FYI Bay Area peeps new stock Target @ thrift

I stopped by a new-to-me thrift store the other day and they had several racks of unworn Target items for sale. From the tags and the occasional writing on the interior tags I am wondering if some of them were used as samples or if they were just donated as unsold items. I have read about this happening in other parts of the country but I hadn't run into it myself. I am kinda hoping it wasn't just a one-time thing, that when I go back they'll have more!

Anyway, it's the Goodwill in San Mateo (25th Ave just off El Camino) if any other SF area people are interested in checking it out. (I've not had as much luck with Goodwill as with other local thrifts but this one was a lot better organized than most and the prices were much more reasonable than the Goodwill 'boutique' in Menlo Park.) In women's they had dresses, skirts, lots of knit tops and some pants, mostly summer stuff. I didn't look in mens or kids. I ended up getting 3 knit tops and a pair of jeans (not Target) for about 15 bucks (and also a vintage sewing machine for $40, shh, nobody tell my DH. )

13 years ago

Thistle

Veteran

The Goodwill by me had a bunch of Target new with tags items in today as well. I am in Wisconsin, however.

(website)

A friend posted yesterday on Facebook about AG, MEK, and Paige jeans at a Ross in Reno. Wonder if stores are just dumping stock sooner?

Mama Susie

Active Member

A friend of mine told me that they always got shipments of brand new Target stuff at the Pearl City Goodwill in HI. I never had a chance to check it out and I live in southern ca now but I would check back again weekly because it seems like some Goodwills are lucky recipients!

Sylvie

Thanks for the heads up Laura! I don't think I'll be making it down to San Mateo but I have always wondered where the decent places to thrift in the Bay Area were. I've never seen anything good at any of the places I've been to.

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

Thistle and Susie, that's the kind of reports I'd read from other people's blogs in other areas too - Target must have some sort of arrangement with Goodwill for bulk donations. Mo, I know that some of the things sold at Ross etc are custom made for those sorts of discount places, but some isn't - I wonder sometimes how all that stuff works, and how quickly stuff turns over.

Sylvie, are you in the city? I've not found a lot of great thrift options there but I've not spent as much time looking as I have on the peninsula and the south bay. There's one place I've read about that apparently gets new items to resell that are designer, but I haven't checked it out myself.

Laura, I'm in the city and I also spend a fair bit of time in south bay. I don't get much time on the peninsula, but I have checked out a few of the stores in the downtown areas off the Caltrain stations.

Making an overgeneralization, the South Bay actually seems to have the best pure bargains - the thrift stores are bigger and there's more to choose from. The peninsula's got more high-end stuff but the prices reflect that (and then there's stuff that's just way overpriced no matter how you cut it). I used to live in the South Bay but inventory's a lot different than it was a few years ago, pre-bust - there's a lot more people shopping secondhand, although not as many as there was a year or two ago. Whenever I find myself with a spare hour or two when I'm somewhere for an appointment or whatever, I check my phone and look for local thrift stores. Maybe I should write a guide or something, at least then I'm doing something productive with my addiction.

rachylou

The Bay Area's thrift stores do kinda suck, in general. I think the best stuff goes to vintage or consignment stores or SF charity shops.

But I was in Buffalo exchange two weekends ago and kinda on the same note, there was some brand new stuff in there that was from the dept. stores. I was surprised they weren't sent to an outlet or Marshalls or something.

christieanne

I don't think this is true of the Goodwill/thrifts but most retailers sell overstock or clearance merchandise to a third party and they sell to Ross/Marshall's. Sometimes it is more direct such as Levi selling mainly to Ross for a time (that seems to have ended or Levis does not have irregulars as much) and i think it varies by geography.

Thrift stores In East Bay are hit and miss (probably like anywhere?) but I have found some gems in Alameda and at some point I will be checking out Contra Costa. I think the prices are higher at hospital/auxillary type stores than Sal Army but it's still reasonable and usually a good cause.

RunnerChick

Rockridge(in Oakland) has some nice thrift and consignment stores. These are a little high end and the prices do reflect that, but I find that their inventory is good and I can buy things here that I could never afford full price for. They also have a number of less expensive items as well - I recently bought a chambray shirt and a black (Gap) dress shirt for $5 each.

http://www.rockridgerags.net/home.nxg
http://crossroadstrading.com/

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