A $32.41 Goodwill Bins Breakdown
My last foray to the Goodwill bins was unsatisfying as I left empty handed. (You can read about it HERE.) I decided I needed to head back and erase that memory.
You can see in the above photo what came home with me. Sadly, no unrecognized Picasso paintings, but I still did okay. I spent $31.55, mostly on stuff to sell, although I'm keeping a few items.
Additionally I spent 86¢ from my Goodwill gift card, so those the profits will go to the Oregon Food Bank. For my $100 Goodwill Giftcard Challenge.
Let me show you what I bought and importantly . . . why:
This lightweight, (important when paying by the pound!) BentoGo lunch box was in perfect condition and sells for $33 new. I figured this is beginning of the school year and a good time to sell such an item. Maybe for a quick ten bucks?
This Land's End canvas tote may have a random person's monogram, but that's just a matter of unpicking the stitches. Land's End's five-pocket large tote sells for $49.99, (when not on sale, although it always is!) but the plaid straps ones are discontinued, which makes this one a desirable eBay item. It has a few unraveling stitches, but I can fix that. I should be able to get $30 for it on eBay.
These lightweight, (are you catching a theme?) Umbra Buddy wall hooks caught my eye. A 3-pack sells for $25, so I figure I can sell the five of them on eBay for $20.
Lined merino wool Pendleton wool hat? Yes, please! This exact one is no longer sold, but unlined unlined knit cap sells for $48 new. I've snipped off the ratty braided trim and hand washed it. I'll use my sweater shaver to smooth out the wool. Probably list it for $20 on eBay.
This vintage Penrex/HOF desk organizer has a crack on the back, but it doesn't show so I should be able to get $30 for it on eBay. I sold a similar one earlier this year, which I bought at this exact bins location!
This knitting book is actually an entire knitting kit, complete with an instruction book, four skeins of yarn, knitting needles, a safety pin and buttons. It cost $1.59 (the cashier rang it up as a "softcover book") and sells for $40 new. The knitting supplies are still sealed and I'll sell it locally for $20.
I grabbed two of these Portland flags, as my friend's grandfather was the artist who designed it in 1969. I texted to ask if they wanted me to pick them up and received an immediate "Yes!!!!!"
Say less.
My favorite find of the day was this baggie of random drug rep pens, as they can actually sell well on eBay. (I removed the "Apply on-line at www.providence.org" pen as they're my former employer and my feelings for them are . . . let's just say not positive.) Disturbingly, the one that sells for the highest amount on eBay is an Oxycontin pen.
I paid for these separately, which came to 86¢, leaving $3.45 on my $100 gift card. My goal with the last bit of card balance is to buy low cost items that have potential for big bucks. I'm a mere $91.75 away from hitting my $1000 goal and had hoped these pens might get me there and with the right buyer this might actually be true.
Cross your fingers for me!
I also bought a few items to keep.
The 17 black velvet hangers are for this closet, which I am forever fighting against. Our 112-year-old house lacks a linen closet, a proper coat closet or any bathroom storage. As a result, the closet for our downstairs bedroom does some heavy lifting. I'd been keeping an eye out for the black velvet hangers to create some cohesion for this area.
I also bought these brass inlay coasters as I recently swapped out the coffee tables in our downstairs bedroom and living room. (I love, love, love the midcentury Danish coffee table to I thrifted for just $25, but it's simply too big for the space!) The old table had an inset tile piece, which was great for setting down a hot mug of tea. A couple backup coasters was perfect timing.
The coffee table really is "form over function" as it's also too short. Yes, this is an old photo . . . hello Zelda.
Here's the current configuration, which features an Ikea coffee table that our youngest left at our house when they downsized to a smaller apartment.
Function over form.
I forgot to add this shirt to the initial photo. It's a J. Jill 100% linen shirt and is currently drip drying on my clothesline. It's still sold and on sale for $59.99 at the moment.
It looks cuter in this photo:
Beachy.
A reminder of everything I bought, so you don't have to scroll back up:
Additionally I bought a Subaru booklet case and a Nintendo Switch case to resell.
