Goodwill Upcycle SCORE

[Former_Member]

I have to share this because only fellow Upcyclers could truly appreciate our excitement.

Yesterday we were hoping to go estate sale-ing for the first time but a rogue snow storm ruined our plans. We went to Goodwill instead and made a GREAT haul. The best part:

We found a HUGE industrial looking chandelier frame... looks/feels like maybe wrought iron. It is almost as wide as my arm span. We thought it would probably be out of our price range but there was no price sticker so we grabbed it and lugged it around the store until time to check out. When we asked how much it was... they made up a price on the spot. No one even knew what it was until we explained it, and they gave it to us for $4!!! I think they were just glad to get the giant hunk of metal out of their store to be honest.

We are so thrilled. It has SO much potential and we can't wait to turn it into something amazing.

Have you ever gotten something for a steal like that and felt as giddy as we did?

[Former_Member]

Congrats, I love that feeling!

I know that this is not for my business here but my latest and greatest find and it made my entire family happy was when I found a big plastic bag full of Star Wars characters for $2. My boys and I had so much fun going through them and playing with them.

[jill2day]

I went to a rummage sale not too long ago, and found a like new Tassimo coffee maker.... unmarked... took it to the front, and asked. They said because they didn't have the pot to go with it, I could have it for a couple of bucks... I said "okay". Evidently they didn't know that it DOESN'T HAVE a pot - that is the point!! Score $100 coffee maker for my studio for $3. (Although I feel just a bit guilty when I use it)

[jill2day]

CONGRATS BTW - no better feeling!!
During my search for sweaters, I have scored too many great bargains on clothing that I can't begin (Cashmere, tags on - $3.99, Dale of Norway tags still on $2.99, for example.)

[Former_Member]

We score thrifted mirrors, glass, and storage items from Goodwill all the time. My favorite was this mirror that fit this reclaimed cabinet door PERFECTLY!!!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/82053160/reclaimed-wood-cabinet-door-with-hooks

Happy Upcycling!

[fairyshadow]

Just two days ago I found a beautiful leather briefcase for my daughter,popped it in my cart and continued shopping, dropping other items in the cart as I went. At check time I realized the briefcase was gone, questioned the clerk and she said she had just sold it to someone else. Lesson... If it's a great find, buy it, take it to the car and go back for additional shopping or keep your hands on it. Congrads to Courtney on your find, sounds like it was thrilling

[Former_Member]

Oh my gosh, Tania- people are so sneaky! Haha! My crafting counterpart Hannah has wrestled with a few people who tried snagging things out of her cart and thought she wouldn't notice.

Love hearing about everyone's experiences!

[Former_Member]

Nothing to do with my shop, buuuuutttt...I got a HUGE wrapped canvas painting from Goodwill once that I didn't care about the painting on (it kinda sucked) but if I had to pay for a canvas that large it would have easily cost about 8x as much! Now I've painted over the original painting....and I'm thinking about painting over the one that I did. Turns out I don't like the way mine turned out. :-P
Congrats on the awesome find! :)

[Former_Member]

There was a lady in Seattle who did a blog about only shopping at Goodwill for an entire year. It was a fun read!

[Former_Member]

This is one of the reason finding vintage things and items for upcycling is SO addictive! Every trip is like a treasure hunt...

I love when I have (gone crazy getting) too many things and when I go to check out my 3 baskets full of old picture frames, trinkets and dishes.... the cashiers at the thrift shop sometimes give me a "bulk" price for all of my items because the task of ringing them all up one by one is too daunting! Great discount!...but now my house is starting to look like a hoarder's.

I felt a bit guilty at first, but being a regular customer, I have since spent some big money there...and I always help wrap and pack the items myself! : )

[jill2day]

@Tania, I always keep my cart near by!! I often have it filled (overflowing) with sweaters, and have found people pawing through my cart more than once!!

I don't know if anyone else watches "Broke Girls' but they had an episode that included stealing from other carts at Goodwill! Very funny!

[Former_Member]

OMG!!! That is so awesome!!!! :) You for you ladies! It was meant to be :)

[Former_Member]

Great stories!

