Thrift Store Jackpot

[NRJyzr]

On the Eye2 woods, the color code is in the dot on the sole.  On the Zing woods, the color code is the number.

 

For both, the code refers to loft, and only for the driver; the fairway lofts are set.  And, for both Eye2 and Zing laminates, the black dot driver is 12*.

 

[Maine Golfer]

2 thu PW , Wilson X31 with decent grips. 

 

Edited February 10 by Maine Golfer
no longer for sale

[dashanks]

Nice.  My local Goodwill offers gar-bage exclusively. Unless I'm just happening to miss all the good stuff. 

[Maine Golfer]

I go to 3 or 4 goodwills around my place, yeah its garbage until its not. This winter has been kind. I got to decide if I want to setup these X31's upright or follow though dong a 4,6,8 set with some mis match 60s Staffs. 

 

Edit:

They are +1 inch , hell yes! I'm getting the lie's fixed this spring! 

Edited February 10 by Maine Golfer

[SnowbirdTom]

7 hours ago, Maine Golfer said:

2 thu PW , Wilson X31 with decent grips. 

 

I’ve got the matching laminate woods if you want them.  I was hunting them irons for the longest time.  🙂 They’re back home in Michigan, it’ll be a couple months.

Edited February 11 by SnowbirdTom

[Maine Golfer]

13 hours ago, SnowbirdTom said:

I’ve got the matching laminate woods if you want them.  I was hunting them irons for the longest time.  🙂 They’re back home in Michigan, it’ll be a couple months.

i might hit you up in the spring for them 🙂  One really short Muni I play 9 holes , they would be great. 

[SnowbirdTom]

5 minutes ago, Maine Golfer said:

i might hit you up in the spring for them 🙂  One really short Muni I play 9 holes , they would be great. 

I've used them a couple times and they play nice.  Original grips shafts and finish.  1/2/3/4/5 woods.  lol

[elwhippy]

Great finds. The X31 woods are unfderated. 

[Maine Golfer]

5 hours ago, elwhippy said:

Great finds. The X31 woods are unfderated. 

ill find a way to slice one 175 yards off the tee im hoping!

[Greenie]

Today was the first time I saw something in the golf club section at the Goodwill I wanted to buy. Wilson Imperial irons in mint condition. They were zipped tied together 3-pw. A guy ran off with just the 4 iron as I saw them. I caught up with the guy and asked him why he only took the 4 iron? He said he needed a steel shaft. He wouldn't let me have the 4 iron so I could buy the complete set.

[bcstones]

14 hours ago, Greenie said:

Today was the first time I saw something in the golf club section at the Goodwill I wanted to buy. Wilson Imperial irons in mint condition. They were zipped tied together 3-pw. A guy ran off with just the 4 iron as I saw them. I caught up with the guy and asked him why he only took the 4 iron? He said he needed a steel shaft. He wouldn't let me have the 4 iron so I could buy the complete set.

That is a bummer....tho, if the guy hadn't paid for them - I'd have raised hell at Goodwill. Most thrift stores lose money cuz of that behavior. My favorite thrift store has taken to keeping whole sets near the checkouts & tape the sets together.

[AdamMH]

9 minutes ago, bcstones said:

That is a bummer....tho, if the guy hadn't paid for them - I'd have raised hell at Goodwill. Most thrift stores lose money cuz of that behavior. My favorite thrift store has taken to keeping whole sets near the checkouts & tape the sets together.

Some of them just can't fathom putting things together in the first place - a while back I found a set of Golfcraft Continental staff irons at a Goodwill, and the 4-8 irons were bundled together and I had to purchase the 2, 3, and 9 irons separately. I really think thrift stores are lawless places at this point.

[bcstones]

32 minutes ago, AdamMH said:

Some of them just can't fathom putting things together in the first place...I really think thrift stores are lawless places at this point.

I don't necessarily think "lawless" is accurate. Thrift stores have alot of donations & really not enough volunteers. One of the Goodwill's I visited, had donation bins out back where all sporting goods (golf, football, baseball, basketball, tennis, etc) were placed at time of donation. Then someone inside from time to time would go & bring a "load". It could very well be that the 4-8 Continental were together in the bin & the other 3 fell to floor to be picke up later.
And besides, even w/the 3 individual club prices plus the cost of the 'set'...wasn't it still a good deal?

