Stop browsing and start thrifting strategically
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Time it right. Shop MondayWednesday mornings when weekend donations hit the floor. Learn the color-tag discount cycle at stores like Goodwill and stack 50% tag days with senior, student.or military discounts.
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Buy whats underpriced. Look for solid wood furniture, cast iron, vintage Pyrex, and quality small appliances. For resale, brands like Lululemon, Patagonia, and Levi Strauss & Co. consistently hold value.
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Think bigger. Check the glass case, visit Goodwill Outlets (sold by the pound) and thrift in affluent neighborhoods or vacation towns for higher-end donations.
Thrift stores can feel fairly random and it often feels like all the good stuff disappeared before you walked in.
But the truth is they operate on very predictable patterns. Especially in terms of donation cycles, color-tag systems, and predictable discount days. If you understand the system, you stop browsing and you start shopping like a savvy insider.
Shop early in the week and early in the day
Weekends are prime donation time. People clean out garages, drop off bags after spring cleaning, and declutter before moving. But the best items dont usually hit the sales floor until a day or two after they get dropped off.
That makes Monday through Wednesday mornings prime hunting hours at the vast majority of thrift stores.
Shopping right when the store opens will give you first crack at all the newly processed items before theyre picked over.
Pro tip: Ask an employee when specific departments are restocked. Its been my experience that theyre always happy to give you the inside scoop. Use this info to your advantageif electronics are always re-stocked Tuesday afternoons, thats when you want to be there.
Learn the color-tag discount cycle
Most large thrift chains, including many Goodwill locations, use a rotating color-tag system.
One day each week, they pick a different colored price tag and offer all those items for an additional 50% off.
Be sure to ask at your local store what day of the week they do this, and try and shop on that day.
If you ignore the color rotation, youre leaving significant money on the table.
Heres how I play the color game at my Goodwill:
- Identify which color is discounted this week.
- Check items in that color across multiple departments.
- Look for higher-end brands that slipped through the standard pricing.
Ive found that items regularly priced at $7-10 often slip through the cracks and have their price drop to $1-$2 during these color-coded events.
Know what employees consistently underprice
Considering the huge number of donated items that have to be sorted, it makes sense that employees dont have the time to research every item.
This creates a great buying opportunity for the savvy shopper.
In my experience, here are the most common underpriced categories:
- Solid wood furniture (look for dovetail joints)
- Cast iron cookware
- Vintage Pyrex
- High-end small kitchen appliances
- Audio equipment and older speakers
- Board games (especially sealed or complete sets)
- Picture frames (buy for the frame, not the art)
Solid wood dressers, for example, are often priced the same as particle board pieces, but resell for significantly more.
And if youre not going to resell them, theyre much higher quality and will stand the test of time (and teenagers).
Pro tip:Besure to open boxes and check inside board games for completeness. Also, plug in small appliances and electronics if the store allows it. A 60-second inspection can mean the difference between a big score and a complete dud.
Clothing gold: Brands that hold value
If you do any reselling, you already know that not all clothing labels are created equal.
Some brands consistently resell quite well online, especially on platforms like eBay or Poshmark.
Here are a few brands that are an easy profit for resellers:
- Arcteryx
- Lululemon
- Patagonia
- Polo Ralph Lauren
- The North Face
- Free People
- Levi's (especially vintage or Made in USA)
- Vuori
- Carhartt
- Madewell
- Abercerombie
- Wrangler
Some unbranded clothing, such as vintage band tees and retro athletic wear, typically outperforms newer mall brands like American Eagle and Old Navy.
Also, be sure to scan the fabric tags, as 100% wool, cashmere, and linen often outperform synthetic blends.
Pro tip: Before buying for resale, check completed eBay listings on your phone. Sold prices tell you what people are actually paying, not the inflated price many sellers are hoping for.
Dont ignore the glass case
Those locked display cases near the register often hold the most overlooked profit potential.
In particular, look for these:
- Jewelry
- Video games
- Designer handbags
- Calculators
- Small electronics
The prices may be higher than the on-the-rack items, but still well below their market value.
Some locations now also list premium finds on ShopGoodwill.com, where individual stores auction higher-value donations.
Pro tip: If something is priced too high in-store, check if your Goodwill runs periodic additional discounts on display-case items. Ive noticed my local store will do this once or twice per month.
Stack discounts on top of low prices
Many thrift shoppers never ask about additional discounts, which is a major mistake.
Depending on the location, you can often find these discounts (usually between 10%20% off):
- Senior discount days
- Military discounts
- Student discounts
- Teacher discounts
- Text or email coupons
- Loyalty rewards programs
Be sure to ask an employee, as some stores dont openly advertise these discounts.
Always ask, Do you have any discount days? Even a 10% discount compounds quickly if youre buying multiple items.
Visit the Goodwill Outlet (a.k.a. 'the bins')
If youre serious about savings or resale, you need to see if your town has a Goodwill Outlet.
Just do a Google search for YOUR TOWN Goodwill Outlet or YOUR TOWN thrift bin store.
These are often called bin stores because they dump everything into these large bins that you have to sort through.
They also sell items by the pound, instead of per piece, making them really cheap.
For example, you might pay $1 to $2 per pound for clothing, books, and household goods.
Inventory rotates constantly. Shoppers sift through large rolling bins of unsorted merchandise. Its competitive, but the margins can be substantial.
Pro tip: Wear gloves and bring your own bags. And definitely plan to arrive early, as youll have to stand in line before they open. New bins draw crowds of resellers very fast.
Add 'thrifting' to your next vacation plan
The best thrift stores youll ever visit are in vacation destinations and affluent towns and neighborhoods.
The saying one persons trash is another persons treasure has never been more accurate than in these towns.
People in wealthy areas are much more likely to donate high-quality items and brands, as they dont want to be bothered with reselling them.
For example: When you visit a ski resort town, hit up local thrift stores for awesome deals on snow gear, ski equipment, and expensive winter brands.
The same goes for areas with many expensive golf courses. You just might find your next set of clubs for pennies on the dollar, just because someone needed the next greatest set of clubs and donated their old ones.
Posted: 2026-02-19 22:17:27
