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[US] Goodwill

AstrobricksAstrobricks Minnesota, USMember Posts: 2,551
in Shopping USA/Canada
I thought I’d start this thread since I suggested it :)

Found a bunch of Brickheadz for $3 at the Goodwill on Lyndale in Bloomington. I left maybe a dozen. 
FowlerBricksLEGOFan2uwu

Comments

  • TkattTkatt MNMember Posts: 336
    I'll assume links to interesting items from the auction site will be ok in this thread. Here's one I've been watching.
    https://www.shopgoodwill.com/Item/48693254
     I'm curious if the person who donated the sets in this auction had any idea what they giving away. 
    Astrobricks
  • AstrobricksAstrobricks Minnesota, USMember Posts: 2,551
    Tkatt said:
    I'll assume links to interesting items from the auction site will be ok in this thread. Here's one I've been watching.
    https://www.shopgoodwill.com/Item/48693254
     I'm curious if the person who donated the sets in this auction had any idea what they giving away. 
    OMG, I think I just peed a little :P
    Mr_CrossFizyxkiki180703
  • prevereprevere North of Bellville, East of Heartlake, South of Bricksburg, West of Ninjago City Member Posts: 2,878
    That lot probably went unsold for $10 at a garage sale.
  • Mr_CrossMr_Cross East Anglia (UK)Member Posts: 1,025
    Wow!
  • nerzhinnerzhin MIMember Posts: 22
    I noticed a lot of chinese fakes in their minifigure auctions....no feedback system, so no way to know if that is a reoccurring problem with the goodwill auctions. no returns either.
  • TkattTkatt MNMember Posts: 336
    Finding off brand bricks and figures is common in those auctions. It is also common to find weird toys, crayons, candy wrappers, dog hair, coins, nerf darts, and random trash. Goodwill doesn't do much to clean up the donated items at all. Study the pictures closely and bid accordingly. Also plan on washing and sterilizing just about anything you get from them. 
    77ncaachampspreveregmonkey76
  • 77ncaachamps77ncaachamps Aspiring Time Traveler Stuck in the West (US)Member Posts: 2,439
    I second @Tkatt. I purchased a couple over the years and a few were not for the squeamish or germaphobic.
  • prevereprevere North of Bellville, East of Heartlake, South of Bricksburg, West of Ninjago City Member Posts: 2,878
    I've got some great stuff and not so great stuff. 

    Great - awesome boxed monorail for a good price

    Not so great - metroliner that ended up being glued (and that wasn't mentioned)

    FowlerBricks
  • 77ncaachamps77ncaachamps Aspiring Time Traveler Stuck in the West (US)Member Posts: 2,439
    prevere said:
    I've got some great stuff and not so great stuff. 

    Great - awesome boxed monorail for a good price

    Not so great - metroliner that ended up being glued (and that wasn't mentioned)

    That is good for you. Sorry about the glued set.

    I had some glued sets from Goodwill, but the glue they used was the water based kind that they separated in sorting and probably in transit.

    Especially with Goodwill auctions: caveat emptor.
    Ronyarprevere
  • KingAlanIKingAlanI Rochester, NYMember Posts: 1,909
    I once applied for a job at a different thrift shop that entailed listing the more valuable donated items online. Goodwill appears to be doing something similar. This would presumably usually keep the good stuff out of the stores.
  • AstrobricksAstrobricks Minnesota, USMember Posts: 2,551
    KingAlanI said:
    I once applied for a job at a different thrift shop that entailed listing the more valuable donated items online. Goodwill appears to be doing something similar. This would presumably usually keep the good stuff out of the stores.
    Yes, but unfortunately it seems you can’t count on the “good stuff” being that good.
    KingAlanI
  • nerzhinnerzhin MIMember Posts: 22
    Tkatt said:
    Finding off brand bricks and figures is common in those auctions. It is also common to find weird toys, crayons, candy wrappers, dog hair, coins, nerf darts, and random trash. Goodwill doesn't do much to clean up the donated items at all. Study the pictures closely and bid accordingly. Also plan on washing and sterilizing just about anything you get from them. 
    Good to know. Used to buy a lot of bulk lego on craigslist, before prices got way out of line, and got very used to cleaning what could only have been pubic hairs off of many, many lego elements
    Switchfoot55bgl_84
  • Switchfoot55Switchfoot55 The Northwest, USAMember Posts: 1,652
    Living near one of the main hubs of Good Will, I discovered several years ago through some volunteer work that all local donations are shipped to the main warehouse to be sorted and then shipped back out to local stores. Meaning, any donations given at location "A" would be shipped to the main warehouse, sorted, and redistributed to locations "B" - "Z".

