Report an Amazing Find
Do you have an "AMAZING" Goodwill find? Then go ahead, and brag about it! We would love to hear about the great item(s) you've found in our stores!
Click on the link below and describe your treasure or great bargain. We may choose you to be featured on our website, or in our newsletter Working Together. Don't forget to share your Amazing Find with your friends and our fans on our Amazing Goodwill Facebook page too!
Send an Amazing Find now!
2012 Amazing Finds
Braxton K.
"I go to Goodwill about 4 times a week and have always found awesome stuff, but today topped them all. I walked in and noticed a lot of paintings, they were only prints but were numbered $109 out of $150. There were 10 of them, but I only bought 8. I could make out the first name of the artist as Leroy. I got them all for $108. Got home, starting looking into it; turned out they are Leroy Neiman limited edition prints that retail at $1,500 to $1,700 a piece. I went back two hours later to get the other two, and they were already gone. Thank you Goodwill!"
Jeff A.
"I try to go to Goodwill during my lunch hour when I can, just to see what I can find. I've actually found quite a few amazing finds over the last few months, but I will tell you my latest. I was looking in the sporting goods at the Fairburn Rd. store in Douglasville, Georgia, and I came across a Rawlings Pro Preferred baseball glove! This isn't just your average glove, but the same model that the MLB pros use! The glove retails for $299.99, and I paid $2.92!"
2011 Amazing Finds
Carrie M.
"I go to my local Goodwill (Wauwatosa ) on my hour long lunch breaks at least weekly. I love to see what I can find. I always find great clothes for my kids, Love skimming the racks on Mondays for half off items, and usually can't walk out bare handed."
One Sunday Carrie was dropping off a ton of items to donate that didn't sell at their rummage when she decided to go inside.
Sitting there for $9.99 was "the perfect chair." Her husband wasn't super excited about the find, but Carrie and her dog Sobe love it!
Miriam T.
"I could not believe my eyes! I immediately grabbed it as if someone else would see it and want it when I laughed out loud at the joy of now having my own Thanksgiving Turkey Platter!
My AMAZING find brought back wonderful memories and will create many more!"
For years, Miriam's mother served their Thanksgiving turkey on a platter just like the one pictured. Miriam always wanted one of her own but her mom didn't remember where she'd bought it and besides - that was many years ago!
Then Miriam was in a Goodwill for the first time and there, on a bottom shelf, was a turkey platter.
See V.
"I found this amazing Fendi bag for $35!!!!!!!! I had it authenticated, it’s real!!!"
Need we say more?
Sue Z.
"Best deal hands down for me was my Bisssel PROheat 2X carpet cleaner!"
One day while browsing through the West Bend, WI store, Sue spotted this carpet cleaner which was a National Retailer salvage item. The box was somewhat damaged but not too bad. Inside? The carpet cleaner was new and in perfect shape.
The price on the box was $74.99. Sue grabbed the ticket and gave it to the clerk. She said she would be right back and went to her car for her 25% birthday discount post card. After all is said and done, the carpet cleaner cost Sue $59.39 including tax.
After her purchase, Sue went to two local stores which carry that carpet cleaner. Both stores had it priced around $200.00!
Shari G.
Shari has found many amazing items/treasures at Goodwill, from artwork to clothing, to gifts. One of her inspirations early on was a fine porcelain plate, a limited edition through the Franklin Mint by artist Erté (House of Erté). The name of the plate is “La Merveilleuse.”
Inspired to research the artist and continue her search for more pieces by Erté, Shari's collection has grown to over 20 pieces. She purchased the first plate for $3.99 at Goodwill in Milwaukee, and on Ebay the plates go for $75-$500.Shari now have the whole series in this collection of plates.
"Thank you Goodwill for keeping me on my toes and inspiring me to journey beyond. Shopping at Goodwill is part of serving my community is a positive way!! The Hand that gives gathers!! Peace and Blessings!"
Carol K.
What to wear? What to wear?! Carol wanted to look nice for my son's Pop Warner All American Scholar banquet and was stuck! Last year, she had worn an outfit that could easliy double for work but, this year, she wanted something cute, nice and NOT an outfit for work!
Where to go?? Goodwill! Carol went to the Goodwill in Montgomery and found it! After 3 trips in the fitting room, the perfect outfit!!!
"Nothing I would ever pick out for myself because at department stores the price would have scared me away from even trying it on!!"
