If there was one business I would recommend anyone, it would be the lovely, always rewarding Goodwill. As a long time book lover and compulsive buyer of literature, I found a solace in the shadows of the Goodwill bookshelves that keep me from spending ludicrous amounts of money on books that I don't have and would stop at nothing to have. I've collected everything from Toni Morrison to Cormac McCarthy to Margaret Atwood all at rock bottom prices. One of my most memorable purchases was the Trainspotting screenplay in mint condition that I purchased for two dollars. As well, I found the Almost Famous and Traffic screenplays for the same price. How wonderful it was to find these things! I make regular trips to each one month after month, searching obsessively for my next addition.
Now why would I choose this place to write about? Well, for one, Goodwill does not have stores in a lot of the provinces (excluding...of course...Ontario) which makes the four locations that it has in this city very special :) . Also, as this is an English course, I am going to go so far as to assume that there are many people in this class which enjoy reading and purchasing books (this excludes those Kobo reading torrent downloading anti-literature crazy people who don't realize that they are supporting the death of books as we all supported the death of the music industry less than ten years ago, considering as well that buying used books does not take away to the supposed declaration that electronic readers will save trees....sorry if I sound a little crazy) and they would all, I'm sure, enjoy the smell and fantastic selection Goodwill offers.
Please go and support it :)
Hi Paul! Props on promoting Goodwill. I actually worked in the Southside store's book department over the summer and had a blast. Though the wages are almost as "rock bottom" as the book prices, I'd recommend working there if you can afford it. You wouldn't believe the sheer volume of books we got it, and how much were in fantastic condition. I'm surprised I didn't go broke, spending so much of my paycheque on all that neat stuff. (Though I had a great employee discount to help me out.)
ReplyDeleteWhich is your favourite Goodwill in Edmonton? I haven't been to any other than the Southside.
Is Goodwill for-profit or not-for-profit? I know Value Village is a for-profit outfit, but I can never remember what the deal is for GW. Not that it matters a whole lot; like you, I've found amazing things there, though more on the order of obscure coffee makers from the 70s.
ReplyDeleteHeather -- according to Wikipedia, Goodwill is not-for-profit!
ReplyDeletePaul, I love this post. People always look at my overstuffed bookshelves and wonder how I can afford them all, as a poor undergrad student, and the answer is Goodwill. I can't count the number of times I've come out of that place with 20-some books, in near-perfect condition, for $2 apiece. They also often have an excellent selection of secondhand mugs, if you're tea- or coffee-inclined.