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Goodwill on Loop 323

January 26th, 2010

Goodwill on Loop 323

1817 W.S.W. Loop 323
Tyler, TX 75701
(903) 581-5422
9am – 8pm

This Goodwill store is located on the South West side of Loop 323 in Tyler, TX. If you are unfamiliar with Tyler just ask someone how to get to the mall, and there’s a good chance you’ll see the Goodwill on the way there. It has an almost ridiculously large and attractive sign for the type of store it is. The parking lot is attractive as far as thrift stores usually go. Though, be warned. This parking lot is on a fairly steep hill. Sometimes it causes awkward entrances and exits in my car.

The most obvious reason people go to a Goodwill thrift store is for the clothes. This branch offers a huge supply of men’s, women’s and children’s clothing. One interesting fact about this store is that they also have a few racks of completely brand new women’s clothes. Though, the prices are pretty high for these new items. These new clothes will usually be all within a similar style. I assume that they are overstock from a clothing store or something along those lines.

Being a man, I’ve spent most of my shopping for clothes in the men’s section. They have the stereotypical suit section that I rarely see people shopping in, but the bulk of this section is devoted to t-shirts, pants, and collared shirts. This is a really good store if you are looking for a new addition to your funny or ironic vintage t-shirt collection. You may pay a dollar or two more than you are used to paying for t-shirts at a thrift store, but I think that the huge selection makes it worth the effort and much more likely that you’ll find a keeper. The dress shirts are in my opinion over priced and not impressive. I can often find a better shirt in the clearance rack at Old Navy for cheaper.

I often check the tie section in hopes of adding some variety to my work attire, but the tie section is a little underwhelming. They are one dollar a piece. That is an awesome price, but in all of my trips I’ve only found one tie worth buying. So keep your eyes open for the chance of getting a nice tie for only a dollar. Also be sure to stop by the two shopping carts full of belts. Most of these are unattractive eighties style, but don’t let that stop you. I recently found four designer belts in near perfect condition for fifty cents a piece! Three of these were nice leather. One was a modern style canvas belt. All of these were name brand and probably worth fifteen dollars or more new. I almost couldn’t believe it, but with Goodwill I’ve learned to not be surprised.

Now why should you make a special trip to this Goodwill? My number one reason for visiting this store is for the book and media section. They have a five or six bookshelf unit section in the back full of books. There is one fully dedicated to children’s books which I usually avoid due to the messy nature of children’s book sections. The rest of the section is pretty incredible. There are new and used books of every genre. You can find most of the John Grisham books on any day. Besides that, it’s the luck of the draw. I never enter the store without checking through the book section, and I’d say that at least half of the time I leave with a book or two or twelve. Also in this section you’ll find a pretty decent selection of audio CDs, computer software CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes and vinyl records. There are certainly more efficient ways to buy CDs and software than a thrift store, but it’s worth the effort to possibly find a gem.

Are there any negative things about this store? There is one major negative. The furniture. In other parts of the country used and outdated furniture gets cheaper and cheaper until it is eventually close to free. This store sells furniture for fifty dollars or more regardless of the condition or style. There are occasionally really good finds on couches or chairs. In fact, I’ve purchased a really nice mirror and a small wooden night stand, that were both reasonably priced. But usually the couches and chairs are ridiculously ugly and still priced at fifty to eighty dollars a piece. Some of these, I would just throw away if I owned them. Regardless of this, eighty dollars is cheaper than a thousand, so maybe I shouldn’t complain about it.

There is one last thing to mention about this Goodwill. If you are in need of a costume, be it for Halloween or just a random themed costume party, I can not think of a better place in Tyler to go for it. This Goodwill has supplied me with costume pieces for at least five different costume parties. I’ve been able to find robes, pants, shirts, jewelry, accessories, and even a couple of wigs and beards. My experience has taught me to skip Wal-Mart and other retailers completely and go straight to Goodwill for costumes and accessories.

So if you are in Tyler and are looking for good thrift store deals, I would suggest going to the other Goodwill in downtown Tyler on Locust St or the Salvation Army store. But if you don’t have time for hunting, this Goodwill on the Loop will most certainly have what you are looking for. You may just have to spend a little more, fight more traffic and weed around way more customers. If you do decide on this store, you can rest assured that at the least they have a pretty amazing set of staff. You should see at least five employees at any given moment who can help you find things or even to help carry out your overpriced and ugly furniture.

Goodwill on W. Locust in Downtown Tyler, TX

January 26th, 2010

Goodwill

407 W. Locust
Tyler, TX 75701
Phone: (903) 593-9326
9am – 6pm

I would guess that almost every American knows what Goodwill is. Even if they haven’t been into one, they’ve probably donated to it or at least driven by it. For those of you who don’t: Goodwill Industries is a non-profit organization with a front of running retail thrift stores. 

Goodwill Thrift Store in Tyler

Goodwill Thrift Store in Tyler

 Their main service to the communities they are in is providing employment for people who would not otherwise be able to get a job. This could be due to a disability, lack of education or previous job history or even more negative reasons. They give people a first chance or a second chance.

Goodwill has a really neat history. It was started in 1902 in Boston by a Methodist minister named Edgar J. Helms. He would gather used and unwanted clothes and household items from the wealthier areas of town. Then he hired people who were poor and trained them how in repairing the clothing and items. Then they would sell the items or he would give the item to the person who repaired it.

This humble beginning grew like crazy. Today Goodwill has one hundred and eighty three organizations in the United States, Canada and fourteen other countries. They also grew in their overall sales. In 2008 Goodwill made over three billion dollars! The cool thing is they used eighty four percent of that money to provide employment, training and rehabilitation services to over a million people.

The Goodwill on W. Locust St in Tyler, TX is my favorite of the Tyler stores. There is another retail thrift store located on the southern side of Loop 323. The store on the Loop offers much more in their inventory and tons of support staff for registers, floor help and furniture carry outs. Yet, I still prefer the store downtown, and it’s for those reasons. I prefer to shop at thrift stores that look and feel like thrift stores. The downtown location is the classic thrift store.

There are usually only about two visible staff, and they’ll greet you when you come in. The store is pretty small and easy to navigate. I love their book section. It has about four or five bookshelves side by side full of every genre. One is fully dedicated to children’s books and is usually in really good order. They also have a small section of VHS tapes, DVDs, CDs, and computer software.

On one occasion I went into the store looking for books that were in really good shape. I found one hardback children’s book that was just in beautiful condition and looked very interesting. I took it up to the counter and asked what books cost or if there was a standard for price on hardback versus paperback. The employee was so friendly. She greeted my baby and cooed over her. It was nice. She told me that hardbacks are usually two dollars, and paperbacks are usually one dollar but that this one was kind of in between since it was a children’s book. She gave me the book for one dollar.

A good tip: visit this Goodwill thrift store on Tuesdays and Thursdays to get new computer and electronic games. You have to time it just right. I think a little after 10 AM is the best time, but it’s all the luck of the draw. You may get nothing, but if you love treasure hunting this would be worth a shot. Another thing to keep your eye out for at this location is board games. On some occasions I’ve seen new versions of Cranium games and the DVD game, Scene-It. Take a few dollars with you and give this store a shot.