Yeah the local Goodwills and Salvation Armies are, in the main, insane around here. Way, way overpriced which means low-income people can't afford to buy products there, and it means less $$$$ in the coffers for their programs which supposedly are meant to help poor people (job training, jobs, services, etc). Why would a reasonable person pay more than retail for an item at GW/SA? They won't. It should be priced at about 1/4 to 1/3 of retail. Last time I took items to SA, they turned me down. I had 4 nice table lamps and 2 free-standing lamps, 2 nice side tables. The old bag working there said "we already have lamps and side tables -- have no room for these." So I replied "but the ones you have aren't as nice, and they are overpriced, that's why they are sitting there unsold. You need to price items better to move them and fund your mission." She just gave me a mean look and walked away.
that explains why the pricing has jumped significantly, but it's not just one person who makes these resell videos, so you can't be soley responsible since I can count over 1000's of videos of folks buying and re-selling. not just you
That speaks highly of you in my opinion! There's always other ways to source. The local thrift stores as well as chain thrift stores prices around here at least have greatly varying prices according to who is pricing that day, they may or may not take the time to research.
I appreciate what you do, Pete! I've learned a ton because of your videos. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with those of us still learning the ropes.
I had a friend that worked for salvation army, he told me that the good stuff he picked up from the drop boxes NEVER make it to the store, even if it does it doesnt make it to the shelf
Well, I think your transparency and integrity and openness are to your benefit. Other people may try to learn from you, but they won’t have the passion and energy and commitment you have. So, you have nothing to worry about. You’re the king.
Years ago, our local Goodwill headquarters called me in for a job interview to be the head co-ordinator for online auction sales.YT was new then,they used YT reseller videos and Ebay completed to get a general idea of #1 what designer brands commonly are donated #2 what collectibles are commonly donated (ie Fire King, Hall).I got a tour of the behind the scenes.Pallettes and Gaylord of vintage ceramics,vintage glassware,vintage artwork...I wish I had a pirate crew to help me raid all that treasure! The GW internet auctions were designed by GW to skim all the cream off top, the rest going to local GW stores and the pieces w/issues to the GW outlet. After passing the interview, the executive said the job is yours if you can correctly identify 6 out of 12 random collectible a worker pulls from various crates.I got 11 out of 12 correct including those w/stamped brand names.The guy gave me the job, but the salary turned out to be about $15/hr. No thank you. So, w/my experience, I agree w/you Pete, they don't pay the top supervisors who oversee the sorting/distributing of items enough.The workers themselves are often transitioning between jail or rehab back into society, it's not long term jobs so they aren't invested in getting ALL the best onto GW auction. Anyone working there w/half a brain and strong work ethic could figure out they could be earning more than GW executives by reselling instead!
@@DMWBN3 It would seem to me that you name it once and then after that, you can abbreviate it? rather than spelling it out every time? I remember that in my American edumcation.
I remember I saw a Nikon camera in goodwill for $75 and I looked it up on Amazon and it sells for $65 new and eBay it was for about $60 wtf is goodwill doing over pricing bad used items?
Wow I remember as a kid goodwill being the only place we could afford to shop. It's kind of a sore spot that he picked up all the sunscreen in the summer... But I guess it doesn't really matter in the big picture.
Pete you are right on. The Abundance Mentality is the right business plan. When Goodwill raises their prices-no one buys it until it is 50% or Dollar day. If they price things correctly at the start-people and resellers will buy everyday of the week not just every other Saturday. Keep up the good work my man.
Hey thanks Pete for all you do. You are so right. We need each other. Through buying and selling to one another for products or services we help move the capital around and get our economy moving. But damn its so nice of you to share the bits of information you know about this business that can help someone like me participate & profit with your model. Thumbs up for sharing.
I know someone that is a higher up manager at goodwill.....Goodwill is all for profit! They are NOT for the 'good will' of people in need. It does not matter if your poor or your in need of an income & resell. Over the years, they push the managers to make the most money for the company. Sure they may employ disabled people, but that really is just a cover up. I refuse to donate ANYTHING to that multi-million dollar company. All the left over stuff that is not sold in stores, is put on pallets & sold to 3rd world countries for more profit. IT is not donated or given to poor people, every last unmatched sock is sold for profit. You;ve been warned.
Gave away the game for free...damn. That's horrible for the people who take that route. Reselling needs to stay underground instead of being pimped out on RUclips. Great vids and info nonetheless.
Salvation Army in my area has started opening boutiques..things they think are worth more and prices are jacked up. I still find items that they overlooked their worth. There will alwaya be stuff..just makes it more of a search :)
Goodwill can't do anything about this... I went in three times, and three times I made more than $500 with an average of $30 spent lol it is what it is. I absolutely LOVE your videos, thank you for sharing so much information that I have learned.
Goodwill does sell stuff on their online auction and they should know how much time and effort goes into listing, and they still have to inventory it until it sells. They may pull some good flips out of circulation for us pickers, but their is so much stuff it's difficult for them to do the research on everything.
There may not be much to worry about, Pete, but it is interesting. Interestingly, I just spoke to a frequent GW shopper TODAY who is good friends with a GW employee. The employee said that GW managers at that particular store had a meeting talking about increasing prices because of the resellers. As you know (and many other resellers know), resellers frequent GW as a place for sourcing. Heck, even garage sellers are going to GW to source their stuff. I won't dare say, "It's Pete's fault". As you say, this model of business has existed for years. I would say it has existed for centuries.This "need" we have for each other will only add to the crap rolling downhill. Just like the price increases of shipping costs and since I can't afford to eat the costs, It's, ultimately, the consumers who will get hit with price increases. GW is a giant and one way to bring a giant down is to tie it's legs. Who keeps the giant running anyway?I like sourcing at GW, but their Department Store mentality and their greed will only force me to source elsewhere. Different GWs have similar items priced higher than others and whenever I come across those "expensive" stores, I leave empty handed because they leave me with no meat on the bone. I'd rather source elsewhere. You're right about one thing for sure, you've got to be a smarter picker!Great awareness video, Pete! Keep 'em coming!
