Goodwill Bins in New York

"I’ll give them credit for having a good location. It’s much more convenient for me to drive to this one compared to the Henrietta bin store. However, Goodwill Buffalo is known to sift through their donations to find valuable items. They put those valuable items up for auction on the Shop Goodwill website before they place the remaining items into their retail stores. My best guess is that not only are the items pre-sorted before they even get to the normal stores, not only are the items that show up at this bin store poor sellers from the normal stores, but on top of this, I do believe that the items are sorted through AGAIN for value before being placed in this bin store. On a positive note, the items that don’t sell at the bin stores are actually (and finally) donated to those who are less fortunate. And for what its worth, the shoppers were a bit friendlier here compared to some of the other bin stores I’ve visited. Don’t get me started on Indianapolis. But from a reseller’s standpoint, the selection of items is severely lacking at this location. Isn’t that the whole point of having the bin stores? Resellers are the most frequent customers of bin stores, from what I’ve noticed over the years. Not helping is the fact that bins are rotated MUCH less frequently at this location compared to other Goodwill bin stores. The Henrietta Goodwill bin store, last I checked, has much more competition than this store does in terms of resellers who show up to that location every day to hunt for valuable items, but in my opinion, you’re much more likely to find valuable items at the Henrietta location compared to this location. Did I mention that the open hours are awful at this location, too?"

"If you’re looking to go goodwill bin shopping, this is your place. Lots to dig through but definitely can get overwhelming. If you have the time to dig, you can find some good items. We did find a newer iPad! Definitely bring gloves and be careful of broken glass and knives."

"I’ve been to multiple “bins” locations and this is by far the calmest and friendliest location that I have visited. The other shoppers are friendly and the staff are helpful and eager to solve any issues. However be aware, this isn’t traditional goodwill shopping. Everything is in bins, so you’re basically digging (literally) for treasure. And the price is based on weight."

"I love this location only thing I have to add is please go back to the putting more clothing in bins like you used to . More chances of getting more items. The last few months have not been able to get as much . Last week 2 days they went back to the fuller bins I bought at least twice as much .I talked to a bunch of people that were there and we all loved it … I go to this location at least 2 to 3 times a week and when bins were brought out emptier I didn’t purchase that much .. Please keep the fuller bins. Most of the people complaining don’t want to put in the work to dig thru to find stuff ."

"I have been coming to this location since 2023 and it has changed tremendously, and not for the better. The store used to do complete rotations every 2 hours where they replace every old bin with a new one from the back. It also used to be very organized with sections specifically for clothing, shoes, linen, and house items. Now, they bring out random bins in groups of 3-5 and stick them into any row with room. In addition, when new bins were brought out, customers would be required to stand behind the white line near the main entrance. Now, they are allowed to stand and wait on the sales floor, which can be chaotic when some people are shopping in old bins while others are running like animals to the new ones. I have been to other bin locations in NJ and FL, and a bit of rushing and accidental pushing is to be expected. However, the ladies with bags tied around their waists are insufferable. They sprint to the new bins, shove everyone out of their way, and grab all of the clothes without looking. Often, I will completely ignore the new bin rotations because I know I won’t even get to touch the clothes. This behavior completely ruins my experience and I end up leaving earlier than desired. Why haven’t staff or management corrected them? Because they practically live there. The only upside is I have never left empty handed— but that’s luck of the draw. You will find something but the process of doing so becomes miserable over time. It’s a shame the only location in NYC is such a dumpster fire."

"Environment is very competitive and aggressive. Local/frequent shoppers, specifically (ladies with white sacks tied in their waist) are doing what I feel it is unjust/unfair, they grab all they can from the bins for them to sort things on the side, at the end leaving abandoned shopping carts full of the clothing they decided not to take or check out. Do not let them deterred you, come and do your own digging and finds, you may still scored. I personally didn't find anything besides tons of dirty and used mall brands items, it was not my day and it is okay. I do know now that I can source better at my other local thrift stores in my area."

"The ladies with the white bags on their waists do jump into the new bins, pull out what they consider gold, aka resellables, aka what they image other people want then put their scavenged wares into a shopping cart that lines the walls & covered with a blanket. Its end of times behavior. It’s animals crawling over each other for the crumb. There are arguments, some rough housing. It is easy to steal. Bring gloves, a shopping bag, & although most don’t wear masks, I recommend. There were plenty of nice blankets, handmade quilts, & lace table clothes when I went. It’s $2 something a pound for textiles"

"With all the reviews I was expecting a scary madhouse but it wasn’t like that at all. I came with my best friend at a kind of off peak time (1pm or so on a Saturday) and it was way less overwhelming than I was anticipating. Very lucky there’s one of these in NYC!!! You really have to dig to find good stuff though, my favorite was this Charlie Brown calendar :) (partially broken but it made me laugh) you cannot beat these prices anywhere, regardless of quality. I feel like this place is being judged unfairly by many. Give it a try on at an off peak time. [BUT WEAR GLOVES!!!!!!]"

"First thing I would like to say is if you're new "they" will know. "They" are the people that stay in the store all day in shifts, "they" are the hawks of the store. If this is your first time take a look at my photos and read the rules and take a look at the building layout as well read what I think are some things you should and should not do when at this goodwill. 1)READ THE RULES (I have a picture of them) 2)Wear gloves don't be bold(I have found underwear before unless that's your thing) 3)You buy by the pound here unless a tag says something else 4)Bring your bag empty, they do not give bags and the carts are I think 25cents 5)Don't bring children between 6 months and 5 years old they just don't get it and will not stay still 6)If possible come with 2 people you can through things faster and catch some good things 7)The mornings are not for the weak and also the best pickings 8)They will take it to heart when it's the morning time and the bins are rolling out. 9)Be comfortable and dressed the down this is not your normal thift stores 10) Mind your business, have patience and enjoy"

"A very unique place. A monument to capitalism, commercialism, and wastefulness, but also a never-ending treasure hunt for those willing to dig and search. My only gripe is that the bin rotations seem to not really follow a set schedule. Some days they change every half hour, other days I’ve arrived and seen the same bins from the day before."

"Fun experience with the opportunity to find great items for great prices IF you are willing to dig. Don’t expect a super clean environment in the bins itself. Bring hand sanitizer, gloves if you want. Watch what you grab. Make the best of it! BUT, I have NEVER in my life seen a bathroom so disgusting in my entire life. It smells awful. There are used pads or diapers full of urine on the floor, used and discarded gloves scattered everywhere, and empty cleaning supplies laying around (but clearly unused in a while). I used to regular this location before moving out of state a few years ago. It has gone drastically down hill organization and cleanliness wise. Just be aware that you should avoid the bathroom at all costs."

"The "BINZ" as it is known locally with affection is where old and overstock merch from goodwill stores goes as well as large volumes of relatively unpicked and unfiltered material from estate donations nationwide. Tractor-trailers come in from everywhere, that goodwill collects stuff and is first fumigated for a period of time and then sorted into broad categories: electronics and appliances, shoes, clothing and household textiles, books. The goods are rolled out into the sales area in enormous plastic bins, which customers sort through with black friday enthusiasm. Just about everything is sold by weight with different prices for different categories of item. Electronics and appliances are for the most part.Sold for a base price of like three dollars per item. And if it's blow a certain weight, it's even less. I rarely leave there spending more than ten or twenty dollars. Half my wardrobe, most of my sheets, and just about all of the curtains in my house have come out of the bins. I've also bought numerous appliances like roombas.There that needed little or no tinkering to run beautifully. This is my bargain crack. It's hard to imagine any place else being better."