Goodwill Haul: J.Crew, Gap, Target, + More!

In my March Obsessions post, I mentioned Goodwill and the amazing finds I've had there lately. I have become a big, big fan of shopping at Goodwill, and I am someone who probably could be described as a bit of a label snob. So whether you're an avid Goodwill shopper, haven't been to one in years, or just think it's not for you, this post is to give you an idea of the sorts of things I've found at mine and why you should be paying a visit to the Goodwill in your area! At the bottom, I've also created a list of tips for anyone hoping to find great stuff at Goodwill, based on my own experiences so far. I'm quickly becoming sort of a Goodwill expert, at least according to my friends!

Details of my trip:

I was amazed to find brand new (with tags!) and like-new high-quality, name-brand stuff at many different locations. I'm fortunate enough to have three separate locations within about 5 miles from my house, so this opens up the selection of stuff available to me. In the Chicago suburbs (where I live), there are locations all over the place, so if I'm willing to drive an extra 20-30 minutes, the options are virtually endless. Everything I'm featuring here today was purchased during the weekend of March 28-30, and I went to 7 stores in total, all within a 15 mile radius of my house. Several of these items were purchased during a 20% off sale.

The Goods:

Look at all this stuff!



For Me:
1. Navy skirt (DIYed to turn into a pencil skirt from an ankle-length) | $3.99
2. Dee&Ray peplum top | $2.39
3. Gap red gingham button-down | $3.19
4. American Eagle green striped button-down | $3.19
*5. Target white long-sleeved tee | $2.39
6. Target yellow cardigan | $4.99
*7. Target red girls skirt | $ 2.99
*8. Target black girls skirt | $2.99
9. Old Navy polka dot cardigan | $3.99
10. Target patterned shorts | $3.99
11. Gap plaid button-down | $3.99
12. J.Crew pink striped top | $3.19
Not pictured: Green H&M skirt ($3.19) and *Purple boatneck tee from Target ($1.59). Because I am a dumdum who forgot to grab these for the picture.



For Averie:
*1. Target navy girls skirt | $3.99
*2. Target turquoise pajama pants | $3.19
3. The Children's Place jeans | $2.39
4. The Children's Place jeans | $2.39
5. Eddie Bauer green button-down | $2.39
*6. Target red girls skirt | $2.39
*7. Target pink girls skirt | $2.99
*8. Target gray girls jeans | $2.39
9. J.Crew Crewcuts girls dress | $2.39
*10. Target green girls coat | $3.19

* = Brand new with tags on!
(And yes, I buy bigger kids' clothes too, if I find good deals. My kids are growing and will fit in them someday!)

Grand Total for Everything, pre-tax: $73.76!

A Few Tips on Shopping Goodwill:

1. Go often!
I've had trips where I leave with a few or no items, and others where I was loaded down with great finds. It all depends on when you go and what is in stock, especially since there is new stuff coming in every day. Goodwill doesn't keep anything in their store for longer than three weeks, so every three weeks it's a completely new store! If you have access to more than one Goodwill, go to as many as possible. Every few weeks, I like to make a day out of just hitting multiple stores in the area.

2. Find out when the best deals are!
At the stores near me, certain tag colors are marked down 50% on certain days. (These are the pieces that are nearing the end of their three weeks in the store, and at the stores here, they get marked down on their last Sunday & Monday in the store.) I think this is a pretty standard Goodwill practice. Ask at the stores near you to find out if there are special discounts on certain days.

Also, the Goodwills near me get their shipments from Target on Tuesdays. Yes, that's right--Target's clearance merchandise that doesn't sell after a given amount of time is sent to Goodwill stores and sold even cheaper. Ask your Goodwill when stores in the area such as Target drop off their merchandise. Some of those items go quickly, so it pays to know when it's coming so you can get there early!

3. Take the time to go through everything.
Some finds, like a patterned top or sweater, will catch your eye right away. Others might be hiding, so take the time and go through piece by piece, looking at both the style itself and the brand. One of the coolest things I found was a brand new (WITH TAGS) J.Crew shift dress, for $5. It was hiding in with women's tops and may not have been found at all if I hadn't been browsing the whole rack. Sadly, it was an XS and I'm more like a XXS, so it did not make it home with me. (Total first world problem, I know.) When I went back a few days later, it was already gone. Somebody found the deal of a lifetime!

4. Grab anything/everything that strikes your fancy right away! Then try it all on.
Sometimes I'm amazed that certain items are still sitting on the racks at all. If you find something interesting, even if you're not sure, pick it up right away! You don't want someone else to grab it while you're wandering the store, thinking about it.

5. Some of the best deals are the fixer-upper pieces.
One of my now-favorite skirts, a navy blue cotton pencil skirt, started out as a frumpy ankle-length skirt...like, picture your middle-aged teachers in the 1990s. It fit beautifully in the waist, so I brought it home, took it in on the sides, and hemmed it. I've also found cheap pants that I turned into shorts. I'm really a pretty novice seamstress, but even those basic sewing skills open up a world of possibilities for pieces that would be perfect with a little tweaking. So even if something is a little longer or a little wider than you'd like (flared jeans, for example), those pieces are easy to transform into skinnier or more flattering pieces. Pay more attention to quality, brand, and condition of the item, and decide if a few quick alterations could make it more wearable.

What do you think of thrifting? Have you had any luck with Goodwill? What were your best finds?

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