Upscale marketing can be an uneasy fit with a thrift store. Sadly, we see this in a three-month old Goodwill Boutique in Pawley’s Island, S.C.
Housed in a large stand-alone store along the main north-south route in the Grand Strand resort area, the store is subtly advertised with the script logo “GW,” referring to Goodwill. The traditional blue Goodwill logo is barely in evidence, even though you are directed by a large outdoor sign to donate items at the drive-through behind the store.
The store is meticulously organized by color, grouped around carefully arranged displays of clothing and accessories. Every garment is hung on black felt hangers. There are ample, clean dressing rooms, plus public bathrooms, and pink upholstered couches for non-shopping guests to use.
Visually, everything looks great. It’s the price tags that are all wrong. The basic price appears to be $19.99 for all pieces of clothing, with many $29.99 and $39.99 tags too. There are a few $8.99 garments to be found, but most items are well beyond what’s reasonable for resale, even though there are many never-worn pieces carrying original tags.
One Jones New York citrus green cardigan was a case in point. An earlier tag, probably from a regular Goodwill store, had it marked down from $20 to $5. Despite that, its new GW tag listed the cotton summer sweater at, yes, $19.99.
Goodwill has other boutique stores across the country, but we’ve never seen one with such high prices and such uniformity in its price tags. There’s a small section of men’s clothing and some home décor items, such as tableware and sconces.
We passed on a sleeveless silk Max Studio blouse, a Calvin Klein windowpane polyester long-sleeved blouse, a gold satin Victoria’s Secret blouse and a raspberry Alfani blouse with silver hobnails, all because they each carried a non-thrift price of $19.99. At $9.99, we might have considered them, but the $10 surcharge (in our mind) put them outside of even a thrift purchase, no matter how boutique their surroundings. Our only purchase was a charming $3.99 SpongeBob Square Pants watch (needing a new battery) for a friend.
The GW Boutique occupies the space once used by the Take 2 Resale thrift. That shop moved a half-mile north to smaller quarters. There, we found two large 75 percent off sale racks out front and a better variety of prices inside.
The Take 2 shop still has higher prices and better labels than most thrifts, but we found two pair of nice polyester/spandex shorts from Chico’s Weekend line for $4.50 each and a pink linen shirt from David N for $9. There were some lovely unused housewares, like a set of seven painted china ramekins for $12, and a new piece of $200 Lucas rollaboard black luggage for $83.
The prices are on a timed reduction schedule, so you can save money by crossing your fingers and waiting. We found a vintage Whiting & Davis off-white mesh purse for $40. If we had the patience and luck to wait for six weeks, it will be $29.
For those Grand Strand vacationers who need bargain basement prices for items forgotten in packing or lacking in a rental house, there is a regular Goodwill in Murrells Inlet and a Salvation Army in Litchfield, both on or adjacent to the same Ocean Highway as the GW Boutique and Take 2 Resale thrift.
GW Boutique, 11115 Ocean Highway, Pawleys Island, SC 29585. 843-790-8661.Open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sunday from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Take 2 Resale, 13089 Ocean Highway Unit B2, Pawley’s Island, SC 29585. 843-237-8447. take2resale@yahoo.com. Open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Goodwill Industries of Lower South Carolina, Inc., 3655 Old Kings Highway, Murrells Inlet, SC 29576. 843-790-8647. Open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Salvation Army Thrift Store, 14792 Ocean Parkway, Pawley’s Island, SC 29585. 843-235-3918. Open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.
ThriftStyle 
thanks Allison, I will be visiting SC next week and I appreciate the tips 🙂
LikeLike
Let us know if you snag any good finds!
LikeLike
I did a Vintage Thrift Flip Sewing Challenge! For this thrift flip I went to @PaperDollVin. I purchased a 1970’s prairie dress for the sewing challenge, and sewed the 1970’s classic that into an outfit I’d actually wear. What do you think? https://youtu.be/gW-PHGhCbV4
LikeLike
You did a terrific job with this! We’d be interested to know the maker. It may have been, as you suspected, a housecoat or the robe part of a robe and nightgown set. The maker’s name on the label would be a clue. If so, it’s another reminder that the lingerie sections of thrift stores can be goldmines. Often, the robe parts of nightgown sets are barely worn. You have a good eye for restyling — and we loved the Biden joke thrown in there.
LikeLike
This needs to be updated immediately. Who ever was sneaky enough to take these pictures 3 or 4 yrs ago, needs to remove this blog and go back to the GW Boutique and do an update. Shortly after the grand pening,, the prices at the GW Boutique were lowered prices. 90% of the clothes which are namebrand and or new items are 8.99 and the rest is 12.99, a few high ends are 24.99. Because of this blog, people may be discouraged and are missing out on fantastic deals on great items.
LikeLike
There was nothing sneaky about our reporting. We (the three authors of the book ThriftStyle) always identify ourselves snd explain that we are writing a blog. We have visited more than 150 thrift stores coast to coast and it is not possible to continually update them. We would hope readers would understand that our impressions and prices are current as of the date of the blog post. Good to know prices have lowered – thanks for the update.
LikeLike
You must be unaware of the area and the wealth there. These prices are actually well below average. you’re also paying for excellent staff, cleanliness and orderliness. Worth it.
LikeLike
We don’t claim to be experts on any part of the country, but two of the ThriftStyle authors have been going to the Litchfield-to- Pawley’s-Island, South Carolina, beach area for extended vacations every other year for the past 40-some years. So we have seen the area change dramatically and are well aware of its demographics. We agree that excellent staff, cleanliness and orderliness are worth slightly higher prices at thrift stores.
LikeLike