I'm glad you made this video. Now I know who to blame for their price increases. JUST KIDDING! You are one of my favorite channels. I frequent 4 GW's in my area. There is no consistency in pricing. One day a District Manager stopped me for my opinion. He must have seen me a few times or the store manager may have mentioned me. I flat out told him my retail background and said, your prices are to high in some stores. They have 9 different pricing levels for clothing, he said. I told him the exact same thing you mentioned. There is no shortage of product coming in. GW should be selling volume not acting like every store is a boutique and trying for top dollar. Their biggest issue in my area is getting people to work there. Their floor employees are people who are doing community service chosen by them and the courts. They are not paid. Cashiers and taggers in the back are paid employees but they cant seem to keep them for long. A constant cycle of Hiring, training them, they find a better job and leave. Rinse/repeat. Listen to their commercial in the store. Goodwill helps people get back into the work force til they find a better job. Maybe that's how Non-profits work. Poor business model at the store level and frustrating for the managers. I've been asked several times from all 4 stores if I want a job. I think they know I can make more than the manager in a day and work only 4 hrs. There might be a jealousy factor to there pricing. Thinking they are missing out on profits that we are making. Just my observation of there business model.
Thanks for the video Pete. Here, Goodwill has jacked prices up, particularly on furniture. The new pricing makes it pretty difficult to justify buying to resell. Of course, there are still deals to be found,, but it's getting harder to find them. Interestingly enough, another thrift store manager told a friend that she realized the prices were too high for re-sellers and that she was dropping prices to encourage re-sellers to buy there. She asked her to spread the word among the community. Apparently when the re-sellers leave, the sales drop significantly. Hopefully Goodwill will realize this and take your advice. Continued good luck.
Get the same thing in the UK Pete, some of the charity shops are going bust. When you price to high for pickers your way to high for the people who need you . So its a double whammy they lose customers on every front. Add the fact that places like Primark and Matalan are selling brand new stuff cheaper. Still the average salary of a charity CEO is upwards of 150k (250k dollars) in the UK so they dont give a fuck. Charity really does start at home.
it is a stupid move for goodwill to start over pricing based on what we can get for reselling it. People don't shop at the good will to pay the prices they would get shopping ebay. If your goodwill prices start to rival ebay, then people will just stay home and shop on their couches and have it delivered to their house. why bother with your store at all. On the other hand the ebayer deserves the markup, they take the time to search out the name brands that sell well on ebay,they take the time to learn their customer base and the market rather than just shoving it all on the shelf. It helps our customers find the brands they are looking for, we do the extra work, listing them individually by name. Thrift store have their merchandise donated free for nothing, then they mark it up like they had to pay for it, when for them it is all profit anyway. People are not going to stand for goodwill making so much profit off of others donated generosity. The idea is so that it doesn't go in the land fill, someone else can get some use out of it, and the goodwill earns a little too for their causes. And that is exactly how ebaybuyers are using the goodwill, we are getting a little more use out of it, cleaning it up and fixing it up and gathering things into lots and complete sets to resell. We are not abusing anything, and goodwill does need to realize that they can't have it both ways, you can't lump sum price everything, and then expect to get a high price for the cheap brands too. Ebay shoppers want to shop at home in comfort, they don't want to go to the goodwill, and search every single item one by one to find the brands they want. Don't be silly goodwill, you are not ebay. You don't give the customer the service that ebay sellers do, finding for them what they want, and a marketing it in a way they can find them and have them home delivered..
The question is what does a goodwill customer expect to pay for merchandise when they are willing to search endless shelves of items that are often not even shelved correctly according to size, and what is the ebay shopper willing to pay, to have someone else do the searching for them, and clearly listing by brand and size, what they are looking for and packaged and home delivered, while they shop from their couch in their pajamas eating doritos. The good will needs to realize, the ebay shopper and the goodwill shopper are two seperate types of consumers. Goodwill you price and market to your strenghts,(which is mass sales, low prices, and mass pricing) and let us price and market to ours which is locating bargain prices for the name brand, easy to find for our customers, and home delivery.
I think it’s messed up to buy up stuff at goodwill that’s for people that are in need.. u know the point of goodwill! He’s gonna resell all those at higher price to people on eBay .. so u screwed a lot of people in need out of cheap sunscreen.
An example of Goodwill overkill: Harbor Freight had a RECALL on their drill and light set combo that you can purchase most times with a coupon for $19.00. At my local Harbor Freight If you took just the drill in they would give you a replacement of the entire set. This exact number match set was on the shelf of my local Goodwill priced $30.00!!! USED You can sign up at www.cpsc.gov/ to check for recalls on products. They will also send an email on latest recalls.
Goodwill does leave us. Like Pete says, if there isn't enough meat on the bone it stays on the shelf. And if there is good meat, trust me, we walk out with a shopping cart full of stuff. eBay is a lot of manual effort with risk. We cannot assume financial risk on top of the time and effort that goes into it. Keeping prices low will move more product and dollars into goodwill industry than for higher prices will.
More than likely you are not the only one they are watching. But you are right this doesn't mean anything as far as good or bad for other re-sellers. you're very informative and a great resource for others, thank you :)
yeah i remember going to goodwill as a kid and finding really cheap video games and consoles. But now they have priced them to match almost the same prices as a lot of ebay prices and it sucks. Goodwill is hurting themselves.
Lately I have noticed that Goodwills in my area are pricing items just over eBay prices. This wont last forever because why would someone buy something at Goodwill when the can get it cheaper online?
Forget the Goodwill store in Macon GA. Some of the prices are higher then when the item was new! One of the current manager's/cashier will even take your item and say, "Oh no, this is priced too low so instead of $2 we need $4 for it." I just walked out and didn't buy anything.
Our Goodwill's here in IL do not sell PC's, since hard drives are in them and contain personal info. All I find is power cords and beat up printers! Have to go to SAVERS to find PC's!
the only difference is we have the Internet to advertise . this is how business is done . it's been like this for centuries. your absolutely right. it's just more openly and advertised widely across the nation. those who give the bad reviews just don't know how the game is played. share and share and make money.
People get frustrated when they see others succeed. From what I can tell, you work your tail off. Good for you. I was explaining to someone about the concept of sourcing. Their immediate reaction was that it's wrong and cheating the customer! Can you imagine the mentality of some people that the entrepreneur spirit means your cheating. Free enterprise is all about what you do. You buy something for $1 and sell it for $10 when normally it would sell for $12 is the American way. If they want to buy it for a $1 nobody is stopping them from going out and finding it.
