Village, is I believe a Canadian chain (at least they have outlets in Canada).

In my experience the prices vary widely by store. In the small town I lived in, the value village prices were great, but in the next larger town over, they were inexplicably a lot higher.

The Goodwill stores are almost always reasonable as are the Salvation Army Thrift stores.

I have no qualms whatsoever about shopping thrift. I am saving money and in most cases helping to support a charitable cause.

A lot of new clothes are ridiculously overpriced anyway.

Maybe the fact that there are 20 times more stores that do this now is the reason why there are "less" donations. The donations are being spread across too many stores. They used to just have Goodwill and Sally Ann, but now there are many Value Villages and other corporat-ized versions of the idea. When your supplier is the same size (citizens) but there are more and more outlets, that will definitely hurt your stock. As well, Value Village will take anything, say thank-you and maybe throw it out after you leave. The Goodwill stores in my area have a reputation for snootily looking through everything you bring to them and refusing to take 90% of it, which is not what you went there expecting.

@EtoilePB: My mother must have been friends with your mother, though mine said "Only an idiot pays the retail price"

@GOLD5: That drives me CRAZY. I do not bring dirty clothing to Goodwill. I do not bring broken appliances or electronics. I do not bring garbage because I understand the concept: stuff they can resell. So WHAT are they looking for?

In Portland, Maine I find Salvation Army far more accommodating than Goodwill in that respect.

@floraposte: Yeah, Plato's Closet near me is basically Charlotte Russe Redux.

@TheUpMyAssPlayers: Someone actually buys those used bras and panties. I saw a pair of black crotchless panties at a local thrift store once; eww... What's worse, they were gone the next week!

The Salvation Army here (in Amherst Ma) is wayyyy over priced. I won't shop there anymore because I think its ridiculous how much they want to charge for second hand goods.

@GOLD5:
When I was preparing to move away from St Louis, I went to the big Goodwill near my apt to donate all my furniture, with the expectation that it would be no problem. They took all my wood furniture, but turned up their noses at my 2 leather sofas. They were a bit scratched up but in decent shape and very comfy. I went to Value Village and they took them with out a second look...Probably marked them at $50, but at that point I just wanted to get rid of it so I didn't have to move it. Oh, the GW was in a nice neighborhood, and always had expensive cars in the parking lot.

@sophistiKate:

I've found the same thing here in Baltimore. Several years ago when I moved out of my college apartment, my roomates and I loaded up all our old furniture and took it to Goodwill. They wouldn't take most of it because they evidently won't take anything that's upholstered and has a minor stain, because "it could be blood".

So we took everything else to the Salvation Army, and not only did they take it, they seemed very glad to get it.

I've never gotten or shopped for used clothes (I still have 10-year old shirts I wear around the house and to do dirty work with, and usually buy at outlet stores), but I've noticed that there seems to be better quality furniture at the thrift stores around here (no idea why), and small appliance donations have dried up almost completely.

@cerbie: Small appliance donations dry up because all the stuff these days is CRAP! Our 1985 vintage, made in the USA Toastmaster toaster finally kicked the bucket earlier this year. The made in China replacement - dead in 5 months.

The Goodwill stores around here usually do a quick check of functionality before they set it out and offer a 7-day exchange on all electrics. The local Salvation Army has a 14 day on appliances. Smaller stores, usually caveat emptor.

That all said, whether a store does or doesn't accept certain stuff is very dependent on the one taking it in and their perspective. I've seen some pure junk still being accepted and decent stuff turned away.