Goodwill Store and Donation Center — Local services in Glen Carbon

My number one hobby is thrifting. Finding the treasure or the perfect up-cyclable item is an adventure. I find that organization, and visibility are my 2 most sought out attributes when I step into a store. I don't mind digging but I do not enjoy it when things falling off shelves and entangled with other items when browsing. This goodwill is my favorite for both of those reasons. This store is clean, the departments are kept separate and I can go from one to the next knowing shorts will be in shorts, and pj's will be in pj's. The home good/up-cycling options in this store I have found to be endless, and the quality and cleanliness of clothing is way above average. Prices are beginning to creep up as they are everywhere but I usually go on a day I know there is a discount so I am able to spend less on items for resale and repurposing. HOWEVERThe number one thing that brings me back to this store over and over are the people who work there. I went through some tough personal stuff the last couple years, this store & the people who work there where basically my "therapy". On my days off I can spend hours there browsing, getting ideas & creating projects in a peaceful environment with friendly faces. I am always greeted happily when arriving, I while browsing the employees are attentive and helpful. I am grateful to find great stuff at this store but above all to see familiar faces and have a place where one is always welcomed and treated like a VIP. Thank you Goodwill of Glen Carbon for making my hobby so rewarding in ways far above the treasures that I take...

Each week, I drive hundreds of miles to go to other Mers Goodwill stores that are not this one, which is just 3 miles from my house. Occasionally I stop here to see if there has been any change.

Last week, I found it worse than ever. The mark-ups (which are MUCH more than other GW stores) are scrawled inside clothing items in failing blue Sharpie over 3-inches tall! They basically render the items defaced and valueless. All other GW stores use black Sharpie on the label with a price 1/4" to 1/2" tall. I took a photo to post here, but it doesn't look like there is an available place.

The staff continues to appear beleaguered and miserable. Other GW stores have much lower turnover rates with a rapport with the customers and with each other. These employees appear dead-eyed and anxious to find other jobs. And I cannot blame them.

The NON-STOP announcements are icing on the torture cake. The clerks are forced to make announcement after announcement about items for sale. If a customer wants to go look at a fake Coach purse in the case, they will seek that out on their own. All of us in the long, slow line commiserated about that constant annoyance.

I will continue to drive far out of town and spend thousands yearly at OTHER Mers Goodwill stores. This one is...

Would give 0 if I could. This goodwill is a joke. I've been to several goodwills all across the United States and this one is by far the worst. The prices are marked up so high. Seen prices at this goodwill higher than eBay, Amazon, target and even Walmart! It's crazy how much everything is. If you want any clothes goodluck because they start prices at around $6 on anything that looks wearable. They ruin it with a giant 6 sharpied on the item so it shows through the shirt. It's a goodwill... they get their stuff for free so it should be sold at reasonable prices not $5 cheaper than eBay or other retail stores at most. So unless you're bored don't come here. It's a college town and a lot of broke college kids. Prices need to be cheap so we can afford to buy clothes for ourselfs without having to drive to stl or Fairview heights to go to a decently...