Goodwill finds

kpk

WKR
Joined
Sep 25, 2014
Messages
770
Location
MN
Picked up a really nice Wilson baseball glove for a couple bucks.
Not Goodwill, but we have a used sportsmans shop here in town. Picked up a G19 Tenicor holster for 12 bucks.

Goodwill was awesome for kids shoes when she was little. Felt like we were in a non stop swap with Goodwill.
 

intunegp

WKR
Joined
Sep 28, 2021
Messages
609
I got a lightweight Arcteryx grid fleece and a heavy fleece Arcteryx 1/4 zip for $3.50 each one time. Used to occasionally find Eddie Bauer, North Face, Patagonia, etc., but they know what brands to look for and usually price them accordingly.
 

TaperPin

WKR
Joined
Jul 12, 2023
Messages
3,205
It helps if there is a store on the way home - you develop a strategy of quickly walking the high value areas, and get good at quickly scanning for anything new.

Someone who hoarded Starrett tools had died and there was a huge pile of stuff - all the calipers and micrometers were gone, but I was still able to get a lifetime supply of center and pin punches, inside and outside compasses, thread gages, small rulers, and some things I’ve probably forgotten about.

There was an AR-size gun safe that was pretty thick - 1/4” steel door and 1/8”ish body. It looks right at home next to my smoker - keep charcoal, tools, wood chunks and whatnot. Makes me smile every time I open it up.

I’m a finish carpenter primarily, and in high dollar remodels you end up helping figure out how to hang heavy/expensive items. After having a 100 lb mirror break its heavy picture hanging wire, I always wanted to get a Nicopress swager for 1/16” aircraft cable, just to be a more professional way to handle these heavy items. One day one showed up for $5 at GW - saved me about $150.

One thrift store was popular with old well off dead people, and had a crazy amount of heavy anodized calphalon cookware. I started buying a couple of each size as it came in, and our kids laughed at me, but once they moved out, or moved back from across country, I gifted it to them and now they love it.

Our Kitchenaid food processor and every optional blade came from a thrift store.

Every sledge hammer in the garage.

I even picked up a half size air powered jack hammer - hits about like a rental electric one, and uses too much air to be practical, but is built like a tank and makes everyone grin when they see it.

The 4 kitchen cabinet lowers that make up our island - hardwood with plywood boxes never wears out and can be painted for whatever style you want.

A cabinet shop off loaded all their mix and match kitchen moldings - all the 4” hardwood crown in the kitchen is from that find - $2 a stick.

Our gas powered leaf vacuum has been going strong for the last 10 years. It didn’t start one year so they must have just replaced it with a new one. Cleaned the carb and she has been good to go ever since.

HVAC guys often dump air conditioning equipment rather than filling up their dumpster. There were two sets that fit our furnace for $50. In a lot of big houses that take two 5 ton units, one runs all the time and one sits. The coil I picked had a leak that was easily fixed, and the first compressor was dead in the water, but the second has been trouble free for 9 years.

I lived in a town with a Patagonia repair facility and one thrift store had a lot of their stuff with the tag cut off. Half worn out Patagonia still has a lot of life in it.

Eventually I got tired of the weird smell, and rarely go anymore, but eBay is just as fun and has better hunting gear. Lol
 
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