I personally know a relative in my family that worked at Goodwill for many years and took stuff, (hoarded) from the store. Her basement was absolutely stuffed to the ceiling where you could hardly get around with items taken from the store. The employees have first pick and take the valuable items before they even get inventoried. Eventually she got busted after very many years. Goodwill is a rip off store in my opinion.
Watching your channel reminds me of when I worked at Half Price Books. My favorite part of the job was pricing and researching. We got a lot of memorabilia and vintage toys. Oldest book we had was from the 1600s. I’m not surprised they like your videos, but it seems like they should have at least asked your permission. Not legally, but ethically. Ps No one sell to Half Price Books. It was standard for us to offer sellers 10% of what we thought we’d sell it for. The more impressive items might get you 15%-20%.
We have this problem with St.Vincent DePaul here (one of our 'big boy thrifts') - they all have dealers out the back who snap up the good stuff and their prices are the same as eBay (except clothes, I can buy clothes cheaper on ebay than in Vinnies). It's ironic that these places used to be for people who couldn't afford retail, now as someone on welfare I can barely afford to shop there. I know several people who used to make a living re-selling thrift finds and now are back on welfare because they think they can't make a worthwhile profit any more. I took a different route - I source mostly from independent thrifts and the local flea market and using Etsy have set up for a niche market who pay more than the 'ebay public' for certain things. Now I sell smaller volume at higher prices. Every business has challenges to overcome, it makes it fun. ;)
They might be using your videos to learn to reprice items. But they don't see everything else. Cleaning items up, testing the thoroughly, pictures, calculating shipping costs, etc. Goodwill is a company that was designed for the lower class to be able to buy items for an affordable price. If they jack their prices up then those people aren't going to be able to afford to shop there anymore.
you're cool Craiglist Hunter and don't worry about anything the only persons that feel treat about this are the bad sellers, like you said the buyers control the market in this case the ebay sellers are the buyers, we control the market.
With the advent of the internet...everyone is a expert in pricing...even pawn shops... market will dictate what sells and what doesn't... some of these thrift stores over price like crazy even for clothes.... so stuff don't move like it should...on occasion you might score something if its over looked... recently I scored a blood pressure medical device for $100 bucks after finding out they sell for $4500 new, to $3200 used... best offer I got on ebay was $1500 with a close buyer...so saved on shipping... good profit either way..with my experience working with doctors I knew I could probably move this item quickly... deals will get harder and harder to find as the older folks who don't use technology don't look up the value of their items...but the future and current generation does. Even at fleamarkets people price items at retail....sometimes the best way to get these fleamarket folks to offer them a price at end of day or when weather is bad so they will be forced to sale... seems to work for me..lol... "making evil face"....:>
It is a vicious cycle, GW has been ratcheting prices up for years. The other issue is as there are more resellers in the pool the amount you make is diluted. Most resellers have their little niche and it becomes a monkey see monkey do where everyone observes other resellers products and starts buying items in their niche. Leaving GW opens so many other doors, while I'm naming GW same holds true for Savers, SA and St V. DP
mMy local Goodwill here in Central Illinois researches prices online and prices their merchandise way too high. They don't bother to take onto consideration condition of the item. They also don't look at the sold price, just the listed price. Not all do this but my local one does.
No worries. It has been my experience that if thrift stores become more educated on value/pricing they tend to price their items too high, and are usually discounted anyways on their regular discount days. There is such an abundance of product to source. Best wishes! -Steven
check the expiration date on goodwill stuff they usually get out of date closeouts. then u have to disclose tha to the buyer and ebay may not like that.
You know, if Goodwill is looking at your videos and using them, this could be an opening to approach them - you could contact the district/corporate HQ and perhaps look into building a working relationship on that level. You are a person with knowledge and information, as well as a successful retailer which could be of value to them. Clearly your videos are. Let's not forget you also buy a lot of goods from them, and as a Non-profit, that is an important thing. As you said, they need "us".
Its been over a year since this video was posted. I still find plenty of stuff at the Goodwills I go to (not my only sourcing place) Just seen this video for the first time. I think the end of the world haters need to stop and think how they learned how to do this. I do this full time and I wouldnt be if it werent for videos like the ones Pete (and other youtubers) put out. Keep up the good work. I love your Channel
So, this video is over 3 years old now and I'm wondering if your opinion of things have changed, Pete? The effect of of RUclips on reselling and Goodwill.
Oh I have been shopping good will in my area in ct 6 locatios for years, I used to go in and buy stereo with speakers for $8 to $20 bucks than all of a sudden to $25 to $125 vintage Cameras use to be $3 to $10 NOW $8 $25 EVERY Thing went up all the antique glass wear I used to by $3 to $20 NOW ITS $15 TO 100 + I see a woman at one location all she does is price research in a back room any thing that we pickers would buy is marked up probably 40% than the old rates and I'm in CT , I have been picking for 35 years In NY- NJ -PA -CT ....GO FIGURE
If goodwill and other charity shops can educate themselves to make more money for their charities, then that is just them being responsible with the donated merchandise. People donate their used stuff to goodwill so that goodwill will make money for their charity, not so that pickers can make a profit. I don't begrudge anyone from making a profit when they can, but remember that Goodwill and Salvation Army also want to make as much money as they can. Unfortunately the Goodwill nearest me has raised their prices to ridiculous levels, where a new shirt (for example) from Target or Walmart would be cheaper than what Goodwill charges for a used one. I only shop there when they have a sale, these days.
lestrange the sad part about goodwill is the only charity is in the owners pocket. he makes over 130 mill a year. and 1% is given to help people. the rest proffit, same with red Cross and alot of the charities
lestrange, i would have to disagree with you on the reason ppl donate to Goodwill. they do it because they don't want to throw away decent things, or, don't want to deal with going to the dump, which isn't always close to one's house. so, drop off is for convenience, and to eliminate the guilt of throwing away otherwise good items. I've seen plenty of dump worthy items in and around the dumpsters behind goodwill stores, ppl also use the goodwill as the dump, which is a shame.
7 лет назад
Rex Tillerson the former ceo of exxon only has a bachelors degree. Now he is secretary of state. So rethink what you think there buddy. It isn't what you know it's who you know and always has been.