    I've not run across any Lego at local stores. Based on seeing the Ebay and ShopGoodWill listings for Lego from my area, I believe they pull ALL of the Lego from their donations and then sell them online to ensure maximum profits. 

    It's a bummer as I can't run across the gems others have mentioned finding at their local Lego stores. The upside is, if I were to win the bid on any of their online listings, I can pick up locally and avoid the absurd shipping fees they charge for their lots!
    prevere
  • prevereprevere North of Bellville, East of Heartlake, South of Bricksburg, West of Ninjago City Member Posts: 2,878
    Absurd is putting it lightly.
    SumoLego
  • SumoLegoSumoLego New YorkMember Posts: 12,185
    prevere said:
    Absurd is putting it lightly.
    Absurd = Actual shipping + 200% markup to help pay all of the hosting and website fees.
    prevereSprinkleOtter
  • SumoLegoSumoLego New YorkMember Posts: 12,185
    I like that they don't bother taking the Target clearance stickers off the boxes.
    77ncaachampsSwitchfoot55
  • prevereprevere North of Bellville, East of Heartlake, South of Bricksburg, West of Ninjago City Member Posts: 2,878
    I love the 2 pounds estimated shipping weight + fees for 10 minifigs.
    Switchfoot55SprinkleOtter
  • AstrobricksAstrobricks Minnesota, USMember Posts: 2,551
    edited February 2018
    Switchfoot55 said:
    Living near one of the main hubs of Good Will, I discovered several years ago through some volunteer work that all local donations are shipped to the main warehouse to be sorted and then shipped back out to local stores. Meaning, any donations given at location "A" would be shipped to the main warehouse, sorted, and redistributed to locations "B" - "Z".

    I've not run across any Lego at local stores. Based on seeing the Ebay and ShopGoodWill listings for Lego from my area, I believe they pull ALL of the Lego from their donations and then sell them online to ensure maximum profits. 

    It's a bummer as I can't run across the gems others have mentioned finding at their local Lego stores. The upside is, if I were to win the bid on any of their online listings, I can pick up locally and avoid the absurd shipping fees they charge for their lots!
    I guess it’s a YMMV situation.
  • pharmjodpharmjod 1,170 miles to Wall Drug, USAMember Posts: 2,886
    edited February 2018
    Everything at Goodwill is a ymmv, which is why I'm baffled a thread was created for it. I thought the brag thread covered thrift store finds.
    Bumblepantsgmonkey76
  • AstrobricksAstrobricks Minnesota, USMember Posts: 2,551
    pharmjod said:
    Everything at Goodwill is a ymmv, which is why I'm baffled a thread was created for it. I thought the brag thread covered thrift store finds.
    Personally, I forget to check the brag thread very often, and Goodwill talk was kind of sidetracking the Target thread for a while there.
    KingAlanI
  • TkattTkatt MNMember Posts: 336
    I bought a Chirrut Imwe #75524 today at Goodwill. They had several Jyn Ersos as well.
    They were marked at $6.99 and $4.99. Thursdays are half price kids stuff day so I got it for $3.50. 
      @pharmjod- I would put this the brag thread, but I feel like it is more of a confession since I'm not really proud of myself for buying it.
    pharmjodSumoLegosamiam391FizyxBumblepants77ncaachampsAstrobricksFowlerBricksGoldchains
  • pharmjodpharmjod 1,170 miles to Wall Drug, USAMember Posts: 2,886
    That made me laugh. Thanks ;)
    SumoLego
  • SumoLegoSumoLego New YorkMember Posts: 12,185
    Tkatt said:
    @pharmjod- I would put this the brag thread, but I feel like it is more of a confession since I'm not really proud of myself for buying it.
    Just put on a baseball cap, sunglasses and a hoodie.  Nobody will know it's you.  (Even if you're online.)
    Fizyx
  • AstrobricksAstrobricks Minnesota, USMember Posts: 2,551
    edited February 2018
    Tkatt said:
    I bought a Chirrut Imwe #75524 today at Goodwill. They had several Jyn Ersos as well.
    They were marked at $6.99 and $4.99. Thursdays are half price kids stuff day so I got it for $3.50. 
      @pharmjod- I would put this the brag thread, but I feel like it is more of a confession since I'm not really proud of myself for buying it.
    Yeah, I looked at those same ones and decided to pass. No more constraction unless I really want it.