Over the years I have found tons of great things, but my lastest was a really, really, really good one! I was at a local thrift store and found a Tumi leather briefcase that was several years old. I paid ten bucks for it, cleaned it up and sold it for $260.00! These are $600.00 bags brand new, so I knew I had something valuable from the start. Good times!

I could go on and on, but will save some for a later post.

[Former_Member]

I went today! I scored two old plastic milk crates for 0.99 each. They are going to make great storage for my shop's upcycled materials. I'm on re-organize mission at the moment. :)

[Former_Member]

Check your area for a Goodwill Outlet. They sell all the stuff that doesn't sell in the stores (within a certain time frame) and they sell it by the pound! The store in St Louis sells clothing, toys, shoes, games, misc stuff for 79 cents a pound and books & glassware for 39cents a pound. Furniture and electronics are ridiculously priced (desks for $10, etc), also. It's a fantastic place to find upcycling supplies for dirt cheap!

[Former_Member]

GOODWILL OUTLET?!?!

Oh man. Must look into this ASAP.

[Former_Member]

Update: Found one near New Haven which is 45 minutes away and home to many flea markets. I foresee a huge stock-up extravaganza in the near future!

Thanks for sharing that Dorothy- I had never heard of Goodwill Outlets before!!

[kitchnstitch]

I just went to our local thrift store...Unique...I got wooden toddler blocks with plexiglass sides enclosing balls, glitter, or liquid. 20+ for $7.50 That may not sound like much but my really good friend is a professional photographer (and early ed teacher) and drooled when she saw them (probably $75+). I'm hoping to barter with her and have her take some pics for my shop...probably will owe her lunch as well.

[Former_Member]

Gotta love a little thrift store shopping. We have several nice ones to regularly check out.

Goodwill Outlet?!? I will have to see if we have one! Maybe in Orlando which is about an hour away.

Thanks, Bee

[Former_Member]

You're welcome! Happy hunting!

[fairyshadow]

Our Goodwill outlet charges $ 2 a pound, 79 cents sounds great. I sometimes shock myself when I spend $ 40 on used Tshirts. I find the last day of church and school rummage sales good for textile purchases because those folks are ready to just get rid of the stuff so they don't have to haul it away.

[TheSalvagedEdge]

We have a local church run shop where nearly everything is a quarter. I have found vintage jewelry, yards upon yards of gorgeous fabric, gorgeous old books, and tons of kids clothes. Every time I go I spend less than $5! (I tend to pay a little more when I can since they do work for charities.) They save me all the broken jewelry and jewelry boxes cause they know I want them. Saves them from going in the trash!

[Former_Member]

Ah! That's amazing!! I am a total Goodwill junkie. Like...I get all twitchy and irritated if I don't go for too long...

My recent find? A handmade wooden dollhouse (huge!) that was $15. It's painted these offensive pepto bismol pink and forest green but with a little sanding, some painting, and modern wall paper samples, it's gonna be gorgeous! I planned on selling it in my shop, but my daughter has taken a liking to it....even before its make-over....

[Former_Member]

I almost forgot....my precious St. Francis cast stone garden statue that I found at Salvation Army for $9.99!!! .....

I knew he was the real thing when the manager could not lift him! One of the little birds on his shoulder is chipped, but like we vintage lovers like to say often too much - "just adds to the charm".

I almost passed him by, but I thought my husband would like him. When I got him home and in my back yard, I couldn't help but peak out the window at him about a dozen times a day and just smile....never had anything that drew me so much!

Not exactly sure why, but this buy felt like the most special treasure to me. (Oh, and it didn't hurt that my research turned up that his value is about $300.00!) I would never sell him though! : )

[sadiesez]

I love reading about awesome thrift store finds!! I too, get the biggest kick out of finding something cool for next to nothing.

Fabric is my thing-- so I love to find serious yardage for a few bucks, when I know how much it would have been at the Fabric store.

The fact that it's several years old just adds to the "cool" factor, since it won't be something everyone else has :)