Goodwill Hunting

Here’s a look back over the years at some of my best Goodwill finds. Goodwill is my favorite store to shop for clothes. I love saving money and rescuing perfectly good garments from a grim future in the landfill. Our local Quincy Goodwill is a bright, clean, cheery place full of sweet people, and in summer, as an added bonus, there’s often a truck selling watermelons in the parking lot.

Every trip to Goodwill is a little adventure because I never know what I’ll find. My sister Bunny has discovered real sterling silver in the housewares section, and I once happened on a vintage Betsey Johnson dress in mint condition and my exact size. I never come into the store with my heart set on finding any particular thing. Instead, I try to keep an open mind and an easygoing attitude as I explore every aisle.

I like to try to see the potential in items that other people have given up on. I like the idea of giving some cast-off thing a second chance. Maybe I get this from my mom, whose bountiful compassion extends even to broken knickknacks (she has a special fondness for damaged kitten and angel figurines). She displays them and loves them, never minding their imperfections.

“But it’s chipped!” I used to protest when I was a snobby teenager and I came across one of her dinged-up angels.

“Nah, that’s nothing,” she would smile. “I just keep that part turned around towards the back.”

Sometimes I have to get creative to make a find work. That’s my favorite part of Goodwill shopping. It’s so satisfying when I can revive a dress or skirt with new buttons or a shorter hemline or a nice leisurely soak in OxiClean. I don’t know why. Maybe I like putting a bit of labor into my wardrobe, having a hand in its creation, or maybe I just like spending time with my new old clothes and getting to know and appreciate them. I love sitting with my sewing kit and patiently mending little rips and tears. God gives us everything we have, right? He is the source of everything. So then we ought to treat our “stuff” with care.