[Greenie]

7 hours ago, bcstones said:

That is a bummer....tho, if the guy hadn't paid for them - I'd have raised hell at Goodwill. Most thrift stores lose money cuz of that behavior. My favorite thrift store has taken to keeping whole sets near the checkouts & tape the sets together.

 

It's the Goodwill. Anytime I have asked a question to any of the staff I get the "deer in headlight" look.

I thought asking the guy if I could have the 4 iron so I could buy the complete set would work but it didn't. I can't blame him for taking just one iron. Even though they were together "most likely donated that way" they were each priced at $3.49 each. Each one had a price label. If the Goodwill wanted to sell them as a set they should have priced them as a set. 

 

 

[@_the_crook]

58 minutes ago, Greenie said:

 

It's the Goodwill. Anytime I have asked a question to any of the staff I get the "deer in headlight" look.

I thought asking the guy if I could have the 4 iron so I could buy the complete set would work but it didn't. I can't blame him for taking just one iron. Even though they were together "most likely donated that way" they were each priced at $3.49 each. Each one had a price label. If the Goodwill wanted to sell them as a set they should have priced them as a set. 

 

 

can only imagine the creativity of GW bundling clubs into sets. the ones I've browsed have a big rack of irons, all sorted by club number., which only lasts until a couple thirty people browse the rack and then put things back where they feel like.   so lets see, here's the 6 iron, can we find the 7, 8 and 9 ?  on the other hand, as @bcstones pointed out, the stuff comes to the floor in batches. almost no one in the backroom is trying to match things up, just moves them forward to the retail area.  couple of years ago,   I spotted a guy walking out with a good looking black driver, when I got to the rack, there was a NOS set of Rams, 3wood and irons, and of course, he just took the driver. still, I pounced on all the rest.  still had the factory plastic.

 

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

11 hours ago, @_the_crook said:

 couple of years ago,   I spotted a guy walking out with a good looking black driver, when I got to the rack, there was a NOS set of Rams, 3wood and irons, and of course, he just took the driver. still, I pounced on all the rest.  still had the factory plastic.

 

 

I laughed, then I cried....

 

 

 

[Joe85]

Whenever I donate sets to thrift stores (I only donate to Salvation now because I despise the price gouging I see at Goodwill - and I donated A TON of stuff last year) I specifically tape them together because I know 99% of thrift  pricers don't have a clue what they're doing with golf clubs. 

[Greenie]

5 hours ago, Joe85 said:

Whenever I donate sets to thrift stores (I only donate to Salvation now because I despise the price gouging I see at Goodwill - and I donated A TON of stuff last year) I specifically tape them together because I know 99% of thrift  pricers don't have a clue what they're doing with golf clubs. 

 

 I agree with you on the Goodwill price gouging. I donate all my clothes and shoes to the Salvation Army. My SA is limited to clothes and shoes so Goodwill gets the rest. When I drop something off at the Goodwill I'll go in and browse. I find it shocking when I see some of the prices on items that were donated. 

[bcstones]

10 hours ago, Joe85 said:

price gouging I see at Goodwill -

 

4 hours ago, Greenie said:

 I agree with you on the Goodwill price gouging

 

I wonder what your definition of "price gouging" is....over the past few decades that I've visited GW, SA, other thrift stores, i've noticed that prices vary according to the affulency of the closest neighborhood (& lets not forget that the "real" cola has risen significantly during the same time). Earlier this month, I was in a thrift store near my chiropractor's I saw a Taylor Made R7 460* driver for $49.99 (might have been a R9, tho) with a graphite stiff shaft (I forget the maker) & a deteriorating Winn grip ...so is that price gouging, if one desires to buy it "cheap" just cuz it's in a thrift store?

I guess I'm asking if whatever you're looking at that seems to be overpriced, is that still a good deal even at that price? If it is, then how can it be "price gouging"?

