Goodwill

Whhhhyyyyy did I come back? T-​shirt prices and active wear prices are «like new» prices. Still one shopping cart for the entire store.
No real organization to the shirts.
They hide the other shoe to be secure,… But lost the other damn shoe,… Never coming back here.

I may or may not have set foot in 3 different Goodwill stores today…
Came here to drop off a bag of donations (the location nearest to me, downtown, doesn’t accept them and directed me here). Hadn’t really planned on doing any more shopping, but as you know my purchases change lives so I had to at least have a look around.
Well organized, all the sections of clothes are labelled and the items themselves are organized by size. Saw a lot of Forever 21 apparel, the Limited (is that store even around any more?), Gap, Old Navy, American Eagle Outfitters… Probably some rich lady treasures in there somewhere, perhaps I didn’t dig in hard enough. In the shoe section tons of Naturalizer and also plenty of size 7s yay! Nice selection of books too, they’ve even got the fiction section alphabetized by author’s last name. (Paperbacks are 2.99 and hardcover 4.99, which to me is a little steep but who am I to argue? Who am I to put a price on changing lives??) Prices on all the clothes were variable, but much closer to anticipated thrift store prices than you’d see at Buffalo Exchange or Crossroads.
Like all the Goodwills in the area, stocked up on Halloween stuff (and Christmas too).
Today’s sale tag was blue — – —- — 50% off yaaasss

High end for a goodwill! My hipster daughter as at first shocked at the limits selection and «high» prices, but was won over when she found a purple vinyl Michael Kors jacket for $ 40. She is confident she can wear it for a bit and then sell it on Etsy for$ 100. I was happy amusing myself while she seriously shopped (both for herself and for her website on Etsy). I bought two blouses from banana republic that I will wear to work for only $ 15. Both look new. So nice store, less items but all in excellent condition, and therefore prices are a little higher but well worth it!

I managed to find a few good things in here, but it wasn’t worth the experience. The store is very small and they cram too much stuff into the space. I also found the staff fairly rude, which was surprising to me. It is the first time I’ve had that experience at any Goodwill store.

I’ve shopped at this store for twenty years, but never again. Honestly, I’m not a huge thriftshop fan, but the Portland Goodwills have been the exception. Whenever I visit my mom, we hit up our 4 favorite goodwills (the Goodwill boutique on Hawthorne, the one on 11^th, the big store on 6^th and this one) and New To You in McMinnville (if we are at all close). I have such a cute pair of heels I got here one time and a Coach bag I got another. But …
Right now they are doing remodeling, which seems like a pain for all involved. Fine – I get that. They are down to only one fitting room. Frustrating! But I understand. Before me, they permitted three ladies with literally about 30 items to go in. They had a shopping cart full and I had to wait around 20 minutes, which was really frustrating! There was a guy behind me who wanted to try on 2 t-​shirts and they wouldn’t permit him to use the one with the broken door, even though he said he didn’t need to close the door. No one was there trying to make anything easier for people who wanted to buy things. I said he could go ahead of me, but he got frustrated with the wait.
When the 3 ladies FINALLY left, the security guard, Anna, realized she shouldn’t have let them in with that many items. She loudly proclaimed it wasn’t her fault, and then decided to take it out on me. I could only take in 6 items. Fine. But she wouldn’t permit my mother to come in with me, so I had to put on shoes every time I wanted my mom to look at a pair of pants! And then Anna wouldn’t permit us to exchange things out for other items. She wanted me to put my own clothes on every time I was done with 6 items to take all 6 out and get 6 new ones. I couldn’t hand out 4 pairs of pants, while I was wearing one of their pants and a shirt (I had foolishly worn a dress) to get 4 new ones! After I literally waited 20 minutes while other people were allowed all the items they wanted. And there were four other people waiting, all of whom had lots of items too!
We finally got permission from one manager to have my mother come in with me, but when he left, Anna started saying it wasn’t allowed! She threatened to have me removed from the store if I complained! I have never had anyone threaten to remove me from any store in my entire life, and in front of my mother she is threatening me like I’m a shoplifter or something. It was both humiliating and aggravating.
We called the assistant manager, who was very nice. If she had taken charge at this point, I think difficulties could have been averted, but she was in the back, except when called to the front.
I understand that remodeling is no-one’s idea of a good time. But the employees can choose to ameliorate a difficult situation or exacerbate it. Anna was the worst – «don’t question her authority!» But no one there tried to make things better. If they had someone problem-​solving, they could have made it smoother for everyone. Go to Fred Meyer and buy a cheap shower curtain. Offer to let people try things on in the bathroom. Let the guy try on t-​shirts without closing the door. Let my mom in; let me take in more items if we leave our purses at the front. Stop repeating «these are the rules» when they have already been broken by other people and the policies were never designed for that size a store with only one fitting room. Respect the customers and we’ll be back. Treat us like a problem to be threatened with removal and we will remove ourselves!
I did find a super-​cute dress for $ 12, but, honestly, I would have gladly paid another $ 28 to find it at Nordstrom’s rack, not wait in line for 20 minutes and not be treated like a criminal for daring to want to make things go a little quicker for all! I only stayed because my mom wanted to – she likes to buy me cute things. But I will only return if my mom really wants to. I expect will stay on the East side of the river unless we need Powells.

