Here’s a Goodwill tip for you: “park your cart and be careful”

Better words of advice have never been spoken.

I stumbled upon a Goodwill Outlet Center in Indianapolis the other day and ran in to check it out.

I thought it would be just like a regular ole’ Goodwill store only bigger – more humongous with primo finds!

Uh…..I had to ask for some help once I started looking around.

It looked like an airplane hanger or a huge steel warehouse with rows and rows of large blue plastic “trough” like bins.

Nothing is marked. Nothing is sorted. Nothing is organized.

What is this place? I turned and asked the lady next to me. “How does this work, this is my first time here?”

She looked like she was pleased I asked and even more pleased to give me some tips.

1. Go get yourself a cart sweetie and just load it up with stuff.

2. Grab anything you think you might want and sort through it later.

3. Every hour on the hour they make an announcement to make room for the new bins coming out.

I actually witnessed this and did the startled move from the movie “Elf” when buddy hears the announcement come over the loud speaker.

Next thing I know a parade of employees come bursting through the steel, flapping doors with new blue troughs filled to the top with new junk.

Then they wheel back the empty bins to load them up for the next hour.

She continued with her tips after the announcement…..

5. Now you’re going to want to park your cart because you won’t be able to move down the aisles when they bring the new stuff out. People go crazy and there’s very little room.

6.  Be careful.

Her advice ended as she steered her cart towards the NEW BINS.

I waited a bit. It looked scary.

When I finally ventured over I know why she told me to be careful. I almost got hit in the head! In order to dig through the pile, the man going through the bin next to me was throwing items from his bin over into the one I was standing at.

His head was down and he was so focused I’m not sure he even realized how he was flinging them without even looking. I said out loud – half hoping he would hear – “I don’t think we need to throw things” – He must not have heard me because he didn’t skip a beat.

This was when I realized it was time to head for the exit where I would push my cart onto a big floor scale and pay for my items per pound.

Weird. You’d swear we were fighting over the last scrape of bread or something.

At the checkout the gal said don’t forget about our first Saturday of the month sale when the price per pound is half-price. It’s crazy on those days.

I said – it looks like it’s crazy everyday!

My conclusion –  I’m not sure I have the pouncing ability and disregard for others that it takes to get the bargain.

I’ll simply continue my Tuesday mornings at 10am at the “normal” Goodwills thanks.

Till the next time,

Julie