[Greenie]

16 minutes ago, bcstones said:

 

 

I wonder what your definition of "price gouging" is....over the past few decades that I've visited GW, SA, other thrift stores, i've noticed that prices vary according to the affulency of the closest neighborhood (& lets not forget that the "real" cola has risen significantly during the same time). Earlier this month, I was in a thrift store near my chiropractor's I saw a Taylor Made R7 460* driver for $49.99 (might have been a R9, tho) with a graphite stiff shaft (I forget the maker) & a deteriorating Winn grip ...so is that price gouging, if one desires to buy it "cheap" just cuz it's in a thrift store?

I guess I'm asking if whatever you're looking at that seems to be overpriced, is that still a good deal even at that price? If it is, then how can it be "price gouging"?

 

I am not saying you can't find good deals at fair prices. I do see things that are overpriced. 

 

I recently saw a pair new golf shorts with the price tag on them. They were priced at $65 with a clearance tag of $24.99. Goodwill's price $29.99. Two other pairs that were the same item (different colors) without tags were $4.99 which I bought. I've seen new clothing in there priced higher than what Walmart originally sold them for.

 

I just look at some of the items and what they are priced at and think to myself "wow and you got these items donated to you and you have them priced at this"

 

I 

[bcstones]

1 hour ago, Greenie said:

I recently saw a pair new golf shorts with the price tag on them. They were priced at $65 with a clearance tag of $24.99. Goodwill's price $29.99. Two other pairs that were the same item (different colors) without tags were $4.99 which I bought.

Seems to me that $35 less than the price on the original tag is still a reasonable price....I'm thinking that, after you bought those two at $5, someone else probably paid the $30 cuz it was fair.
As for WallyWorld....they are the king, queen, princess, jack, ace & joker of gougers....

 

I guess what I'm trying to say is that while you might think something is "overpriced", doesn't exactly mean the place is "gouging" their customers....

[Joe85]

16 hours ago, bcstones said:

 

 

I wonder what your definition of "price gouging" is....over the past few decades that I've visited GW, SA, other thrift stores, i've noticed that prices vary according to the affulency of the closest neighborhood (& lets not forget that the "real" cola has risen significantly during the same time). Earlier this month, I was in a thrift store near my chiropractor's I saw a Taylor Made R7 460* driver for $49.99 (might have been a R9, tho) with a graphite stiff shaft (I forget the maker) & a deteriorating Winn grip ...so is that price gouging, if one desires to buy it "cheap" just cuz it's in a thrift store?

I guess I'm asking if whatever you're looking at that seems to be overpriced, is that still a good deal even at that price? If it is, then how can it be "price gouging"?

I see old TM burner drivers for $19.99, old small headed Adams drivers that no respectable golfer would even want, at $19.99. 

 

 

I could go on and on. Yes there are deals to be had, but more times than not now all I am seeing is price gouging by GW

[ezgoer]

Up here in Mn. I wouldn’t call it gouging but GW has historically been more expensive. $5.99-6.99 per club plus I’ve gotten very few actual decent clubs out of them. No sets. Most of the GW clubs I pick up is for the TTDG shafts I may want for another club. I’ve gotten the best stuff and at better prices $2.99-4.99 per club and a few full sets out of a local for profit  multiple location place and one other for charity store that’s really close to me. Nothing for a bit but I really have tailed off my searching since last fall. 

Edited March 29 by ezgoer

[bcstones]

1 hour ago, Joe85 said:

more times than not now all I am seeing is price gouging by GW

we can agree to disagree....

[Maine Golfer]

I can't fault Goodwill for keeping the lights on and I dont think its fair for me to demand prices for 2010. Thats just me.

 

I can list many things ive found over the past 2 years that would be more money on ebay and MOST private sales. 

 

 

 

Edited March 29 by Maine Golfer

[JimmyC59]

Here in Ct. the standard GW price for a golf club is  $3.99.

[Greenie]

On 3/28/2024 at 9:13 PM, bcstones said:

Seems to me that $35 less than the price on the original tag is still a reasonable price....I'm thinking that, after you bought those two at $5, someone else probably paid the $30 cuz it was fair.
As for WallyWorld....they are the king, queen, princess, jack, ace & joker of gougers....