    That’s another problem with the brag thread; I would only brag about finding stuff I really want at a great price. That leaves out stuff that others might be interested in.
  • KingAlanIKingAlanI Rochester, NYMember Posts: 1,909
    I avoid constraction even heavily discounted because I'm looking to part out and many constraction sets have unusual parts that don't go well with other things.
  • pharmjodpharmjod 1,170 miles to Wall Drug, USAMember Posts: 2,886
    Several of them are pretty cool looking when built and actually fun to build. It is a completely different experience from traditional LEGO though. Admittedly they have grown on me.
    BrickByBrick
  • CaptainRogersCaptainRogers Greensboro, NCMember Posts: 766
    Found 1 copy each of #41594 Captain Armando Salazar for $1.99 and #75524 Chirrut Imwe for $5.99 today. Both had Target clearance stickers.
  • romdamromdam Member Posts: 136
    edited February 2018
    The Seattle Goodwill used to sell on ebay.  Not sure if they still do.  One time I added up all the "pound" lot auctions in a day.  It was like woo pounds.  I always wondered why people in Seattle didn' like Lego, lol.
  • romdamromdam Member Posts: 136
    Oh, they do still sell on ebay.  272 pounds worth of Lego just at the Seattle Goodwill.  I'm assuming that's were everything gets sent
  • Switchfoot55Switchfoot55 The Northwest, USAMember Posts: 1,652
    ^That's where I am @romdam. I've always wondered the same thing!?

    On nearly a weekly basis, at least one lot they're selling has a partial/complete modular. 
  • AstrobricksAstrobricks Minnesota, USMember Posts: 2,551
    romdam said:
    The Seattle Goodwill used to sell on ebay.  Not sure if they still do.  One time I added up all the "pound" lot auctions in a day.  It was like woo pounds.  I always wondered why people in Seattle didn' like Lego, lol.
    How much is woo pounds?
    prevereAwesomeness
  • stetstet Member Posts: 44
    Astrobricks said:
    How much is woo pounds?
    I bet they are selling for wee dollars.
    prevereAwesomeness
  • TkattTkatt MNMember Posts: 336
    edited June 2018
    An opportunity for an old set. #725-3 Town Plan by Samsonite. I'm having a hard time telling what it's worth, only a few are listed on Bricklink. But this looks complete and seems to be in ok shape. It's gone above what I'd pay for it, but perhaps someone on here wants it more.

    https://www.shopgoodwill.com/Item/53274246


    madforLEGO
  • SumoLegoSumoLego New YorkMember Posts: 12,185
    Astrobricks said:
    romdam said:
    It was like woo pounds.
    How much is woo pounds?
    It's Ric Flair's personal currency.  The number of 'o's indicates the value.  We should all try to be Woooooooooooooooooooooooo!inaires.
    jmeninnoBumblepantsSeijiAmasawabmwlego
  • jmeninnojmeninno The Batcave (MA)Member Posts: 731
    I didn't know Naitch was here!  WOOOOOO!
    SumoLego
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