What I Learned While Working at Goodwill Store

Here are some super smart thrifting tips for older women.

By

Valerie Finholm

 
Published August 07, 2025
photo collage of the goodwill store and clothing racks
Elena Lacey

Thrifting is having a moment. Friends who once reeled back compliments on my clothing when I revealed its “slightly used’’ provenance no longer wrinkle their noses. Now they’re eager for details about my secondhand finds like the Eileen Fisher tunic I snagged for $12.99 at Goodwill.

For more than 40 years, I’ve purchased clothes, jewelry, furniture, home décor and even art at thrift stores. Today, this makes me trendy instead of cheap. It's also virtuous, since buying secondhand at nonprofit thrift stores like Goodwill, Salvation Army and the ARC is not only green but also supports community jobs programs.

I’ve witnessed how the world of thrifting expanded from cavernous stores odorous with mildew to curated boutiques featuring hand-picked designer labels and the latest jeans. I even worked at Goodwill for a year, where I picked up strategies for finding good stuff and steering clear of potentially infested items.

Through it all, I’ve kept shopping at thrift stores. I buy sterling silver jewelry like midcentury brooches and chunky cocktail rings that I layer on my fingers like a diva. At thrift stores, I buy classic clothes I love but can’t afford to buy new — St. John pencil skirts and dresses from Boden and J.Jill.

Here are a few things I’ve learned about getting the most out of our thrifting journey.

Shop often and buy instantly if you like it!

Don’t expect to hit the jackpot unless you shop at least once a week, since stock changes daily, even hourly. If you see something you love, buy it because chances are it will be gone quickly.

I buy a lot of gifts — which I regift — at thrift stores. You can find cut glass vases for less than $5 and fill them with fresh flowers for hostess gifts. For wedding gifts, I often ignore the bride’s registry and look for colorful pottery made in Italy or Portugal. For housewarming gifts, I look for serving trays like the tomato red Lucite tray I recently bought for $10. (If you’re wondering whether to reveal it if you regift, the answer is yes! Thrifting is no longer in the closet, and regifting is officially cool.)

Check out the books section for coffee table finds. These oversized books add personality and flair to a room — but they’re expensive when purchased new. I buy home décor coffee table books, and stack them in threes on my tables.

Be patient. And look for hidden treasures. I’ve also found gems like limited-edition prints of botanicals and signed artwork. I look for nice big frames, too, that I can switch out with my own art. This saves hundreds of dollars in framing costs.

More Tips:

· Always ask if the store offers a senior discount. Goodwill stores designate one or two days a week when shoppers 55 and older get a 10 to 15 percent discount.

· Check out the tag sale color of the day for items that are 50 percent off.

· Always wash or dry clean thrift store clothing, even if it’s new. Stores collect clothing donations in huge bins filled with clean and not-so-clean items.

· Score! I snagged a Room & Board rolling filing cabinet for $35 (retail $849) at a Goodwill store in Denver’s pricey Cherry Creek neighborhood. These upscale neighborhoods are a great place to shop!

If you get overwhelmed shopping at huge thrift stores, check out curated boutiques.

In addition to its 3,300 stores across North America, Goodwill has 50 boutiques that sell designer brands and vintage goods that are hand-picked from local donation bins. Depending on the manager, these stores run the gamut from carefully curated I-can’t-believe-this-is-Goodwill to stores that resemble overstuffed church rummage sales. You’ll pay more at boutiques than in larger stores, but you won’t have to dig as much for treasures.

Along with Goodwill’s Boutiques, check out your own towns for consignment stores and follow yard sale signs when on a leisurely afternoon drive. Spend time picking through the piles of cast-offs and you, too, can find handcrafted pottery, sets of dishes and quality clothing and jewelry at bargain prices.

Housebound thrifters can also buy online at www.shopgoodwill.com. I purchase most of my sterling silver jewelry there for under $20.

   Finally, there are some items you should not buy used:

· Avoid buying upholstered items like couches since they can contain harmful fire-retardant chemicals in the fabric, and throw pillows, which might have bedbugs or fleas.

· Don’t buy used rugs. I learned this first-hand when I unfurled a thrift store rug that smelled of cat urine.

· Be aware that vintage crystal glasses or decanters and colorful pottery often contain dangerous levels of lead oxide. Never use these items for serving food, but only for display.

· Don’t buy baking pots and pans that have chipped non-stick coatings or rust. These will leach harmful chemicals into food.

· Don’t buy car seats, highchairs or cribs at thrift stores. These items are often subject to recalls and can be unsafe.

I’m taking my sisters shopping this weekend — we’ll start early at a couple of garage sales I’ve found on Craigslist. Then, we head to my favorite thrift stores to look for one-of-a-kind gifts for my niece's upcoming wedding.

Do YOU ever shop at thrift stores? Which ones? Let us know in the comments below.

Valerie Finholm is a freelance writer whose essays and stories about health, home and travel have appeared in the USA Today, WebMD, Everyday Health, the Washington Post and many other publications and websites. Learn more at www.valeriefinholm.com.