 

I guess what I'm trying to say is that while you might think something is "overpriced", doesn't exactly mean the place is "gouging" their customers....

 

Now that I have more time to respond:

 

I think having something price at $29.99 when the clearance tag was marked down to $24.99 is a bad look. They are trying to sell something for more than someone actually paid for them. I'm not going there with flippers etc. I feel anyone can ask what they want for an item. I'll choose if I want to pay the price or not. 

 

I know how the Goodwill works. Tags have colors. Each week a color tag goes to 50% off. No one bought those shorts at 50% off. Thursday is $2 day,  I played golf on Thursday a block away from the GW. I stopped in before my round to waste a little time. After those shorts sat there at 50% off M,T,W, I gladly bought them for $2 on Thursday. I would have bought them and the other two pairs for $10 a pair considering the quality of them. I got a good deal on the two pair for $4.99. Because of their greed on the tagged pair I didn't buy them nor did anyone else. They sold for $2 when they could have gotten more at a more fair price.

 

Price gouging? With the way they clear out their items if something is priced to high to start with it will eventually drop and probably be bought. Maybe price gouging is the wrong word.

 

I am not a frequent shopper at the Goodwill. When I do stop in yes I am shocked at some of their starting prices. Just my opinion. 

Edited March 31 by Greenie

[Stephen8802]

I also take offense at what Goodwill has become and now do all of my donating, which is significant, and most of my shopping, at the Colorado-based Arc Thrift.

As a strategy consultant, I've had many projects where I help companies with the pricing strategy and brand positioning, so I've thought about this a bit. A company needs to maintain a relationship with customers, which is based on either a explicit or implicit contract. In retail, that contract can be based on a consumer paying a high price for many reasons, think of Veblen goods or industry-leading quality, and I'm never offended. Those companies are offering value, perceived or real, for a premium price. I'm rarely a buyer, but I'm also perfectly happy that other people with different priorities can pay those prices for those goods. My problem with Goodwill is that their explicit contract with the consumer is that they are a charity and that is not true, they are a for-profit company with some charitable aspects, but they are primarily in it to make money, not to help the community; helping the community feels like marketing with Goodwill, not a true mission.

 

For a thrift store to work for me, as both a donator and a consumer, the contract has to be an understanding that I give my goods for free so that they can in turn sell them to people who can't afford to buy them at retail. I get the benefit of clearing my goods that I no longer need and someone else gets the benefit of buying a good they otherwise may not be able to afford. If the thrift store also employees people with special needs that are less employable at traditional retail outlets, and/or donates profit to people in need, that's even better. That's the contract I'm looking for and I am lucky to have found it with a local chain.

 

Goodwill just doesn't give me the value I want. Why would I give my goods for free, which I could otherwise sell on CraigsList or give to a friend, if the outcome is some company's corporate profit? I want to donate so that other people can benefit and so profit goes to charity. That may have been Goodwill in the past, but not anymore. I still shop at Goodwill, and I still find deals on clubs that I can't find elsewhere, but I shop there less than Arc and exclusively donate to Arc where my charity will help people in need and not executives who want a nicer car.

 

And, as a closing story to a too-long post, I stop about once a week at the Goodwill next to my daughter's school because I'm already there, it's only an extra 5 minutes, and about 4 times a year I find something cool. Last week, they had a partial set of early Titleist DCI irons for $25 per club. That's a $200 set if they had all been there. That not only is a bad business decision, but it also completely destroys any goodwill I once had with them, pun intended. I don't know if I'd use the word gouging, but I do find their business model offensive, both as a donator/customer making decisions with my goods/money and as a strategy professional watching a company that once dominated a business slowly alienate its stake holders.

[Maine Golfer]

$6 each, Goodwill. I always wanted these, another week or 2 for outdoor golf imo here. Its muddy right now

 

3,5 

 

[AdamMH]

4 hours ago, Maine Golfer said:

$6 each, Goodwill. I always wanted these, another week or 2 for outdoor golf imo here. Its muddy right now

 

3,5 

 

 

Awesome! I found a similar era TM ballcap/hat headcover at a Value Village a while back and I've been looking for another since.