How to Donate to Thrift Stores the Right Way
Every great thrift find started as someone's donation. Donating well keeps good items in circulation, helps the stores (and often the charities behind them) and saves you a trip to the landfill. Donating poorly just moves your clutter onto a volunteer's sorting table. Here is how to make sure your donations help.
Ask: would I buy this?
It is the single best filter. If an item is stained, broken, missing pieces or badly worn, a store will likely have to pay to dispose of it. Items in good, usable condition are the ones that get priced and put on the floor.
What thrift stores generally welcome
- Clean clothing, shoes and accessories in wearable condition.
- Housewares such as dishes, cookware, glassware and small decor.
- Books, games and puzzles with all their pieces.
- Small furniture in good repair, where the store has space for it.
- Working small appliances and lamps.
What many stores cannot accept
Policies vary by store and by local regulations, but commonly restricted items include mattresses and upholstered items with damage, car seats and cribs (because of safety recalls), large appliances, hazardous materials such as paint and chemicals, and older televisions or monitors. Always check a store's donation page or call before hauling a large item.
Prepare your donations
- Wash or wipe everything. Clean items sell; dirty ones are often discarded.
- Keep sets together. Tape or bag matching pieces, cords and parts.
- Test electronics and note if something works.
- Wrap breakables in newspaper or clothing so they arrive intact.
- Remove personal information from devices, photos and paperwork.
Drop off at the right time
Donate during staffed hours and use the designated donation door. Items left outside after hours can be damaged by weather or picked through, and many stores treat them as illegal dumping. If you need a receipt for tax purposes, ask for one at drop-off.
Make it a round trip
Donating and shopping pair nicely: drop off a bag, then browse. If you are dropping off at one store, plan a loop with Thrify to visit a few others nearby while you are out.