What have you found at Goodwill?

crazy ernie

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yesterday i went to the super goodwill and i got the red fraggle radish car and a baby kermit doll
 

Gonzo

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before I discovered the beauty of eBay (thanks to some vintage Muppet Central people all those years ago), the majority of my stuff came from thrift stores....and you can still find plenty of Muppet and Sesame Street stuff there. In fact, we were there the other day looking for tins and Really Ugly Ties, and saw some stuff I was tempted to pick up, but passed on.

Another great cheap source of Muppety goodness is swap meets--there will usually be a toy dealer that has some goodies. The things I come across most are old Happy Meal toys and PVCs, but occasionally you'll get the GOLD MINE. Whatever that happens to be for you. For me it was the Fisher Price Little People Sesame Street Clubhouse with all of the figures. For about 20 bucks. AMAZING.

Quinnnnnnnnnnnn
 

Smig

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You can find some GREAT finds at goodwill if you dig around a bit: among my finds:

Fischer-Price Kermit Doll (1976/77)..25 cents
Fischer -Price Animal Puppet ...........50 cents
Knickerbocker Oscar the grouch doll....$1
Knickerbocker Herry Monster doll.........$1
Hasbro Baby Kermit..............................75cents
Hasbro Baby Rowlf...............................75 cents
Hasbro Baby Piggy...............................75 cents
Hasbro Gobo Fraggle............................75 cents
Direct Connect Rowlf.............................50 cents
Applause Ernie doll with RUBBER head and hands..$1
Applause Bert doll with RUBBER head and hands......$1
Applause12" posable Kermit doll..........................50 cents
(This one still has its ORIGINAL price tag of $25!!!)
Applause 18" posable Kermit doll........................$1
Eden 20" Kermit Xmas doll.(red bow tie and checked vest....$1
Toy Biz Muppet treasure Island Kermit Doll...................75 cents
LARGE size TALKING Baby Sinclair (DINOSAURS) doll..$2
(PERFECT CONDITION!)

Early 1980's COLECO CAT IN THE HAT stuffed doll...$1
Late 1960's ALBERT ALLIGATOR FROM POGO figure..10 cents
(Those go for at least $40 today!)
Early eighties KENNER STAR WARS R2D2 figure (special edition with retractable middle leg)...............................................10 cents!

And from Yard sales/ Flea markets:
Fisher-Price Miss Piggy Puppet....$2
Fischer-Price Piggy Dress-up doll.....75 cents
Fischer-Price Scooter...................25 cents
Fischer-Price Fozzie Handpuppet......50 cents
Hasbro Mokey Fraggle................$2
Hasbro Boober Fraggle..............$2
Hasbro Traveling Matt Fraggle...........$2
Direct Connect Mini-Fozzie doll..........25 cents
Direct Connect Animal doll..........25 cents

See How patience can pay off? Can you imagine how much this all would have cost if i got it off EBAY?? Oh, I admit i may have "Splurged" a little when i've been at collector's shows and comic conventions, But I always make sure never to pay more than a FAIR price and often,(SIXTY BUCKS for an old TOMY Fraggle doll is NOT what I consider a FAIR PRICE) a seller will drop the price with a little haggling..

Advice:
If you MUST buy something at a collector's show or comic convention:
Make sure the item is RARE enough to be worth a little extra:
(For example- never buy those McDonald's Muppet Baby holiday dolls for $10 each cause i see them EVERY TIME i go to a flea market or yard sale for 50 cents each, tops! SIGMA items, on the other hand....)
Engage the seller in a friendly conversation: Some sellers actually have a real interest in the background of what you might be interested in and might actually offer to reduce the price a bit for you. (A form of polite haggling) If he makes an offer, consider it. If you still don't want to pay and he won't bring it down any more.. politely decline , thank the seller for the offer, and move on.
If you go to a multi-day event and see something you'd like, take a chance and try not to buy it the last day of the show..In fact, wait until a few hours before the show ends. Some sellers often offer last-day discounts (especially if they need to try to break even on what they paid to rent their space) In fact, if something you haggled for before is still there, maybe the seller will be a bit more willing to reduce the price a bit more now. ALWAYS BE FRIENDLY AND POLITE. (I got a good deal off a Selich ZOOT figure this way)

Smig
 

Cantus Rock

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Very good advice Smig.

