Goodwill Finds

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I too, do not like the '' professionnally '' cleaned, upgraded and lubricated by a professionnal tech. (Hhhhha ! )

Buy it cheap, sell it cheap or damn keep it.


Anyway,


Thrift aren't cheap anymore. Can't get to speak personnaly to the electronic dept clerk like I used to.



Nah!.



Thrift have become, well, wide surface dept store with a sometime '' 50% off '' on some old shoes or drapes.

Geez.


And I mean it.
 
Guess I'm lucky here then ! I know the guy who tests all the stuff and puts it out on the shelf at the one and only charity shop in town. It receives donations from all over the county (which just happens to be the biggest county in NZ too) and he filters it all. Yes, some stuff goes online for auction but not much. Don't get me wrong - this place isn't gushing with killer scores or anything because we are a tiny country after all - but when interesting things come through, my guy generally lets me know. I've saved quite a few speakers from the bin which were just needing foam, turntables with seized motors, tape decks with melted belts etc.

Even here though, things have slowed down. I've only been really into this hobby for a little over a year and my finds have really taken a slide this year alone. Last year, when I first met the store guy, I got to look around in the warehouse and I pulled out Akai receivers, Technics turntables, AR90s (!!), Aiwa tape decks (including AD-F990) etc etc. These days though, I'm lucky if he has anything for me in a month. They have an 'open to the public' warehouse sale day twice a week so I pop along to one of those and look through the music section - I tried to befriend the media guy, but he's one who likes to put anything and everything out for sale so I can't even get advance intel from him in case any gems are going out.

Strangely enough, I'm actually finding some of my best deals these days are coming from auction sites. It seems the 'it must be worth something, lets auction it' mentality as actually working in our favour, some of the time.I recently got a Technics DD quartz tape deck for $5, an SL-QL1 turntable for $30, a Sony TA-3200f 100 watt silver face amp for $50, a TA-1130 integrated for $35 and my Mission 707s in need of foam for $25.

So deals are there, it's just not like shooting fish in a barrel any more.....
 
I think there are many things happening here.

More people picking.

More people selling stuff on CL when they realize it has value instead of donating.

More people thrifting so the deals are spread thin and go fast.

More people having yard sales and more people buying stuff from the yard sales so it doesn't get donated as leftovers.

More people into vintage audio and keeping stuff to use.

More guys like Mark that have an inside connection.
 
Killer Fox said:
I think there are many things happening here.

More people picking.

More people selling stuff on CL when they realize it has value instead of donating.

More people thrifting so the deals are spread thin and go fast.

More people having yard sales and more people buying stuff from the yard sales so it doesn't get donated as leftovers.

More people into vintage audio and keeping stuff to use.

More guys like Mark that have an inside connection.
Click to expand...
Add to that ,that there was never a never ending supply.I think the cycle of use and donating for something that was popular thirty five to forty years ago peaked about ten years ago.
 
Remember when thrifts used to be jam packed full of console stereos? Now when one comes up it's an "antique".

Not like I wanted one then or now, they sucked then and still suck now! I enjoy poking around in thrift stores but aside from a Realistic PA amp, a few records and some junk speakers I use for testing things, haven't brought a lot home.

The records I see at thrift Stores are especially horrible...

Flea markets on the other hand do have the occasional gem, but are mostly overpriced junk. Pawn shops used to be good for audio, not so much now.

What is great though is online classified ads with lots of photos... what a great way to find things with minimal effort!
 
I've bought a few things from GW the past couple years but nothing to write home about. I keep going back when I have the time thinking that maybe this'll be the time when I strike gold. I just went today and noticed the prices of electronics have gone up considerably and still nothing to get excited about. The CDs in my area are $2.99 and I'd gladly pay that if I find one that I want.

I'm sure that there are good items that are bought but it's not going to be very often. Overall I'd say it's not worth it except for the thrill of the hunt.
 
I've found a couple of majors scores in the past year that nobody believes is real (anthem pva7, anthem avm20, yamaha rx-z7). But I stop by GW almost everyday either after or before work. I also stop by another if I go to help my wife close up shop for the day. If I have to travel for work, I usually stop at any local one on the way back. Just yesterday I found a vizio 32" 1080p TV for $40. This is actually the second one I've found, got another for $30 six months ago. The scores are still out there, but over 95% of the time there won't be anything worth getting.
 
