My best Goodwill thrift find to date...

I've been wanting some solid white dishes for several years.  I've been looking online at different styles, but haven't found any at a price I wanted to pay.  I once ordered a place setting and returned it, mainly because I didn't want to pay for the cups and saucers we never use; I have two sets taking up space in my cabinets as it is.

Yesterday I stopped into Goodwill and saw a tall stack of white plates.  I turned one over...Mikasa.  There were 12 dinner plates (10 5/8 inch) and 12 salad plates (8 1/2 inch).  Three plates of each size had little chips in the edge, so they stayed at the store, but the unblemished nine of each size came home with me for 99¢ each...$17.82 total, and they look brand new!

I checked on ebay to see what they go for.  I saw them listed for a low of $9.99 each up to $17.99 each.  The Mikasa website lists them for $17.99 each...one plate costs more than I paid for all of mine.  And there is hefty shipping on top of those prices.

The lowest price I saw for the salad plates was $40 for 6 (plus $20.80 shipping), so I guess that means nine could go for $60 or more.  The Mikasa website lists them at $12.99 each.

Yes, K2, more white.  I like the way it all blends together...antique bowl, new casseroles, Dollar Tree soup mugs, and my Goodwill fine china.  :)  I like the way my grandmother's green juicer stands out as the only color on the shelf.  

I like the way it looks on the open shelving next to my white cabinets.

Carey is of the opinion that nothing is a bargain if you don't NEED it, and he also doesn't go in for impulse purchases.  Miraculously, he remembers a bargain we made about 3 years ago.  He got to do something he wanted that I thought wasn't necessary (I don't even remember what it was) if I could have a new set of white dishes.  So he knows this wasn't an impulse purchase, and my internet research proves that I got it at a super-low price.  Yea!  I don't have to listen to him grumble!  :)

I occasionally whine about the high prices at Goodwill, so I was very happy to find a real bargain.  My $17.82 purchase sounds pretty good compared to a minimum of $150+ with shipping on top, huh?  It does to me!  

Not so thrifty thrift stores...

The Non-Consumer Advocate  frequently posts under the title Goodwill, Badwill, Questionable-will which is always very entertaining, and shows the good, the bad, and the butt-ugly things that she finds at Goodwill thrift stores.

Since there is a Goodwill store in the shopping center where my office is located, I periodically pop in.  I'm never so much amused as stunned by the unbelievable prices they put on things. 

Exhibit A: this pretty little green bottle.  Tip to base it was maybe 10 inches high.  $15.99!

Exhibit B:  These little brown bottles used to contain snuff.   I live in Texas...if not THE location of the highest usage of smokeless tobacco per capita, then it is certainly way up there.  In his younger days, my husband dipped this particular brand of snuff.  We had tons of these little bottles...in the kitchen window with wildflowers in them...at my mother's house where she was sure she would find a good use for them...in the trash (pre-recycling days).  I nearly choked when I saw these priced at $4.99...EACH!  I could have had a nice little nest egg had I been able to sell all the ones that passed through our house for that.

I left empty handed again today.  I just don't understand the business sense of overpricing at thrift stores.  You would think that they would have more turnover if they priced items to sell...they did receive all their merchandise as free donations after all.