I'm a ReStore volunteer, and it pays.

[Jheart]

I Volunteer at a Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Maine, and I hear it mentioned every once in a while on this site, so I thought I'd toss in my two cents on why you should consider it.

The store wins because they get an extra set of hands, and an volunteer who may have some construction/hardware experience to bring to the table, and to help them get customers what they want, and to price it realistically.

You win, because you are volunteering your time to raise money to put a family in a house, and because can get first dibs (to buy) on things that come in as donations, IN THAT ORDER!

It's been really fun for me, and I've had some great finds, it's incredible the things people drop off.

Find your local ReStore at: http://www.habitat.org/cd/env/restore.aspx

 

[jrmylmach1]

I haven't had the chance to volunteer at our local store but they do have good deals there. My wife and I both love to go there almost weekly (when I am home) to see what is new.

 

[xJoey Dubsx]

My brother always talks bout the one here in cleveland.. I am going to have to check it out.

 

[thdewey]

My last Habitat Resale haul:

1. Old Oak desk chair - I put on some new casters that I already had and glued some loose pieces. Good as new and has a lot of character.

2. Window fan: I'm using this for my first dust collection system with filters.

3. Hardware galore for my garage cabinets.

Plus there is a surplus store next door for other cheap items. $10 dart board for the garage.

I hadn't thought about voluteering there. I have helped on a couple Habitat house builds. So why not help out at the store? I hope that I don't buy half the stuff that comes in.

 

[wineslob]

I go to mine but they want too much for whats essentially junk.

 

[Joe B.]

I saw this post earlier today an it inspired me to check out the one near my work. I have been meaning to check it out for a few years and I never got out to do it. Some things seemed really cheap and other seemed really expensive.

I did walk away with one item. An old Craftsman Wrench box for $4 with the logo that dates it to before the early 50s. I plan on cleaning it off and keeping it but I curious what it might be worth.

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[Jheart]

An example of the way pricing worked at my store, was as follows:

-Contractor drops off uninstalled entry door
-Manager looks up SKU at home depot, lowes, etc, finds it at $500.
-Marks our door at $450, just to see if anyone bites
-Two weeks go by, drops it to $350.
-After a month and a half, he chops it to $99 to get rid of it.

Usually, storage space and sales volume are not an issue, so you may need to wait until a manager gets sick of looking at something, at which point, they will mark it down to a silly amount. Or, apply to volunteer, and help normalize the pricing. I have been known to politely inform the manager that an item is too high (see door example) or too low (ie. snapon pliers in the 25 cent tool bin)

 

[JC23]

I've been hitting every ReStore I can for years. Some of the great deals I've snagged are:

A two bay stainless sink for $50
A brand new Kraft Maid cabinet with self-close drawer for $75
A two person jetted tub for $200

And this oldie tool box for only a buck. It needed some work so I broke out the One Shot. Now it holds all my brushes.

 

[jayoldschool]

The prices at my local one are way way too high for stuff that is borderline junk quality. I went there to look for cabinets for my garage, and they wanted four figures for take out cabinets that were twenty years old.

 

[russlaferrera]

I go to the store in Mechanicsville, VA. I have made out very well on everything from new tools to beer fridge.

 

[snyder]

I just got an American Standard commode for $50.00 for a remodel in the basement.Best part was it an old 5 gallon flush model. No clog.

 

[Goobzilla]

I got my shop fridge there, plus I took my mom there for the 15% senior discount

 

[kelleybean]

I go to the store in Mechanicsville, VA. I have made out very well on everything from new tools to beer fridge.

Didn't know we had one around here. Where is it?

 

[Falcon67]

I don't buy much there, but anything usable that comes out of our house remodel goes to the store for recycling.

 

[dan76]

The prices at my local one are way way too high for stuff that is borderline junk quality. I went there to look for cabinets for my garage, and they wanted four figures for take out cabinets that were twenty years old.

Make an offer, most times they'll negotiate.

 

[travisd]

We found the exact Kohler Memoirs pedestal sink we were looking for at our local ReStore for around half-price -- new, in-box. We're pretty much in-between two of the stores (Baltimore and Frederick) so multiple options for us. Seems like a great resource.

 

[1984GMC]

I've been to the one in Richmond, But didn't feel safe cause I didn't have a weapon on me, The area is a little ruff for my taste.

 

[usmc_noma]

I go to the store in Mechanicsville, VA. I have made out very well on everything from new tools to beer fridge.

you ever hit the one in richmond? i've found some decent things there and it's frickin huge too.

 

[usmc_noma]

Didn't know we had one around here. Where is it?

it's right before you hit the henrico line on 360. turn in behind the cold harbor restaurant.

