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The holidays are over, and soon the clothing stores' sales
will be, too. If you didn't get that pair of jeans you asked for from Santa,
consider bargain-hunting at Goodwill, a nonprofit organization that sells
donated clothing and other items at retail stores throughout the Charleston
area. The Post
and Courier recently sent Ink contributors Paul Bowers and DeeDe Pinckney on
a shopping trip at the Goodwill superstore in Goose Creek. The
assignment: Find a desirable outfit for $12.50 or less. Both succeeded -- and were able to buy extra items -- with
change left over. |
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Story last updated at
Teens seeking
something different at area thrift shops
That's right.
Goodwill is cool now.
The store has
developed a nearly cult following among offbeat teenagers looking for something
different. Rather than following the mainstream and shopping at stores such as
American Eagle and Abercrombie, many have opted for Goodwill.
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If you're lucky, you can find name-brand clothes there, but for
most of the store's loyal shoppers, it's more about making a statement than it
is about finding cheap clothes.
Derek Kline,
a 15-year-old freshman at Summerville High School, has been a Goodwill shopper
since the seventh grade. He keeps coming back because, "It's a fun place
to shop," and, "they have cool clothes that are unique."
And
"unique" is probably the best way to describe Derek's style. His
favorite clothes from Goodwill are an elementary school cheerleading shirt and
his infamous 'N Sync shirt. (No, he's not really a fan.) He's been called a
trendsetter.I also am a regular shopper at Goodwill. I own several offbeat
shirts, including one from Hard Rock Cafe Boston (which I have never been to),
one from the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago (ditto) and one that says
"Mid-Week With Marrington." (As it turns out, this is a school news
show, but I don't bother explaining this one to people. I just let them stare
and wonder.) I use an approach to Goodwill shopping that's common with my
friends: Find totally random T-shirts nobody will understand.
For example,
when the newspaper sent me to Goodwill on this assignment, I found a neon green
shirt that says "Around the World With Girl Scouts." This is one of
those really "out-there" shirts that I probably will wear just a
couple of times as a joke. But, hey, for $2, why not?
You can find
other cool things at Goodwill, too. I got a fraternity hat for 99 cents and a
mint-condition VHS copy of the totally excellent smash hit "Wayne's
World" for $2.99.
But Goodwill
shopping isn't just for people with a warped sense of humor. Some go simply for
the low prices. I also got a pair of spankin'-new Target jeans for just $1.99.
You easily could find about $50 worth of clothes for $10.
Goodwill
stores offer a wide selection of clothes, but they aren't that well-organized.
If you're looking for a specific size, be prepared to sort through racks of
clothes for a while. But that's really a part of the adventure.
Of course,
there's more to Goodwill than cheap prices and groovy threads. The store also
is about charity. The organization was started by a Methodist minister in 1902,
and it has grown to include 1,900 retail stores. According to the Web site
www.goodwill.org, 85 percent of the stores' revenue is used for special
programs that are designed to provide job training and career opportunities to
disadvantaged people.
The idea of
donating clothes and used goods to help handicapped and underprivileged people
has made Goodwill one of the world's leading charities. If you want to donate
something, just drop it off at a store near you.
When you shop
at Goodwill, everyone wins. You get to find cool stuff cheap and help others
around the world. So whether you're strapped for cash or just looking for a
good time, check out Goodwill. You never know what you'll find.