[boo who?]

I'm talkin' second-hand/thrift stores! With all of the stuff out for that other upcoming holiday, the Halloween stuff has been marked WAAAAAY down.

Recent scores: A light-up village piece with 10 figures included: $3.99. A big wreath with tin ghosts all 'round: $1.99. And three light-up foam jacks at just $1 each.

Then I used my Lowe's gift card (3%off) paired with a 10% coupon for boat load of on-sale green LED lights on a reel.

Tis the season! Who else is taking advantage?

 

[Saruman of Many Colours]

Haven't seen any leftover Halloween merchandise in any stores around here lately.

 

[Scatterbrains]

Picked up an air compressor on Black Friday as well as some shelves for organizing all the loose parts and kits I have picked up over the years from haunt group projects that didn't get built. Also got a couple of the spots that are similar to the fire and ice ones, but just one color.....and remote controls.

 

[IshWitch]

One thrift store I was at had lots of stuff marked way down, but only found a handful of things that were of use. I had bought some green led lights before Halloween and they are gorgeous! But I threw away the box and now can't remember where I got them, and, nobody in our whole town has green led lights now, anywhere. :/ My red string lights are down to a few because I use them at 4th of July, Halloween and Christmas and my greens are because I use them at St. Pat's, Halloween and Christmas. The stores have green minis, but the LEDs I got are such a pretty green, I'm bummed.

 

[X-Pired]

I'm talkin' second-hand/thrift stores! With all of the stuff out for that other upcoming holiday, the Halloween stuff has been marked WAAAAAY down.

Recent scores: A light-up village piece with 10 figures included: $3.99. A big wreath with tin ghosts all 'round: $1.99. And three light-up foam jacks at just $1 each.

Then I used my Lowe's gift card (3%off) paired with a 10% coupon for boat load of on-sale green LED lights on a reel.

Tis the season! Who else is taking advantage?

Okay, so you have leftover Halloween stuff at your stores and we get zilch. I am so jealous. I went to three thrift shops two days after Halloween and it was like Halloween didn't exist, literally. Everything Halloween related had just vanished. And just a couple of days before the shelves were overflowing and the prices were high so I don't see how they could have sold out that fast. Another thing, on Halloween day it was 50% off Saturday but they excluded the Halloween merchandise. I just don't get it.

Kudos to you for scoring some great finds at killer prices!

 

[Scatterbrains]

Saw some lighted plastic crosses at Walmart in the Christmas section

 

[boo who?]

I hear ya, X-Pired.

I just hate it when thrift stores play greedy games! Some of our Goodwill stores price seasonal merch or hardlines at more than they sold at new! I've seen Dollar Tree items (used!) marked up to $2-$3 and Halloween and Christmas merch selling for the same or more than new! Some thrift stores also price up plus sized clothing and offer never-worn items with prices higher than the store price on the tag.

 

[HalloGeekHalfrican]

I'm talkin' second-hand/thrift stores! With all of the stuff out for that other upcoming holiday, the Halloween stuff has been marked WAAAAAY down.

Recent scores: A light-up village piece with 10 figures included: $3.99. A big wreath with tin ghosts all 'round: $1.99. And three light-up foam jacks at just $1 each.

Then I used my Lowe's gift card (3%off) paired with a 10% coupon for boat load of on-sale green LED lights on a reel.

Tis the season! Who else is taking advantage?

That's awesome! I don't usually see Halloween things selling this late in the year, but maybe I'll go check out my local thrift stores again. My coworkers always laugh at me because I'm still sporting orange sweaters and Halloween socks. Little do they know that I celebrate Halloween 365 days a year

 

[lizzyborden]

I hear ya, X-Pired.

I just hate it when thrift stores play greedy games! Some of our Goodwill stores price seasonal merch or hardlines at more than they sold at new! I've seen Dollar Tree items (used!) marked up to $2-$3 and Halloween and Christmas merch selling for the same or more than new! Some thrift stores also price up plus sized clothing and offer never-worn items with prices higher than the store price on the tag.

Sadly that's happening with our Goodwill too. They finally brought back the half-price color of the week and I was looking at a four-pack of photo frames that at 50% off would have the same price they originally were at Dollar General.

 

[Miss Hallows Eve]

How I WISH I could find Halloween during this time of year. I am jealous! In my area we have 2 Goodwill stores but I have to say that since finding the Goodwill OUTLET stores (there are 3 in the Puget Sound area), I rarely shop at the actual GW stores any more. At the outlets you will find holiday decor all year round. Have any of you shopped at one of the Outlets? I know Value Village also does outlet stores but am not sure how many of that franchise are still around.

The GW in the area I live, what used to be 50% off certain color days are now 30% off and Mondays were $1.29 day on a certain color and that is now $1.79. On some items that is still a great price but given that everything they get is 100% free banked against how much they take in ..... Anyway - getting away from the topic. Lol!

Look for a GW Outlet in your area .... you have to dig through it but finding that one treasure is worth it

 

[boo who?]

