What happened to all the good stuff ? ...

[dogtag]

You used to be able to find lots of goodies at the Salvation Army
or Goodwiil or the many local Thrift Stores. But no more. All
the small thrift stores in my area have vanished and the stuff
for sale in the rwo big thrift stores is a bunch of junk. It seems
just a few years back I bought a whole load of nice books, some
illustrated but now even if they still have books, they're crap.
I collected Airline coffee mugs for awhile and got many from the
SA. No more of those or anything else someone might want.
Same goes for many other items that somebody didn't want but
somebody else did. Now no one wants anything that someone
else didn't want. No more books, mugs, records. Nothing.
Where did it all go ?

[Allen]

Donations of such goods has probably dried up thanks to biden and the ruined economy of the U.S. People keep their old stuff now and don't/can't buy new stuff.

[lyman]

we have Good Will, at least 8 or 10 in the area, and one in a ritzy area (to some, ) that has the higher end stuff,

I have shopped, them, and a few other consignment or thrift places and got some good deals,

cloithes, shoes, etc

[dogtag]

Well yeah, my local SA and Goodwill are now about 90% clothes.
Clothes have taken over the spaces once occupied by books, records
etc. Women buy them and take for ever at the register.
The only item I now find interesting are DVDs.

[Major Tom]

Our Salvation Army shop is run by a woman who takes anything she wants especially if it's really good stuff. They have bell ringers every year at this time. Don't know where the money goes tho!

[dogtag]

If you run things you get first choice .
Back in the 70s a classified ad had a Baby Browning for sale 75$
I called the moment the ad came out - Gone already. Someone
at the publishers got it.
Couldn't blame him. I'd have done the same.

[Allen]

In the past I've donated furniture (in good shape) and running cars. It's a good way to get rid of a (running) car when it's hard to sell or trade in. They have mechanics who do work for them cheap or donate their time making repairs so they will take most any running vehicle that is repairable or can be sold as-is.

You can write off the worth of the vehicle as a donation too come tax time. End result is often better than giving it to the dealerships in the form of a trade-in.

I've only shopped at one many years ago. I was looking for something that's no longer made and figured they would have it if anyone. Forgot what it was now. All I noticed for sale was "said" clothes, old elec fans, and ratty, mix-matched furniture.

[dogtag]

SA is the only charity I'll give to - I give and I buy.

[blackhawknj]

People are selling more "collectible" items on Craigslist or EBay.

[barretcreek]

Good furniture is now kindling. People don't have secure jobs and are renting not buying houses. Stuff is a burden to haul to the next 'temporary' location.

[dogtag]

Today's furniture is veneered particleboard.

[Art]

Thrift stores vary a lot here. Memorial Assistance Ministries, for instance, runs a very "toney" one. They actually have volunteers that refinish furniture and stuff. Their store is laid out like a department store. On the other hand a couple of the charity thrift stores near me have lots of stuff, some of it "good stuff" but you better be ready to spend some time because of the immense amount of plain old clutter and disorganization.

[dryheat]

I have a big GW a block from my house. It's a brand new building(they make lots of money). Furniture: people drop off junk to save going to the dump. Once in a while you get lucky. I finally found two nice counter stools for the kitchen. The "art collection" is large. This is a nice area and folks change up the decorations and you could decorate a really nice home with the stuff there. There's GoodWillFinds. This is the nice stuff they cull out. It's on line and I got a bigger tool box that I really needed(it wasn't crazy cheap).
We have a couple of privately run places and Non Profit organizations that get the really good stuff because people want to help. They also screen what they will and will not take(no one needs used toothbrush holders).
I look for CD's but they are pretty well picked through. I didn't even know they were pretty much obsolete but they hold up way better than the cassettes did in the workshop heat. Everyone else uses their iphone.

[Art]

I look for CD's but they are pretty well picked through. I didn't even know they were pretty much obsolete but they hold up way better than the cassettes did in the workshop heat. Everyone else uses their iphone.

While I don't think CDs are exactly obsolete (you'll know that's happened when CD players disappear from new cars) you are correct that most people who are really into their electronics get their music mostly "through the air" one way or another. Interestingly the way most young "with it" folks who want a medium they can hold in their hands now choose the vinyl record. In fact turn tables have had a renaissance in the audio industry. The local Barnes & Noble book store has an audio/video section that the last time I was in it had more vinyl records than CDs. Late 19th century analog technology seems more popular today than the late 20th century CD.

[dogtag]

When CDs came out I bought the turntables people dumped.
Apart from the one I use, I have eight stashed away.
Same goes for VHS, I still use them and have around a dozen
Eventually it will give up the ghost, so I replace it with a spare.