Also to keep are a "Birthday Girl" rhinestone tiara, a handful of satisfyingly strong sewing clips, a broom/mop wall storage thingy and the plastic organizer bin, which I buy whenever I find it at the bins. (Cohesion is the key to not hideous pleasing organization.)
I estimate that I'll make $140 from the $32.41 I spent. This doesn't even factor in the items I bought to keep. The Goodwill bins really can't be beat!
I guess it's time to reorganize that closet. For the millionth time!
How did I do?
Katy Wolk-Stanley
"Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without."
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Looks like you picked the best! I really miss shopping at the bins, you never know what you'll find. Good luck with your listing, I'm always amazed at your picks to sell. Thanks for all your tips.
That's a nice haul! Do any of the pens have a floating stent? Ever since my mil got a stent in 2003 and the doctor showed us what a stent was in his pen, I've wanted one of those pens.
Also, if you ever want to do a fun, easy craft, you can cover wire coat hangers with yarn. I use chenille or plush yarn. They look great and last forever. Very sturdy and really pretty. Here's a tutorial:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rTMPXW4pswQ
My darling mother used to crochet covers for wooden curve-shaped coat hangers. None of my sibs wanted these when we were cleaning out her last apartment, so I took her entire collection and have been using them ever since.
I too have an assortment of yarn covered hangers made by my husband’s grandmother. He was the only one who wanted them. They are actually quite functional and a good memory for him.
My son lives in Pendleton and I have visited the "factory" -- nothing is made there anymore. But I have visited the gift shop and I can verify that the items are very pricey.
I ventured out on errands today, despite the spitting rain. It's the first time in a long time I have felt up to it. I spent $43 at Aldi, and then I went to the library and picked up Villa Coco -- on hold for me -- and The Calamity Club, which was on the Most Wanted shelf, so I must finish it by October 2, no renewals.
At Aldi I didn't particularly find anything special, but I did buy chicken patties from the fresh shelf for $3.99 (for six) and they have gone into the freezer for another day, to go with the hamburger buns that are already chilling there.
I am disappointed that I can't seem to get large containers of yogurt that isn't Greek yogurt anymore. I prefer the thinner consistency. I can get little individual servings of regular yogurt, so that's what I bought.
I found three receipts to scan in addition to my own.
I love shopping in the bins. It's like a treasure hunt.
1. I'm still avoiding estate sales and thrift stores until I get my own stuff listed on Ebay.
2. I listed an entire box of American Girl Dolls and outfits that belong to one of my daughters. She's had a year of financial surprises so I know she'll appreciate anything I can get for them.
3. I sold several items on Ebay which I packaged in recycled boxes and materials and one of the many new bubble mailers I found in the Goodwill bins. I requested a package pickup from the post office.
4. It's that time of the year when I no longer care if my potted annuals live or die.
I haven't watered in weeks. I pulled plants out and shook as much dirt out as I could, saving it for next year.
I love posts like this. Thank you, Katy.
Thanks, I'm aware that it's kind of a lot!
Never too much for those of us who don't have access to Goodwill bins and are shopping vicariously through you!
Agreed. I find these fascinating!
I love them too, Katy - we don't have goodwill bins up here, AFAIK, and you find all kinds of weird and wonderful things! A long fascinating post is just my cup of tea!
As an ebay seller myself, I find these posts useful for me to learn from. Unfortunately I don't have Goodwill bins close to me.
1. I stocked up on cheap ground beef.
2. Got a free coffee
3. Tried a new way of cooking okra from my garden.
4. Got some gardening items from a rental my husband was working at.
Pictures and more details here: https://practicalwalk.com/2026/09/17/frugal-four-okra-coffee/
The velvet coat hangers are nice because the clothes don’t slide off as easily. I found mine in a free pile, but they aren’t all the same color.
I’ve been getting padded hangers when I see them at estate/garage sales because they don’t leave “corners” on the shoulders of my shirts.
