I probably shop at Goodwill a little bit less than I used to, but I do still pop in and browse around when I have a little bit of extra time to spare.
A lot of times, I don’t see anything awesome, but then again, there are fabulous things to be had sometimes. So, I thought it would be fun to share a few of the latter.
In the last few years, I’ve really become a huge fan of white serving dishes, both for actually serving for good and ALSO for photographic purposes.
(Ok, maybe the main reason is for photographic purposes. But white serving dishes DO make your table look instantly awesome.)
So when I found this three-piece set of Pier One dishes some months back, I snapped them up.
They make great serving dishes, and I love that they nest, because they take up less cabinet storage that way.
And of course, they are marvelous for food pictures. You saw one in the mustard vinaigrette photos, actually, and they’ve popped up on Instagram too.
I also found this lovely rectangular white serving dish. I lurve the simple lines of it and I use it allll the time, for bread, cheese, crackers, cold cuts, and more.
Another thing I’m a big fan of of: stainless steel.
It’s not plastic, it’s super durable, and it looks beautiful too.
So when I saw this pitcher for $6.99, I snapped it up.
When I was washing it, I noticed that it had a brand name (Walco) on the bottom, so I googled it and apparently this is a $100+ pitcher.
Who knew??
The fact that it’s a $100 pitcher doesn’t make any practical difference to me (it’s not like I was going to sell it!), but it IS kind of satisfying to pay $6.99 for something that usually costs far more.
Next up: a Goodwill-procured stainless steel bento type lunch box, which is pretty cool.
It’s not in perfect shape by any means, mostly because it’s scratched. But the scratches don’t affect the function at all, and besides, if I bought a new one, guess what?
It would look just like this in a short while. 😉
Sometimes it’s nice to get pre-weathered items, because then you don’t worry about it when you weather it further. 😉
(Or when your children, uhhh, weather things for you.)
This came in super handy for picnics this summer, especially because glass is a little heavy to lug along on a picnic.
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Have you found anything awesome at Goodwill of late? Do share!
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P.S. The Amani Ya Juu $50 giveaway will be open thru 11:59 PM EST tonight, so go throw your name in the hat over there if you haven’t already.
Rachel
Tuesday 15th of December 2015
Goodwill is always hit-or-miss, but I have made some great hits. My favorite are two tall dressers, both solid as a rock: one by Ethan Allen and one by Dixon Powdermaker (they made fine furniture in the sixties), for $25 (because the backer board had fallen off, but it was easy to screw it back on) and $70 respectively. I am always grateful that after years of sharing one compact car with my husband, I now own a larger vehicle and can take advantage of deals on large items.
Rod Kirby
Tuesday 15th of December 2015
Hey, Kristen, first, let me say how super jealous of you I am over that $7 pitcher. That's a great find! I work for Goodwill in Memphis, TN, but, I'm also a thrifty shopper/fan. The last cool thing I found was a TV for our spare bedroom. It was a nice 32" for only $25 and works perfectly. I've got some DIY projects sitting on the shelf so I enjoy reading your blog. I'll have to go back to my store to see if I can find any white serving dishes because yours are awesome!
Susan
Tuesday 15th of December 2015
I bought a pair of brand new UGG slippers for $20 that are $120 new, and a pair of LuluLemon yoga pants for $6 that are $120 new, and a Cloudveil ski jacket like new for $15 that's worth over $250 new. Just last week I got a box of Playmobil toys (several sets shoved into one box) for $6. Retail would be over $100.
I often have the problem of buying something because I like it, then finding out its worth a lot of money, and then don't know if I should keep it or sell it.
And like a previous poster, I do have the problem of not getting around to selling things, and then feeling like a hoarder...
Kristen
Tuesday 15th of December 2015
Wow, you found some great stuff!
Anne
Tuesday 15th of December 2015
We don't have a Goodwill here, but the St Vincent de Paul Society runs a thrift store called Vinnie's. I've gotten some sweet deals there: cashmere or merino wool sweaters for $5 each, a pair of Merril clogs for $6. My latest find was a matching set of 8 Corelle mugs at 50 cents each. I have a friend who needs to replace a lot of cracked or chipped mugs, so filled with various organically grown and put together tea mixes, this is making an excellent Christmas gift. Shopping there is sweetened by their 10% discount for seniors (anyone over 55) and no sales tax (runs 13% here) -- and all of the monies go to their work in the community!
We have a Value Village (owned by same company as Savers) here as well -- but no Seniors discount, you always pay sales tax, and most of the money goes to the company (though they do give a local charity funds for donations brought in). Yesterday they had a 50% off sale (the most frequent time I shop there) and I got a fancy fisherman's vest for my husband for $3 + tax -- he's lusted after one for years because of all the storage (lots of variously sized pockets, some with zippers) in it. It didn't seem to have any wear on it at all.
Randi
Tuesday 15th of December 2015
I once found a fabulous coat at a Valley Village in London, ON(Canada). I think it was 9.00 or something ridiculous like that.
Val
Tuesday 15th of December 2015
I love Goodwill! I bought a wonderful 6pc set of plain white china plates there for only 75 cents a piece. I use them everyday and if one ever breaks....guess what, I can just go find another white plate there.