# Goodwill Industries, etc.: Supply vs Demand of Cast-offs **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 5, 2020, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodwill-industries-etc-supply-vs-demand-of-cast-offs/914391 "2020-07-05T17:11:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodwill-industries-etc-supply-vs-demand-of-cast-offs/914391/41 "2020-07-09T06:06:29Z")
In Indianapolis we went to what you could call a Goodwill outlet store. (And it was Goodwill.) Stuff that didn’t sell in the regular stores wound up there, gets put into giant bins, which get wheeled out every 20 minutes or so where the hordes descend upon them. Fascinating place. Not all thrift stores are in poor neighborhoods. My wife did very well in a store in Palm Springs, and I know of a bunch of high end stores in Silicon Valley suburbs and a few in San Francisco. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodwill-industries-etc-supply-vs-demand-of-cast-offs/914391/42 "2020-07-09T09:35:01Z")
Where does one buy the “rags” that some clothes are supposedly turned into? I’ve never seen bespoke rags that were anything other than printed terrycloth and certainly nothing that indicated a previous life as a Metallica t-shirt. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodwill-industries-etc-supply-vs-demand-of-cast-offs/914391/43 "2020-07-09T10:53:01Z")
I have a vague memory of buying a bale somewhere in Cd. Juárez in the 90s for some craft project. The clothes weren’t turned into anything. The “mixed rags” was literally just a compressed pile of clothing. Companies will buy them and shred them for fiber. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodwill-industries-etc-supply-vs-demand-of-cast-offs/914391/44 "2020-07-09T11:24:15Z")
I don’t know about “bespoke” - but here are some T shirt [rags](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=box+of+rags&gclid=Cj0KCQjwgJv4BRCrARIsAB17JI4iDv-eNkJCbrgdWcN3JF_M_pfd4Q8T6Di0i4lpMCYTdDB2ksqde5oaApLVEALw_wcB&hvadid=409960079440&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9004417&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=14665091404513939369&hvtargid=kwd-4066914090&hydadcr=24664_11410923&tag=googhydr-20&ref=pd_sl_21g6gd3csj_e) . I suppose you might find a Metallica shirt in the multi-colored box, but I can tell you for sure that when you buy the cheapest white ones ( like my job did) they come with pit stains. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodwill-industries-etc-supply-vs-demand-of-cast-offs/914391/45 "2020-07-09T17:26:36Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > In Indianapolis we went to what you could call a Goodwill outlet store. (And it was Goodwill.) That’s actually what they’re called - Goodwill Outlet Stores. I used to work on the development team for Goodwill of Central Indiana, and they had started those up during my tenure. You pay by the pound for clothing, and stuff stays on the floor for a pretty limited time before it’s packed up, and shipped overseas for rag sale. They have one of the most efficiently run donation systems of any Goodwill in the country. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodwill-industries-etc-supply-vs-demand-of-cast-offs/914391/46 "2020-07-09T21:41:19Z")
Here’s another interesting article on the subject: > **[How Susie Bayer's T-Shirt Ended Up on Yusuf Mama's Back (Published 2002)](https://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/31/magazine/how-susie-bayer-s-t-shirt-ended-up-on-yusuf-mama-s-back.html)** > > George Packer describes big business of selling used clothes to Africa; notes that in 2001, used clothing was one of America's major exports to Africa,w ith $61.7 million in sales; a major player is Trans-Americas Trading Cmpany, textile recycling... ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2020, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodwill-industries-etc-supply-vs-demand-of-cast-offs/914391/47 "2020-07-10T00:32:45Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > That’s actually what they’re called - Goodwill Outlet Stores. I used to work on the development team for Goodwill of Central Indiana, and they had started those up during my tenure. You pay by the pound for clothing, and stuff stays on the floor for a pretty limited time before it’s packed up, and shipped overseas for rag sale. They have one of the most efficiently run donation systems of any Goodwill in the country. That’s cool. I forgot about paying by the pound. Except for books, which were in a separate area and which were also cheap. We have lots of Goodwill stores here, but nothing like that. Do you know if any exist in other places? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2020, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodwill-industries-etc-supply-vs-demand-of-cast-offs/914391/48 "2020-07-10T11:28:09Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Do you know if any exist in other places? Go here: [Find a Goodwill Donation Center | How to Donate With Us](https://www.goodwill.org/locator/) Click the word “FILTER” in the left panel then check the box only for outlet stores. Type your state into the input box. Viola! My state, FL has 11. ---
