Goodwill Discoveries: 49 Unexpected Donations Found In Stores

The organization Goodwill Industries said it surpassed a record $7 billion in revenue from its 3,400 stores in 2025, up roughly 7 percent from the previous year.

“We are pretty steady in almost any economic situation,” Steven C. Preston, Goodwill’s chief executive, said in an interview.

“But when things are tight, we’re probably more likely to get that foot traffic.”

Holiday spending remained strong last year, and consumers are still spending on discretionary goods, even if they have to defer the costs through “buy now, pay later” plans.

But a mix of inflation, slowing job growth, and lofty bills for groceries and rent has left people looking to save as much as they can with every purchase.

And while many shoppers go to Goodwill for the low prices, they also enjoy the treasure hunt of rifling through aisles of shirts and dresses for hidden gems. At outlets that sell items piled together in bins, some customers wait for hours for the stock to be refreshed to maximize their chances.

Goodwill is a nonprofit business that relies on donations and its retail stores to fund its programs, which include career skills training, education, and community programs for those in need. It also offers services for formerly incarcerated people to re-enter the workforce.

Goodwill collects about six billion pounds of goods per year and tries to keep as many items in circulation as possible. The ones that are not sold in stores go to outlets, where they are heavily discounted and sold in bulk by the pound, or they go through partner resellers. Some products might even end up in overseas markets or recycling facilities.

Thrift stores are among the only places that can offer $5 T-shirts and $15 jeans, and last year, they were also shielded from tariff-related price increases because they don’t import goods manufactured abroad.

Goodwill, for its part, is also pushing an online auction site, which also had its biggest year ever, though it represents only a small portion of total sales.

That platform sources goods exclusively from local Goodwill shops, with the proceeds of each sale going back to the affiliates that listed the item.

But it’s not just about the money. Experts say that the importance of thrifting for sustainability is obvious:

1. Less clothing in landfills: Most clothes are made from synthetic materials, which take hundreds of years to decompose in landfills. When you thrift, you help extend the life of clothes, which can reduce the volume of clothing sent to landfills each year.
2. Fewer wasted resources: Making clothes takes a lot of water. One pair of jeans is estimated to use about 1,800 gallons of water in the manufacturing process and cotton growth. Thrifting keeps clothing in use longer, which can help limit resource waste by reducing demand for new products.
3. Reduce chemical pollution: Most cotton used to make clothing is genetically modified, which means the growing process is pesticide-intensive. Pesticides can lead to soil acidification and water contamination. Textile manufacturing can also involve harmful dyes and crude oil by-products. The environmental risk increases when excess chemicals leak into areas surrounding surface and groundwater.

However, thrifting isn’t the only way to keep unwanted clothing out of landfills. Here are other ways to prolong the lives of your clothes:

1. Make a trade: Plan or join a clothing swap with your friends, residence hall, student organization, or another group.
2. Alternative donations: Donate directly to those in need, such as homeless centers or domestic violence shelters. Often, these organizations have information on their websites about how or where to donate.
3. Repair and repurpose: If you have clothing that isn’t in good condition, consider repairing it or repurposing it for a different purpose. For example, you can use old T-shirts as cleaning cloths.
4. Make it last: Save and store unique items you may not wear regularly for costumes or theme parties.

And if you need more reasons to visit a Goodwill, check out these rare items it surprised people with!

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