MERS Goodwill

Sadly the MERS Goodwill of Missouri does not accept returns for online purchases. I purchased a really expensive game that did not work and was broken and they would not honor a return. The large game was also sent in a makeshift box with pieces loose in the shipping box. Buyer beware! I will never risk an online purchase with them again.

I came. I saw. I will never return.
The Goodwill Outlet contains dozens of bins filled with miscellaneous items. Although you should expect nothing to be organized, I noticed on my visit that /​some/​bins seemed to contain predominantly one type of item (e.g., clothing, books). For the most part, however, the bins contained a wide array of goods. With the exception of furniture and other large items that are priced individually, prices were as follows:
Books: $ 0.15/in
Glassware: $ 0.29/lb
Everything else: $ 0.89/lb
I had skimmed some reviews before visiting and had seen «wear gloves» pop up in a number of said reviews. Upon entering the store, I even saw a sign that said they sold gloves for $ 2.
Oh, honey. Heed those warnings. I was looking for silk ties for a craft project, and I thought I’d be fine if I just kept an eye out for broken glass. I saw plenty of broken glass, and I did not cut myself. However, I touched two different pieces of clothing/​fabric that were WET. Why were they wet? I don’t know. Let’s move on. Let’s never speak of it again.
Just understand that, well, this shit is nasty. I’m just going to be blunt. I saw trash in the bins, a shirt that looked like it had been through a shredder, and a pillow that was so stained its stains had stains.
Other reviewers have made some excellent points:
«You never know what you’re going to walk out the door with!»
«It can be washed!»
But I’d like to offer what I think is an equally valid point:
«No.»
I ended up finding five silk ties for my project, which I purchased by weight, for a total of $ 1.42. In my experience, ties range in price from $ 1 to $ 15 at other thrift and resale shops in the area. I’m not going to lie – getting FIVE for the price of a cheap one was a pretty sweet deal!
On the other hand (oh, my poor, sullied hands), I spent a considerable amount of time sorting through a considerable amount of crap just to find those ties. I know we said we weren’t going to talk about it again, but two of my ties (40% of my purchase!) were found in the – ahem – «wet bin». I felt obligated to buy them because I had suffered for them, damn it! I. HAD. SUFFERED.
So, why am I giving them 3 stars?
1. For a place where you essentially rummage through garbage, it’s actually pretty clean inside. The /​stuff/​might not be clean, but the facility is.
2. The employees were friendly. I didn’t encounter anyone rude.
This place just isn’t for me.

Read the review by Haley H., it is a perfect summery.

Three words… W.T.F??? That place was disgusting. Finding «gems» or not… it’s a warehouse with people rummaging through trash in pig troughs… literally. We walked half way in with jaws dropped and walked right the hell back out. I refuse to shop anywhere where I have to wear gloves to «shop.» Walk in looking for a bargain… walk out with Hep C!

I’ll start by saying that this place is an absolute nightmare. It is so unorganized, dirty, full of (sometimes really rude) people, and occasionally dangerous (broken glass in the bins, etc).
Bring gloves (I like wearing work/​gardening gloves) and bag (s) to carry your loot because they don’t have any.
BUT the staff is so friendly and helpful, everything is dirt cheap (.79/​lb, .15/​in books), you’re bound to find something wonderful!
Here are some of my best finds:
— Two really cute, blue, patterned, bulletin boards
— A heavy duty hot glue gun
— Frames for crafts/​decorating
— A blank white canvas
— A dry erase board
— A drawer organizer
Also, I’m a preschool teacher and this is, hands down, the GREATEST place to buy children’s books. I work with 2 – 3 year olds, so it’s about quantity, not necessarily quality. The kids just want fun, bright, pictures to look at and then they’ll probably end up ripped/​colored on after a few months. I bought about 35 children’s books for a DOLLAR. Books are .15/​inch.
So again, if you’re not up for the chaos, don’t go. I get it. I was so stressed out my first time but it really can be an amazing place to find great items! You just have to be able to look past the mess, the dirt (it can be washed!) and the chaos!
Good luck!

