Stores Garage Sales Charity People Shopping Good Buy

In the United States, shopping at garage sales and "estate sales" (garage sales that are held when someone dies) is a good way to buy the things you want and need without spending very much money. But there are also many charity and "secondhand" stores where you can buy used things without having to wait for someone to have a garage sale.

Two well known charity stores are Goodwill and The Salvation Army. These are "nonprofit organizations," or organizations that do not try to make money, but instead try to help people. They "accept" or take "donation items" (things that people give to an organization for free) like used clothing, furniture, and books. Then they "sort through" the donation items, meaning that they examine their quality, decide which ones can be sold, and put them into groups based on the type of donation. Then, they sell the donation items in their stores very inexpensively. The money is used to keep the stores open. Many poor people shop in charity stores, but many college students and bargain hunters also go there to buy things.

Most cities also have "secondhand stores," or stores that sell used items. These stores are more expensive than charity stores, but less expensive than "normal" or regular stores. People who have things that they no longer want but are still in good "condition" (quality) take their items to a secondhand store and try to sell them. The store gives them a small amount of money for these items and then sells them to other people for a higher price. Shopping at a secondhand store can be a good way to find inexpensive clothing or books, but it takes time to find what one is looking for.