**Author:** ![brainstall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@brainstall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brainstall)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2020, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodwill-industries-etc-supply-vs-demand-of-cast-offs/914391/49 "2020-07-10T12:53:25Z")
I loved the Goodwill pound store in Toronto and shopped there for years, until it suddenly went under a few years ago. You had to dig through the bins, but I got some really cool things there. Not just clothes, but toys, books, household stuff… You couldn’t try anything on, but anything that didn’t fit, got donated back next time I went. Even when the price went up from $1 to $2 a pound, it was still dirt cheap. I miss that store. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2020, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodwill-industries-etc-supply-vs-demand-of-cast-offs/914391/50 "2020-07-10T14:36:40Z")
Thanks for the link. The New York Times article was interesting. And it touches on another idea; that the flood of used clothes from the US and other Western countries kills any local textile industry in the African countries where we dump the clothes. I know it’s probably cheaper for the local consumer in these countries, but would the country be better off with locally produced clothes, particularly ones that represented their culture? (Sort of similarly, it’s cheaper for the US to source medical-grade face masks from China, but would we have been better off if we were more dependent on domestically produced inventory, even at a slightly higher cost?) ---
**Author:** ![am77494](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@am77494](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/am77494)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2020, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodwill-industries-etc-supply-vs-demand-of-cast-offs/914391/51 "2020-07-10T14:59:41Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > And it touches on another idea; that the flood of used clothes from the US and other Western countries kills any local textile industry in the African countries where we dump the clothes. I know it’s probably cheaper for the local consumer in these countries, but would the country be better off with locally produced clothes, particularly ones that represented their culture? The podcast listed above debunks this theory. The competition in the markets where used clothes are exported, according to the author, have already been flooded with cheap Chinese clothes. For the end user, the choice when spending $1 is to pick between a used, but quality, western garment versus a cheaply made Chinese garment at the same price. Quality is defined by the stitching, fabric and measured by the number of washes the garment can take before falling apart. You have to travel to these poor countries to understand how China can manufacture cheap clothes and stuff to a given price point and still make profit. As to domestic clothes maker, the author was of the opinion that as soon as people’s economic status rises, they look into buying new clothes and that’s where local competition comes in. Also to note (my opinion) is that in poor countries, it is common practice to get clothes altered to fit and that keeps the local tailors busy. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2020, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodwill-industries-etc-supply-vs-demand-of-cast-offs/914391/52 "2020-07-10T15:28:13Z")
> [@am77494](#): > > You have to travel to these poor countries to understand how China can manufacture cheap clothes and stuff to a given price point and still make profit. No you don’t - you just have to go to your local Wal\*Mart. Same idea. ---
**Author:** ![am77494](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@am77494](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/am77494)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2020, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodwill-industries-etc-supply-vs-demand-of-cast-offs/914391/53 "2020-07-10T15:33:48Z")
> [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](#): > > No you don’t - you just have to go to your local Wal\*Mart. Same idea. Fair point Dr.Winston\_OBoogie. But even Walmart products are somewhat regulated by the codes and standards of the US government, and Walmart won’t risk getting sued if a product harms the consumer in some way. In poor countries, it’s free reign for the Chinese. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2020, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodwill-industries-etc-supply-vs-demand-of-cast-offs/914391/54 "2020-07-10T15:56:40Z")
