The Best Thrift Store in Seattle: GO INSIDE the Goodwill on South Lane

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Remember when thrift stores were just a hodge-podge of junk, and you’d spend hours having to sift through the chaos? There was no rhyme or reason to how things were laid out; if you were a size 10 shoe (like me), good luck finding the section labeled “Big ‘Ole Feet.”

And it was nearly impossible to say to yourself, “SELF, I’m going to the Goodwill to look for a pair of khaki pants.”

Umm…..yeah right.

Thankfully, times have changed!

This Goodwill in Seattle on South Lane is proof.

 

 

The Seattle Goodwill on South Lane (located at 1400 South Lane Street, Seattle, WA 98144) defied all I’ve ever known about what a thrift store was: a conglomerate of peoples’ cast-offs strewn about for the serious thrift divers to discover a diamond in the rough.

Oh, no, people….This Goodwill had their act together.

HOLY. CRAP.

This Seattle Goodwill ROCKED!

Have you ever seen a thrift store that sorted all of its sweaters by COLOR???

Related: 10 Things You MUST Know Before Hitting the Thrift Stores

 

 

Seriously, how easy is that??

If you knew you were looking for a pink sweater, you’d know exactly where to look. (I don’t think Macy’s is even that organized!) Maybe you won’t find the style you like, but you’ve substantially cut time wasted by having to sort through racks of stuff you don’t want. The only downside is that by being so direct and focused on what you need, you might overlook some unexpected treasures you’ve skipped over.

But STILL, you guys….this sort of organization makes thrift shopping easy.

 

I was super impressed!

The prices were a little higher than what I was used to, but they had sections of designer labels, which I’m sure cost more. For example, I found a pair of black MICHAEL by Michael Kors pants and they were about $17.00 after taxes. Do you think that’s expensive for MICHAEL by Michael Kors dress slacks? My thrift stores, Value Villiage and Unique Thrift, they would have been about $9.00.

Here are a couple other cute things I tried on!

 

I regret not buying those cropped yellow pants…

 

 

And I just had this conversation with some of my Facebook Followers recently: Would you buy underwear from a thrift store? 

From my thrift store, which is all used and gross? Um….no.

From this Goodwill, when clearly they all have tags on them? Sure I would–if they fit. Never thought I would say that….

How about you? Would you buy these bras and underwear? 

 

 

And don’t get me started on the book section…….for real?? I felt like I was in BORDERS, for a fraction of the cost.

The book section was huge, and the prices for the books were very reasonable–just a few dollars. Maybe it’s so big because everyone is getting rid of their paper copies and going digital? (Who the heck knows. I still love me good paper pages to flip through!)

I had never seen a thrift store book section so expansive and well organized–just like Borders. 

 

 

I mean……if I ever want to learn to speak Croatian, I’m sure I could find a book on it right here in this section. 😉

 

 

Really, the entire place was very big. You’d need hours to walk around here.

 

 

Take the furniture section…

I’ve never seen such a huge furniture section at a thrift store. My big thrift store here in Maryland has a great selection.

But this Goodwill…..it takes the cake.

 

 

Just look at some of the awesome stuff I saw there.

 

I love French Provincial furniture. If you’re a child of the 80’s, you’ll recognize this style.

(Remember the French Provincial desk makeover I did? I also did this French Provincial dresser makeover for my mother-in-law).

 

 

 

 

 

 

How adorable is this piece? Very country-ish. Imagine with some beautiful paint. And it already had the wire door fronts.

Related: What’s the Best Paint for Furniture?

 

Pricey at $150, but catch it on a 50% off day…..and it’s a good deal!

 And I like that each piece had dates on the sticker, so you can see when the piece became available. Looks like this piece had only been out 2-3 days. Bet it didn’t last.

 

 

And I don’t think my favorite thrift store has a CD collection. And if it did, it’s not like this one.

(Then again, who listened to CDs anymore? With Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube, CDs have become a relic of the past).

 

 

The staff was very friendly, too!

This young employee, Jamal, was so cute when I told him I blog about thrift stores, DIY, home improvement (have you seen my DIY Project Gallery?)….and when I asked him if I could take a picture, he gleefully joked with his coworker, “I’m going to be famous!!”

Uh– not quite, buddy, but yeah, you’ll get a ‘lil recognition… 😉

 

As for shoes…..they had tons of shoes organized by size.

Unfortunately, I didn’t find much in my size (it’s so hard to find 10’s).

 

I did find some cute Guess shoes but didn’t buy them because my airplane carry-on was already packed to the brim.

 

 

To sum up my trip to the Seattle Goodwill on South Lane, it was awesome!

Seriously, if you live in or near Seattle, or are passing through (like I did), this is a thrift store you have to put on your “To Do.” You won’t be disappointed.

Again, the prices were a little higher than I’m used to, but I’d be willing to pay the extra $$ just as a “THANK YOU” for the excellent selection and organization of their inventory. Wouldn’t you agree? Plus, every purchase you make supports good in the community. WIN WIN.

Overall, this was such a fun trip!

Want More Thrift Store Tips?

You might want to check out these other awesome posts for thrift store shopping tips!

10 Things You MUST Know Before Hitting the Thrift Store

 

 

What To Do When You Can’t Find Anything Good at the Thrift Store

 

I hope that you guys have enjoyed this little GO INSIDE feature on the Seattle Goodwill on South Lane! 🙂

What’s your favorite thrift store and are they as organized and good at this thrift store in Seattle?

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