Goodwill Outlet Store - Hamden, Connecticut

M Q

I didn't find a single thing here, everything in the bins was damp and pretty trashed. The outlet was dirty and depressing. Might've just been a bad day but I was there for more than an hour and there was no sign of another turn happening.

Angela

If you are a timid loner who is fearful of the crazy bins experience rest assured this location offers a more peaceful experience. As someone mentioned what is unfortunate is that if you don’t know about the no touch rule it is not explicitly announced by staff. So just look up what that means at bins if it’s your first time. Otherwise it’s the kind of place that allows for good browsing and it does test your ability to be assertive like trying to find a good time to fit around a bin with a bunch of people. Overall it’s fun and stuff in life stops being fun when you take it too seriously anyways. 🙂

Hannah Lyon

Had a great first experience. When I walked in an employee greeted me and gave me the low down on how things work. Bins switch out every hour or so and basically etiquette is don’t touch until the manager gives the go ahead. Everything was 1.79 a pound and I found 4.5 pounds worth of goodies! Surprisingly there weren’t too many people there. It didn’t feel crowded at least.

Eileen C

Enjoyed the experience for the most part mostly due to going with a friend. Wish people would wash the items they donate, I suggest you wear gloves when you are there because when I went to wash my hands the water in sink was gray. Watch your cart closely because there are some regulars who will sneak your cart and try to take things. Several times I lost my cart and if it wasn’t for my friend I don’t think I would have gotten the items back that I chose. I did get some great clothes for church and some Christmas items.

POE

There is a lot of garbage, so it takes time to find something good. But when you find something good, you can get it very cheaply.
But the shoes are terrible

Amy Pagnozzi

This Hamden location is better staffed than other Goodwill locations with generally courteous, hardworking employees.

The biggest drawback -- and this applies to all Goodwill outlets -- is that there is no signage listing behavioral rules.

A newcomer would have no idea that you are not allowed to touch or even stand too close to the newly brought out bins of stuff until an employee says Now, or Ready or Go. Some employees voices are heavily accented or overly soft.

Elderly persons or neurodivergent people could easily miss the cue and find themselves at the center of a fracas.

I have watched Goodwill Outlet newbies get screamed at by both employees and regulars for getting too near the new carts (an offense for which a shopper may be permanently banned).

It would be SO easy to just post a sign about this rule and maybe even use red flags or some other easily visible symbol on the carts which might then be removed by the Goodwill employee to signal it's time to shop.

As others have said it is a good idea to wear a mask and vinyl gloves. There is a major cart shortage also so you might consider bringing a giant laundry bag for your finds. (But if you forget you can usually find a big bag or lightweight container to use while you shop)

One thing this location does right is that the by the pound rate remains the same whether you are buying one item or several cartloads. The old way really favored resellers, but why should they receive a better price than a low income person buying items they truly need for personal use?

I'm too old to actually relish the dirty digging it takes to find bargains here, but I still go from time to time because buying used items instead of new means less junk in the landfills. Plus, the older items are the less likely they are made from synthetics.

Thrifting isn't what it was in the sense that twenty years ago you could still find plenty of 100% cotton and 100% wool. More recently, the clothing is overwhemingly the detritus of plastic fast fashion.

On my most recent trip I still managed to find four 100% wool sweaters, a cotton man's shirt, cotton boot cut jeans, a lands end down jacket and two handwoven household storage baskets for $21 and change. (It did take two hours though, and the fact that I am small in stature meant I could find items to fit more easily than a larger person).

Everything needed a good wash and the Aran sweater needed a bit of darning. But given I still have the wool blankets I found here last year, without any further shopping I will stay warm this winter.

Despite the hassle it is still worth it. Especially if you are truly strapped. Even if you have literally no budget for clothing at all you can find one or two items to flip on Facebook Marketplace to finance your entire haul.

Just be aware though that the place is full of flippers who have been doing it for years and are fiercely good at it. As a newbie you are unlikely to generate more than a few extra bucks from the finds they overlook.

Dean

Disgusting in that Goodwill. Broken TVs on sale, the bathrooms were moldy. The only good thing was the workers were extremely kind and caring, and there are good bargains as the store charges you by weight. Would have gave 4 stars if the place was cleaner.

Stephanie Echevarria

I was overwhelmed the first time, but after leaving with a cart completely full of great finds for less than $50. It was completely worth it, plus you find the most random thing.