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A Goodwill employee has shared the best two months to find bargains at the store. According to the thrift store expert, shoppers will discover almost new items during these times.
Goodwill Insider Tips: Best Months to Shop Revealed
Jane, a five-year veteran at Goodwill, recently revealed some of the store's secrets in an interview with GoBankingRates. She highlighted two months as the prime time for bargain hunters seeking seasonal decorations.
Jane says January and July are the best months to shop at Goodwill. "After each major holiday, Goodwill gets a surge of decor that people want to get rid of," she explained. This makes it an ideal time to find high-quality holiday items like wreaths, lights, and lawn decorations at meager prices.
Jane advises those looking to optimize their shopping trips that the timing should align with your needs. January is optimal for post-holiday deals as people declutter, offering a chance to grab festive decorations at a discount. Conversely, July is an excellent time to prepare for next year's Independence Day, with plenty of patriotic supplies available.
Jane also offered advice on navigating the store for the best deals. "Always check the clearance racks and sections before you leave," she suggested.
Goodwill progressively reduces items the longer they remain unsold, allowing savvy shoppers to find clothing for under a dollar and furniture for under five dollars, provided they are willing to look carefully.
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Goodwill's Best Bargains Often Overlooked
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A different Goodwill employee shared on TikTok that the thrift store tends to reserve its top bargains for a particular purpose, making them harder for regular shoppers.
In a revealing TikTok video, Jonathan explained that managers instructed him to bring any item he thought was particularly valuable directly to them. These items are listed in Goodwill's online store rather than sold in physical locations.
"That's why, a lot of times nowadays, you just can't find really good items at Goodwill because they're all being sent off to be sold online," he said in the video.
However, skilled thrift shoppers can still uncover valuable finds at low prices in-store. This situation has given rise to a thriving community of thrift-store resellers who purchase items cheaply from Goodwill and resell them on platforms such as eBay, Poshmark, and Facebook Marketplace at a significant profit.
The U.S. Sun highlighted the story of a reseller earning up to $3,000 part-time by flipping items found at Goodwill. One notable discovery included a $60 Goodwill antique table that was later appraised at $1,350, illustrating the potential hidden value in seemingly ordinary thrift store finds.
Meanwhile, in June 2022, a former Goodwill employee took to TikTok to expose a practice that may explain why shoppers rarely find high-value items in the store these days.
The TikToker, known as @scroochmagooch, used to work as a drive-thru ambassador at Goodwill, responsible for receiving donations and pricing them for sale in the store. He revealed that any donated items perceived as particularly valuable were not put up for sale in the store. Instead, these items were directed away from the public eye.
"We were instructed to take any valuable donations directly to the manager so they could be sold through our e-commerce platform," he explained. This practice suggests that many of the best finds never make it to the shop floor, instead being reserved for online sales where they can potentially fetch higher prices.
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