I have a confession to make. I’m a lazy shopper. I don’t like to spend a lot of time shopping. I really don’t like haggling. So, I don’t spend a lot of time going to yard sales or thrift shops, even though I would probably find some really cool stuff that I might like.  

My buddy Lon Martin in the tri-cities is the exact opposite. He might deny it but I believe part of his purpose in life is to find every great thrift shop wherever he goes and browse the aisles. 

I just discovered something interesting. 

One of the most respected national thrift shops in the United States has its largest store in Seattle. We’re talking about Goodwill. 

According to axios.com,
‘Seattle is home to the world’s largest Goodwill — a 70,000-square-foot thrifting behemoth hiding in plain sight at the edge of the Chinatown-International District.
The Dearborn Street flagship is a treasure hunt on an almost absurd scale, with about 10,000 new items hitting the sales floor every day, per Evergreen Goodwill.’ 

Just think about the scale of this place. Nearly 18,000 people a week visit this Goodwill store. The Seattle Donation Center is considered to be the busiest donation center in the entire Goodwill network, averaging about a carload of donations every 55 seconds when it’s open. 

It takes time, but it’s worth it. 

With 70,000 square feet, there’s a lot of terrain to cover but if you’re willing to spend that time and look around, you’re going to save some money, and it is important to look around because you never know what you’re going to see jammed into a corner or stacked on top of or underneath something. 

The Dearborn Goodwill location has been there since 1930. You may go there to buy a nice set of used jeans. But if you look around, there’s no telling what you might find. The word is that Tuesdays are the best day to go If you want to avoid a crowd. At least right now.