Tag: Thrift Store

Goodwill Vintage Clothing Inspires Canine Couture

August 8, 2013

Guest Blog by  Annette Kaiser, Goodwill Keystone Area

You never know what you’ll find at Goodwill Keystone Area’s Tilghman Square store in Allentown, PA. Two regular customers at the gently used clothing racks are fashion designers Maribel and Jana Nieves, a mother-daughter team who own a studio called Bel Bijoux Couture in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Bel Bijoux Couture
Maribel and Jana Nieves, a mother-daughter team, in their studio.

While their shop looks like any other design studio — with spools of brightly colored thread and coat trees draped with rich textures and fabrics — the design pages and patterns folded neatly in rows of hangers are in miniature. That’s because this couture isn’t designed for humans, it’s designed for their pets.

The Nieves specialize in one-of-a-kind pet coats and were recently featured on NAT GEO WILD’s “Spoiled Rotten Pets.”  Their  favorite place to shop for material is the Goodwill store in Allentown,  because the selections of vintage clothes and modern fashions spurs their imagination and gives them endless choices for fabrics, buttons and other accessories that go into their line.

“When we work with a customer, they tell us what colors and type of fabric they would like,” said Jana Nieves. “We go to Goodwill, browse all sorts of pieces from skirts to jackets, from coats and pants. Once we find something that meets the description, we’ll take a picture and send it to them. You never know what you will find at Goodwill.”

Dogs Modeling Custom Coats
These fashionable dogs had their custom outfits created from Goodwill finds.

Jana Nieves says she can design and create up to three pieces from one Goodwill garment.  Unlike the “sleepy” bolted fabrics found on the shelves of retail textile stores, “the pieces we find at Goodwill have a certain life to them that transform into beautiful pieces.”

For more information on Bel Bijoux Couture, visit t www.belbijouxcouture.com.  Custom coats start at $55 and are guaranteed to fit your life, your style and your pet.

Fashion is Never Finished at Goodwill

August 7, 2013

Style is How You Define It

One thing great about style is that trends ebb and flow, so what was once cool, may go out of style, but it tends to come back in style sometime in the future, reinvented, considered new. Fashion is never finished.

Goodwill Outfits for Less
Corinne found her style at the Goodwill Runway Show.

This is why thrift stores like Goodwill are so fantastic to frequent.  New donations come in every day, meaning many new chances for new styles. 

Why We Do What We Do

With the proceeds from these donations, people who need job training can receive it, people with disabilities can receive care and socialization they need and older, lower-income people who seek opportunities can find jobs that suit them. Goodwill is a nonprofit organization. We invest 84% of what we take in to help people with disabilities and other barriers to independence.

Some Like the Thrill of the Hunt

We organize our clothes by color, so if you know what colors suit you, which are your favorites, you can start there.  Like most stores, shirts and pants are racked together, but unlike most stores, they are all the same price.  Jeans are $6. Pants are $4. Shirts are $3.50. Tee-shirts are $1.50. And so on. With our new Rewards Card, you can save even more on select items.

You might even find that thrifting makes you a fashion trendsetter. Sometimes just choosing to wear clothes you love is all you need to be fashionable.

Spring Training Means Tee-Shirt Weather is Not Far Away

February 20, 2013

As we endure another February chill, let’s think of warmer days when we hear the snap of a ball in a mitt or the crack of a well-hit baseball.

Phillies Shirts
Phillies Fan Club and Shane Victorino shirts and many other team shirts can be found at Goodwill.

Spring is only a month away. Besides birds, a good early sign of spring is pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training camps this week in Florida and Arizona.

This means it’s time to start looking for your favorite team’s attire at Goodwill. Every time I shop at a Goodwill store, I like to browse through the different tee shirt colors looking for my teams and those of my family and friends. They make good “I was thinking of you.” gifts. They can be sleepwear or something to wear to a ball game. What we wear can be the beginning of a conversation with a neighbor while out gardening.

I like how our Goodwill stores are set up – by type of clothes and by color. It makes it easy to search for my favorite team’s colors, and you can’t beat the prices. Often, with my Shop & Save card I get additional discounts on top of the already low cost. Then all I have to do is find the right size.

Good hunting. Find your favorite things at Goodwill.

Having Trouble Figuring Out Where to Put it All?

December 28, 2012

Donate the old so you have room for the new

Many people received a bounty of new things over the holidays.  Are you asking yourself where to store it all? Are your cabinets and drawers, closets and shelves already brimming? If so, clutter sometimes needs to go. You don’t need to fill the spare room, basement or attic with storage overflow. Donate those bags and boxes of stuff.

Do your community good

The things you no longer need may be just what others are looking for. Donate them to Goodwill. Your donations fuel our mission. Our stores fund job training for people with disabilities or other barriers to independence.

Remember donating in December means tax deductions in 2013

December 31 is the deadline to ensure your end-of-year donation is a tax write-off for the 2012 tax year. If itemizing, be sure to ask for a receipt.  We can’t place a value of your donations, only you can.  But here is a link to guidelines on how to value donated items. http://www.goodwill.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Donation_Valuation_Guide.pdf

Unfortunately, there are some items we cannot take. Here is a list of what we can’t take, including certain infant items, which are often recalled: https://www.yourgoodwill.org/donation/what_not_to_donate.php

Father’s Day Finds

June 11, 2010

Father’s Day is just around the corner. Have you thought about what to get dear old Dad? Perhaps he likes vintage video games? You could check out this Atari game system and games! http://www.shopgoodwill.com/viewItem.asp?ItemID=6313301 Hurry, the bidding ends on Tuesday, June 15.