A super cute skirt, a bright "more than casual" tee shirt and a really cute cashmere sweater!! And all for just a few cents over... $15.00!
Cashmere for only $4; it was brand new! And the skirt and sweater both had dry cleaning tags still on them! Carol got many compliments at the banquet!
Cindee K.
Cindee found these little numbers at her local Goodwill - original Steve Madden boots somebody had dontaed. Not only were they in excellent condition, they still smelled like brand new leather. Brand new they would have cost Cindee $249. At Goodwill? $1.99!
"Looks I get in them; priceless :) Goodwill, it's the place to be ;)" - Cindee K.
Dorothy H.
While visiting the South Elgin in Illinois store in January, Dorothy found a cute baby seal figurine in the Christmas section. It was $.99. Her husband said that she was crazy to buy it since it was after christmas but it was so cute, it went in their cart. Dorothy brought it home and found out it was from the Christmas Animal Collection by Tom Rubel and was a rare piece. Worthpoint had it at $99 and one sold for over $100 on eBay! Wow, never discount the Christmas section for hidden treasures!
Ana W.
Ana needed an outfit for a '60s retro day at work. While browsing through the Halloween section for her daughter, she happened upon this! It brought back memories of Mama Cass.
2010 Amazing Finds
Kimberly W.
Kimberly's daughter was looking for a Prom dress and she could not afford to buy her a new one so they went to their local Goodwill in Beaver Dam. While they were there, Kimberly found the perfect dress for her daughter that looked great and was amazingly priced at only $20. They couldn't believe it! It was in such great condition and the right price.
Jenny C.
She stopped at the West Allis Goodwill store on a whim (she usually shops at the Wauwatosa store) and wandered through the housewares. As she scanned the shelves she spotted a style of china that she has at home. It might not seem unusual, but her china is Porsgrund's Farmers Rose made in Norway and is only exclusively available through Scandinavian gift shops. She bought the large oval platter for $7.99. When Jenny got home she looked up the retail price and buying this new would have been $210! What a great find!
Steve G.
When he was on the quest for something else at the Goodwill in West Allis, he found this old Victrola. It needed a lot of work, so he decided to pass on it, but he couldn't stop thinking about it. He went back the next day and decided to purchase it and had a lot of fun finding the needed missing parts. He also cleaned, polished and refinished it to make it look brand new. Steve found an appropriate record, cranked it up and heard the "sweet sounds!". It's a gem and he just loves it!
Candace B.
She was shopping for shoes at the Arlington Heights store and happened to notice the lovely rugs at the store. Candace needed rugs so she took the chance and purchased them for a great price. They are in her home now and she is so pleased with her purchase! Another Amazing Find!
Pam S.
Pam is a costumer for a local community theater in the Naperville area. She has been in the Naperville and Montgomery stores many times searching for things she can use to create the looks she needs for various characters. She recently was costuming Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Facotry and she was searching for a dress for Veruca Salt. Pam wasn't finding what she needed and was going to make the dress herself. She decided to try one more time at the Montgomery location and there displayed proudly was exactly what she was looking for! It saved her hours of sewing and the theater money. Pam thanks Goodwill for helping her give back to the community with amazing resources.
Lauren R.
Lauren headed out to her local Goodwill one day and decided to stop by the dress rack. She found herself doing a double take. A dress she was eyeing up at one of her favorite stores was right here at Goodwill! This particular dress never would go on sale at "the other store" so that is why she never purchased it. She couldn't believe her eyes, so she grabbed it right away and started to look for other dresses. She ended up purchasing three dresses that day and bragged to all of her friends about the amazing finds she discovered that day at Goodwill!
Hollie B.
Hollie and her husband wanted to purchase a bench for her Mother-in-Law's birthday. They found one at another store, but it was more than they could afford at that time. The following weekend, Hollie and her daughter were shopping at Goodwill and to her surprise, in the furniture section, was that same bench! Hollie couldn't believe it! So she quickly grabbed the price tag so no one else could purchase it! She said, "Talk about being in the right place at the right time!"
Janet G.
Her step-daughter is crazy about two things: Harry Potter and the movie Grease. Janet was looking for items related to these two movies for her step-daughter's birthday and she found it VERY hard to find anything! She was so excited when she discovered this Barbie Doll depicting Sandy from Grease. It was still NEW, in its box and it was only $9.99. Janet says she had to fend off a few other shoppers while she waited for the sales associate to open the case, but it was worth it. Her step-daughter just loves it!
