The Goodwill Bins in Englewood, Colorado on a Saturday morning [Photo by Eden Bollschweiler]
By Eden Bollschweiler
If you care about Denver thrifting, chances are you’ve heard about the Goodwill Bins, a final destination for tons of discarded clothes from Goodwills around Denver. Maybe you heard your friend found a vintage leather jacket there. Or that they were screamed at by an employee there. Or that they pulled a wet blanket crusted with crumbs out of a bin there.
Well, I’m here to tell you, the myths are true! Yes, you can find some of the cheapest coolest clothes in the bins, and yes, you can find some of the most disgusting, tattered, I need to wash my hands asap clothes too.
The bins may look scary, especially for beginners, but they don’t have to be. I’m here to tell it to you straight: how to ace the Goodwill Bins like a pro.
TIP 1: WEAR GLOVES
As someone who often forgets disposable gloves, take it from me. You will regret not bringing gloves. Because the bins are essentially a free for all of clothes and fabric, you never quite know what you will find. 95% of the time its typical clothes just covered in a little thrift dust, but that other 5%. I’m not even going to say what that 5% can look like sometimes.
So come prepared and bring some disposable gloves to rummage through the bins. Your hands and health will thank you.
TIP 2: DON’T TOUCH OTHER PEOPLE’S PILES
One of the many unspoken bins rules is to never touch someone else’s pile. Ok sure, but what do I mean by that?
Away from the bins, on the floor are piles of clothes that other people have pulled out for themselves. Sometimes these piles are unattended, and sometimes there are people posted up there, scouting out their daily thrifts.
If you see a pile on the floor that is grouped, do not pull clothes from it. The understanding is that you can place the clothes you find in these piles, and sort through them later. If you take something from someone’s pile, or they take it from yours, you could be in for a serious thrift turf war.
Posing in a thrifted jacket [Photo by Eden Bollschweiler]
TIP 3: LISTEN TO EMPLOYEES
About every 10-15 minutes, the bins employees will tell everyone to step away from the clothing bins. This is so the employees can safely and quickly wheel out fresh 8 to 16 bins for you to look through. For your own sake, listen to the employees.
When they say step away, do it. You’ll see a taped perimeter on the floor away from the bins and other people lining up behind it. Follow the people. Follow the rules. Follow the employees. If you don’t, yes, you may get yelled at by a disgruntled employee.
TIP 4: CHECK CLOTHES CLOSELY
When you pull clothes out of a bin, it’s best to tuck it away in your arm, and inspect it once it’s in your pile. But once you have a second to look, make sure to inspect your clothes closely. Pro Tip: There’s often a reason clothes end up in the bins.
Check for stains; check for tears; check for sizing. Clothes at the Goodwill bins are extremely cheap and feel unlimited but that doesn’t mean your closest size is. So make sure the clothes you buy are worth it and aren’t total pieces of garbage.
Photo by Eden Bollschweiler
TIP 5: HAVE FUN!
Ok, at this point, maybe you’re thinking, ‘This Goodwill Bins stuff sounds like too much work.’ And I get it. I’m not here to tell you it’s always the best clothes or it’s always the best time. But, thrifting should be fun. If you try the bins, and you hate it … well, you gave it your best shot. The Goodwill Bins are not for everyone, but you never know until you try!
XOXO Denver Thrifts
