Amazon Bin Store vs. Goodwill: A Price Comparison
Both bin stores and Goodwill offer great deals, but they're very different experiences. Here's a category-by-category price comparison to help you decide where to shop.
Two Great Options for Discount Shopping
Goodwill and Amazon bin stores are both beloved by bargain shoppers, but they serve different shopping needs and offer different price points across different categories. If you're trying to stretch your dollar, understanding where each store excels helps you allocate your shopping time and budget more effectively.
This comparison covers the major shopping categories with realistic price ranges for each type of store.
How Each Store Sets Prices
Goodwill prices items individually. Staff assess each donated item and assign a price based on condition, brand, and category. Goodwill's pricing has increased noticeably in recent years as the organization has adopted more systematic pricing guided by data (including eBay sold listings for branded items).
Bin stores use a flat daily rate — the same price for everything in the store on a given day, dropping throughout the week. On Day 1, every item might be $8. On Day 4, every item is $2.
This difference in pricing philosophy creates very different value propositions across categories.
Category-by-Category Comparison
Clothing
Goodwill: $3–$12 per piece typically, with premium items (brand-name, vintage) priced higher. Clothing is organized and easy to browse by size and type.
Bin Store (Day 1): $6–$10 per piece regardless of brand or condition. The same leggings might cost the same whether they're an Old Navy generic or a Lululemon pair.
Bin Store (Day 3–4): $1–$3 per piece — often lower than Goodwill for any item.
Winner for budget clothing: Bin stores on Day 3–4, especially for brand-name athletic wear that Goodwill now prices aggressively due to demand
Electronics
Goodwill: Individual pricing based on perceived value. Goodwill has become more sophisticated about electronics pricing, often listing better items on their own auction site (shopgoodwill.com). In-store electronics can range from $5 for basic accessories to $50+ for laptops and gaming consoles.
Bin Stores: Flat rate, which creates enormous value on electronics if functional. A Bluetooth speaker worth $60 at retail costs $6–$8 at a bin store, regardless of the store's flat rate tier.
Winner for electronics: Bin stores almost universally — the flat-rate model dramatically underprices electronics relative to their value on mid-cycle days
Kitchen Items and Small Appliances
Goodwill: $5–$30+ for small appliances depending on brand and condition. Goodwill is increasingly aware of the value of recognizable kitchen brands.
Bin Stores: $3–$10 (Day 1–2), dropping to $1–$2 (Day 4–5) — and appliances are often newer and in better condition due to the Amazon returns source
Winner for kitchen items: Bin stores for newer appliances; Goodwill might occasionally have vintage or unique kitchen pieces
Books and Media
Goodwill: $0.99–$3 for most books. DVDs $1–$3.
Bin Stores: Books and DVDs at the flat daily rate — on Day 1 ($8), books are overpriced. On Day 4–5 ($1–$2), comparable to or cheaper than Goodwill.
Winner for books: Goodwill or bin stores on late days
Toys
Goodwill: $3–$15 per toy, generally. LEGO and popular brand toys may be priced higher.
Bin Stores: Flat rate regardless of what the toy is — a $200 LEGO set at $8 on Day 1 is an extraordinary deal. Even Day 3 at $4 beats Goodwill's typical toy pricing.
Winner for toys: Bin stores, especially for current and brand-name items
Furniture
Goodwill: Has actual furniture (dressers, tables, chairs) at prices ranging from $20–$150+. The selection can include genuinely interesting vintage pieces.
Bin Stores: Furniture is rare. Bin stores occasionally have flat-pack or small accent pieces, but they're not a furniture destination.
Winner for furniture: Goodwill by default
Vintage and Unique Items
Goodwill: Significantly better. Goodwill inventory reflects community donations and regularly includes vintage clothing, collectibles, mid-century items, and unique pieces.
Bin Stores: Almost entirely contemporary merchandise from the Amazon returns pipeline. Vintage and unique finds are nearly absent.
Winner for vintage: Goodwill by a wide margin
The Real Deciding Factor
Across the comparison, bin stores win on price for most contemporary categories, especially on mid-cycle and late-cycle days. Goodwill wins for vintage goods, organized shopping experience, and categories where bin store inventory is sparse.
The practical answer for the serious bargain shopper: visit both regularly, understanding that each serves different needs. Use bin stores for electronics, brand-name clothing, and kitchen items. Use Goodwill for vintage finds, furniture, and books.