Goodwill and Salvation Army getting picky

[anteater81]

I seldom post here, but I felt that I must contribute to this thread.

My local Salvation Army store was once full of electronics dating from the 50s to the 70s. I recall finding a Magnavox combo with its remote control for $12.99 about five years ago. I now wish I had bought it, of course, but my mother would have had a duckfit if I had brought it home. Now, they have nothing but ugly clothes and shoes that no one in his or her right mind would buy.

The thrift stores are rapidly becoming retail stores. Goodwill used to be a fine place to purchase records, old console stereos and TVs, and vintage clothes. Now Goodwill is a fine place to purchase six-foot-tall wooden hippos and $140.00 espresso makers. Thrift store? I think not. They're now buying items from HSN (Home Shopping Network) to sell in their stores. I'm not joking, I saw the boxes.

I always believed thrift stores were places where one could purchase used items for a reasonable price. Apparently, I was wrong. The "thrift stores" in my area sell mostly new items, and one is very lucky to find anything in one of them made before 1999.

Sorry for the rant...

[3Guncolor]

Just a quick thought,
Sometimes I wonder where all they old stuff on E-bay etc comes from, could some of it get filtered out some how and not end up for sale in the Goodwill/thrift stores?

The stuff has to be going somewhere and I don't think all of it ends up going to the dump. There are people outthere that know what some of this stuff will bring using the internet. Just a thought....

[colortrakker]

Originally Posted by anteater81

Thrift store? I think not. They're now buying items from HSN (Home Shopping Network) to sell in their stores. I'm not joking, I saw the boxes.

You should see all the reject items my Goodwills get from Target. One has a special section of Target furniture in boxes that sometimes look like they've been retrieved from not-even-god-knows-where.

(On the other hand, that store does have a very nice 1981-vintage Zenith 25" Space Phone console there right now. If only...)

[AlwaysLyceum]

What annoys me is when I see products in Target on sale for about a quarter, then see the same products in Goodwill for about $1! I know Target ships their unpurchased items (across the street in my case), but they shouldn't be priced MORE expensive!! Can we say THRIFT store??

[MichaelJ]

I am a multi media specialist (marketing) employed at a Goodwill corporate headquarters in the Midwest. As Whirled One stated above, Goodwill's are organized in "districts", so acceptance of donated goods can vary dramatically from one area to the next. It is unfortunate that some items can not be accepted but the reality is, if we can't sell it, we have to pay for disposal. Those prices have dramatically increased in the last few years.

As far as the product pricing goes, that again can vary widely between districts. Please try to remember we are a “mission driven enterprise”. The money we make is put back into job training and other programs to make our communities stronger and to give people a chance at a better life. As government programs shrink, Goodwill and other not for profits will be playing a more important roll in helping those who need a "hand up". Please continue to support us and other not for profits through your donations and purchases. We are really trying to help!

[JCFitz]

Originally Posted by MichaelJ

I am a multi media specialist (marketing) employed at a Goodwill corporate headquarters in the Midwest. As Whirled One stated above, Goodwill's are organized in "districts", so acceptance of donated goods can vary dramatically from one area to the next. It is unfortunate that some items can not be accepted but the reality is, if we can't sell it, we have to pay for disposal. Those prices have dramatically increased in the last few years.

As far as the product pricing goes, that again can vary widely between districts. Please try to remember we are a “mission driven enterprise”. The money we make is put back into job training and other programs to make our communities stronger and to give people a chance at a better life. As government programs shrink, Goodwill and other not for profits will be playing a more important roll in helping those who need a "hand up". Please continue to support us and other not for profits through your donations and purchases. We are really trying to help!

But I don't go to Goodwill to look for clothes.Shopping for clothes and knick knacks at Goodwill doesn't interest me. The only vintage thing I find locally anymore that keeps me going to Goodwill is records.If Goodwill stops selling those I won't have a reason to shop there anymore. What was wierd was the old RCA tube metal portable I wasn't interested in showing up that I alerted Bryan to.The normal person taking donations must have been off or something for that to slip through.I hadn't seen any tv,let alone that one for a year,a console stereo for 2 years and any vintage electronics older than late 80s or early 90sfor about the same and even then it was vcrs and real cheap low quality stereo equipment.Where are the good quality stereo components going I wonder?Straight to ebay?I know they don't just throw them away.In fact I've never seen anything but BPC stereo components there except for consoles when they did have them.Never any of the stuff they brag about finding over in the audio forums.

I've found some great records at Goodwill though. The Goodwill here is far more promising than Salvation Army for records. I've bought probably 10 times more records from Goodwill than Salvation Army even though they are pricier.Maybe that's why. They stay on the shelf longer. Also I know there are a few workers at Salvation Army that cherry pick the records when they are donated.One used to set up at the flea market.He still works there as he took some of my tvs in.Probably just about anything could be cherry picked by the workers before it ever sees the store and this happens everywhere I'm sure.