This is one of Goodwill’s worse store’s. Dirty, unorganized, pricey for used stuff, and the biggest thing BED BUGS. Do not buy clothing or furniture here. I have on a number of occasions seen bed bugs. When I report it they either deny it or act like they don’t care. Don’t shop at this location. I have friends that have seen bed bugs there also. If I could I would score this location in the minus’s.

Small but surprisingly organized. Less than half a rack for t-​shirts and they are all 4.99. Very small selection of VHS tapes. That being said, I found a great t-​shirt for my girlfriend and she found a couple old-​school VHS tapes. In comparison to other Goodwills, this one was great. In comparison to other thrift stores, it was just so-​so.

Floor manager was extremely rude, would NOT even listen to me, walked away while I was still talking. Basically had to spew words out as fast as I could in case he should happen to accidentally listen. Still irritated. Not sure if I ever want to go back.

Cons:
* Their parking lot is teeny tiny and almost always full. The lot across the street @ Ringside is overflow for Goodwill and Elephants, but you have to get there before 5 p.m. when it becomes valet parking. You will have zero luck finding any street parking close to the Goodwill after 5, so plan accordingly.
*Their prices are all over the place. Absolutely no consistency. For example, a button down shirt from The Loft will be $ 3 or $ 4 more than a shirt from The Gap. Or vice versa, totally depends on the day. You won’t find a T-​shirt for less than $ 7 or $ 8. A used coat from Old Navy will run you $ 40+, but a $ 300 designer blazer is $ 10. Unless they know it’s designer, and then you probably won’t see it there because it will be shipped off to their downtown boutique store (which is a joke, btw — how they even keep that store open is beyond me).
*While there are some treasures to be found, you have to go there often and be swift. Don’t wait to buy something you like.
*The store is small and on weekends and afternoons you can’t walk through the aisles or browse the racks.
Pros:
*The staff is always friendly.
*Sometimes their pricer misses a designer item and prices it *all* wrong. Like the other day when I found a beautiful $ 700 purse right next to a $ 20 purse from Target. They were the same price. I’m sure you can guess which one I bought.
*From what I’ve seen, the men’s department is stellar. Tons of designer jeans and barely worn designer shoes.
*If you’re a woman size 0 – 8, you’ll find some good deals on designer denim. They don’t seem to know some of the more obscure designers (I don’t even want to mention the designer names in case their eagle eyed pricers read Unilocal reviews.. .) The majority of women who donate to that store seem to be on the petite side.
That being said, I agree with other negative reviews about Goodwill and their pricing. I’ve only lived in Portland for five months and prices have jumped 20 to 30%. They need to be careful or they are going to completely price themselves out of the market. I can shop sales and buy new for what Goodwill is starting to ask. I actually prefer Salvation Army because they seem to price everything the same — if it’s a sweater it’s X amount, whether it’s designer or not. They also have days where everything is half price (I think it’s Wednesday).

«Goodwill…Poppin’ tags!»
This is one of the better Goodwill’s in the area. I’ve come in on a few occasions and found some pretty fresh, «Charlie Sheen style, goin’ to the bar» men’s shirts for a really good price.
Sometimes they’ve been brand, spankin’ new too. With the original tags still on them.
Kind of a small store, though.
So you gotta figure you’re not always walking out of here with a «come up».

This is an OK Goodwill, which I think is pretty standard in comparison to others that I have visited. I appreciate their location being so walkable, but I found that their prices were a bit steep ($ 15 for a pair of sunglasses?!). I may come back in the future, but won’t make a regular appearances here.

If you like the challenge of a good search, then this is the Goodwill for you. On top, it does look a little ramshackle and out of order, but scratch around and you will find treasures. They have a great selection of household items, which is a real boon to this apartment-​dense neighborhood. I realized my spoon supply had run low awhile ago and decided to supplement my supply with some from Goodwill. I managed to get teaspoons, soup spoons, and even iced tea spoons galore from the same pattern for a great low price. Their book section is excellent, and I’ve picked up some fine bargains in the clothing department. Of all the things that made me the happiest, I bought a relatively new ergonomic Microsoft keyboard here for $ 5 (they usually cost about $ 65 to $ 70 in regular stores). It’s great fun poking around through their «tech» section.
I think one complaint about this location is the parking, but I simply overcome that by walking or busing. Also, when I bring items for donation, I have found the employees in that department are a little sloth-​like and lacking in customer service skills. I know it’s Goodwill, not Nordstrom’s, but I think it would benefit these folks tremendously to put a little pep in their step and also for someone to give them a few tips on interacting with customers.

