Evergreen Goodwill, which operates stores in the Seattle area, is developing an artificial intelligence system to help employees price donated items. The organization hopes the technology will make its pricing process more efficient and help it earn more from items that might otherwise be undervalued.
The project was detailed in a recent report by The Seattle Times, which examined Evergreen Goodwill’s financial losses and the operational changes it is making.
But how could AI-assisted pricing affect thrift shoppers and resellers looking for a good deal?
How is Goodwill using AI to price donated items?
According to The Seattle Times, Evergreen Goodwill is developing a system that allows employees to photograph an item and receive a suggested selling price. Workers can review the recommendation and change it when they believe the price is incorrect.
In one example reported by the newspaper, the system suggested a $12 price for an ordinary white cable. An employee changed the price to $3 and entered that correction into the system to help improve future recommendations.
The system is still being trained, and employees continue to review its suggested prices.
Related: 12 Clothing Items People Wish They Never Donated
Why is Evergreen Goodwill making this change?
Although Goodwill receives its inventory through donations, employees must accept, sort, price, and prepare those items for sale.
Evergreen Goodwill has also faced significant financial losses. The Seattle Times reported that the organization lost $9.3 million in the fiscal year ending June 2025, despite higher sales. Rising operating costs have led the nonprofit to restructure parts of its business, including closing some locations and reducing staff.
The AI pricing system is intended to reduce the amount of manual work involved in pricing donations and help Evergreen Goodwill capture more revenue from items with higher resale value. The organization uses proceeds from its stores to support job training and education programs.
Related: Goodwill’s Newest Store Doesn’t Sell Clothes or Furniture — It’s All About Records, CDs and VHS
Could AI pricing make valuable thrift store finds harder to come by?
If the system becomes better at identifying valuable donations, some items that might previously have been priced like ordinary secondhand goods could receive higher price tags.
That could affect shoppers looking for vintage clothing, collectibles, and other items whose value may not be immediately obvious. However, The Seattle Times did not report storewide pricing results showing that bargains have already become harder to find. The system is still in development.
A suggested price also doesn’t guarantee an item will sell for that amount. Its condition and what buyers are willing to pay will still matter.
What could AI pricing mean for resellers?
Resellers rely on buying items for less than they can realistically sell them for. If Evergreen Goodwill identifies more high-value donations and prices them closer to their resale value, the potential profit on some finds could decrease.
Reselling is part of Evergreen Goodwill’s stated reasoning for developing the system. As reported by The Seattle Times, CEO Libby Johnson McKee said that when a reseller profits from an underpriced donation, that represents revenue the nonprofit could potentially have earned to support its programs.
For resellers, the practical impact will depend on which items receive higher prices and whether those prices reflect what buyers actually pay. A higher thrift-store price leaves less room for selling fees, shipping costs, and profit, even when an item has a recognizable brand or appears valuable.
The report does not establish how much reseller margins have changed or whether the system will affect all merchandise categories equally.
Will AI make everything at Goodwill more expensive?
Evergreen Goodwill’s stated goal is not to raise every price. According to The Seattle Times, the system is also intended to identify items priced too high. Merchandise that does not sell generates no retail revenue and may create additional handling and disposal costs.
It is too early to determine whether the system will lead to higher average prices, lower prices in some categories, or a different mix of prices across Evergreen Goodwill’s stores.
Related: Goodwill Is Getting Better at Spotting Valuable Donations Before Resellers Can Find Them
Is this happening at every Goodwill?
The AI pricing system described in The Seattle Times report is being developed by Evergreen Goodwill, which operates in Seattle and other parts of Western Washington. The report does not establish that every Goodwill organization is adopting the same technology.
For now, the potential impact on shoppers and resellers depends on Evergreen Goodwill’s developing system. Whether similar technology will be adopted elsewhere and how it might affect secondhand prices remains to be seen.