Patra C.
Patra's amazing find is this shadow box of a Terracotta Warrior from Xian, The Ancient Capital of China. She found this at the Carpentersville Goodwill Store & Donation Center. This is the type of treasure that someone who knows about the history of China would appreciate. She says was very lucky to find the Terracotta Warrior and it hangs in the entrance of her home.
P
atty S.
Patty visited the place she finds most intriguing, the Goodwill Store & Donation Center in Orland Park. She found an awesome wall rug that represents an endangered species of Tibet and it gave her hope of their survival. The seven rams are the children in her life. It's also the animal of her astrological birth sign, the ram. When Patty saw it she almost cried in the store!
Lana K.
Lana, an avid Goodwill shopper, found her amazing find at the Goodwill Store & Donation Center in Racine. It was a bouncy house for her grandchildren and it is just the perfect size for them. Plus it is so easy to put up and take down. Lana says she thinks she enjoys watching them playing in it more than they like playing in it. She also says she has found so many other things while shopping at Goodwill and will continue to shop for many years to come!
Michelle O.
Michelle was looking for a small shelf for her son who has special needs. She wanted a place where he could display his knick knacks and CDs in his "fish themed" room. After searching in several stores she could only find shelves that were too big, made of plastic or pressed wood. Michelle also went "rummaging" and still had no luck. So she decided to go to the Menomonee Falls Goodwill Store and found her treasure. She purchased a small shelf for $6.99 and painted it blue and it looks amazing in his room. Thanks Goodwill...."you always Amaze me"!
Deb D.
Her amazing find was a pair of Exofficio Nomad pants. She just loves them because they are wonderful for travel and they dry fast. She only spent $4 on them and if she bought them new they would cost about $55.
Linda G.
She is an avid Goodwill shopper and she found a variety of tops and pants with embroidery at Goodwill Store & Donation Center in Racine that all complimented each other. She couldn't believe her eyes. Linda also supports Goodwill when she is on vacation and recently made purchases at the Goodwill in Florida.
Amy D.
Amy and her husband are huge fans of Irish stout beers and they like to collect glassware. Last year when they were in Ireland on vacation they wanted to visit the Beamish Brewery to taste beers and collect glasses, but didn't make it. While shopping at the Goodwill Store & Donation Center in Franklin she found a Beamish Irish Stout pub glass. This surprised her very much because they aren't widely available, so she was extremely excited! This glass has now been added to her collection and reminds her of the vacation to Ireland.
Kimberlee D.
Kimberlee had a great trip to the Waukesha Store & Donation Center. She purchased 11 outfits, one pair of shoes and a toy for $57!
Nikki A.
Nikki shops at the Joliet Goodwill Store & Donation Center on a weekly basis. A few years ago she found this chair for only $15. She knew the fabric would need to be replaced fairly soon, but she couldn't pass up this deal. A few months later she found two heavy upholstery drapes for $10 for the pair and it was enough fabric to reupholster the chair. Two AMAZING finds!
Chris S.
He has played Bass guitar for 16 years in several local bands. He recently started playing in a jazz band and considered purchasing a new Fender Bass, however they are priced between $600-$1300. He was shopping with his daughter at the South Elgin Goodwill Store and he decided to look in the electronics case. Much to his surprise, they had a Fender Jazz Bass and it was in very good condition, so he purchased the Bass and a dress for his daughter. It was quite a trip!
Gina W.
Her family has always believed in our country. As soon as she saw this jacket at the Arlington Heights store, she knew she had to have it. It's an incredible tribute to our country and military. It's worn with pride on special United States holidays and only if the weather permits. It reminds her, especially during these difficult times, to be grateful for everything she has.
Laura N.
Laura purchased three plates and three glasses and glued them together to create a "one of a kind" serving tray!
Jennifer S.
Jennifer and her husband had been looking for gas grills as they needed to replace the grill they currently had. They were shopping at various stores in the area and decided to stop in at the Goodwill in West Bend. To her amazement the Aussie Grill they wanted was there! It was in great shape and well worth the money spent.
Debbie H.
Debbie inherited Currier & Ives dinnerware from her mom and aunt. She found eight juice glasses at the Goodwill store in Waukesha and paid 50 cents for each one! They go for $10 each on eBay!
