How the 'Jose's live

[wodehouse]

Went out looking for a small kichen table for my mom over the weekend. Went to some furniture stores, stopped by some consignment shops, then even went to the big Goodwill store (all because mom was VERY specific about what she wanted). The consignment shops were interesting. Some very nice stuff mixed with a lot of junk. I was surprised at the number of old, 19" CRT televisions with tags of $199 on them. Sheesh, I'd go to Best Buy and get an LCD.

Most interesting was Goodwill. Place was hopping with shoppers. Same types of televisions were marked $19.99. One dining room set was actually very lovely, I'm surprised it wasn't snapped up, but it was relatively pricey at around $200. Old major appliances, old toasters, waffle irons, etc. All that sort of stuff that I toss out without even thinking about. Although for the past 3 years my wife and I have made a LOT of trips to Goodwill to get rid of old junk as we've moved. Although now I see with new eyes that most of this wasn't really junk compared to what of lot of what Goodwill was selling. But Goodwill was doing a great business that day. Most of the customers were the Jose's of the world, not the Joneses, but more power to them. Goodwill seems to serve several purposes...providing very low income people with places to get needed items at very very low prices, and all this 'stuff' that has some life remaining to it can serve a new owner before ending up in the recycle plant or landfill...a benefit to society as a whole.

One thing that astonished me was they had several of your basic aluminum hospital-style walkers for $6-$8 in like-new condition. Last month I paid $80 for a new one at a drugstore...(chorus) "shoulda shopped at Goodwill!"

[whoisjohngalt]

I think you can find amazing furniture deals in GW, it's just time consuming bc you never know when they will have it.

Lena

[kansasflower]

Consignment shops can have the best finds. I found a real wood floor to ceiling china cabinet for less than $400 including delivery. Over 100 years old and the only wear & tear is a handle that slips out of place. New real wood china cabinets in the retail stores start at $3,000.

With resale shops is you never know what you are going to find, but if you enjoy the "search" they are great places to check out.

[Deleted]

I look for china, glassware and fun stuff for our cabin (which we also have as a vacation rental) at Goodwill and thrift shops. When stuff goes missing or breaks I don't feel so bad if I only paid a couple of bucks for it.

Other than linens and a couple of lamps, everything in our cabin is "recycled" and it looks pretty darn cute if I do say so myself!

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

It depends on the Goodwill I suppose. Ours rarely has quality furniture available in the store and I can purchase brand new what I'd pay used there.

I think they do a good service for communities, but overall I am finding unless I want something unique why pay what they want when I can pay the same or even less at a retail store?

Also now that it is hip to shop there it is so overcrowded with people that it is worse than shopping at Wal-mart on a Saturday. I'd have to be going there every day to be able to compete with those people for the good deals and I just don't want to spend the time elbowing those people out of the way. I'll save money elsewhere.

I still kick myself for not purchasing a really neat dresser that would have looked awesome in a nursery/ child's room, but we were two years away from having a kid at the time and I had no where to store it.

Salvation Army is the best for baby clothes. It can be a hunt to find items but I got a lot of DD's wardrobe for the first 3-4 months there for practically nothing.

[Savoir Faire-Demogague in NJ]

The "Jose's"...?



Anyway, when I bought my shore house eight years ago, I completely furnished it with items purchased at the local Habitat for Humanity store, and garage/yard sales in the local towns. All good stuff, used, but dirt cheap.

[wodehouse]

SF, check out the "Joneses" thread. And since there were many Hispanics at the Goodwill store it just popped into my mind to call them Jose.

This is southern Gulf Coast Florida. Full of senior citizens who moved south from New York, New Jersey, etc, years ago. They die off and their kids come down and pack all the stuff off to Goodwill. I have NEVER seen so many Goodwill stores in an area.

Habitat for Humanity stores just seemed to come into this area. I never realized they had stores. I shoulda checked that out Saturday, I meant to! Doh! But we got a table at 'DinetteLand'.

[Gardening Grandma]

I shop at three different GW stores. They are very different. My favorite one is about a 45 minute drive, so I don't go there very often. But they have the largest selection, the best organization and the best return policy. They also have the most crowds.

About five years ago, I was looking for a desk to convert into a sewing desk. You do have to sift through a lot of junk, but I did find a solid wood desk that was the right size and quality. I had DH cut a hole in the top and create a dropped shelf for my sewing machine. I'd have never done that if I'd paid a lot of money for it. Once it was painted, it's perfect for my sewing room.

I shop there for clothes for my granddaughter and mother. They are both hard to fit, but I can alter clothing for them. Because they are in institutions, their clothing has to endure harsh washing and drying and must not need ironing. It also gets lost and ruined, so I don't want to spend a lot of money.

I tend to find nicer stuff at a consignment thrift store that is affiliated with Children's Hospital (I donate my nicest stuff to them too). And I really like Habitat stores for better quality furniture. I'm currently looking for some artwork and hope to find it there.

[stats45]

It is hard to find higher quality furniture at Goodwill's around where I live because there are so many consignment auctions and stores. I think auctions are fun, but there is an element of luck. You have to get there on a day when there are few dealers or when the dealers there just don't want the things you do.

