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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Maine chapter.

Love it or hate it, everyone knows at least one person who has a wardrobe exclusively from Goodwill. Growing up I was never a fan of Goodwill as all of the “cool kids” got their clothes brand new from department stores.  Oh, how the tables have turned for me.  Before, I thought paying $30 for a sweater was reasonable.  Nowadays, I can’t imagine paying more than $10 for a cute toasty sweater.  I like to believe that I have advanced knowledge of Goodwill so allow me to share my tips and tricks with you. 

 

  1. Know you tag days.  When walking into Goodwill, make sure you pay attention to what tag day it is.  Goodwill will have a different colored tag each which that is 50% off of the marked price.  Not only that but on Sundays and Mondays, they have another colored barb that is only a dollar on those two days!  Found a $30 item you’ve had your eye on for the past few days?  Boom, it’s now yours for $1.  Wondering how they determine what color tags go on sale? Rumor has it that the selected color tags are older inventory.  This older inventory needs to be pushed out to make room for new glorious items.  What’s a better way to get rid of old inventory than making it 50% off or a dollar? 
  2. Take your time.  I’ve found that when I take my time to look through each section at Goodwill, that’s when I’ve found the best items.  Don’t be afraid to look through everything one item at a time if you’re not in a rush.  Better yet, make sure you give yourself an hour to be in the store.  When I’ve gone through each item on the racks one at a time, I’ve found some of the greatest items.  One time I was going through the dress section and found a Lily Pulitzer dress brand new with tags for $10!  It was in absolute perfect condition which resulted in $90 profit when I sold it.  Boy, did I get some good groceries that week. 
  3. The Halloween section has hidden wonders.  Sometimes I wonder is Goodwill knows exactly what Halloween is.  By this I mean they put some pretty great items of clothing in this section that I would wear on a daily basis.  Not only this but I also found my wedding dress in the Halloween section!  $15 for a wedding dress that only needs $300 for alterations?  Not too shabby in the grand scheme of things in the wedding world.  Interested in cosplay?  Sometimes you can find cosplay props that are pretty decent in the Halloween section.  This year I found a keyblade from Kingdom of Hearts.  Let’s just say my roommate was thrilled when I came home with that for him. 
  4. Gloves, gloves, gloves!  I don’t know about other states but in Maine we have a pay by the pound Goodwill.  From what I’ve been told, pay by the pound Goodwill is were leftover inventory goes when it isn’t sold in normal Goodwills.  This store is a whole other ball game when it comes to Goodwill shopping.  Inventory that is out on the floor is in moveable bins.  These moveable bins are swapped out at certain times throughout the day.  When bins get swapped out, customers have to stand behind a red line as if starting a race.  Some people do get a bit competitive about getting to these bins first.  There is no rhyme or reason to most of the bins as most items are simply tossed into them.  Workers do try to sort bins out by clothes, shoes, and breakables.  For the most part, though, the bins are free for all.  Why do I mention gloves for this point?  Because if you don’t wear gloves when digging through these bins, your hands will become dusty black with all of the grime you’ve dug through.  Not only this but someone that is friends with one of my friends has been struck by a dirty needle while going through these bins.  When I say wear gloves, I’m not talking medical gloves, I’m talking about gardening gloves or any type of poke resistant glove. 
  5. Goodwill online.  Love online shopping as well as Goodwill?  Me too.  Which is why I’m going to tell you about shopgoodwill.com.  To be honest, I don’t quite understand the criteria of what makes it to the online store or not but I’m not mad about the outcome.  Shopgoodwill is a treasure chest of odds and ends which will tickle at least one person’s fancy.  There is a wide variety of items on this site as well.  You can possibly get a poster of rocket blueprints from NASA, Tiffany & Co jewelry, a signed baseball, all the way to your basic sweater.  There are so many different items on this site that it sometimes is a bit overwhelming if you’re not prepared for it.  The only negative point I have about this site is that shipping can be a bit expensive.  Items come from all over the nation which results in various shipping prices.  Make sure you scroll towards the bottom of this listing that you’re looking at to calculate the shipping price.  If you’re bidding on an item that is on the pricey side, you may be hit with more expenses depending on the shipping price which can be off-putting.  Don’t let this hold you back when bidding.  Make sure you take this into account so you’re able to get the best online bargain hunting experience.

 

In the end, Goodwill is one of the greatest places for a college student to shop.  Living on a budget can be hard when you need to buy more clothes.  Thankfully, Goodwill comes to the rescue for a good amount of us college students.  You can always bank on there being something for a good price for anyone you’re shopping for or yourself.  Don’t be afraid to dive in deep and find the best deals you can get.  Happy Goodwill hunting!

Asia Wohlfeil is a senior Psychology major at UMaine, an avid cat lover (proud mom of two cats: Beans and Deliah), and a fan of Japanese street fashion. During her free time, she can be found experimenting with makeup, studying mental health, or watching YouTube; sometimes all three at once! She aspires to open her own inpatient house for those with eating disorders to create a safe and healthy place for recovery.
Gabbi is a senior at the University of Maine studying English with a concentration in creative writing and a minor in Psychology. She hopes to write and publish her own novel one day!