I am confused because nobody in this thread was talking about education. Was this meant to be a reply to a different comment? I mean I don't disagree with you but it's just kind of random or out of context.
look in chicago ---NYC/ Miami /Dallas-goodwill uses sub contract auctioneers to sell literally tons unseen pallets of used clothes/ furniture etc. for cents on the dollar, if not- it hits the landfill where it cost 5-6 cents per lb for disposal. seek and ye shall find maybe.
Here in IND Goodwill has a shoppe called Vintage Vogue that all the better stuff goes and man do they jack up the prices. Goodwill here is southern Ind. slim pickings.
I enjoy your videos as well as others... I am still trying to build capital to spend. Little by little. Yardsales are golden. And when they bring a fresh cart out at goodwill. My best find last week was an old glass motor oil jar I picked for 0.25. Keep picking!
Joe Monroe to be honest... those of us who see that should invest some money and take the egotistics down. all buy something off each of them and negative them.
great video Pete GW pricing is a complete disaster they are not loosing $ but they can Doble it if they go by sale volume they hold marchindise on the back of the stores for months paylup getting it damage
Goodwill are expensive in my area. Yard sales are lots cheaper. Too bad the suntan lotion is only 15. You are supposed to use at least 30. Love you dumpster diving. Could have put the torn kitty litter in a box to haul it.
Goodwill is a for profit company. They make cash off if the generosity of citizens which is OK if they did not pay the CEO's outrageously and give them company cars, houses and stuff.
I search goodwills auction site from time to time and i cant hardly buy crap on there. The prices get bid up to full blown retail and then they add $10 to $30 shipping. It's crazy.
Overpriced items sit and never sell. That's really all anyone needs to know and take comfort in. Anyone worried about things like this, needs to put on their thinker cap!
All I can say is (I'm not a resller and have only gone to goodwill a few times wanna become a reseller tho) without resellers I'm sure a significant part of goodwill sales would be gone
It might educate some of them but there still will be things they miss. Plus at some point they have to reduce prices because of turn over. There will always be more stuff coming and have to make room. I don’t think it’s anything to worry about realistically.
Prices at Goodwill ARE increasing steadily because so many are reselling their purchases. Not good for low income families who have to buy their clothes there.
Goodwill can't look up everything all the time on collectable items. Once in awhile you can find bargains. I recently flipped some vintage Zippo lighters for over $120 on a discounted $4 purchase!
I go everywhere and believe me my house is full of good bargains that I've been finding for my kitchen I pay less money than what people pay for whatever people pay high prices I buy for low I decorated my house with all goodwill and good stuff
holy shit man I just went to a goodwill in my city (calgary, in Canada) and it's like a quarter of this size! so much electronics theree, that place is huge!
Unless you work in the Distribution Centres of Goodwill (like me) you get to see EVERYTHING that comes in the door before it goes out to the shops! That means you get to know what to look for and get first pick :) However that isn't the way to go about it... Basically get a job at goodwill and do this on the side :) plus you get 20 percent off when you shop in the shops :)
Your videos have been, and always will be GREAT. I didn't have the chance to read through previous comments, but by the sounds of it - people are scared about GOODWILL gaining some knowledge on the resell game. FACT OF THE MATTER. as CL hunter said, IT DOESN"T MATTER. Worse case, GOOD WILL hikes their prices and eventually go bankrupt for trying to sell PRODUCT to a market that doesn't pay RETAIL. Goodwill can't reach retail prices simply because its GOODWILL. People go there for 2 reasons. 1. Because their broke. 2. because their looking for a DEAL. Goodwill has been hiking prices in my local area for past 6-12 months, and yet I get a little agitated, I understand its a trend and will be back to the usual MOTO of goodwill SOON. If not, GOOD NEWS. Good will goes belly up, and I come in and smash the market share by providing a better service. Anyway, CL HUNTER, your videos are awesome and thanks for taking the time to make all of them. Cheers my man, once I get my first shop up and running I want to reach out and share the results, you've been a great source of motivation, as well as education. Best success
It's your personality that makes your videos so interesting. Well, that and the parrot!
When the thrift stores up the prices of some items people switch and buy others and they get stuck with the high priced junk!!
I'm not worried. I'd only be worried if Pete suddenly became president of goodwill. Lol
Greedwills are a Joke. They will alienate their core customer base by overpricing items. as well as resellers also.
Yeah the local Goodwills and Salvation Armies are, in the main, insane around here. Way, way overpriced which means low-income people can't afford to buy products there, and it means less $$$$ in the coffers for their programs which supposedly are meant to help poor people (job training, jobs, services, etc). Why would a reasonable person pay more than retail for an item at GW/SA? They won't. It should be priced at about 1/4 to 1/3 of retail. Last time I took items to SA, they turned me down. I had 4 nice table lamps and 2 free-standing lamps, 2 nice side tables. The old bag working there said "we already have lamps and side tables -- have no room for these." So I replied "but the ones you have aren't as nice, and they are overpriced, that's why they are sitting there unsold. You need to price items better to move them and fund your mission." She just gave me a mean look and walked away.
I work at Goodwill and it was an awful place to work
that explains why the pricing has jumped significantly, but it's not just one person who makes these resell videos, so you can't be soley responsible since I can count over 1000's of videos of folks buying and re-selling. not just you
That speaks highly of you in my opinion! There's always other ways to source. The local thrift stores as well as chain thrift stores prices around here at least have greatly varying prices according to who is pricing that day, they may or may not take the time to research.
I appreciate what you do, Pete! I've learned a ton because of your videos. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with those of us still learning the ropes.
I had a friend that worked for salvation army, he told me that the good stuff he picked up from the drop boxes NEVER make it to the store, even if it does it doesnt make it to the shelf
Well, I think your transparency and integrity and openness are to your benefit. Other people may try to learn from you, but they won’t have the passion and energy and commitment you have. So, you have nothing to worry about. You’re the king.
Years ago, our local Goodwill headquarters called me in for a job interview to be the head co-ordinator for online auction sales.YT was new then,they used YT reseller videos and Ebay completed to get a general idea of #1 what designer brands commonly are donated #2 what collectibles are commonly donated (ie Fire King, Hall).I got a tour of the behind the scenes.Pallettes and Gaylord of vintage ceramics,vintage glassware,vintage artwork...I wish I had a pirate crew to help me raid all that treasure!