> [@am77494](#): > > The podcast listed above debunks this theory. The competition in the markets where used clothes are exported, according to the author, have already been flooded with cheap Chinese clothes. > > For the end user, the choice when spending $1 is to pick between a used, but quality, western garment versus a cheaply made Chinese garment at the same price. Quality is defined by the stitching, fabric and measured by the number of washes the garment can take before falling apart. The other thing is that the “western garments” are, generally, from the same places as the “cheaply made Chinese garments”. Much of the stuff I wear is made overseas, although not generally in China itself. Looking at the labels, I see stuff from India, Bangladesh, Lebanon, Central American countries and other places. I think there were per-country quotas so production is spread around the world. And I think labor costs in China today are too high for garments to be produced there. I may have mentioned that I have a relative who does business in China and what I was told third hand was that stuff gets graded, so the US gets the first-rate goods, Europe second-rate and China (and perhaps Africa) the third-rate stuff. (I’d think Europe would get the same quality goods as the US but this is what I heard. Lately I’ve been trying to pay more attention to what I buy and where it’s made, particularly since I heard about [this book](https://www.elizabethclinebooks.com/overdressed), about the impact of all of this cheap clothing (although I have not read that book). The last few t-shirts and sweatshirts I bought were from an American company called American Giant that produces its clothes in the US. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2020, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodwill-industries-etc-supply-vs-demand-of-cast-offs/914391/55 "2020-07-10T16:00:41Z")
I was thinking more of the “cheapest possible” aspect. Wal_Mart is notorious for setting a level they’re willing to pay, then forcing the manufacturer to produce to that price. Clothing at Wal_Mart is of drastically inferior quality when compared to other retailers. I refuse to buy any clothing there that is one of their “house” brands. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2020, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodwill-industries-etc-supply-vs-demand-of-cast-offs/914391/56 "2020-07-10T16:03:14Z")
Even the non-house branded stuff at WalMart is going to be lesser quality than the same branded stuff in higher-end stores, since the manufacturers work to WalMart standards. And because of their size, some goods are only available in the crappy WalMart lesser quality. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2020, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodwill-industries-etc-supply-vs-demand-of-cast-offs/914391/57 "2020-07-10T16:06:50Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > Here’s another interesting article on the subject: > > [https://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/31/magazine/how-susie-bayer-s-t-shirt-ended-up-on-yusuf-mama-s-back.html](https://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/31/magazine/how-susie-bayer-s-t-shirt-ended-up-on-yusuf-mama-s-back.html) Very interesting indeed - thanks. ---
**Author:** ![am77494](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@am77494](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/am77494)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2020, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodwill-industries-etc-supply-vs-demand-of-cast-offs/914391/58 "2020-07-10T16:12:24Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > The other thing is that the “western garments” are, generally, from the same places as the “cheaply made Chinese garments”. Much of the stuff I wear is made overseas, although not generally in China itself. Looking at the labels, I see stuff from India, Bangladesh, Lebanon, Central American countries and other places. I think there were per-country quotas so production is spread around the world This is also mentioned in the podcast. Western garments does not mean garments made in the west. Western garments to them means garments made for the western user. Usually the same manufacturer will compromise on quality / features when making for a poorer country. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2020, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodwill-industries-etc-supply-vs-demand-of-cast-offs/914391/59 "2020-07-10T20:01:55Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Go here: [https://www.goodwill.org/locator/](https://www.goodwill.org/locator/) > > Click the word “FILTER” in the left panel then check the box only for outlet stores. Type your state into the input box. Viola! > > My state, FL has 11. Thank you! There is one across the Bay. We’ll definitely drop in when we get over there. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2020, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodwill-industries-etc-supply-vs-demand-of-cast-offs/914391/60 "2020-07-10T20:31:27Z")
> [@am77494](#): > > The podcast listed above debunks this theory. Note that the NYT article is from 2002. I imagine there have been many market and cultural shifts since then. I felt it was worth a read despite the age, but I should have noted that certain aspects would likely be out of date by now. I remember reading that article in the Times magazine when it first came out. It made that much of an impression on me. One interesting thing I noted on the re-read - some of the African buyers complained about having to pay for something that had been given away for free in the US. That just seemed like a weird complaint given that it obviously costs money to process and transport the clothes. (Complaining about profiteering is understandable, however) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodwill-industries-etc-supply-vs-demand-of-cast-offs/914391.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodwill-industries-etc-supply-vs-demand-of-cast-offs/914391.md?page=4)