I was passed down my love of collecting from my father. I’ve found the perfect gift for his antique farming collection on shopgoodwill.com. A butter churn! Of course if you decided that your father would like to have it in his collection, I’d completely understand… Let the best bidder win! http://www.shopgoodwill.com/viewItem.asp?ItemID=6310551 Bidding on this item ends on Monday, June 14!

If these items aren’t just right, surf around shopgoodwill.com and see what you can find. The possibilities are endless! From vintage golf clubs, to books and cds, to sports memorabilia, you’ll find the perfect gift for your pops in time for Father’s Day on Sunday, June 20. 

Happy hunting!

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Let Your Creativity Flow

May 24, 2010

Being a bargain hunter isn’t easy, but when you find that great deal, it’s so worth it. As a Bargainista, you can find beautiful items at a great price. Take your house décor for example. There are so many clever thrifty ways to make your house look good.

I found these ideas from another blog about chic tips to decorating your home. Check it out!! http://parenting.leehansen.com/decorating/thrift-store-decor.htm

A good bargain is only really a good bargain if you can enjoy your purchase for more than just the low price. Your best bet is to go specifially in search of the item you need. When you find that perfect item, you’ll enjoy it both in your home and in your bank account.

Remember, a great bargain is just around the corner at your local Goodwill.

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Fashion on the Go

May 13, 2010

Save time! People are always looking for ways to get more time. There never seems to be enough of it. For those of us who want more time while getting great fashion deals, these tips could be your new best fashion time savers.

#1 – Make sure you try on the clothes. Tags that are on the clothes may be slightly off because of previous wearing and shrinking. Also, designers can  vary their sizes, which could also throw it off. This will save you time if you try them on now instead of getting home and realizing that the clothes you just spent your valuable time shopping for are the wrong size. Pity.

#2 – Lets say you want to stand out a party. Get your dress from a thrift shop and you can all but guarantee that no one else will have your dress. It probably was not worn that much and, with how quickly fashions change, your mild throwback dress could make you the cat’s meow at your next shindig. 

#3 – Love a pair of jeans with a broken zipper or that shirt with a missing button? Go ahead and buy them, those are easy things to replace! Stay away from clothing with rips or stains. Those could take too much time to fix or not be fixable at all.

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One Ring to Rule them All

May 3, 2010

If you haven’t yet heard, Goodwill received an anonymous donation of a fabulous 2.6 carat diamond ring. It has been appraised at $17,600 and will be placed up for bid probably next week on the auction site for Goodwill, www.shopgoodwill.com where everyone has a chance to bid on it.

This has been an exciting week for all of goodwill with all of the media coverage from this once in a lifetime donation. There has been airplay on ABC’s National News, MSNBC, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and NBC’s the Today Show. Everyone wants to get the word out on this ring.

Here is a bit of some of the newscast from the Today Show:

“And the ring turned in by an unknown is apparently very generous donor at a Goodwill distribution center in Pennsylvania has now been appraised at more than $17,000. The center usually gets costume jewelry but this was one a diamond in the rough. Talk about Goodwill… I wonder if it was a mistake. It must have been a very honest employee of that Goodwill center. That’s nice to see. It is going to go for good.”

Word is spreading on this ring. To get all the latest updates stay posted here or at Facebook. Remember to spread the word and the Goodwill.

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One Person’s Trash if Definitely Somebody’s Treasure

April 28, 2010

Have you heard the news yet? There was a fantastic find of a 2.6 carat diamond ring found anonymously donated to a Goodwill store. This really is a treasure. The ring is absolutely beautiful and has been appraised at a whopping $17,600!! It just goes to show that you never know what treasure you may find at your local Goodwill.

The ring will be placed on the auction site for Goodwill at www.shopgoodwill.com and will be under the section of Reading, PA. Bidding will start soon so make sure you and everyone you know has a chance to bid on this priceless treasure that is at Goodwill.

This story has been seen on all kinds of media outlets. Check it out how this ring is sweeping the nation. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEF9ZHkQNOU

This is a well put together piece showing the ring and how it was found.

Treasures like this one can be found all over at your local Goodwill. All it takes is a little digging. As always, Happy hunting.

To find out when the ring will be posted, fan Goodwill Keystone Area on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

What can Goodwill do for you?

April 22, 2010

Prom and Bridal Gowns at Goodwill Prom season is the perfect time to start shopping at Goodwill. Goodwill offers you fashionable and affordable prom wear and in turn, you support the mission. Take the time to check out Goodwill Stores and see all the great dresses, accessories and shoes to fit you and your budget.

If you give a little, you get a lot in return. Buy a beautiful dress for a great deal… you’ll have a wonderful prom and give back so much more than you may ever realize. All the people that Goodwill supports thank you in advance. So take a trip down to your local Goodwill this prom season.

Goodwill is more than just a store. When you donate and shop at Goodwill, you support a worthy mission. Did you know? Goodwill exists to support persons with disabilities and other barriers to independence in achieving their fullest potential as workers and as members of the broader community.

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