What a great assortment. We don't have Goodwill bins here. I got the score of the day 40 oz os slab bacon for five dollars. Limit 1
There is something truly magical about the cohesion of matching hangers! It's fantastic, I wish you well in your search!
1. I had another productive day in the kitchen! I prepped two packages of chicken breasts, just boiled together with water and bouillon, I'll shred it tomorrow or so. I also sliced the two loaves of bread I baked and banana bread. I did learn that frozen banana bread doesn't slice well in my meat/bread slicer.
2. I made a decent dent in "A Witch in Time" today. I want to finish it tomorrow! It's really good so far!
3. It rained this morning and we weren't able to have breakfast on our balcony, which has become a bit of the norm for the kids. Instead, I pulled out a picnic blanket and they ate their plates in the living room while watching the light drizzle outside.
4. The dinner plan for tonight was a chicken pot pie, homemade as I'm dairy free. My husband surprised me with a steak dinner! He said he found an excellent deal on the meat and we already had potatoes in the pantry. Didn't need to twist my arm! The pie crust was promptly put in the freezer for another night!
5. My husband picked up prescriptions for one of our kids and was told it would be about $80. He asked if that was after insurance and apparently the tech hadn't processed our insurance! He asked if my husband would mind waiting a few minutes for the insurance and of course my husband said yes! Brought the total for the two medications down to around $18.50. Worth the wait!
Sounds like if I need a quick buck I can sell my vintage Penrex/HOF organizer. It has no cracks. I am the original owner lol.
I'm flabbergasted that crappy drug logo pens are desirable on eBay. Life is a rich and amusing tapestry.
Oh how I love the bins! I too buy to resell. Or actually to cover the cost of things I keep for myself.
1.Today I sold one of those 1970’s stuffed animals (This one was Dino from the Flintstones) that you could sew from a preprinted fabric panel. Cost about $1, sold for $10. I also sold two vintage Barbie Dolls that were Barbies brother and sister? From the bins less than $1. Sold for $8.
2. Sold a bag of canning rings for crafts. $6. They can with the box of canning jars (that already has canning rings in them that I bought at a yard sale for $5. So in the end my box of jars was free and I made $1. lol
3. Checked my WAWA app and had a deal for a 12 inch sub for $1. Yes please! So for $1.06 I had lunch for 2 days. I always order the extra veggies that I can get for free and pull them off for a kind of “salad.”
4. Dogs needs a bit of grooming and nail trimming. I did it myself.
5. We are traveling overnight tomorrow for a karate competition for our daughter. We are leaving early so we can enjoy the hotel: indoor pool and hot tub plus just relaxing. Free breakfast in the morning. I packed my Thermos (from the Goodwill Bins!)travel coffee mug so I can grab extra coffee to go to keep me going for the long tournament day. I’ll also save a piece of fruit from breakfast to eat with lunch. I also packed powdered flavor for my water bottle (a Hydroflask from a yard sale).
My grandmother's house, also built in 1914, had two huge walk-in closets, one large squarish shaped closet and one strange small shallow closet in the three bedrooms. I never could understand that tiny shallow one but it was in my boys' room and they had hardly any dressy clothes anyway. My daughter on the other hand...
1. I attended the Friends of the Library's annual meeting and while there I returned a book. With the price of gas, I try very hard to batch errands.
2. I'm currently reading Fahrenheit 451. I'm pleasantly surprised to actually like it. I normally don't like sci-fi or futuristic books but this one is good.
3. I'm working at the deli tomorrow, filling in for someone. I love what I call my part-time part-time job. Extra $$$ but only a day or two every month or two.
4. I'm trying hard to eat down the freezer and cabinets. Tonight was leftover lasagna from the freezer. I probably won't grocery shop, except for milk and bread, until it's all eaten.
5. I pulled out my bin of fall decorations. I'm sorry to say I think a lot of it was in a box I donated to the local cat shelter's yard sale by accident but I hope some good came of it. I still have enough to decorate with.