Not my absolute favorite GW but it’ll do. I’ve found quite a number of fine baubles and trinkets here. It’s a pretty small store and they do not have any carts, which is fine by me. I like to travel light… stick and move, stick and move. There’s usually parking in the lot or closeby. It’s right next to Elephants Deli so you can get a shnacky woo when you’re done. One of the better stores for shoes. Not so much for games or furniture.
Protip: ask the cashier for a ‘Code R’ if you wish to use the locked restroom but are too shy to tell them you want to empty your bottom.

It’s Goodwill… either you get it or you don’t.
Parking can be a pain here around lunch as they have a small lot and Elephant’s Delicatessen is right next door. I’ve never had to park more than a block away, but their lot is tight.

It seems that every time I venture down to the basement to take out my trash or recycling, one of my lazy-​ass neighbors has left his or her junky stuff in the basement area.
NOTE: none of use here wants your old down comforter, used coffee pot, or circa 1982 television set. Take that shit to the Goodwill.
I am a regular at the Goodwill. Not because I find haute couture there or couture of any kind there; but because it is close to my flat, it helps me get rid of the crap that I don’t have room for in my life, and I get a tax deduction.
Thank you very much.

An ok ‘CITY’ Goodwill.
The accessories were a little unorganized, so it was difficult to find any specific sizes for the shoes, and the hats were all scattered together on top of the clothes racks, as well as the bags, necklaces, bracelets, scarves, etc…
Other than that, this place has pretty good selections, and a lot of people were walking out with good finds. Fitting rooms were clean and the employees were awfully friend. I ended up strutting out of the place with a new bowler hat.
Very proud of that, very proud of that. :)

The cast-​offs from the extremely affluent were all for my gain…
I have found some great finds here… and it’s for real, folks. i.e. Kitchen Aid blender with no defects, Coco Chanel (full bottle, nothing rancid here, still with the Nordie’s tag on it), J Crew tops and bottoms, Pottery Barn servingware and mugs, Pier 1 (the same), Williams and Sonoma items, very warm down jackets, Dansko and J Siebel shoes, but my absolute favorite find:
a set of quality crystal wine glasses that are oh so pretty…
Could build some really defined arms were I to use them for sets and reps.
PS Shop till you drop, and then treat yourself to Elephant’s Deli… nice way to spend a few hours, eh?

OK — since I just completely dissed the Goodwill «boutique» downtown, I will play nice with this one… but it’s easy to! THIS is the location to go to if you are downtown; they have just as many designer, new clothes as the overpriced «boutique» store for much less $$$. Sometimes they are a little high, but they also have a color tag ½ sale each week («boutique» does not!) and you can get $ 15 designer jeans for $ 7.50! Woot! It seems like none of the Goodwills out here actually sell anything for less than $ 5, but this one consistently has really nice items.
All of the employees are super-​extra nice, I’ve been impressed several times on their patience and ability to deal with what seems like 500 customers at once… this location gets really busy, so it gets especially trashed on the weekends. It’s always nice and neat the next morning — they work their tails off here! My favorite Goodwill, by far.

Eh, not the best Goodwill I’ve been to, unfortunately.
Things are organized into sections, but within each section is an explosion of items. I know it’s not usually super organized at Goodwill or something, but this location seemed particularly bad to me.
Their children’s clothing section is extremely small, which disappointed me. I can often fit into a lot of kids clothes and the prices are usually cheaper, so I try to hit that section as often as possible. However, there were few things at all in the children’s section at this location.
They had tons of women’s clothing, which was a bonus, but for some odd reason some of it was organized by COLOR rather than size. I was looking through the sweaters, confused by the mismatching of sizes when I realized they were actually sorted by color. That makes no sense to me whatsoever.
I just wasn’t a huge fan of this location.

What is it about this Goodwill that makes it better than all the others? I theorize that the «ladies who lunch», residing in the West Hills, must have their butlers drop off their quarterly cast-​offs here.
I have never seen more barely-​used Nordstrom-​brand clothes and shoes. They also have an area behind the counter with the REALLY good cast-offs…I once saw a Coach bag hanging there.
Yes, someone put a Coach handbag in their Goodwill pile.
If you are a sucker for the deal like I am, check it out!