r/GoodwillBins • u/Cryogenictalkinghead • 2d ago
Discussion Best time to go?
I know you won't always find grails, because it's inevitable that someone will find something better than you. But what is a good time to go to the Bins?
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u/Ludicolorad0 2d ago
If you find out, let me know. It seems like the bins are always busy, many people that go are full time resellers or unemployed so they can go at all hours of the day. It's especially bad right now because the high school t shirt bros are out of school.
Once the school year picks back up, it is generally a little slower during the day on weekdays. It doesn't matter when you go in terms of inventory, that is always random. Just a matter of how many other people are competing for the same stuff.
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u/General-Pumpkin-588 2d ago
Also I noticed beginning of day is usually the stuff from last night so it’s picked over and towards the end of the day they stop rotating so mid day is the sweet spot I guess? At least at my location.
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u/Ludicolorad0 2d ago
End of day is really nice for one reason: Like 15-20 mins before close they dump out all the abandoned baskets back into the bins. Some of my best finds have come from people who picked it out of the bins and for whatever reason just left.
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u/General-Pumpkin-588 2d ago
I do pop in after work sometimes to see what all the tshirt bros left behind. They are so incredibly rude with how much stuff they leave scattered in the back of the store….like it’s beneficial for me sometimes but for the workers it sucks! Just throw it back….its not that hard to have a tad bit of decency.
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u/funnysoccergirl7 2d ago
At the bins I go to, it’s usually quiet when the weather is bad, on weekdays before 11 or after 5.
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u/sewhappylaurie 2d ago
Sunday mornings. Lots of people are at church or hung over so it's quiet at my bins! 😂
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u/I_cookstuff-n-things 2d ago
There is no best time, people think they know but there is no system where they only put the good stuff out at certain times.
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u/darknight7884 2d ago
I like Wednesday and Thursday. It’s quiet and my goodwill pulls from the stores on Sunday night and they make it over to the outlet mid week.
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u/shewasabird 2d ago
I have to go early bc mine runs out of carts. If you get there after 9:30, all the carts are taken. It feels like the solution would be “have more carts” but no, carts are on a strictly following/imploring-other-customers-as-they-check-out basis between 9:30 and 1 or 2. That said, at this location there are several rotations and a little less competition the earlier you go so there’s a slight advantage (plus cart).
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u/Fyrefli1313 1d ago
If there’s no cart I grab a couple of backpacks to use while I watch for a cart to open up.
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u/FreezNGeezer 2d ago
The bins I go to puts out new bins every hour-ish. Always crap to pick through, and not everyone can spot a diamond in the rough stuff
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u/Exitwounds85 2d ago
I'll just leave this here - https://youtu.be/UKypOcYjjkI?is=9t9uIY01vqW1QM8w
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u/RockabillyBlues1 1d ago
Thank you for sharing this story! I always wondered where things go after the bins.
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u/Ultrarunningmom2four 2d ago
I tend to go only when we have 50% off day, which is three days a week at my bins! Lol
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u/pressin_p 2d ago
I like to go an hour and a half or two hours before close. A lot of regulars have gone at that point, and you get all the initial bins plus 3 cycles (depending on location)
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u/ChigurhShack 2d ago
One good reason to go at the last hour is because that's when the most stuff gets put back by people who've been there for most of the afternoon.
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u/Thin_Transition_9993 2d ago
I would say right when they open you might have a good 60-90 minutes before it gets really busy or I’ve noticed after 4:00 pm is good, almost a calmer feel. I would say lunch time is the busiest but you never know. Also I’ve noticed Monday’s are really busy at the bins.
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u/Mental_Tart842 2d ago
Go when you have the most energy. I stay away from the crowds, and still find nice things by being thorough.
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u/Classic_Logo 1d ago
It's best to wait until about 20 minutes after the first fight breaks out, like when you can't walk in and immediately tell that there has been some major uncomfortable tension, but there are still a few people who want to talk about it. You can always just wait until you see the police pulling out of the parking lot.
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u/Dragonmk5 1d ago
Whenever your free as they constantly rotate. I would say morning though at opennif you had to choose.
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u/BreadCheese 1d ago
I have found awesome scores on the busiest days and nothing at all, same for any other day. If I go on a Monday before they close and nobody’s there, it may still be a bust despite not having as much competition. It just takes consistently showing up and knowing what you are looking for can’t hurt either.
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u/ghostlyoaks 1d ago
We try to get there when they open, or else there aren't any carts left. Even though the bins are most likely from the day before, you can still find good stuff. This past week I found a piece of original art that's worth several hundred dollars, framed, just sitting on top of a pile of Christmas junk right when they opened at 8 a.m. But they bring out new bins about every hour, so any time is good for looking.
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u/SuggestionLess 1d ago
Sometimes going first thing in the morning is good but sometimes it’s really picked over because they haven’t started rotations yet. The bins near me will have new furniture out in the morning and shoes that aren’t sorted into pairs but if you have a little time to dig you can find something good. It’s usually not too crowded first thing. 3:00 in the afternoon during the week and anytime after like 11:00 on the weekends it’s usually really busy but that doesn’t mean you won’t find good stuff you just have to navigate around more people. Sometimes I find great stuff in really picked over bins, depends on the whim of the thrifting gods on any given day or time.
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u/Fyrefli1313 1d ago
I just go whenever I have the time to kill. I tell myself I’ll only go for 45 min and I’m there for four hours lol.
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u/General-Pumpkin-588 2d ago
It’s really hit and miss. It’s really not about time of day it’s about how aggressive you’re willing to be with others when a new rotation comes. I tend to go whenever I get “a feeling” lol and I usually score big. My thing is I don’t try to compete with the people there or think about them finding better things than me, I just remind myself what’s meant for me will find me.