No one has ever accused a Goodwill of oozing with ambiance, but Goodwill stores are generally loaded with stuff and the one in Cornelia is no exception.
Like many Goodwills, the shelves tend to be packed, so be careful. You might knock one thing off while reaching across it to grab another. But how would I know this? And how would I know that the good folks at Goodwill would be understanding and not charge for said broken item? Talk about good will!
Anyway, there are a lot of stories on the internet about people finding unbelievably valuable things at Goodwill, like a priceless marble bust and an original copy of the Declaration of Independence! So, it’s worth a shot to run in and poke around. The best thing I found at the Cornelia location was a Victorian Eastlake Chair in great condition with really nice upholstery. It was only $9.98! These chairs are routinely listed for between a hundred and a thousand dollars.
I thought this one was particularly nice, but I didn’t buy it. Why? Because part of this business is knowing your market, and I just don’t have the market for it. Personally, I love the Eastlake style, but it is not very popular in coastal Carolina. Now, I could buy the chair and sell it online, but shipping furniture takes a lot of time. I can make better money for my time by selling more easily shipped items. This is something I learned the hard way! The bottom line: know what sells in your area and what you are good at selling.
Even though I passed on the chair, I wanted to take a picture of it for this article. And while I was snapping away a lady came up to me and said, “I was going to buy that chair, but it only has wheels on the front legs.”
I looked at all four legs. “It’s supposed to be that way,” I said. “See how the front legs are shorter than the back? The wheels make the legs the same length.”
“Yeah, but why?” said the lady. I told her I wasn’t sure, but I knew it was typical of the style, and that the chair was a very good deal. In other words, I tried to convince her to buy it even though I had no skin in the game. (Yeah, but why?)
Anyway, the lady could not wrap her head around the two-wheels-for-four-legs issue, so she and her four-wheeled shopping cart departed.
Still looking at the chair, I Googled the answer to her burning question. In the late 1800s and early 1900s it was common for chairs to have two wheels on the front legs only because it made it easier to roll them on wood floors. Presumably, it also made it easier for men to push ladies’ chairs in at the dining table. So now you know.
After photographing the chair I headed to the shelves and found this cute little shelf-sitting couple, priced individually… and differently. (Yeah, but why?) I also picked up a Jeanette Glass Iris and Herringbone Carnival Glass Bowl for $3.09. These always sell for me. I will probably price this one at around $20. I also found this a new-in-the-box Imperial Porcelain Collectible tea set, which sells for around $22. Not bad for a quick visit!
Most Goodwills have a lot of inventory turnover. There’s always something new to see, so check it out!
The Cornelia Goodwill Thrift Store is located at 308 Habersham Hills Circle in the old Walmart shopping center in Cornelia, Georgia. The store is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. For more information call (706) 894-9400 or visit them online.
Reasons to shop here: The large quantity of items means you can often find something that fits your brand.
Scores of the day: Carnival glass bowl and tea set
Expected profit on tea set and bowl: $40
Re-seller takeaway: Know what sells in your market and consider passing up nice items that don’t match the style of your shop.
The Savvy Picker publishes bi-monthly on Now Habersham. For more great reads and finds, click here. Also, visit The Savvy Picker website for additional tips on tracking vintage treasure. The website now offers a new feature: Bonus Tips! Check out this week’s tip. We will be adding more features soon.
