I work at a GOODWILL! Wake up people!

[DarkHourPrince]

Okay, so this isn't so much of a set incident as it is a lot of little incidients of the same damn thign that irritated me to death,

I used to work as a cashier for a local Goodwill.

Note:: GOODWILL. A --thrift store-- not a designer outlet.


I have to be one of the most fashion-challenged people I know and the store did, on occasion, carry expensive handbags/purses that those weird women pay 60+ dollars for.

Me:: *ringing up people or doing something::
Girl: hey, *comes up with purse* do you know if this is a real *insert Designer name here* purse?
Me:..... Umm... I.. really don't know...
Girl:: *proceeds to closely examine purse* Well, how do you know?
Me:..I.. really..don't?
Customers:: *begin trying to educate me on what makes a Louis Vutton a "real" Lous Vutton which is going in one ear and out the other*

I eventually started coming up with the comeback::

Girl: is this "real?"
Me:... can you touch it? I'd assume it's real.

Needless to say I made alot of designer-whoring girls very unhappy

Why in the HELL do you go to a Goodwill and expect to find Designer handbags? Go twenty minutes down to the road to Hudson or Aurora where all the DESIGNER clothing stores are, nimrods...

Ugh, that just irritated me, everytime.

[Can I Help Your A$$?]

The ones who do that are the ones who went to the local extension jr college to learn how to sell crap on eBay.

[calulu]

Don't knock Goodwill for designer stuff. I once got a 300 dollar Louis Vuitton scarf still in the gift box with a tag from some chi-chi expensive store on it for the grand total of 3 bucks! It had never been worn! But I don't bother the clerks asking if something is 'real' I know it was 'real'

[South Texan]

I also have found some great stuff in like new condition at Goodwill. My most surprising find was a Coach leather briefcase. It usually sold for around $550, but was priced at $35. And yes, it was authentic.

I think I would die laughing, however, at someone who expected to find only authentic stuff at a thrift store - and thought the cashier should be able to verify its authenticity.

I do hope you say your snappy comeback, DarkHourPrince, with a smile.

[Slytovhand]

DHP, I really think you should educate yourself better regarding such things.

So then, in the future, when someone thinks they've just scored a massive bargain, you can tell them "no, it's a fake". Then, you buy it yourself and make a killing on Ebay

[Mark Healey]

Unlike what they say in their commercials, the chances of finding a really good deal on a "designer" or collectible item at Good Will or any other thrift store are pretty slim. Most of them have back door deals with dealers. If they are a chain they are probably picked over at the central processing center.

[Mike Taylor]

It also depends on where the store is, too.

A Goodwill in an area with a high number of wealthy retirees is going to have nicer selection of second hand donations than one located in a largely middle & working class community.

[protege]

You'd be surprised at what shows up in thrift stores. My grandmother used to volunteer at her church's store. Granted, much of the stuff was crap, but bargains did show up now and then. She'd tell me that people would bring in boxes of clothing--suits, dress slacks, etc. after their father/grandfather had died. Many times, the tags were still on! Most of that was pretty good stuff...and only needed minor alterations. All of it was dirt cheap, since nobody wanted to bother with it. Good thing she was a seamstress

[Tutorgal]

It also depends on where the store is, too.

A Goodwill in an area with a high number of wealthy retirees is going to have nicer selection of second hand donations than one located in a largely middle & working class community.

Very true. The independent thrift stores around where I grew up often had a good bit of designer stuff for sale, but that's because I grew up in a very wealthy area.

[edible_hat]

Don't knock Goodwill for designer stuff. I once got a 300 dollar Louis Vuitton scarf still in the gift box with a tag from some chi-chi expensive store on it for the grand total of 3 bucks! It had never been worn! But I don't bother the clerks asking if something is 'real' I know it was 'real'

I once bought a shirt for $6. Didn't look at the label until I got it home, it's Yves St. Lauren. Got another one that was "hand made by Freddy of Abu Dabai" according to the label.

[Imogene]

Re: thread title...
Okay... shilling for Pepsi Max, are we? Thrown a can or two at customer's heads? Why not?

[Becks]

A Goodwill in an area with a high number of wealthy retirees is going to have nicer selection of second hand donations than one located in a largely middle & working class community.

Truuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuue, but...

The GW I worked at was in a middle/working class area.

We'd get the usual good and not so good stuff with the occasional GREAT find, just from people in the area.

We'd also get more from deliveries from other stores, if they were overwhelmed with deliveries, and there were times that we'd get people doing drop offs when at least one other store was closer to them.

It all depends, I guess.

[PhotoChick]

You know what's even better. Kids consignment stores and consignment sales. Around here they have big consignment sales in the spring and fall. At the last one I got a pair of designer brand name jeans for a few dollars (didn't know they were designer till I got home). And the best part is most of the stuff has only been worn for a few months.