 

[Packard V8]

Yes, I shop the local Habitat store. Every once in a great while, I'll find a deal.

No, I don't agree with giving volunteers low-ball prices as well as first-dibs on donations. Doesn't happen everywhere, all of the time, but often enough to cause a bit of discontent, even among other volunteers and would-be volunteers.

Maybe, it's difficult to define their mission. Ours is one part junk/thrift/antique store, one part usable building materials and one part dumping ground for stuff contractors and wholesalers/retailers don't want to pay to get rid of.

jack vines

 

[DaleK]

I'm not a fan of the local Habitat store. Got a bunch of potheads running the store who don't know what they have and don't have, and now the federal and provincial governments, after giving them money to start the current store, are giving them another $750,000 to build a new building to house the store in and prefab houses in the winter.

Wouldn't be so bad but the privately owned recycled building materials store that existed for years before they came to town had infinitely more knowledge and selection and managed to compete with all the government money invested in the Habitat store for exactly a month before they went belly up and the Habitat store magically raised their prices.

Gotta love a government funded monopoly

 

[porschedude996TT]

My local store is ridicules. I have been in the store tree times and will not go in again. Total waste of my time. I'm sure that there are locations better than my local store, but this one is on the small side and they don't move much merchandise. I think their pricing is way over what it should be. I, like many others would like use the store, but why at these prices. Take the $500 door case above. If they look at retail and divide that in 1/2 item would sell. Remember there is no returns and no warranty. My three trips were about 6 months apart and I saw the same things for sale at the same price on each and every trip. Some of these things have a shelf life like paint and chalks. Case in point: For Sale tubes of chalk, I know the local Home Depot dropped the item off because of the shipping tag on the outside of the box. They were there because something exploded on the multiple cases of the chalk and it was not marketable. They wanted just a few cents under what a fresh clean tube would cost at HD.

Every time I was down there, there are just a couple of old cronies that just want a place to hangout. Probably sent out of the house by the wife...LOL

Me thinks they need to move this stuff faster. Lower the prices and get it out of there. When all you have is junk, dump it and make room for more inventory.

 

[jayoldschool]

Wow, sounds like pretty much the same story everywhere...

 

[mad57]

I have bought everything from screens for a rental property, cheap to the Pella windows for the garage build 2 huge windows new go for $650 in the box store got both for $150, to my 24 ft boat and trailer. cool place to shop. highly recommend it. plus its a great deal for every one esp. the person who gets a HOME!!

 

[Dead Skunk]

I use the Ann Arbor store occasionally. It's good for painting supplies and hardware odds and ends. The cabinetry tends to be over-priced (apparently a common issue) but I have found some bargains. I needed a couple of office chairs to chop up and combine with a pair of Viper seats. Only cost me $5 each. I keep visiting every few weeks because once in a while there is good stuff at a reasonable price. I went to another recycling store and got a pristine pair of Recaro seats for 70 bucks !

 

[930dreamer]

I've been to the store in Abq, NM. Lots of stuff in there, and it's in the war zone.

 

[burleymike]

I have visited the habitat stores in several big cities and small towns. One in Denver did not have prices on a big box of ABS DWV fittings and the lady told me $20 for the whole box. That was at least a couple hundred dollars worth of 4" fittings. The same store wanted more for some wire than it would cost new.

The stores in the small towns were way off on their pricing. They wanted more than new on some old T12 fixtures and when I pointed out that fact the guy got nasty and told me I should volunteer if I know so much. I would have gladly if I lived within 300 miles of that store, that seemed to make him more mad that an out of towner would shop at his store.

Another small town store they sold me a couple hundred feet of Cat5E wire for $2 and several Hunter PGP sprinkler heads for a buck a piece which is a steal. Funny thing is they wanted $6 a piece for some old impact sprinkler heads that were clearly in bad shape while the PGP heads were nearly new.

It seems if they don't know what the item is or if it is small and simple looking they will nearly give it away but if it is big, heavy, or complicated looking they will try to get more than what it is worth new.

 

[54FordPanel]

I don't buy much there, but anything usable that comes out of our house remodel goes to the store for recycling.

+1. The 2 stores I have looked at in the Denver area, the prices are no bargain at all. It's like they priced stuff (all take out junk that they got for free) and you should buy it out of the goodness of your heart.
Plus, they had TONS of inventory. 100's and 100's of used doors and windows, all priced too high.
I like the idea of supporting Habitat, but I won't but overpriced junk that you would find at a bad garage sale to do it. It's like "be a sucker, buy this **** and support us".
Dear Habitat Directors: Price stuff like a bargain, and it will sell.
Sorry, but I hate being taken advantage of, even for a good cause. I do much better shopping UNUSED returns at the box stores than **** take-outs at Habitat.

