7 Thrifting Hacks from Goodwill Employees to Find All the Hidden Gems

1. The best time to shop is right when the store opens.

You may miss some of Goodwill's best items if you shop midday. According to Goodwill employee and Reddit user @GoodwillGuru, the best times to shop are right when the store opens and a little bit before it closes.

"We usually put stuff out at the end of the day and before we open," they say. "At the end of the day, when customers are thinning, that's when we put out furniture and sometimes restock the [shelves.] If we get a lot of donations, we'll put out a few shopping carts of new stuff just at night."

The early morning hours are when the regular shoppers come in to scoop up the best new pieces, they add, so you'll want to get in before them.

2. Shopping on Sunday, Monday, or Wednesday is also a winning strategy.

In addition to a best time to visit Goodwill, there's also a best day.

"I recommend Sunday evenings and Mondays," says former Goodwill employee and Reddit user @ThePetPsychic. "People having weekend rummage sales will typically get rid of a lot of stuff to Goodwill."

TikTok thrifting influencer @em.saltz agrees that Monday late morning is prime shopping time: "The staff does a huge restock from the weekend."

She also recommends stopping by Goodwill on Wednesdays in the late morning because "they do a huge restock from senior day, which is Tuesday."

RELATED: 5 Warnings to Shoppers From Ex-Goodwill Employees.

3. Seniors, students, and first responders can score discounts.

Speaking of senior day, most Goodwill stores offer the following weekly discount days:

• Senior Tuesday: If you're over 55, you can receive 15 percent off your entire purchase by showing a valid ID.
• Student Thursday: If you have a current high school or college student ID with a photo, you can receive 15 percent off your entire purchase.
• Military-First Responders Discount: Seven days a week, active members of the military and veterans, police, firefighters and EMS members can receive 15 percent off their entire purchase by showing a valid ID.

Check your local Goodwill website to verify these offers.

4. The store is refreshed completely every four to five weeks.

Ever wonder how long it takes the average jacket to sell at Goodwill? "It depends on how busy the day has been, but generally within two to three days," says one former employee and Reddit user. "I would say it takes about four to five weeks for everything in the store to be new."

5 | Ask a manager if a discount is possible.

Haggling is fair game at your local Goodwill. Reddit user @GoodwillGuru notes that many clothing prices are likely set in stone, but the price of furniture and wares may be negotiable.

"If [an item is] far too expensive, and no one is buying anything (i.e. it's sitting on the floor for long), then you should at least mention it to the manager," they say. You never know when you could score a deal on top of a deal.

To this point, former Goodwill staffer @megann_cook11 shared on TikTok that every night, employees clear shelves of 50 percent of all merchandise that's been sitting for a while (again, clothing excluded) to make room for new items. Sadly, many of these unsold products get thrown in the garbage.

RELATED: 7 Vintage Kitchen Items That Could Make You Rich, Experts Say.

6 | More valuable items are sold on Goodwill's website.

If you're on the lookout for expensive jewelry, watches, and furniture at your local Goodwill store, you may be out of luck.

"We were told that if we came across anything that was valuable to take [it] straight to the manager so it could be sold to our e-commerce store," says former employee and TikTok user @scroochmagooch. "Those items that we find are valuable do not get put out on the floor. It’s sent to wherever our headquarters is so it can be sold online on Goodwill’s version of eBay."

Here's the link, in case you're interested in scoring some pricier pieces.

7. You'll get the best deals on out-of-season items.

At Goodwill, it makes sense to shop for summer clothes in winter and vice versa.

"Nobody buys winter jackets in the summer," says former Goodwill employee and Reddit user @PopDisaster00. "Just like any other store would do, Goodwill marks up winter items in the winter because they can, and people will pay more."

Fortunately, you may find yourself on the winning end of someone's off-season closet cleanout. So, if you spot a stunning jacket, you should pick it up ASAP, even if you won't get to show it off for months.