We finally did it — we went to the Goodwill bins.
The Goodwill bins have been around for a while and we’ve actually talked with Kristin from A Rural Squirrel in a previous podcast episode about the Goodwill bins. We also talked to the Nashville Flippers about Amazon bins on another episode, but they are definitely different. We’ve heard about the bins for a while, so when we went to visit some friends in South Florida, we ended up going to one and it was an interesting experience.
What Are The Goodwill Bins?
We had no idea what to expect, but when you first walk in, you see lines of bins with different categories of items like clothing or home goods. This one had four or five lines of bins that are probably 60-feet long. You can shop the ones that are on the floor. Then they wheel some off and bring new ones out. New bins came out every 30-45 minutes at the location we visited.
How Do The Goodwill Bins Work?
There is a yellow line on the floor that you cannot cross to rummage through the new bins until the worker gives the okay. They are strict too; one of our kids was over the line and they got told to get behind the line.
Once they tell you to go, it’s a free-for-all. Everybody can go and jump in to see what they can find. People were pulling stuff out, not knowing if they wanted it, and putting it in their cart. They would look up the items after going through all the new bins, and then threw stuff back in the bins after looking the items up. It was different than how we source items, but very cool. It was geared more toward small items and we do mostly larger items.
The Goodwill bins had a section for larger items like furniture. We saw a great chair that looked like an Ekorne chair, but upon closer inspection, it wasn’t. The items in that section were priced very cheap. The chair was nice leather, but was only $10. It was clear by the pricing strategy that they wanted the larger items to move quickly. They had strollers and other bigger items that were reasonable. If this was closer to us, I would’ve made a trip back just to check on their larger items. We may have to look into if there is a Goodwill bins in Orlando so we can add it to our visit list.
Goodwill Bins Tip
I did not take gloves, and by the time I left, I did feel a little grungy. Definitely take gloves if you go to the bins or make sure you have hand sanitizer or wash your hands afterward.
Why Source At The Goodwill Bins?
As a sourcing place, it can be a great place to find cheap inventory because they sell different categories at a per pound rate. If you have a couple of niches you specialize in, like fashion or electronics, you would know how to spot good items quickly so it could be a great place to go.
If you enjoy the thrill of jumping in and trying to grab a great item first, that could also be another reason to visit the bins. You also never know what you will find. I enjoy finding the deals no matter where they’re at! My favorite place to source is at home on the couch, using the apps to look for high profit items that will sell for $1,000 or more. We don’t typically find a lot at Goodwill thrift stores. We generally find more at the thrift stores that are smaller mom and pop types or nonprofits.
If you haven’t been to the bins, go try it out. If you have been to the Goodwill bins, let us know what your experience was like there. We’d love to hear from you either below or on Instagram.
Upcoming Flipping Activities
Our kids want to start live selling on eBay so we’re going to be documenting how that goes and doing an episode on it. eBay live selling doesn’t really work for our business model, selling appliances and other large items, but it would work for the kids because they sell small items.
We’re also going to be doing a four-week workshop with live Zoom calls once a week for four weeks, starting Thursday, September 4. That will be for beginners looking to get started. Sometimes people see eBay as a huge mammoth and put off getting started and we want to help people dive in so they can start making money. Check it out if you’re a beginner!
Show Notes
Live Workshop: https://learn.fleamarketflipper.com/reseller-jumpstart-workshop
Check out our free training: https://learn.fleamarketflipper.com/flipping-workshop-new–0b9f0
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fleamrktflipper/
FURTHER RESOURCES
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