Me thinks they need to move this stuff faster. Lower the prices and get it out of there. When all you have is junk, dump it and make room for more inventory.

Yep.

 

[JC23]

Some of the ReStores in bigger cities that have trade shows get brand new products because it's cheaper/easier for companies to donate it and write it off than ship it back to the factory. I hit one outside Chicago where they had skids of toilet seats (yes, new!). They eventually came down to $1 each.

But mostly, and I'm guessing here, it's donations. Like contractors that donate and then shop there, too. It's a tax write off to donate, right?

 

[thdewey]

Woa,

Well first off, it's a place were people donate there ****. Secondly, it's a place were people donate what they "think" is ****. And thirdly were people don't want to go through the hassle of selling their ****.

Knowing this, to find a good deal at Resale store you have to go often or just be lucky.

Haters can go to the big box stores for everything and leave the good stuff for us. You have to go there with an open mind and just see what they have. Most trips there are fruitless but sometimes I find exactly what I need.

 

[Dark Horse]

I go to my local one, occasionally I've even purchased stuff from it.
Cabinets are usually priced close to low end new, sometimes more. Electrical is hit an miss. Most of the fixtures are straight out of the early 80s, same ones every time I've been in, priced close to new big box store. Boxes, connectors etc are usually priced good. Doors depends I've bought a few solid core doors from them for next to nothing, but windows are solid gold apparently.
Tile is usually fairly priced. Take-out wood flooring - significantly more than new raw flooring.
If they would take offers I'd probably have purchased more from them, everything is priced as marked.

 

[aafadca]

The prices in Asheville NC seem to be high too.

 

[musgofasta]

I think the Cincinnati one is fair priced. TONS of cabinets - most are about $20. I like old stuff and don't mind putting some elbow grease into a project if it saves money. Sturdy old cabinets + sand/paint still puts me money ahead.

Bought 3 solid core doors for $5.60 this past saturday - can't beat that deal.

 

[sirswank]

i've purchased and donated to the local ReStore, and it's been hit or miss every time. once we found a great deal on a sink. another time i wanted to buy a drill press for $50 and when they went to ring it up, the lady was like, wait a minute, added a 2 and tried to charge $250 for it. um, no thanks, i'll get a new one for that. overall, i think we've had better luck at antique/consignment stores and thru craigslist than elsewhere.

 

[trythis]

The one in Kansas City is fantastic. The store is BIG, bigger that most Home Depots. They have huge slabs of recycled glass counter tops. We bought 4 porcelain pedestal sinks that came out a museum with $200 faucets for $40 each. I remodeled a different house using the cast a cast iron tub, a gas furnace for $75!, many doors, and even a few windows.
The one in KC is loaded with hardware, plumbing, electrical, like so many hardware stores that went out of business.
It is also incredibly well organized with a fantastic lumber yard out back. They even sell in by the pallet, nails removed!

I moved to St Louis, and its Restore is smaller, but has more variety of weird stuff, and is more hit and miss. I did get a 3 year old Bosch dishwasher there for $75. Our stove top also.

Not a tools store, but occasionally they sell some.

 

[fourfeathers]

I have hauled stuff for them (in lieu of manual labor), and was impressed. They get some kick *** stuff from time to time, but it sure depends where th donations come from.
John Deere sent a BUNCH of JD branded tools to the Davenport store several yrs ago. They also have good buys on solid doors for workbenches.

 

[toymn6366]

We have 2 around here 1 is run by womens club stuff is high most of the times,the other is ran by a old contractor that was in to building habat houses can buy from him because everything starts out at 1/2 of retail and gos down in price after a month or so

 

[tornadoalleycruiser]

I work 2 jobs already and am remodeling the basement .. BUT my mom moved back to KC for the summer and wanted a volunteer job.. Got her hooked up with the Re-store and while she's volunteering I give her my list for the basement, she pickes it up for me..
Ours in KC is great.. DWV by the pound instead of fitting. Deadbolt $5, Exterior patio door with frame $100 (which was new with some overspray on it) etc..

 

[Ign]

I check mine regularly. Sometimes great deals on all sorts of stuff, including large amounts of Gr8 fasteners that are donated from hardware stores, etc. THE best place for uber-cheap filing cabinets to be used as large tool boxes.

I've saved a ton of money on electrical stuff from there - wire your shop for cheap! Also door hinges are stupid expensive new, but cheap at the Habitat store.

 

[Indy_500]

i've gotten a few bonney and williams wrenches from there.