A reoccurring complaint I have heard from family and friends is more often than not they return from a day of shopping at their local Goodwill only to learn later that they could have used a coupon or gone a different day to take advantage of that day’s sale (for students, seniors, military, etc). It appears that part of the problem is that information listed on Goodwill’s website isn’t always available at a store and vice versa. Not every promotion they have to offer can be accessed in one place, so it pays to check out both the brick and mortars and online before heading out to shop next time.

Here is a list of information available at the Las Vegas, Nevada Goodwill website (sngoodwill.org) which is not mentioned anywhere at the local stores. Check with your local online Goodwill site for similar information:

Goodwill has Several Websites

The main website for Goodwill Industries is goodwill.org. However, the website for Goodwill of Southern Nevada is sngoodwill.org and the website for San Francisco is sfgoodwill.org. Be sure to check out your local website for information and other specials you might not see elsewhere.

Goodwill Sells Online, Too

If you like online auctions, then you will love shopgoodwill.com, the first internet auction site to be created, owned and operated by a nonprofit organization. It is operated by the Goodwill of Orange County, California, but Goodwill locations from all over the country participate by offering a wide variety of items. Categories include Home/Garden, Books/Movies/Music, Collectibles, Glass, Seasonal/Holiday. Tools, Antiques, Cameras/Camcorders, Computers/Electronics, Home Décor, Musical Instruments, Sports, Toys/Dolls/Games, Art, Clothing, Crafts/Hobbies, Jewelry/Gemstones, Religious Items, Tableware/Kitchenware, Transportation and Miscellaneous. As with other auction sites, you can view all current auctions or only newly added items and at the other end of the spectrum, items ending soon. You can perform a search for specific merchandise. If you don’t like an auction format, you can even “Buy Now”.

My local website offers a link to e-books, a special section where one can purchase Goodwill discount books on Amazon. Last I checked they have over 36,000 books for sale, but not to worry, you can search for your favorite titles.

Online Coupons

My local online Goodwill offers downloadable coupons. This month I can download three coupons. The first is for $2 off any purchase over $10 (same as a 20% discount, well almost), the second is for $5 off any purchase over $20 (just about 25% off)and the third is for $10 off any purchase over $30 (equivalent to almost 30% off). The fine print indicates “one coupon per customer per visit”, and coupons are not valid with any 25% or 50% off sales. All coupons expire at the end of the month. These coupons work well for those times I’m at my local Goodwill but not eligible for the daily specials (for teachers, seniors, etc).

These coupons came in really handy at a recent trip when my friend found some framed art for herself, and I some mens vintage narrow neckties for my growing collection. With both new and vintage neckties available, I feel as if I have many more choices than at the local mall or department stores, and at a fraction of the cost. Not to mention it’s fashionable these days to include vintage clothing and accessories as part of one’s wardrobe for a truly unique sense of style.

Donations Accepted

It’s good to know what you can and cannot donate before you go.

Items you can donate include clothing, shoes, boots, jewelry, books, games, toys, house wares, dishes, small appliances, knick knacks, lamps, linens, small furniture, art, antiques, collectibles, computers, TV’s, CD’s, DVD’s, VCR’s, radios, tools, sports equipment, and musical instruments. You can bring your donations to any one of their stores, bring them to any of their Attended Donations Centers (ADC) or call (702) 214-2059 to arrange a pickup (there is up to a 4 to 6 week waiting period for all pickups).

Goodwill also accepts monetary donations. They can be made online via credit card payment or call Lani Lousignont at (702) 314-2021.

Items they cannot accept include mattresses, box springs, waterbed frames or mattresses, large appliances such as washers and dryers, magazines, carpeting, copy machines, plumbing fixtures, console TV’s, barbeques, automobile parts, paint, fuel, blinds, building materials, gas lawn mowers, torn or soiled furniture, items in need of repair, weapons, pets and live animals.

Newsletters & Monthly Sales Calendar

You can sign up online for their newsletter for the latest news, information and specials.The monthly sales calendar lists all sales for that particular month on one side and retail locations and donation centers on the other side, but only the calendar is accessible online. Check out my hubpage "The Goodwill Thrift Store Monthly Sales & Events Calendar is Packed Full of Information" for complete information.

Brick & Mortar Stores

Check out my hubpage titled "Goodwill Industries In-Store Sales Specials, Coupons, Free Services & Information" for store specials.

In conclusion, my suggestion is that you check out both online and at your local Goodwill store for the most complete listings and current promotions since there is no one clearing house of information. It all helps to make your shopping experience the best that it can be.

Goodwill Thrift Store Online Coupons, Sales Sites & Other Information by Strangelittlebird is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States Licens