Goodwill Hunting

A few miles up the road from our little village, there's a thrift worth the drive to Hudson. Goodwill - in a dismal strip mall opposite a Walmart (of course), but inside treasure awaits (and it doesn't smell too bad).


Find-of-the-week, 107 diner ware saucers and 1 cup. I passed. The housewares, electronics, toys and sports gear are all sprinkled with new-from-Target merch. All a bit dinged and dented, but a little elbow grease, some glue and a few carefully applied clamps and you've got yourself... well, something from Target.

It's worth glancing over, but I go for clothes. Descent inventory of Talbots, Ann Taylor, Ralph Lauren hanger to hanger with lesser cousins from Fashion Bug, Lerner and, of course, Target. A good bit of it straight from the retailer (which accounts for the tolerable smell of the store). The cast offs of the good people of Hudson will not yield anything you'd waltz down Fifth Avenue in (for that we thrift in Tivoli), but for country life, it'll do just fine.

The seasoned Goodwill Hunter needs no orientation, but if you're headed in for the first time this primer may help. Clothing is hung by color giving the whole store a cheery rainbow effect. Men on one side. Women on the other. Kids in back. Prices on the overhead sign. Easy. But the thrill of the hunt bumps up a notch when you realize that the little plastic tags get you discounts. Today red tags three-for-one. Blue tags half off. You wander around thinking you've got about $30 draped over your forearm, and it rings up for $12. Happy hunting!

Goodwill is on Fairview Avenue in the Columbia Center strip. Open Monday to Saturday 9 to 8 and Sunday 10 to 7. And parking's no problem, because half the stores in the strip have packed up and left.