There's a thing that used to be common-ish in older homes. It's hard to describe, but I'll do my best. They used to build a sort of Murphy bed that tucked into a closet. The mattress was attached to a floor-to-ceiling pole mounted just inside the door hinges. To use, one swung the mattress out of the closet, then pulled the bed down to a horizontal position. Over the years, the mattresses and mechanisms have worn out and been removed, leaving behind long, skinny closets.
Interesting. I never thought a kind of tuck-away for a bed. Could have been.
I liked Fahrenheit 451 but I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was awful and almost ruined it for me. It does have a lot of creepy parallels to today, in my opinion!
I agree Shyla! The parallels truly are creepy!
I had no idea someone would want a pharmaceutical-branded pen. Why? I learn something new here all the time.
At today's trip to Trader Joe's:
1. Sampled rosemary potato chips.
2. Said yes to a bag of these chips and then put them back before checking out, as we're better off without them.
3. Chose the largest butternut squash since they have one set price.
4. Bought a couple boxes of graham crackers. Each box cost $3.49 for 56 cracker squares, so around 6 cents each (or 24 cents for a four-square serving size). Not bad for a simple treat and their brand is superior to anything we've tried. If I'm yearning for something sweet, one (or four) satisfies me. Dipped in milk brings me back to my childhood.
5. Brought in the receipt from my husband's earlier grocery trip and received an adjustment as he was charged twice for an item. It pays to review receipts!
I also adore the TJs graham crackers!
I had no idea someone would want a pharmaceutical-branded pen. Why? I learn something new here all the time.
At today's trip to Trader Joe's:
1. Sampled rosemary potato chips.
2. Said yes to a bag of these chips and then put them back before checking out, as we're better off without them.
3. Chose the largest butternut squash since they have one set price.
4. Bought a couple boxes of graham crackers. Each box cost $3.49 for 56 cracker squares, so around 6 cents each (or 24 cents for a four-square serving size). Not bad for a simple treat and their brand is superior to anything we've tried. If I'm yearning for something sweet, one (or four) satisfies me. Dipped in milk brings me back to my childhood.
5. Brought in the receipt from my husband's earlier grocery trip and received an adjustment as he was charged twice for an item. It pays to review receipts!
The new smaller coffee table looks nice. I bet Meatball & the kitten would love hiding in the little cubicles. I wonder if the makers of Sublimaze (aka as fentanyl) give away pens?
1. I used Dunkin points to get a free large iced coffee. I got protein milk added under the dairy option. That boosted the value of the free coffee.
2. I found an original large painting of birch trees in the trash room at my condo. It didn't go w/beachy decor in FL. My friends that stayed in my unit during a road trip brought my painting to Texas. It will have a new home here. The same friends also transported a blond colored TV stand for me too.
3. Found a dime in the change slot of the drink machine at school. 4 pennies in the drive thru at Dunkin. A nickel on the pavement.
4. Sometimes I look at what I am wearing & reflect on what I actually bought. Today I wore a pair of khaki shorts my sister gave me & a pair of canvas shoes I found. I did buy my tee shirt years ago. My purse was a small Michael Kors purse I trash picked. The purse strap was frayed. I cut off the strap. I found a brown cross body strap at the thrift store for $2. The purse looks very nice now that a decent strap is installed.
5. My sweet cat's neck is healing and the fur is growing back. A vet bill was avoided.
We are in use it up mode, ahead of being out of town. It's also my last Friday of full time work (going part time through EOY & then done). I'm more than ready.
1) Every meal we made this week served as double leftovers, and a few extra lunches as well.
2) Mostly stayed home, and tried to offset the plumbing spending we've had going on.
3) DH discovered that our sink side hot water heater is cycling on when we are sleeping. He's sorting that, to reduce power usage.
4) DH has been driving our electric car to work, as I haven't been going very far. He is also able to charge for very little cost (much cheaper than at our house.)
5) Dinner tonight will take advantage of a neighbor's garden squash & some other odds & ends from the fridge
(the bag) Lac might actually just be the French translation of Lake, and not a name. Somone looking for a beach (lake) bag perhaps?