Goodwill, it's like a box of chocolates...or playing the lotto or the slots. It's fun, but lets face it it's a bit risky.
Today, all the bay area Goodwills were having a huge sale. All of their clothing was a mere $2.00 each. This included winter coats, suits, jeans, formal dresses, long sleeved, short sleeved...if you could wear it to cover up your birthday suit, then it was $2.00. What a steal!
I found out about this event while reading my "Funcheap San Francisco" email and sipping my coffee at 5:30 this morning and was excited to learn that my local store was opening at 7:00. We made it there by 8:30. The place was already chaotic. Nothing grouped by sizes just by color. Who shops by color anyway? After pushing the stroller through an ocean of jeans I was able to sort out a few that might work.
Here's the catch with this sale, you can't try anything on, or at least not in a dressing room. There were quite of few women who knew the drill and dressed accordingly. They crowded around the one available mirror while trying on piles jeans under their long skirts and shirts over their tank tops. Clever.
There was some pretty aggressive shopping. Many people had scoped out the stores the day before and had mapped out a plan of attack with their 5 closest friends. You know the type. The ones that show up to your garage sale a hour and a half before your cardboard sign says that you're going to open and ask if you'll take a quarter for that. The stores were packed with "those people."
Yet, I was also happy to hear stories of brave soles that were there at the opening bell and purchased ALL of the winter coats to donate to a local shelter. Way to go Good Samaritans!
You can't help but be sucked into (or repulsed) by this kind of shopping excitement, and my family managed to hit two stores in two different towns before lunch. My poor kids were such troopers. Shopping with little ones in tow is never a picnic, then throwing in all the craziness of the bargain hunters and you have a recipe for multiple breakdowns.
Picture my stroller, a Phil &Ted with the 2nd seat below, weaving down the crowed aisle. Caleb was sitting in the top seat trying to pull tags and buttons off all the clothing he could get his hand on and Cora was hiding out in her "cave" created by the mountain of clothes that I was tossing onto the handle bar.
Despite the craziness we had to endure, God must have blessed this shopping trip, because all of the items I purchased without trying them on, actually fit. If you had ever gone jean shopping with me, then you would know what a miraculous feat that was indeed. The only items that didn't fit were the pants I picked up for Cora, apparently I think that she is much bigger than she actually is, as well as a ridiculous pair of skate shoes I purchased for Caleb. I must have been crazy to think that putting wheels on that boys feet would be a good idea. Luckily they are too big for him and just the right size for Cora. Now, if only she could put them on without him screaming at her.
Happy shopping.
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