A TikToker has gone viral after she exposed her local Goodwill for selling “literal trash” in their store. The user Mia (@miiakaii) posted two viral videos showing various used, broken, or seemingly useless items priced below $5.
In the first video, the TikToker shows an old, rusty plug-in air freshener (without the fragrance), a used notebook, a plank of wood, and other unidentifiable items.
The video’s “part two” was posted yesterday at a commenter’s request and showed more “trash” being sold.
“Let’s start with a good laugh,” the user says in the video before showing empty plastic packaging priced at $3.99. She then shows a used strip of bubble wrap for $0.99 and plastic lids priced at $1 each with none of the matching bins in sight. The TikToker also showed a loose packet of three Benadryl pills for $0.99, a diskless Simpsons DVD case for $1.99, and more empty plastic packaging.
“Does anyone else’s Goodwill look like this?” she says in the TikTok.
The videos have amassed more than 270,000 views combined. Some commenters called out the non-profit organization for selling overpriced goods at their thrift stores.
“They do it for tax purposes,” a commenter wrote. “Why throw away the trash when it's free tax deductions as losses.”
Others were quick to blame the employees or other thrift store patrons.
“The trash could also be from people taking stuff from inside packaging. Happened all the time at mine when I worked there,” one wrote.
“I feel like the workers are taking the good items and putting out the trash items just to fill shelves so no one questions them,” another commented.
“That’s because the employees go through everything & take what they want, with no limit. my aunt worked there she told me,” a user said.
"I'll keep saying it. The flippers and this new gen of thrift killed how thrifting use to, its all trash now," one person speculated.
Still, some had a more sympathetic view on how the items may have landed on the shelves.
"I used to be a pricer at savers and I threw away a palm sized grey rock. my manager pulled it out of the garbage and made me price it at $4.99," one viewer said.
"one person's trash is another's treasure..they're not scamming lol if u don't want it then just don't buy it lol," a viewer stated.
"I used to work at a thrift store. We had to make quota everyday. Pricer and sorters had to sort out at least 2000 items a day to put out to the floor," another said.
The Daily Dot has reached out to @miiakaii via TikTok comment and Goodwill Industries via email.