[whoisjohngalt]

I "heard" somewhere that you can get nicer stuff in GW in the nicer, richer areas. So, if Jose goes to GW not in his neighborhood, but in the Joneses neighborhood, he might score much nicer things

Lena

[resolution]

I am not much of a shopper, but DH likes to go to estate auctions. Some of the antique furniture can be bought very cheap and others are bid up to crazy amounts. I am still bummed that we didn't get a coat tree at the last one, but the price got crazy high and we dropped out of the bidding. We are going to another one next month for DH birthday. cochranauctions.com/Richard-L-Leatherman.php

[dancinmama]

When we relocated over (5) years ago, our "new" home had built in bookshelves in the great room and the office. I have always been a library user so I did not have ANY nice hardcover books for the bookshelves. I went to the Goodwill and was able to find books by authors I love in new condition for $1 or $2 each!! The great thing about it is that if people come to visit for more than a couple of days, they are welcome to grab a book out of our "library" to read in bed or whenever and take it with them when they leave.

[❤ mollymouser ❤]

I buy a lot of used books at thrift stores ~ great deals! Then I donate them back later!

We got our dining room's cherry wood china cabinet and Queen Anne table at a consignment store.

We found our dining room cherry wood table and chairs from the classifieds (used)... also a great deal.

I don't like to buy upholstered-type furniture used due to bed bug and related concerns.

[oreo]

There are some church run thrift shops in our area and they seem to have the best selection and prices. When I've been to Goodwill or Salvation Army in our area, there are TONS of people there and the places aren't very well kept and he prices aren't all that great.

[Deleted]

I was a faithful customer at a couple of consignment shops near my old place in NJ. When I divorced, my Ex took most of the stuff in the house, a concession I was happy to make. (Better than paying him alimony, which was his first request.) I gradually picked up the things I needed in the second-hand shops. It looked like some of the items were wedding gifts- they appeared brand new.

I always had a good time at those places- a bit of a treasure hunt, and the bill when you left with your treasures was always reasonable.

[Anne_in_VA]

I regularly shop at thrift stores as well as our local Children's Hospital thrift store. The GW's here are mostly dirty, crowded and their prices are pretty high for a used item. Like the OP, a lot of the electronics are very overpriced.

We have one thrift store which gets new furniture from a local store. The pieces have something wrong with them, usually something minor. I bought a beautiful table for my living room from this store and the only thing wrong with it was one of the wing nuts holding on the leg was broken - I think I paid about $25 or $30.

I also shop at auctions and have gotten some great things at dirt cheap prices. Some items I've been interested in have gotten bid up by other bidders, but I always know what I'll pay for an item and it the price goes up too high, I drop out of the bidding.

[thyme4change]

Traditionally, Jose is a first name, and Jones is a last name - so it isn't a great comparison. An innocent mistake.

Garcia, Gonzalez, Hernandez, Sanchez, Lopez

Those would probably be more appropriate.

[8 Bit WWBG]

DQ and I have had this conversation plenty of times!

I think some Goodwill/thrift stores count on people's guard being down -- ie: people may assume that a thrift store will always have good prices because it is a thrift store.

That is often not so. Sometimes the same item brand new sells for a few dollars more elsewhere. As was said... $200 for a 19" CRT...

I like the point about keeping junk out of landfills though. We have indeed made many donations to goodwill along those lines. We are also very thankful that we are able to afford to buy brand new, better stuff.

[Sum Dum Gai]

Our goodwill blows. Granted, I didn't dig through the clothes. There might be some decent finds in there. All the household stuff looked like garage sale rejects or something. It was pretty sorry.

[wodehouse]

thyme, but those other names don't have the visually alliterative effect that does this combo.

[thyme4change]

Jiminez?
Juarez?

[thyme4change]

Why can't I think of anything that doesn't end with a "z"?

[Deleted]

I get annoyed when I go to the thrift store. The local paper did an article that showed the "owner" made millions (free merchandise) and gave so little to charity. The stuff doesn't even go to "needy" people. A driver was fired and arrested because he gave away a coat to someone without one while he made his run.

So I do CraigsList (rarely . . . mostly for buying) and some freecycle. There is a second thrift store in our area (no Goodwills . . . the rich folk voted against them opening a store), and I will reluctantly give stuff to them if I'm impatient to get rid of something.

I really like freecyle, too. My ex bf and his buff sil put a heavy tube 32 inch tv up on a high shelf in our sunroom. We decided to replace it with a HDTV. We figured our choice was to wait until it died and PAY several strong people to get it down, or we could offer it while it still worked and get it down for free. It went away immediately. Almost everything I post on freecycle does, but I do say, "It's going to the thrift store on ---."

[gsbrq]

I relied heavily on thrift stores for clothes, furniture, household goods, books & cds when I was younger and my house was more bare. I would go with like-minded friends; it was entertainment for us. If you are making the rounds regularly and aren't in a hurry to buy, you will eventually stumble upon some fantastic deals.

I don't go to thrift stores much anymore, because I have pretty much everything I need, and I don't have as much free time to browse when there is something I need.

[Poppet]

At my Goodwill we have announcements in Jones as well as Jose language.

Anyway, I went to G.W. yesterday and it too was hopping with all kinds of people of all stripes.

Second hand is sweet. Total treasure hunt. Never know what goody somebody didn't want.

[daisylu]

I never go in looking for a particular item, but I like to browse the store when I have the time.

[cheapgenes]

Lots of Jose's where I'm at. The thrift stores here don't have a dressing room to try on clothes. I guess to many thefts. My other gripe, the clothes here cost a lot more than another state I often shop in. Best to shop in thrift stores where Jose doesn't shop.