Featured The 'good old days' at Goodwill

Nice vases. Like komokwa, I particularly like the one on the right. Most unusual.

Thrift stores were my bread and butter when I was in the business. We are fortunate to have several here. I have been going to thrifts for 30 years and have seen the ups and downs. For some reason, we went through a few years period where the finds were exceptional. That ended about 4-5 years ago. I still go regularly, looking for that rare exceptional bargain.

We have 2 large Goodwills in the high rent areas. Rarely find much there these days. They have been packed of late. Lots of people shopping clothing. Maybe a sign of the economy now?

We do have a large local organization with 2 locations that is a true charity thrift. That is where I find the best items. Most recent good purchase is a Tesuque Peublo black on black bowl/vase for $3.00. Also have a Habitat for Humanity, Re-store. It just moved to a new location that they own and prices have dropped a bit. I think they were probably paying too much rent at their old location and prices drove me away for awhile. I have found a few things there of late. Recently walked out with a mid 19th century dome-top immigrants trunk for $17.50. There are two other very small charity thrifts that I rarely shop. One has high prices, while the other has inconvenient hours.

Lastly, we have a unique non-profit shop that recycles virtually anything that an artist might use in creating their art. Lots of bins of odd parts and manufacturing cast-offs. They also get completed art and a few antiques occasionally. Always have a case of donated jewelry. I don't hit it very often but usually walk out with something I don't really need .... LOL!.

 

I do not remember any good days at Illwill

All of them in this area were rebuilt to massive size in the last twenty years. Dozens more massive ones were built. Often they were built in sight of the old ones. They bought out small thrift stores.

Shopping these huge stores is always a waste of time. They get the bulk of the donations but have little for sale. Usually half of what they have is new, off brand products that were donated by stores to get write offs.

The Salvation Army stores around here are largely stocked with damaged returns. It seems all they get for public donations is garage sale leftovers.

The Savers stores were the place to find stuff once in a while. But each store has gotten to backroom dealing for most of the good stuff.

A local operation was The Association for Retarded Children. Can't say retard anymore so now their name is ARC. They were OK until they started putting stuff on feebay. As the quality in the stores went down the quality and quantity of their donations went down.

 

Brad-Great to hear from you,how was your garden this year ? Yep i love the ikebana vases too. Terry,I'll post more ancient Goodwill finds (if i can remember where the heck i got what ! ). Once upon a time it actually happened.

 

Garden was a challenge this year. Drought for most of the year and I couldn't keep enough water on it. The squirrels were also a menace this year. They kept decimating the hostas with their antics.

 

We love the variegated striped hostas-we've got (or had-the frost is here) a beautiful bunch of purple ones.Squirrels cute and tiny as they are can still squash plants,and dig up a fair amount of roots burying their winter nuts.

 

Best Goodwill find ever came from a Goodwill in a Chicago suburb, late 90s sometime. Under $5.00. Norma Basset Hall, Old Sycamores.

This pic is not mine but the same print.



Another best thrift store find in general came from Habitat for Humanity, early 2000s. Mexican sterling centerpiece bowl, C. Zurita (about 15" long!). Think it was $3.00.

Again, not my pic but identical.

 

beautiful pieces-once upon a time,this happened.late 90's early 2000's there was still magic around.

 

Yeppers. That's when I scored a Baccarat crystal ring and a heavy Italian silver cross on double rose-pattern chain, from the same store a few months apart. One year in the Ill Will I found a set of sterling flatware on Dec 24. Another dealer looked at the pattern and walked on by. I paid $12 and took it straight to the scrapper; merry Christmas to me! (said scrapper said one of his co-workers had been in the same store the same day and didn't even give the flatware a second look. )

 

yes indeed...
I got a signed Ali photo.....not mass produced..
a Meiji bronze crab,
and a NA Seneca pipe carved like a FF mask, use in ceremonies..

among other great finds..

then the shop closed......sigh...

 

When I moved into this area on LI, there were a few antique shops and one antique mall in a town I moved from. Now they are all gone. Once ebay and online selling came to pass, no one went to these places anymore. So now they are either vacant or some store came in that we don't need in it's place ... I mean really how many nail salons do we need in one town?

Also years ago, my area was chock full garage sales. I wouldn't have to drive all that far to hit 10 sales. Now they are far and few between near here and they have junk.

Ruth, I pretty much feel as you do. Tag sales, yard sales, garage sales usually have items that people just need to get rid of... but there are those that do look up ebay prices and think they should get that much for items even tho those items didn't sell. I find stuff at estate sales as well but of late the stuff is new junk or in such bad shape, it is worthless. I am also buying much less. I do love the thrill of walking around the houses and homes to see what treasures may exist there.
I just hate paying so much for gasoline only to find bupkis.

 

Estate sale competition around here is fierce. Long lines, long waits, people who know what they're doing, the 'good' stuff's mostly gone by the time I get in... It's a local pastime here in the Pac NW to hate on Californians... but it's totally Californians.

 

I've gotten a few treasures at the GW and love my local store, but more dry spells than not lately. Seems like new new dealers are checking things out and of course in the back they are sending more and more things off which is so depressing to think about!

Watched an Antiques Roadshow episode last night and a woman was having a small pill box appraised. She said that she got it "in a bag at the Goodwill for $7". Turned out to be Faberge valued at $18K!! I kinda wished she hadn't named the "Goodwill" out loud. That single episode may have created some unfortunate changes.

 

I used to hit an ARC in Aurora Co that was always good for a treasure or 2 . I loved that store !

 

I saw that ! I also cringed a little !

 

but, on the bright side...it tells one that there are still diamonds in the rough to be had out there...

 

I do remember way back in the 80's where a local thrift (salvation or st. vincents) was rumored the sorters in back (or manager ? details from 40 yrs ago are hazy) were getting some kind of kickback from a few dealers to get first dibs on the real 'goodies'.
But I didn't sense much screening was going on anywhere else back then,even at antique stores ! The Dealers would borrow each others ragged out of date price guides to price their 'Art Navoo' and 'Gustave Sticklish' pieces.

 

the fields aint' stripped clean just yet,still a few diamonds.

 

some kind of kickback from a few dealers to get first dibs

I believe that still happens...

 

twas ever thus

 

yes, sustained by ne'er do wells !!