Also - keep in mind a lot of places you find these things they're _really_ cheap, so it's often perfectly fine to buy one that is _probably_ good, then pull it apart when you get home to check it's interior and construction. If you only dropped $5 at a thrift store, it doesn't hurt too much when you find its actually shitty plastic with a lump of rusty steel inside - and you just trow it out...
Plenty of items that I have purchased and been unhappy with personally have found their way back to thrift stores.
I try to donate primarily to the more local actual charities that do a lot of good in my community like the salvation army, but I have no problem donating to for profit thrift stores either as I am in them often and I can see the great things that they're doing for a very large number of less wealthy people.
Salvation army isn't a non-profit in the strict traditional sense of the word, they are a church that happens to do a lot of worthwhile charity, The church part of their mission has led to some controversy regarding how they treat members of the LGBT community. While each individual office is different there's been a consistent thread of this running through the organization in line with their belief system. If that's not a concern to you then disregard, if it is you may want to consider how your donations and purchases are being spent.
As for finding thrift store items in general, you can find some great things in need of minor tlc, especially hand tools. I tend to use my battery powered told for most things these days that are have tools so plugged tools aren't my forte but I still have a drill I bought ages ago that's lasted me numerous projects and years without failing. It's kind of remarkable how well built some tools are.
>If that's not a concern to you then disregard, if it is you may want to consider how your donations and purchases are being spent.
That is absolutely a great concern to me, but the fact remains that there are at least 10 homeless shelters and soup kitchens in my area funded completely by the salvation army.
While savers et al might be more supportive of the LGBT community, salvation army is literally putting a roof over hundreds of heads who call my city home every night, which is why I choose to support them.
I don't deny in my comment that they do good work. It's absolutely a double edge sword and not an easy or clear cut case of what's right versus wrong. It's well within their rights to choose how to spend their money and I wasn't attempting to assign moral or ethical judgement, just to bring up the point that if it's a concern then your money and time might be better directed elsewhere. This isn't a case of some monolithic evil organization demanding intolerance on high, but as part of their belief system it has led to multiple occasions where people have been thrown out of facilities, denied services, etc. It's up to everyone to find the line with which they are comfortable, especially in areas like this where the best use of resources might actually be giving to a cause that could be antagonistic to another cause one supports.