There's a thrift store here in Maryland I like to go to once a week or every other week where all CDs are 95 cents. They've had some pretty decent stuff lately (at least decent in my tastes) I usually leave with 5-6 CDs. It really is hit or miss though, but if you want every single Christmas album ever made on CD, you're always in luck.
 
Markoneswift said:
Guess I'm lucky here then ! I know the guy who tests all the stuff and puts it out on the shelf. . It receives donations from all over the county and he filters it all. after all - but when interesting things come through, my guy generally lets me know.
Click to expand...

Mark doesnt want to read about Goodwill cheating the system yet admits to having a hustle of his own.

Dont let that well run dry!
 
The real problem is that most of these stores are a sham. The only person they help is the CEO. They sell stuff they got for free at whatever price the pickers are willing to pay for them. I'd still like to know of any other business who has their product hand delivered to them for free (both the product and transportation). Here locally the GW had a warehouse fire from where they were keeping their excess stock. The community poured out their hearts and donated more than ever to help them out. What the public didn't seem to get is that they shouldn't need to warehouse any goods at all. If they were truly out to help people they would give stuff away when they have more than they need or at the very least lower their insane prices so their stock moves quicker.
 
blownsi said:
The real problem is that most of these stores are a sham. The only person they help is the CEO. They sell stuff they got for free at whatever price the pickers are willing to pay for them. I'd still like to know of any other business who has their product hand delivered to them for free (both the product and transportation). Here locally the GW had a warehouse fire from where they were keeping their excess stock. The community poured out their hearts and donated more than ever to help them out. What the public didn't seem to get is that they shouldn't need to warehouse any goods at all. If they were truly out to help people they would give stuff away when they have more than they need or at the very least lower their insane prices so their stock moves quicker.
Click to expand...


What a completely un informed statement about how charities work. And your statement about GW "only helping the CEO" is simply untrue. Why not back up that statement with a few links actually proving your statement? Charities are just like other retail companies. They need warehouses to keep overstock in. How can they control how much was donated? Having to sort through all of the pure junk to find stuff that is sellable is a HUGE job and warehouse space is needed for that.
 
Bodyblue said:
What a completely un informed statement about how charities work. And your statement about GW "only helping the CEO" is simply untrue. Why not back up that statement with a few links actually proving your statement? Charities are just like other retail companies. They need warehouses to keep overstock in. How can they control how much was donated? Having to sort through all of the pure junk to find stuff that is sellable is a HUGE job and warehouse space is needed for that.
Click to expand...

I'm not going to argue with you but we couldn't see this more differently. There are tons of links within a google search which can prove or disprove my side or yours. Just remember that huge job you referred to is done by minimum wage workers who are struggling trying to make ends meet. Google says the CEO made $700k last year.
 
I will
Bodyblue said:
What a completely un informed statement about how charities work. And your statement about GW "only helping the CEO" is simply untrue. Why not back up that statement with a few links actually proving your statement? Charities are just like other retail companies. They need warehouses to keep overstock in. How can they control how much was donated? Having to sort through all of the pure junk to find stuff that is sellable is a HUGE job and warehouse space is needed for that.
Click to expand...

http://watchdog.org/83209/policies-tax-dollars-enrich-goodwill-execs/
 
Ummmm those jobs that GW provides would not be there if GW did not operate they way they do. I have two adult children (out of 5) that are autistic and over the years they have had jobs at GW to learn life skills. I have zero problem with the CEO of a company that employs thousands of people that otherwise would have had no chance of employment making what he or she does.
 
Profit is NOT a dirty word!

The problem that I have is that this is a
FOR Profit company disguised as a
NON profit.

Yes, there are a lot of positive things such as jobs for less fortunate and it can be a very good thing but as usual, greed has become a cancer that takes advantage of everyone involved.

It's a great profit model.

Take things that are freely given to
you and make profit.

All I'm saying mainly is that not sure if it's truly a non profit.
 
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