The GW internet auctions were designed by GW to skim all the cream off top, the rest going to local GW stores and the pieces w/issues to the GW outlet.
After passing the interview, the executive said the job is yours if you can correctly identify 6 out of 12 random collectible a worker pulls from various crates.I got 11 out of 12 correct including those w/stamped brand names.The guy gave me the job, but the salary turned out to be about $15/hr. No thank you.
So, w/my experience, I agree w/you Pete, they don't pay the top supervisors who oversee the sorting/distributing of items enough.The workers themselves are often transitioning between jail or rehab back into society, it's not long term jobs so they aren't invested in getting ALL the best onto GW auction.
Anyone working there w/half a brain and strong work ethic could figure out they could be earning more than GW executives by reselling instead!
Cherry Vintage
You write along piece about goodwill and abbreviated the word with several times, bit odd or is it an American thing?
@@DMWBN3 I thought the GW stood for George Washington, thanx
@@DMWBN3 It would seem to me that you name it once and then after that, you can abbreviate it? rather than spelling it out every time? I remember that in my American edumcation.
I remember I saw a Nikon camera in goodwill for $75 and I looked it up on Amazon and it sells for $65 new and eBay it was for about $60 wtf is goodwill doing over pricing bad used items?
Wow I remember as a kid goodwill being the only place we could afford to shop. It's kind of a sore spot that he picked up all the sunscreen in the summer... But I guess it doesn't really matter in the big picture.
Bigspook999
Bigspook999 my mom told me it was a department store - only placed we shopped, too
cindybin2001 fuck fuck fuck bitch
Pete you are right on. The Abundance Mentality is the right business plan. When Goodwill raises their prices-no one buys it until it is 50% or Dollar day. If they price things correctly at the start-people and resellers will buy everyday of the week not just every other Saturday. Keep up the good work my man.
Hey thanks Pete for all you do. You are so right. We need each other. Through buying and selling to one another for products or services we help move the capital around and get our economy moving. But damn its so nice of you to share the bits of information you know about this business that can help someone like me participate & profit with your model. Thumbs up for sharing.
I think I'll start posting printouts of goodwill prices on my ebay listings :)
phillyflash43 LOL!!!
I know someone that is a higher up manager at goodwill.....Goodwill is all for profit! They are NOT for the 'good will' of people in need. It does not matter if your poor or your in need of an income & resell. Over the years, they push the managers to make the most money for the company. Sure they may employ disabled people, but that really is just a cover up. I refuse to donate ANYTHING to that multi-million dollar company. All the left over stuff that is not sold in stores, is put on pallets & sold to 3rd world countries for more profit. IT is not donated or given to poor people, every last unmatched sock is sold for profit. You;ve been warned.
The goodwill near me love printing off the pages for NEW items on amazon and taping it to the product. Then they knock maybe 20% off the retail price
Also note, that Goodwills are managed by region and not all regions follow the same protocol or pricing system.
Gave away the game for free...damn. That's horrible for the people who take that route. Reselling needs to stay underground instead of being pimped out on RUclips. Great vids and info nonetheless.
Salvation Army in my area has started opening boutiques..things they think are worth more and prices are jacked up. I still find items that they overlooked their worth. There will alwaya be stuff..just makes it more of a search :)
Goodwill can't do anything about this... I went in three times, and three times I made more than $500 with an average of $30 spent lol it is what it is. I absolutely LOVE your videos, thank you for sharing so much information that I have learned.
Well looks like you spoke too soon.😂
You say no one sits there watching your videos for 30 minutes, i've been doing it for the past 2 hours hahaha.
Goodwill does sell stuff on their online auction and they should know how much time and effort goes into listing, and they still have to inventory it until it sells. They may pull some good flips out of circulation for us pickers, but their is so much stuff it's difficult for them to do the research on everything.
Take it as a complement. You're so good at adapting to whatever situation arises.
I rather throw my stuff away than donating to goodwill
There may not be much to worry about, Pete, but it is interesting. Interestingly, I just spoke to a frequent GW shopper TODAY who is good friends with a GW employee. The employee said that GW managers at that particular store had a meeting talking about increasing prices because of the resellers. As you know (and many other resellers know), resellers frequent GW as a place for sourcing. Heck, even garage sellers are going to GW to source their stuff. I won't dare say, "It's Pete's fault". As you say, this model of business has existed for years. I would say it has existed for centuries.This "need" we have for each other will only add to the crap rolling downhill. Just like the price increases of shipping costs and since I can't afford to eat the costs, It's, ultimately, the consumers who will get hit with price increases. GW is a giant and one way to bring a giant down is to tie it's legs. Who keeps the giant running anyway?I like sourcing at GW, but their Department Store mentality and their greed will only force me to source elsewhere. Different GWs have similar items priced higher than others and whenever I come across those "expensive" stores, I leave empty handed because they leave me with no meat on the bone. I'd rather source elsewhere. You're right about one thing for sure, you've got to be a smarter picker!Great awareness video, Pete! Keep 'em coming!
I'm glad you made this video. Now I know who to blame for their price increases. JUST KIDDING! You are one of my favorite channels. I frequent 4 GW's in my area. There is no consistency in pricing. One day a District Manager stopped me for my opinion. He must have seen me a few times or the store manager may have mentioned me. I flat out told him my retail background and said, your prices are to high in some stores. They have 9 different pricing levels for clothing, he said. I told him the exact same thing you mentioned. There is no shortage of product coming in. GW should be selling volume not acting like every store is a boutique and trying for top dollar. Their biggest issue in my area is getting people to work there. Their floor employees are people who are doing community service chosen by them and the courts. They are not paid. Cashiers and taggers in the back are paid employees but they cant seem to keep them for long. A constant cycle of Hiring, training them, they find a better job and leave. Rinse/repeat. Listen to their commercial in the store. Goodwill helps people get back into the work force til they find a better job. Maybe that's how Non-profits work. Poor business model at the store level and frustrating for the managers. I've been asked several times from all 4 stores if I want a job. I think they know I can make more than the manager in a day and work only 4 hrs. There might be a jealousy factor to there pricing. Thinking they are missing out on profits that we are making. Just my observation of there business model.