Never heard of such a thing as a Goodwill outlet. Will definitely look for them!

 

[mariem]

Our one lonely thrift store is so small they have to take all the Halloween stuff down right after Halloween because the store is so cluttered. There is one approx 8'x8' area that they use to display seasonal items. There is barely enough Christmas balls etc to fill one shelf. Nadda in this area.

Marie

 

[Miss Hallows Eve]

Never heard of such a thing as a Goodwill outlet. Will definitely look for them!

I hadn't either until I stumbled upon one while on vacation in Spokane, WA. I looked them up for my area when I got home and the rest is history. Lol!

 

[boo who?]

Double post!

 

[boo who?]

Found a GW outlet within an hour's drive. But honestly, it looks more scary than fun. There have signs that warn of being jostled be rabid shoppers and there's nothing but open bins to root through. Not an inviting prospect at all! Maybe the outlets are different elsewhere.

http://www.thethriftshopper.com/sections/directory/reviews.php?id=11148

 

[Deadna]

Found a GW outlet within an hour's drive. But honestly, it looks more scary than fun. There have signs that warn of being jostled be rabid shoppers and there's nothing but open bins to root through. Not an inviting prospect at all! Maybe the outlets are different elsewhere.

http://www.thethriftshopper.com/sections/directory/reviews.php?id=11148

This sounds exactly like what I saw on the news when they covered one of these places. Nothing but rows and rows of bins to dig thru at a penny per pound. The news did the story because all personal papers go to this place and one woman was making it her mission to buy them up and shred them so no one's SS# got out. Goodwill said they would shred from then on and not sell any paperwork.

 

[lizzyborden]

All of our thrift stores except Salvation Army now put Halloween out all year long. That's good in a way but not so good when you consider that in the past if you happened to get there when they were first putting Halloween out, you could find a bunch of really great stuff. Since I don't get to visit thrift stores much anymore, I've been going through thriftdrawal!

 

[Miss Hallows Eve]

Part of the fun of the GW outlets is digging through the stuff to find treasures. Of course, that is something I don't mind doing. You meet interesting people too which is a plus No jostling or anything happens at the ones I go to. I have quit going to the one in Seattle only because of the parking issue. The others ones in my area, the people are usually friendly (you can meet a grumpy person in a GW outlet just like you can at Macy's so .....) ..... it isn't scary at all and I have found quite a few really nice pieces of designer clothing with tags, that I couldn't afford otherwise (not that I dress in designer clothing, I resell ).

Yep, the Outlets aren't for everyone but then again, neither is Target, JC Penney, Sephora or Walmart

 

[boo who?]

.... it isn't scary at all and I have found quite a few really nice pieces of designer clothing with tags, that I couldn't afford otherwise (not that I dress in designer clothing, I resell.

Question: I thought that the outlets were for stuff that didn't sell at the regular stores. How is it that new designer stuff makes it to the outlets? It sounds like my outlet doesn't have nearly as nice clientele as yours. But if I'm ever out that way, I'll definitely stop in. I don't resell and except for the occasional work clothing item, I don't shop much clothing. What are the hardlines like at the outlets?

 

[Miss Hallows Eve]

At our outlets, you can get furniture for less than $5 (couches, chairs, etc.) .... it is the items that haven't sold in the stores. 99% of the clothing I buy still has the tags on it from the GW stores. A lot still have the original tags when donated. I am not sure what goes into determining how long an items remains at a GW store before it goes to the Outlet.

Hardlines .... computer stuff and most electronics, expect to find broken and only good for parts. Glassware is usually put on shelves and sold at .39/lbs. Books are an awesome find at the outlets with paperbacks usually only being .29/each. Toys and stuffed animals you can find in really good to new condition. Kitchen ware is iffy. Smaller items you can find in nice condition, larger items like toasters, etc. probably not. They do have a testing center so you can see if things work before buying. You do have to DIG. I wear gloves just because it lessens the chance of being cut by a broken piece of glass or something pokey.

Yes, the Outlets do have a large turn over of items usually only allowing bins to be out about an hour before going back into the warehouse to .... I am guessing, be shipped to another outlet. I don't know. They do cord off an area and will not allow people to look through the new bins until a bell rings and Yep, the digging and ruffling begins but the hard core shoppers. I never take part in that and wait until the fever dies down before looking into a "new" bin. So that part of the shopping an outlet is very true and sometimes it can get nasty ... have to admit, that is another reason why I quit going to the one in Seattle. Those people are ruthless and will spend ALL day hanging out at the outlet just to get items.

It may be something to check out once and see if you are game Not sure if it would be worth it if you are only looking for hardlines but a one time trip will either have you smiling from finding good things or thinking you'll never go again . For holiday items to upcycle or even to use as you find them, it isn't a bad way to go. I found a blow mold I had been looking for for some time ... the little ghost that holds a candle. The candle was missing but the blow mold was in perfect shape so I got it ... paid a whole .59 for it too