I thought the bad reviews were an over exaggeration. They weren’t. There was literally a broken trash can in the bins. You really do need gloves to search through the bins. I didn’t stay in there long enough to give a detailed review. I’m not a picky person but this was just too much. I went to another goodwill not too far from this one and got some really nice items, and the place was well kept and organized. Im not sure why the owners of this one don’t try to organize and make things a little more presentable. I’m giving it a 3 because I really didn’t spend that much time in there and I want to give it the benefit of the doubt but if you don’t want to feel gross digging through stuff I would not recommend shopping here.

I absolutely love this place… it does require gloves and the customers are aggressive but you can’t beat the deals

If your a treasure hunter you need to check this place out. It’s a little dirty but that’s why it’s fun plus your donating to a great cause. The bins are a mystery and you never know what your going to walk out the door with.

The experienced bin divers at this Goodwill Outlet bring gloves for the grime; the smart bring surgical cold-​masks for the airborne particles.
I’ll admit that I originally was unaware that this was an outlet for Goodwill — the bottom pickings from the bottom pickings. I checked it out for household odds-​and-​ends when I first moved to Saint Louis, and for a few weeks believed this was how all mid-​west thrift stores were: just bins of literal junk for you to sort through at your own peril. Even after I was set straight, it still wasn’t impressive. You may possibly find what you want at «pay by the pound» pricing, but at what cost? A store that’s so out of the way google maps will assume you want to cut through a freight shipping yard to get to, no organization for the already slim pickings, and non-​sarcastic concerns for your health if you didn’t come prepared.
If you’re a fan of dumpster diving, and wish it was contained in a warehouse — this is for you. In my opinion, however, even thrift stores should have a minimum standard above this.

If you like the people that are first in line at Walmart on Black Friday, you’ll love this place!!!
I first went here two years ago after landing a new job and needing some white oxford shirts. Didn’t realize it was an outlet and didn’t know about the «bin system» before going the first time – just figured it was a huge thrift store.
Somehow, my first visit was completely uneventful. Very few people in the store, and a lack of individuals with no home training that otherwise tend to swamp the place.
Within 30 minutes, I had three shirts and a lunch box, all for 94 cents. My next visit was something else. I wanted some new pajamas, and as thrift store customers know, thrift store PJs are the best because they’re at their softest.
This time, the place was FULL of people, and sadly, most of them had serious behavioral problems. A certain group of customers (about half of them) were like flies on fresh shit each time a bin came rolling out, and they were (very deservedly so!!!) screamed at by employees for not having any manners and not obeying simple instructions.
Watching the employees throw out and yell at customers for their behavior was like watching Steve Wilkos chew out dirtbags on white-​trash TV; those of us with manners and home training beamed on the inside and silently cheered on the employees who were «taking out the trash» so to speak. «It’s not that damn serious,» we’d all grunt to each other again and again as we dug through bins on the opposite side of the store, being messy but still aware of each other’s personal space.
A few times, I lucked out and was within 20 feet or so of a bin coming out. One time, I watched this woman lodge a lamp at another customer who dared to grab first at a $ 15, circa-​1998, cheapazz Audiovox tape deck stereo system, breaking the lamp into a bunch of glass shards after it bounced off the woman. Seriously? «Somebody didn’t raise you right,» I told the woman as I immediately left that bin for the checkout line.
Still, I had a half cart full of merchandise all for five bucks! That made it worth it yet again.
Don’t bring your under-​12 kids here. Please.

I had heard about the Goodwill Outlet and today was the day that I was going to venture in. It was very overwhelming at first. NOT a friendly person in the place. Huge blue bins lined the store and new ones were rolled out every few minutes. People stand and literally dig through the bins, clothes, curtains and books fly everywhere. You pay by the pound for your purchases. Furniture is priced. People just kept going around and around the store. It felt like a merry go round. I don’t think I will return, but I can check it off of the bucket list.