I am brain injured, maybe I should have worked there
Thanks for the video Pete. Here, Goodwill has jacked prices up, particularly on furniture. The new pricing makes it pretty difficult to justify buying to resell. Of course, there are still deals to be found,, but it's getting harder to find them. Interestingly enough, another thrift store manager told a friend that she realized the prices were too high for re-sellers and that she was dropping prices to encourage re-sellers to buy there. She asked her to spread the word among the community. Apparently when the re-sellers leave, the sales drop significantly. Hopefully Goodwill will realize this and take your advice. Continued good luck.
Get the same thing in the UK Pete, some of the charity shops are going bust. When you price to high for pickers your way to high for the people who need you . So its a double whammy they lose customers on every front. Add the fact that places like Primark and Matalan are selling brand new stuff cheaper. Still the average salary of a charity CEO is upwards of 150k (250k dollars) in the UK so they dont give a fuck. Charity really does start at home.
Love your videos.Thanks for sharing all you tips and success with us.
Knocking down Goodwill Prices, You have a heart > Stealing from Good Will ?? You are a class act.
The guy you talked to at the C-ville GW must have a cot in the back. He's there all day waiting to pounce on every cart that comes out.
Yes he is and he brings me a lots of good stuff he sits there from 9am to 5pm Lol Cheers !!
I don't miss the rush for the merchandise cart as it hit the doors.
it is a stupid move for goodwill to start over pricing based on what we can get for reselling it. People don't shop at the good will to pay the prices they would get shopping ebay. If your goodwill prices start to rival ebay, then people will just stay home and shop on their couches and have it delivered to their house. why bother with your store at all. On the other hand the ebayer deserves the markup, they take the time to search out the name brands that sell well on ebay,they take the time to learn their customer base and the market rather than just shoving it all on the shelf. It helps our customers find the brands they are looking for, we do the extra work, listing them individually by name. Thrift store have their merchandise donated free for nothing, then they mark it up like they had to pay for it, when for them it is all profit anyway. People are not going to stand for goodwill making so much profit off of others donated generosity. The idea is so that it doesn't go in the land fill, someone else can get some use out of it, and the goodwill earns a little too for their causes. And that is exactly how ebaybuyers are using the goodwill, we are getting a little more use out of it, cleaning it up and fixing it up and gathering things into lots and complete sets to resell. We are not abusing anything, and goodwill does need to realize that they can't have it both ways, you can't lump sum price everything, and then expect to get a high price for the cheap brands too. Ebay shoppers want to shop at home in comfort, they don't want to go to the goodwill, and search every single item one by one to find the brands they want. Don't be silly goodwill, you are not ebay. You don't give the customer the service that ebay sellers do, finding for them what they want, and a marketing it in a way they can find them and have them home delivered..
The question is what does a goodwill customer expect to pay for merchandise when they are willing to search endless shelves of items that are often not even shelved correctly according to size, and what is the ebay shopper willing to pay, to have someone else do the searching for them, and clearly listing by brand and size, what they are looking for and packaged and home delivered, while they shop from their couch in their pajamas eating doritos. The good will needs to realize, the ebay shopper and the goodwill shopper are two seperate types of consumers. Goodwill you price and market to your strenghts,(which is mass sales, low prices, and mass pricing) and let us price and market to ours which is locating bargain prices for the name brand, easy to find for our customers, and home delivery.
Well said!!
I think it’s messed up to buy up stuff at goodwill that’s for people that are in need.. u know the point of goodwill! He’s gonna resell all those at higher price to people on eBay .. so u screwed a lot of people in need out of cheap sunscreen.
An example of Goodwill overkill:
Harbor Freight had a RECALL on their drill and light set combo that you can purchase most times with a coupon for $19.00. At my local Harbor Freight If you took just the drill in they would give you a replacement of the entire set. This exact number match set was on the shelf of my local Goodwill priced $30.00!!! USED
You can sign up at www.cpsc.gov/ to check for recalls on products. They will also send an email on latest recalls.
But how much investigating do you expect them to do?
Goodwill does leave us. Like Pete says, if there isn't enough meat on the bone it stays on the shelf. And if there is good meat, trust me, we walk out with a shopping cart full of stuff. eBay is a lot of manual effort with risk. We cannot assume financial risk on top of the time and effort that goes into it. Keeping prices low will move more product and dollars into goodwill industry than for higher prices will.
Need us not leave us. Dumb auto correct
More than likely you are not the only one they are watching. But you are right this doesn't mean anything as far as good or bad for other re-sellers. you're very informative and a great resource for others, thank you :)
yeah i remember going to goodwill as a kid and finding really cheap video games and consoles. But now they have priced them to match almost the same prices as a lot of ebay prices and it sucks. Goodwill is hurting themselves.
Lately I have noticed that Goodwills in my area are pricing items just over eBay prices. This wont last forever because why would someone buy something at Goodwill when the can get it cheaper online?
LOL that's what i'm saying. This is going to have an interesting outcome. One that will not be in goodwills favor ;)
Forget the Goodwill store in Macon GA. Some of the prices are higher then when the item was new! One of the current manager's/cashier will even take your item and say, "Oh no, this is priced too low so instead of $2 we need $4 for it." I just walked out and didn't buy anything.
Our Goodwill's here in IL do not sell PC's, since hard drives are in them and contain personal info. All I find is power cords and beat up printers! Have to go to SAVERS to find PC's!
Let's remember resellers, without social media , us resellers wouldn't be making as much either. Great video!
the only difference is we have the Internet to advertise . this is how business is done . it's been like this for centuries. your absolutely right. it's just more openly and advertised widely across the nation. those who give the bad reviews just don't know how the game is played. share and share and make money.
Look out for Pete the thrifting fugitive. lol
People get frustrated when they see others succeed. From what I can tell, you work your tail off. Good for you. I was explaining to someone about the concept of sourcing. Their immediate reaction was that it's wrong and cheating the customer! Can you imagine the mentality of some people that the entrepreneur spirit means your cheating. Free enterprise is all about what you do. You buy something for $1 and sell it for $10 when normally it would sell for $12 is the American way. If they want to buy it for a $1 nobody is stopping them from going out and finding it.
I've been to that GW in Algonquin. It's horrible. Can't believe they're still open.
