Goodwill Thrift Stores Offer Unique Shopping Experiences

Thrift store shopping is often an adventure and recently I had three unique shopping experiences at 3 different Goodwill thrift shops in my local area. Although, these Goodwill stores are all within a few miles of each other they offer different shopping experiences and merchandise. The first store I visited was the Goodwill Outlet & Donation Center, in Camp Hill, PA, just across the river from Harrisburg.

Bargains by the Pound

Goodwill Outlet & Donation Center

3825 Hartzdale Drive
Camp Hill, PA 17011
717 -686-4620 . Map . Website

The Goodwill Outlet Center is sometimes referred to as the “buy the pound store” since most of the items for sale are piled in large blue bins and priced by the pound.

When shopping at the Goodwill Outlet Center, some people wear gloves because you really have to dig in to the bins to find stuff and it can be a little messy. It’s kind of like sifting through a mega hoarders yard sale. Not for everybody, but can be good fun if you enjoy a good scavenger hunt.

There’s no organization or order here, except that books and clothing are separate from other goods. The day I visited, the parking lot was full and every shopping cart had been claimed, so clearly this is a popular place. The crowd of shoppers I saw seemed to be regulars and were sharing friendly banter. Some of the shoppers were using a similar method to their shopping. They loaded their shopping carts full then moved to a quiet corner to sift through and make the final decision about what to purchase and what to put back. If you have the time and don’t mind digging through tons of stuff you can come a way with some good deals.

This Goodwill Outlet Center, like the other Goodwill thrift stores, is also a donation center, so if you have goods to share bring them along. Your donations and purchases help support the good work this organization is doing. There are large outdoor donations bins located around the side of the building, and the donation area is also staffed by helpful folks who’ll give you a tax receipt for your donation. They accept furniture and computers but not TV’s. You can pay for your purchases with cash,VISA, MasterCard, or Discover cards.

Small Favorite

Goodwill Thrift Store

Hampden Centre
4880 Carlisle Pike
717 -635-2881 . Map . Website

This is a smaller, older Goodwill store but one of my favorites. They are organized and I’ve often found some really nice brand-name women’s clothing here (Talbots, JJill, Gap, Anne Klein). The clothing is organized by size, which I really appreciate, as it makes shopping so much faster and easier.

The day I visited they also had some new furniture pieces (some still in boxes) from Target. Since there’s a large Community Aid thrift store across the street it convenient to do a bunch of thrift shopping.

This location also accepts donations including furniture and computers but not TV’s. You can pay for your purchases with cash,VISA, MasterCard, or Discover cards.

Shiny and New

Goodwill Thrift Store

1200 Market Street
Lemoyne, PA 17043
717-737-6134 . Map . Website

My last stop was the newest Goodwill store (as of 2017) in my area. It’s located in a large store in the West Shore Shopping Plaza. This new store is taking the place of the smaller store that used to be located on Hummel Avenue in Lemoyne, PA.

 This large store is really clean, bright. The day of my visit I had fun looking through a decent amount of record albums, home goods and women’s clothing and accessories, and came a way with a few bargains.

When we lived in Maine, where  Tour de Thrift started, we explored over 13 Goodwill stores spread out across the state. Now that we live in central Pennsylvania it’s been fun discovering 3 different Goodwill thrift stores so close to where we live.

Anyway, hope you have fun exploring thrift stores near you and hope you find just what you are searching for!