I would give this place zero stars if I could but alas one will do. I am an advent goodwill shopper and have furnished much of my apartment and wardrobe there. However this «goodwill outlet» was an utter mess and a gigantic disappointment. Bins full of crap thrown everywhere… I was super excited when I arrived to St. Louis and saw the sign. I wouldn’t send my worst enemy to this hell hole.

This place is absolutely insane, and I love it.
Apparently after an item makes it around all the local Goodwill stores, it finally finds its way to the Goodwill outlet. Newcomers beware, there is absolutely no order to this store. If you’re one of those people who can’t stand walking into a Marshall’s or TJ Maxx, you will absolutely HATE this place. If you’re looking for an adventure however, you might just love it.
There are blue bins as far as the eye can see, and in it you might find anything. Clothes? Electronics? A cowboy hat? A stuffed sheep? And they price at 79cents a pound. That’s insane! I left with my arms full of stuff, and it cost be $ 1.93! Also, I feel it important to point out that it looks like they accept cash, Mastercard, and Discover. Keep your Visa at home I suppose? Also, yes I saw people with gloves, but I didn’t really feel like it was that bad. I mean, yes I accidentally picked up a thong once… but it’s really not THAT dirty.
If you’re looking for a traditional Goodwill store, this is the wrong place for you. If you’re looking for an adventure, come on in.

WOW! Does anyone have the ability to actually describe this place? It’s like no place i’ve ever been!
I went on a Monday morning & the place was PACKED! Probably 100 ppl there total going through the bins. I had read reviews here & was alittle scared but NO NEED TO BE! It is not scarey! IN FACT (maybe my experience was unusual?) I was really pleasantly surprised at how nice other shoppers were. I mean you arn’t gonna meet your BFF there, but certainly not different then any other store. About 10 new bins came out when I was there & other shoppers were not pushy or rude with me or others that I saw. They were enthustic (that’s a good word ;o) but not in a overly aggressive way.
I walked out with about $ 7 worth of stuff & my cart was half full. I think at any given time if you were a regular shopper that you could find ANYTHING you would ever need (not sure you would actually want it, but if you are on a budget you could do well here). TRUST ME there was a lot of junk & trash (why do people donate trash to Goodwill? Just throw it away) but with alittle searching with gloves on (YOU HAVE TO HAVE GLOVES) you can find some really good stuff. 79 cents a lb for STUFF & .39 cents a lb for glass.
I found 2 aeropostale mens shirts/​sweatshirts in really good condition/​a precious moments figure in the box UNBROKEN (shocking)/3 iron candle holders that at TJ Maxx would have cost me at least $ 30 (they are heavy black iron & really nice)/a few small misc things & everything all together was $ 7!
No worries… overall good experience… i’ve had worse shopping experiences at Macy’s for the love of God! So don’t dis the Goodwill Outlet. If it isn’t your thing, you know that before you go & just don’t go. But if you like going to other thrift stores, you will like this place alot!

Oh. dear. gawd. Yesterday I experienced the Goodwill Outlet for the first, and possibly last, time. I had heard stories. I knew about the bins, that people wear gloves, and the general hysteria over new shit being rolled out. But nothing can truly prepare you for what you’re walking into, it’s like an alternate universe in there. It’s big, grey, kind of cold and generally disgusting. This is the crap they couldn’t sell in the regular Goodwill people, it’s not pretty! It’s just aisle after aisle of random ass crap. That you have to dig through. Ew. Most of it literally was trash. We found an empty Starbucks cup for god’s sake. And there were knives in those bins! What the hell!
The only part that was not utterly terrifying was the bins of books along the back wall. There were some gems in there, I’m not gonna lie, but really the amount of time and energy you have to waste to fine the good stuff hardly seems worth it to me. Yes, I only spent $ 1.89 on a bag full of books and a kids Cardinals shirt that I’m going to put on my dog, but we were in there for at least an hour, and it made me feel sick. It’s like heaven for hoarders, but personally I don’t need anything bad enough to subject myself to that mayhem more than once.

