If you’ve ever walked through a thrift store and wondered why there are three shelves filled with coffee mugs or an entire rack of nearly identical black pants, there’s a pretty simple explanation: some things get donated over and over again.
Thrift stores rely on donations, but that doesn’t mean every category needs an endless supply. Goodwill accepts a wide range of clothing, household goods, books, décor, electronics, and other everyday belongings, which means many of the things we’re all decluttering tend to end up in the same place.
Before automatically putting something in your donation pile, it’s worth considering whether it’s genuinely useful and in good enough condition for another person to want. Here are 18 things thrift stores tend to see plenty of.
Coffee Mugs
Most households seem to have far more coffee mugs than they actually use, especially ones picked up as gifts, souvenirs, or promotional freebies. That’s probably why it’s so common to find thrift-store shelves packed with them.
Basic Drinking Glasses
Another kitchen cabinet cleanout favorite is the ordinary drinking glass. Complete or interesting sets have more appeal, but individual basic glasses can quickly pile up when everyone is donating the extras from their cupboards.
Cheap Vases
Every bouquet seems to come with another basic glass vase, and eventually the cabinet underneath the sink can’t hold any more. Unless a vase is particularly beautiful, vintage, or unusual, it can easily become one of many nearly identical options on the shelf.
Picture Frames
Changing your décor often means getting rid of frames that no longer match, making them an extremely common secondhand find. Plain frames are especially plentiful, while unusual vintage frames and quality wood or metal versions may stand out more.
Related: The One Thrift Store Item I Never Buy (And Why)
Promotional Water Bottles
Company events, conferences, schools, gyms, and giveaways have made reusable bottles surprisingly easy to accumulate. Once the cabinet starts overflowing, many of those logo-covered bottles inevitably make their way into donation boxes.
Old Cookbooks
Cookbooks can be wonderful thrift finds, particularly vintage, collectible, or specialized ones. But everyday cookbooks that were printed in huge quantities can show up repeatedly as people clear out their kitchens.
DVDs
Plenty of people still buy physical media, but streaming convinced many households to clear out large DVD collections at once. That can leave thrift stores with multiple copies of the same widely released movies.
Basic T-Shirts
T-shirts multiply quickly between events, vacations, schools, workplaces, fundraisers, and giveaways. Plain or promotional shirts without anything particularly interesting about them can easily get lost among crowded clothing racks.
Fast-Fashion Clothing
Closet cleanouts can produce bags filled with inexpensive clothing that was only worn a handful of times. With so much similar clothing being donated, basic fast-fashion pieces have plenty of competition for a shopper’s attention.
Related: Fashion Trends Younger Generations Embrace That Older Generations May Not
Stuffed Animals
Kids can accumulate stuffed animals remarkably quickly through birthdays, holidays, carnivals, and impulse purchases. Once bedrooms become overcrowded, those overflowing collections often get pared down and sent to donation centers.
Holiday Decorations
After pulling out the holiday bins each year, plenty of people realize they haven’t used half of what’s inside. Basic ornaments, artificial wreaths, small decorations, and seasonal knickknacks consequently make frequent appearances at thrift stores.
Candle Holders
Candle holders are one of those decorative items that can slowly multiply without you noticing. Styles change, candles disappear, and eventually those extra holders get swept into the next decluttering session.
Small Decorative Signs
The popularity of farmhouse and word-based décor has put inspirational sayings, kitchen signs, and decorative plaques into countless homes. As decorating tastes change, many of those pieces are now finding their way onto secondhand shelves.
Basic Baskets
Baskets are another item people buy to solve a clutter problem only to eventually realize the baskets themselves have become clutter. While attractive vintage and natural-fiber baskets can be worth hunting for, basic mass-produced versions are easy to find.
Plastic Storage Containers
Organizing projects often begin with buying containers and end several years later with getting rid of them. Odd-sized bins, mismatched organizers, and containers without obvious uses can accumulate quickly in both homes and thrift stores.
inexpensive Kitchen Gadgets
Single-purpose slicers, novelty cooking tools, extra spatulas, and gadgets that seemed brilliant in the store often end up barely being used. When kitchen drawers get cleaned out, these are frequently among the first things to go.
Puzzles and Board Games
Family game cabinets have a way of becoming packed with games nobody has touched in years. These can make excellent donations when they’re complete, but common titles and puzzles produced in huge numbers can be particularly plentiful.
Generic Home Décor
Decorative bowls, artificial flowers, small figurines, mass-produced wall art, and other inexpensive accessories are constantly cycling through homes as decorating styles change. Unique pieces may immediately catch a thrifter’s eye, while generic décor has to compete with dozens of similar items already sitting nearby.