I personally know a relative in my family that worked at Goodwill for many years and took stuff, (hoarded) from the store. Her basement was absolutely stuffed to the ceiling where you could hardly get around with items taken from the store. The employees have first pick and take the valuable items before they even get inventoried. Eventually she got busted after very many years. Goodwill is a rip off store in my opinion.
Watching your channel reminds me of when I worked at Half Price Books. My favorite part of the job was pricing and researching. We got a lot of memorabilia and vintage toys. Oldest book we had was from the 1600s. I’m not surprised they like your videos, but it seems like they should have at least asked your permission. Not legally, but ethically.
Ps No one sell to Half Price Books. It was standard for us to offer sellers 10% of what we thought we’d sell it for. The more impressive items might get you 15%-20%.
I do notice that that particular goodwill is starting to overprice items 1-2.00 more on items than they used to.
Good video Pete, nice shoes.
We have this problem with St.Vincent DePaul here (one of our 'big boy thrifts') - they all have dealers out the back who snap up the good stuff and their prices are the same as eBay (except clothes, I can buy clothes cheaper on ebay than in Vinnies). It's ironic that these places used to be for people who couldn't afford retail, now as someone on welfare I can barely afford to shop there. I know several people who used to make a living re-selling thrift finds and now are back on welfare because they think they can't make a worthwhile profit any more.
I took a different route - I source mostly from independent thrifts and the local flea market and using Etsy have set up for a niche market who pay more than the 'ebay public' for certain things. Now I sell smaller volume at higher prices. Every business has challenges to overcome, it makes it fun. ;)
They can raise their prices if they want but then they will find their shelves never emptying. I don't think it matters.
Garage Flips LOL then shopgoodwill came along. BYE BYE EBay income!!!!
They might be using your videos to learn to reprice items. But they don't see everything else. Cleaning items up, testing the thoroughly, pictures, calculating shipping costs, etc. Goodwill is a company that was designed for the lower class to be able to buy items for an affordable price. If they jack their prices up then those people aren't going to be able to afford to shop there anymore.
you're cool Craiglist Hunter and don't worry about anything the only persons that feel treat about this are the bad sellers, like you said the buyers control the market in this case the ebay sellers are the buyers, we control the market.
With the advent of the internet...everyone is a expert in pricing...even pawn shops... market will dictate what sells and what doesn't... some of these thrift stores over price like crazy even for clothes.... so stuff don't move like it should...on occasion you might score something if its over looked... recently I scored a blood pressure medical device for $100 bucks after finding out they sell for $4500 new, to $3200 used... best offer I got on ebay was $1500 with a close buyer...so saved on shipping... good profit either way..with my experience working with doctors I knew I could probably move this item quickly... deals will get harder and harder to find as the older folks who don't use technology don't look up the value of their items...but the future and current generation does. Even at fleamarkets people price items at retail....sometimes the best way to get these fleamarket folks to offer them a price at end of day or when weather is bad so they will be forced to sale... seems to work for me..lol... "making evil face"....:>
There are a few Thrift stores that aren't tainted by price hikes. Prices are going up at thrift stores because foot traffic is up.
It is a vicious cycle, GW has been ratcheting prices up for years. The other issue is as there are more resellers in the pool the amount you make is diluted. Most resellers have their little niche and it becomes a monkey see monkey do where everyone observes other resellers products and starts buying items in their niche.
Leaving GW opens so many other doors, while I'm naming GW same holds true for Savers, SA and St V. DP
mMy local Goodwill here in Central Illinois researches prices online and prices their merchandise way too high. They don't bother to take onto consideration condition of the item. They also don't look at the sold price, just the listed price. Not all do this but my local one does.
My local GW's would never negotiate on that sunscreen lotion like yours did. They're pretty firm.
How much do you make a Month from doing this? And is Goodwill still worth it anymore? I heard they look up item on eBay to price their items now.
No worries. It has been my experience that if thrift stores become more educated on value/pricing they tend to price their items too high, and are usually discounted anyways on their regular discount days. There is such an abundance of product to source. Best wishes! -Steven
check the expiration date on goodwill stuff they usually get out of date closeouts. then u have to disclose tha to the buyer and ebay may not like that.
You know, if Goodwill is looking at your videos and using them, this could be an opening to approach them - you could contact the district/corporate HQ and perhaps look into building a working relationship on that level.
You are a person with knowledge and information, as well as a successful retailer which could be of value to them. Clearly your videos are. Let's not forget you also buy a lot of goods from them, and as a Non-profit, that is an important thing. As you said, they need "us".
Its been over a year since this video was posted. I still find plenty of stuff at the Goodwills I go to (not my only sourcing place) Just seen this video for the first time. I think the end of the world haters need to stop and think how they learned how to do this. I do this full time and I wouldnt be if it werent for videos like the ones Pete (and other youtubers) put out. Keep up the good work. I love your Channel
So, this video is over 3 years old now and I'm wondering if your opinion of things have changed, Pete? The effect of of RUclips on reselling and Goodwill.
Oh I have been shopping good will in my area in ct 6 locatios for years, I used to go in and buy stereo with speakers for $8 to $20 bucks than all of a sudden to $25 to $125 vintage Cameras use to be $3 to $10 NOW $8 $25 EVERY Thing went up all the antique glass wear I used to by $3 to $20 NOW ITS $15 TO 100 + I see a woman at one location all she does is price research in a back room any thing that we pickers would buy is marked up probably 40% than the old rates and I'm in CT , I have been picking for 35 years In NY- NJ -PA -CT ....GO FIGURE
Ours down here in North Ga, must get on Ebay before they price their stuff. Some of their prices are ridiculous.....
I have like 11 goodwills all with in 30min away from me and 3 of them don't even show up on google maps but I know they are there
If goodwill and other charity shops can educate themselves to make more money for their charities, then that is just them being responsible with the donated merchandise. People donate their used stuff to goodwill so that goodwill will make money for their charity, not so that pickers can make a profit. I don't begrudge anyone from making a profit when they can, but remember that Goodwill and Salvation Army also want to make as much money as they can. Unfortunately the Goodwill nearest me has raised their prices to ridiculous levels, where a new shirt (for example) from Target or Walmart would be cheaper than what Goodwill charges for a used one. I only shop there when they have a sale, these days.
lestrange the sad part about goodwill is the only charity is in the owners pocket. he makes over 130 mill a year. and 1% is given to help people. the rest proffit, same with red Cross and alot of the charities
+david thompson your an idiot too he makes less than that year and his name is Jim Gibbons so your a complete idiot just like the other guy.
lestrange, i would have to disagree with you on the reason ppl donate to Goodwill. they do it because they don't want to throw away decent things, or, don't want to deal with going to the dump, which isn't always close to one's house. so, drop off is for convenience, and to eliminate the guilt of throwing away otherwise good items. I've seen plenty of dump worthy items in and around the dumpsters behind goodwill stores, ppl also use the goodwill as the dump, which is a shame.
