Goodwill Clearance Center

I had a different experience yesterday.  I discovered a Goodwill Clearance Center and went for a visit.  It opened at 8 and I was there shortly after that.  It seemed I was not alone.  I didn't know what to expect and it certainly was interesting.  Upon entering the warehouse I saw huge bins.  Lots of them - 50 perhaps.  Anyway, I saw other people digging through the bins and decided they must be experienced and so I did the same thing. 

While I was half-heartedly looking through the bins - it seemed even though there were other people there that I was usually alone looking at particular bins.   I could see workers busily bringing out more bins.  As they did that something annoying kept happening.  They would come to the bins or group of bins I was looking in and brush by me.  They would unlock the wheels and move those bins out.  I mean they moved the bins right out from in front of me several times.  OK - I guess I was done looking at that stuff.

After that happening a few times I started to figure things out.  The people would gather like vultures where the new bins were placed and frantically search for a buried treasure.  They would then put that treasure in a shopping cart - or two - or more - and then return to search the bins.  Their carts were put to the side and covered with an old sheet or whatever.  And either someone was standing nearby watching their carts or they kept an eagle eye on them from their position while searching the bins. 

Oh, I see.  I was behind the curve I was searching those bins that had already been searched and they had moved on to greener pastures.  Well, whatever.  I was just there to check the place out.  But I was determined to find something to bring home.  So my search continued.

Interesting thing was that this experience was very much like one we had in the LA Fashion District just a couple weeks ago.  We went to some outlet place where not only did you have to bend over and literally dig through huge boxes to find material but you paid by the pound.  And at this place you also paid by the pound. 

1 - 19 pounds = 1.39 per pound

20 - 49 pounds = .99 per pound

50 pounds and over = .69 per pound

The place even had scales where you would push your shopping cart on a large scale and they would weigh it that way.  So these people were experienced and were gathering stuff - most of them going for the 50# price for the better bargain. 

I did find something - you'll read about it in my next post.  But when I checked out at the register  the cashier explained the place to me.  The stuff out on the floor did not qualify to be in the regular Goodwill stores for whatever reason.  They have trucks coming in full of stuff to put out on the floor. Each bin is only allowed to stay on the floor for 2 hours.  Most of the people shopping were getting stuff for a garage sale or swap meet or something like that (that is what I suspected).  And because of the previous fact it is less crowded and frantic in the store on the weekends when the "pros" were making money instead of spending it.  And all the stuff that makes the 2 hour appearance on the floor is then divided for recycling, donating (books, dishes, etc.), bailing and sending to poorer countries (sounds familiar), and yes then disposing.

So that is my experience at the Goodwill Clearance Center.