This place is what it is. Heaven.
If you don’t like dingy thrifting then stay away.
If you don’t have a few hours to kill then stay away.
If you don’t like wearing gloves to sift through bin after bin after bin of beautiful junk then stay away.
In all honesty, this place is packed enough as it is. So I am actually grateful for all of the 1 star people because they probably won’t be going back.
I try to go here on a weekly basis. If I could quit my job and go here daily then that would be ideal. The most I have ever spent is about $ 40. Usually my cart rolls in in about the $ 10-​$ 20 range. Every time my cart is full! The times that my total is more expensive is usually because I have a huge stack of records in my cart and those suckers are heavy!
All in all, my favorite ‘thrift store’ in the St Louis area.

I’m a fan of this place but ONLY because I’m a huge cheapskate. The atmosphere is horrible, the staff is rude 99.9% of the time, and nothing is organized at all.
HOWEVER, I’ve found lots of awesome books for only $ 0.39 a pound, which has helped me feed my book/​reading addiction (as well as my kid’s) without going broke. I’ve also found some shoes that were new, a few purses that were in good shape, and even a few toys that were nice.
Oh, and records! Vinyl records, LPs, 45s, 8 tracks… you can find LOTS of them if you go on the right day!
I would say 75% of what is out that you’re sorting through is pure junk, but the other 25% is great if you can find it. People are rude, they push you when new bins come out, and the parking lot is ALWAYS packed and near impossible to get into, but even after all that mess I still go back at LEAST once a week. :)
When you visit, make sure you bring some gloves to sift through the huge piles of junk. The other day we found a colostomy bag. YUCK!

Be prepared to be overwhelmed here. There is stuff everywhere, people everywhere and most of it looks like picked over junk.
Not my cup of tea for thrifting.

I really have mixed feelings about this place. Once in awhile you can find something really cool and pay less than nothing for it, that is awesome. I will tell you there are crazy people here as well. They wait for new bins to come out, they push, bite, and claw to get to it before anyone else. Sometimes the employees are jerks, once I got pushed into a chick that worked there, and she shoved me hard, I understand why she has to be that way, but shes lucky I didn’t shove her back, but I dont want to get banned.
Once, my hubby was by the area where this bin of electronics was wheeled out, and he put his hands on something like a dvd player or something like that, and this one guy dove on it and bear hugged it and wouldn’t let go unless my husband agreed to just let him have that, I really am not kidding, it was the funniest (or saddest) thing ever.
I go here with one of my girlfriends and there are people who stalk out the shoes, and when they are wheeled out, they basically take every matching pair they can, there are about 6 of them and they work together, my friend got all ballsy (she loves shoes) and once asked one of them what the hell were they doing, and they pretended not to speak English, so I have no idea what that is all about, but it happens every weekday.
I love finding new treasures, so I don’t let the above bother me at all–

This place is the king of thrift shops!
After having passed it many times in the recent months while driving on I-​40, we finally made a stop here. It is essentially a huge warehouse full of blue bins that are semi-​organized. When you go, get ready to dig and not have a very specific goal in mind. The price is very reasonable (79 cents per lb. Need I say more?). I found a ton of interesting stuff, from retro purses to Michael Jackson-​esque 80s embroidered jackets, to unique ceramics, all for less than $ 2. They were all in good shapes (i.e. not broken/​torn/​chipped/​dirty, although there was a ton that wasn’t in as good shapes)
Despite the fun digging, this place made me sad. I saw a photo album still full of pictures from what looks to be the 1950s and 1960s. It made me wonder what happened to the people in the family. There were also so many perfectly good stuffed animals that are going to become destroyed during recycling.