[andy]

It's too bad no one at these places knows that people collect vintage electronics. I guess if they knew they were antiques they'd want way too much for them...

[Saratoga48]

There is a Salvation Army store around the corner from where I work. The "store" is there mainly for the donations, its in a very affluent suburb of Albany NY.
I usually stop in there at least once a day and have gotten to know several of the employees. If things are slow, I get to Cherry Pick new donations of records.
As far as accepting TVs and electronic equipment, at this store the only requirement is that it has a plug on it, so they can test it.
A Salvation Army truck sits outside the store about 10 hours a day and almost everything is loaded from the donator directly onto the truck.
I have noticed a sharp decline in donations of anything worthwhile(vintage electronics) in the last 3 yrs. I used to be able to occasionally pick up a decent amp or pair of speakers. Most of whats in there now is the black plastic junk that quit after the 2nd year of use.
The local Goodwill has a few records but other than that mainly, newly minted target rejects.

[MichaelJ]

Originally Posted by JCFitz

But I don't go to Goodwill to look for clothes.Shopping for clothes and knick knacks at Goodwill doesn't interest me. The only vintage thing I find locally anymore that keeps me going to Goodwill is records.If Goodwill stops selling those I won't have a reason to shop there anymore. What was wierd was the old RCA tube metal portable I wasn't interested in showing up that I alerted Bryan to.The normal person taking donations must have been off or something for that to slip through.I hadn't seen any tv,let alone that one for a year,a console stereo for 2 years and any vintage electronics older than late 80s or early 90sfor about the same and even then it was vcrs and real cheap low quality stereo equipment.Where are the good quality stereo components going I wonder?Straight to ebay?I know they don't just throw them away.In fact I've never seen anything but BPC stereo components there except for consoles when they did have them.Never any of the stuff they brag about finding over in the audio forums.

I've found some great records at Goodwill though. The Goodwill here is far more promising than Salvation Army for records. I've bought probably 10 times more records from Goodwill than Salvation Army even though they are pricier.Maybe that's why. They stay on the shelf longer. Also I know there are a few workers at Salvation Army that cherry pick the records when they are donated.One used to set up at the flea market.He still works there as he took some of my tvs in.Probably just about anything could be cherry picked by the workers before it ever sees the store and this happens everywhere I'm sure.

Just so you know, anyone "cherry picking" at any Goodwill ends up looking for a new job. Period. We consider this theft.

[dr.ido]

Originally Posted by MichaelJ

Just so you know, anyone "cherry picking" at any Goodwill ends up looking for a new job. Period. We consider this theft.

Surely if it something that wouldn't be sold in the store anyway it's better that someone takes it rather than it end up in the dumpster...

[JCFitz]

Originally Posted by MichaelJ

Just so you know, anyone "cherry picking" at any Goodwill ends up looking for a new job. Period. We consider this theft.

Yeah but even if they don't steal it they could buy it long before I cruise in there 3 hours or more later when I finally get off work or 3 days later in the case of the Salvation Army which only has evening hours after 5 pm on certain days.Down to 1 day a week now.Or set it aside and offer to purchase it bypassing the floor totally.

[Whirled One]

Originally Posted by MichaelJ

As far as the product pricing goes, that again can vary widely between districts. Please try to remember we are a “mission driven enterprise”. The money we make is put back into job training and other programs to make our communities stronger and to give people a chance at a better life. As government programs shrink, Goodwill and other not for profits will be playing a more important roll in helping those who need a "hand up". Please continue to support us and other not for profits through your donations and purchases. We are really trying to help!

Thanks for the post MichaelJ-- I think most of us appreciate what Goodwill Industries tries to do. It actually is one of my favorite charitable organizations, and I think it (and other similar organizations) are actually a much better deal for the general public (read: taxpayer) than many government programs. A couple years ago, an email-friend and I were discussing thrift stores, and I wrote the following (edited slightly) regarding Goodwill:

----

I think Goodwill is a great model for a charitable organization, and I'll tell you why. Have you ever seen people ringing bells in front of supermarkets and Wal*Marts asking for coins for Goodwill? Probably not, no. Have you ever received a letter in the mail telling a sad, depressing story, asking for your generous cash donation to Goodwill Industries..? I bet you haven't. Why? That's because Goodwill appears to be designed to be essentially self-supporting.

It works using a simple economic cycle, and everyone in the cycle benefits.

(1) People donate used clothing, housewares, etc. to Goodwill. This is helpful to the donor, because it not only makes them feel good by helping others, but also helps them get rid of unneeded things that they might otherwise toss out in the trash or on the curb. Plus, the donor even has the option to request a contribution receipt from Goodwill, thus providing a possible income tax deduction (thus providing a small financial return to the donor).