I have gotten a good amount of stuff at thrift stores. Many a video has come from there. If you go to Tough Pigs and read the Fandom contest entries, you'll see I'm a bit nuts about getting Muppet stuff on tape. Certain thrift stores are really good for that. Other than videos, I've gotten the complete Fraggle Rock McDonalds set for about $3, I got a few plushes all for under $1.50, and a really cool Florida Panthers pin with Animal on it! Wooo! :smile:

-Matt
 

Drtooth

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I found a REALLY REALLY poorly written Mega Man 2 novelization for 50 cents. YEECHHH!!!! Where do you live that Goodwill actually has good stuff?

However, there's this toy store I go to sometimes in Coolidge Corner (MA) that has some decent old toys (for a little more). I got a red Fraggle radish car, an Earl Sinclair Happy Meal toy (unfortunately, I had to paint over the gross rusty screws), a Wildcat, Baloo, and Don Carnage (all from Tailspin) PVCs, an Empiror Kuzco Llamma Happy Meal Toy (in Package, I opened it anyway), a Pearl Pureheart Wendy's toy, a Nermal (from Garfield) KFC car, and a Monterey Jack figure all at prices from 50 cents to 1.50.

I have spent more on less.
 

Smig

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Coolidge Corner, eh? Is it that LITTLE stote that's CROWDED with old stock?

you can take the Red line to Central Square in cambridge- there's a Goodwill there next to the Burger King up the Street.

You can also take the Red line to davis Square in Somerville. there's a Goodwill there as well. go on a Friday or Saturday afternoon, though- the basement will be open and ther'l be a lot more stuff.

You can also take the green line to Alston Square. The area past the BOston Universary area and the first stop past the Star Market/Shaws -it stops at a fork. the traim will go LEFT of the fork, the first shop will be up a bit across from where the train stops, the SECOND shop will be on the RIGHT of the fork. Just walk up the left side of that street a feww blocks.(the shop shoulr be called AMVENT)

Hope this helps!
 

Drtooth

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Actually, I went to the Davis square one, and all I could find WAS that stupid Mega Man book. I thought to myself, COOL!!!! A book about one of my favorite non-Mario videogame characters. I read it on the train.. crappy crappy crap crap.

But that's because it was a Tuesday at 1 pm, so I'd gather there's better stuff!

BTW, the store in Coolidge Corner is called Irving's toy and card shop. I haven' found much Muppet Stuff since (I wnet wo days ago and got the Ballo and Monty figures) except, they had some decent Sesame stuff!
 

Smig

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Actually, also, with fall on the way a lot of area churches begin to hold yard sales and holiday Bazaars. I've found a few muppet items thru those, too. so it mught be a good bet to check around for those as well as yard sales in your local paper.

Smig
 

Drtooth

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On a whim, I went to the Central Square Goodwill during a 3 hour break in my classes. Let me tell you... JUNK CITY!!!!!! The only non-generic stuffed toy I actually could find was a broken down, electronic Tramp (of lady and the Tramp) doll. It was in squallid condition, and there was no way in Hades I was going to buy the stupid thing.

I'll try the one in Davis Friday, and if I don't find anything cool (or reasonably fair) the next Goodwill Hunting I'll do is on a video of the Matt Damon/ Robin Williams movie!!!!

However, I am not one to pass up a Yard sale. I found an old 1970's released Little Golden Book of "Bullwinkle" (in fair condition) for 25 cents. There was an old Bert and Ernie one too....why didn't I buy that?
 

Smig

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I admit the Central Square Goodwill isn't the best.. it changed managers about a year ago and they don't have as much stuff as they used to carry..(Used to have a whole LINE of tubs filled with stuf going halfway up the store. It was bedlam fighting it out with the other junk collectors! LOL!
and I just remembered..further up central square (Further up from the burger king after goodwills is a salvation army thrift shop. you might want to check that out. too..

One odd thing i found at the central goodwill, however, was a seventh edition printing of the very FIRST Flintstones little golden book. This book was produced while the series was still in its developmental stages and features, of al things, Fred's SON, Fred Jr, who was dropped from the cast just before actual animation began on the series. (The original edition of the book itself came out around1960, though, and the copy I got was marked 1970, but still, how many of THOSE you see floating around?)

Smig
 
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