Rex Tillerson the former ceo of exxon only has a bachelors degree. Now he is secretary of state. So rethink what you think there buddy. It isn't what you know it's who you know and always has been.
I am confused because nobody in this thread was talking about education. Was this meant to be a reply to a different comment? I mean I don't disagree with you but it's just kind of random or out of context.
Our Goodwills in Florida are almost all new stuff other than the clothes, it is not worth going. Other than just a couple of them......
look in chicago ---NYC/ Miami /Dallas-goodwill uses sub contract auctioneers to sell literally tons unseen pallets of used clothes/ furniture etc. for cents on the dollar, if not- it hits the landfill where it cost 5-6 cents per lb for disposal. seek and ye shall find maybe.
Here in IND Goodwill has a shoppe called Vintage Vogue that all the better stuff goes and man do they jack up the prices. Goodwill here is southern Ind. slim pickings.
I enjoy your videos as well as others... I am still trying to build capital to spend. Little by little. Yardsales are golden. And when they bring a fresh cart out at goodwill. My best find last week was an old glass motor oil jar I picked for 0.25. Keep picking!
I respect what all you guys do but all you youtubers will be the end of us :(
yeah, it's like bleeding yourself one drop at a time. Morons don't get it.
Joe Monroe to be honest... those of us who see that should invest some money and take the egotistics down. all buy something off each of them and negative them.
great video Pete GW pricing is a complete disaster they are not loosing $ but they can Doble it if they go by sale volume they hold marchindise on the back of the stores for months paylup getting it damage
Need to do more vídeos like these. Golden entertainment
Walked in to the Goodwill down the street from me the other day. I've noticed their prices are ridiculous. Walked the store in 5 minutes and was out.
I think that you should be proud that you ae considered the guru of reselling. Maybe you should be asking for royalties. LOL
Totally agree, don't see it making much of a different overall.
It always amazes me how a single US goodwill is about the same size as the largest shopping centers in Amsterdam and Rotterdam.
"don't put all your eggs in one basket ". EXACTLY
Goodwill are expensive in my area. Yard sales are lots cheaper. Too bad the suntan lotion is only 15. You are supposed to use at least 30. Love you dumpster diving. Could have put the torn kitty litter in a box to haul it.
Goodwill is a for profit company. They make cash off if the generosity of citizens which is OK if they did not pay the CEO's outrageously and give them company cars, houses and stuff.
that goodwill in algonquin is by far the worst one.
I search goodwills auction site from time to time and i cant hardly buy crap on there. The prices get bid up to full blown retail and then they add $10 to $30 shipping. It's crazy.
Overpriced items sit and never sell. That's really all anyone needs to know and take comfort in. Anyone worried about things like this, needs to put on their thinker cap!
They will price themselves out of business for the resellers. But super interesting LOL.. Keep it up Pete.. love your vids.
All I can say is (I'm not a resller and have only gone to goodwill a few times wanna become a reseller tho) without resellers I'm sure a significant part of goodwill sales would be gone
It might educate some of them but there still will be things they miss. Plus at some point they have to reduce prices because of turn over. There will always be more stuff coming and have to make room. I don’t think it’s anything to worry about realistically.
Prices at Goodwill ARE increasing steadily because so many are reselling their purchases. Not good for low income families who have to buy their clothes there.
Goodwill can't look up everything all the time on collectable items. Once in awhile you can find bargains. I recently flipped some vintage Zippo lighters for over $120 on a discounted $4 purchase!
I go everywhere and believe me my house is full of good bargains that I've been finding for my kitchen I pay less money than what people pay for whatever people pay high prices I buy for low I decorated my house with all goodwill and good stuff
I recently watch your channel and make me think different way to do eBay. Thank you so much. - From South Korea
holy shit man I just went to a goodwill in my city (calgary, in Canada) and it's like a quarter of this size! so much electronics theree, that place is huge!
Ridiculous that a charity that most likely pays little to no taxes is hassling a guy who works for living and pays taxes.
I love your videos! Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
"Nothing to worry about" *closes shop 2 months later*
That true?
Is there a way to tell if something is for sure cast iron? This question is really unrelated to the video, but how do you tell?
The Great Pete strikes again. Nice video
Local goodwills here put all the good stuff on Amazon and Ebay nothing good in them.
Unless you work in the Distribution Centres of Goodwill (like me) you get to see EVERYTHING that comes in the door before it goes out to the shops! That means you get to know what to look for and get first pick :) However that isn't the way to go about it... Basically get a job at goodwill and do this on the side :) plus you get 20 percent off when you shop in the shops :)
Your videos have been, and always will be GREAT. I didn't have the chance to read through previous comments, but by the sounds of it - people are scared about GOODWILL gaining some knowledge on the resell game. FACT OF THE MATTER. as CL hunter said, IT DOESN"T MATTER. Worse case, GOOD WILL hikes their prices and eventually go bankrupt for trying to sell PRODUCT to a market that doesn't pay RETAIL. Goodwill can't reach retail prices simply because its GOODWILL. People go there for 2 reasons. 1. Because their broke. 2. because their looking for a DEAL. Goodwill has been hiking prices in my local area for past 6-12 months, and yet I get a little agitated, I understand its a trend and will be back to the usual MOTO of goodwill SOON. If not, GOOD NEWS. Good will goes belly up, and I come in and smash the market share by providing a better service. Anyway, CL HUNTER, your videos are awesome and thanks for taking the time to make all of them. Cheers my man, once I get my first shop up and running I want to reach out and share the results, you've been a great source of motivation, as well as education. Best success
I love the "Craigslist Killer" !!!
Pete at that time was just a hunter..Now almost 4 years later he might of earned the killer badge..