(2) Goodwill then takes the donated goods, sorts them, distributes them to their retail stores. This process creates jobs, as people are needed to process the donated goods, drive the trucks, mark the selling prices, stock the shelves, man the cash registers, etc., etc. Goodwill staffs many of
these jobs with disadvantaged people, and this is great for those people,
since these jobs teach a lot of basic job skills that will help them become self-sufficient and be able to get a better-paying job elsewhere. At the same time, a job at Goodwill is rather 'safe' in that the environment lends itself well to success. [in other words, it's hard for someone to really screw up, and even if they do, it probably won't cause serious trouble.]

(3) Customers go to the store and buy the stuff from Step 1. With money. This helps the customer, because the customer gets something they need or
want, and usually for much less money than an equivalent new item would cost at a regular store.

(4) The money pays for the payroll (i.e. the jobs that were created in Step 2) and other store expenses (rent, utilities, taxes, etc).

(5) Go to Step 1.

And: Nobody gets a free ride at Goodwill. People who go to the store pay for the stuff they buy. This not only neatly eliminates the problem of people
trying to "game" the system to get something-for-nothing, but also relieves the truly needy from feeling embarrassed or guilty-- in other words, they don't have to feel like they're asking for a handout, because they're not. They're making a purchase-- they're paying money for the goods they receive. The people working at the store are getting paid, but they're holding a *job*-- this isn't "welfare". The store merchandise comes from people who donate goods. So, everyone in the cycle "pays" into it *and* gets something out of it-- whether they pay in cash (the customer), labor (the employee), or goods (the donor). In addition, the system can benefit the same people at both ends of the cycle. The same person who donates their old living room furniture to Goodwill can walk into the store and buy a
boombox and some shirts. There's no income requirement to shop at a Goodwill store-- it provides a useful resource to a wide variety of people-- from the low-income person trying to make ends meet, to the student who needs cheap furnishings for their dorm/apartment, to even the more financially-stable person looking for anything from collectibles to a household appliance. Everyone's money is equal at a Goodwill store! It's a charity that uses basic capitalistic principles to provide benefit to a wide scope of people.

[Whirled One]

Originally Posted by andy

It's too bad no one at these places knows that people collect vintage electronics. I guess if they knew they were antiques they'd want way too much for them...

Sometimes they do, but the problem is that it's going to be difficult to find someone(s) at these sorts of stores who can consistently price a wide variety of such things fairly (fair both for the store/charity and for the consumer).

I've seen this handled a few different ways. Some stores (especially certain Goodwill stores) sometimes sell suspected "collectibles/antiques" using a silent auction process (which is inconvenient for the buyer, but makes pricing unnecessary). I think some stores even "eBay" stuff nowadays. Some SalArmy districts have/had a designated "antiques/collectibles" area (usually a special room or section within their main store in the district), but the pricing sometimes gets unreasonably high or (less-often) low. High prices would normally tend to take care of themselves thanks to basic capitalism (i.e. if an item sits on the shelf for a long time, that's a pretty good indicator that it's overpriced), but most SalArmy stores don't seem to do automatic time-based discount programs these days for housewares (i.e. color-coded tags, with the "oldest" color having a discount), and almost never for items they put in the "antiques/collectibles" section, so it's probably basically up to the staff to notice what things have been sitting for a long time.

By the way, you can sometimes have a subtle effect on the policies of the store yourself. Even a "fussy" thift store might occasionally "goof up" and take in a vintage electronics item. If it's something you like and it's reasonably priced, buy it-- if you (and other folks like you) keep doing that, you'll be sending a useful message to the store management that "hey, there are people out there actually buying this junk! Maybe we shouldn't turn these sorts of things down after all!"
You might also ask nicely, especially when something like that does turn up. (i.e. "Excuse me, but do you ever get in other items like this..? I'm looking for a (whatever)"). It may not help, but you never know.

[MichaelJ]

Thanks for the kind words Whirled One. You nailed the Goodwill Model. I was beginning to feel a little touchy. I love where I work and believe me I could be making much more elsewhere.

[fujifrontier]

Originally Posted by colortrakker

You should see all the reject items my Goodwills get from Target. One has a special section of Target furniture in boxes that sometimes look like they've been retrieved from not-even-god-knows-where

i wonder what the link is between illwill and target

Originally Posted by Whirled One

1. Some stores (especially certain Goodwill stores) sometimes sell suspected "collectibles/antiques" using a silent auction process (which is inconvenient for the buyer, but makes pricing unnecessary).

I HATE that freakin garbage; they'll bundle a bunch of "related" stuff like a super nintendo, a bunch of carts for it and some controllers, a sega genesis, a handheld casino game from the dollar store, and random assorted video-game looking junk and then price the bundle for $200, or "silent auction." more often than not it's like trying to buy a jewel in a middle of a cow pattie