Jayne B.
Last summer my son Matthew was setting up his new tent he received for his birthday. The zipper became stuck and he tried to pry it open with a knife and accidentally sliced the tent. He was devastated because we could afford to purchase another $140 tent. My older son mentioned he saw a tent at the Kenosha Goodwill store and low and behold it was there—a beautiful Coleman 6 man 3 room tent for $30! We bought it for Matthew and he was so excited. It was an amazing find!
Linda C.
Linda and her husband were looking for inspiration for their Halloween costumes and while shopping at the Arlington Heights store came up with these two characters: Vestie and Sadie. The beaded, sequined top is a vintage Oleg Cassini and still had the price tag on it from Neiman Marcus (before the days of barcodes). The original price was $170. The Goodwill price was $5. The clothes, shoes and wigs were all purchased from Goodwill. The costumes were a great bargain, but our adult son's horrified reaction when she posted their picture on her Facebook page was priceless!
Ericha H.
About 6 months ago Ericha found a Palm TX PDA at the Carpentersville, IL store for only $3.99. She can use the web, listen to music view pictures and video!
Tory H.
She is an avid Goodwill shopper and is always finding amazing brand name clothing. However, on this visit she found a virtually, brand new workout bench priced at $11.99. It was her most amazing find because it is helping her look so good in all of her sweet Goodwill clothes!
Bob S.
Bob is a Graphic Design instructor and in the first semester of his Photography class students need to use a 35mm SLR film camera with manual exposure control. He found this Canon AE-1 35mm SLR with flash attachment at the Franklin store and it was in mint condition! So now, each semester he offers the use of the camera to any student who shows responsibility, but is experiencing financial hardship.
Bailey-Golden Retriever
Hi, my name is Bailey and my mom & dad shop at Goodwill weekly! They find lots of things at Menomonee Falls and West Bend. Boy, am I one lucky dog to get all the toys that I do and you can see I get a lot of balls and other toys. And my mom found a set of Corelle dishes for .99 cents (plates, bowls and cups) and my dad got a new magnifying light for $10.
Mary F.
She found this "Sligh" pendelum wall clock at Goodwill. It was selling for $17.00 and she was able to use her 25% off birthday card too. A gentleman at a clock repair store told her this clock (that is no longer produced) would sell for about $1,200. Mary said it was the deal of her life!!
Sue B.
Sue's parents were married 48 years ago and one of the wedding gifts they received was a crystal candy dish. Sue's parents passed down the candy dish to her and her husband for their anniversary. Unfortunately one of Sue's children accidentally broke the lid while taking candy out of the dish. She was just sick. Luckily, while shopping at the South Elgin Goodwill store, Sue found that same candy dish! She was able to replace the lid and proudly displays the dish again!
Jean H.
Her amazing find came from the Naperville Goodwill store. She found a "portion plate", an item that may only be considered an amazing find by someone in her profession. She is a Registered Dietitian and a Certified Diabetes Educator. These plates retail for $15-$20 and she purchased this one for 99 cents! She uses this plate when she teaches her patients the plate method of eating.
Jenna R.
Her amazing finds were five designer handbags from various stores! Pictured are the Burberry and Dooney and Bourke handbags that she purchased for a total of $10! The other handbags included a Coach bag ($5) and two Kate Spade bags($2 each).
Aleida N.
She found an American Girl Bitty Baby with a pink sleeper for $1.50 at the Orland Park store. Bitty Babies cost around $50 and even used on eBay can sell around $30.00
2nd Thought
Band members of 2nd Thought (from Whitefish Bay, WI) have been playing music together since they were nine and ten years old. They now range in age from 14-17 and decided that they needed an updated and edgier look that was affordable and wearable. Members purchased their "new look" with items from Goodwill!
Tessa
Tessa was shopping one day at Goodwill, when she spotted a 1950s style wedding dress. It had a full skirt and a fitted bodice, along with long satin button sleeves and lace up to the throat. She saw the potential immediately! She removed the sleeves and lace collar and lowered the neckline to a sweetheart cut. Her date's pants and tux jacket were also purchased at Goodwill. She added a black satin stripe on the pant legs and then added purple to both ensembles. She loves to shop at Goodwill all the time to create her own quirky sense of style.
Amazing Finds Archive
