Goodwill.com Hunting

July 15, 2020 8:31 AM

Code-loving designer J. Peter presents A Graphical Analysis of Women's Tops Sold on Goodwill's Website.
posted by jedicus (13 comments total)

I learned the word 'slub' today.
posted by straight at 9:46 AM on July 15, 2020 [3 favorites]

Well this is great fun.

I just love things like this, where people explain how they've done something and share their data - and their code!

I especially like J. Peter's attitude toward this whole thing:

5. So, exactly how bad are these data and how did you get them?

Honestly, pretty bad. But, from the beginning, I've been operating on the principle that some data are better than none for such non-essential questions as "What's the deal with Goodwill?".

and

This project was done without Goodwill's assistance or permission. Hopefully, though, they'll see this content as it's intended to be seen: As a very weird love letter to thrifting from a very weird person.

Delightfully weird, I would say.

I enjoyed this, and I doubt I would have found it on my own. Thank you for sharing it, jedicus!
posted by kristi at 9:51 AM on July 15, 2020 [4 favorites]

Oh! On poking around a bit of the author's past work, I found this chart of apparent fulfillment in work based on the individuals in Studs Terkel's Working. How cool!
posted by kristi at 9:56 AM on July 15, 2020 [4 favorites]

I'll say something smart(?) later, but for now...Coral Bay? I've never seen it, an Ebay search makes it seem VERY VERY specifically designed for a particular retail customer. I've worked retail. I know exactly what I mean. Does anyone else?
posted by lextex at 10:55 AM on July 15, 2020 [2 favorites]

Oddball rambling analysis is relevant to my interests 96% of the time*

* higher when it includes J Peter
posted by q*ben at 11:04 AM on July 15, 2020 [1 favorite]

omg shopgoodwill hits the intermittent reward button in my brain like gaming does for a lot of people, and it is endless and a terrible way to wind down before bed. the lack of consistency in descriptors, the wild spread in pricing, the temptation to hoard (my stash of birthday and xmas presents now requires three different drawers).

I love this site, thank you for posting. Now I must go in search of high rise jeggings.
posted by spamandkimchi at 11:38 AM on July 15, 2020 [2 favorites]

Goodwill has definitely been jacking its prices up over time in my experience. Thankfully the pricing people often have a terrible sense of what items are worth. Cheap fast fashion pants will be at 10 bucks a pair but high end hiking pants are 5. Also, they're kind of a garbage company who use shitty laws to pay disabled works as little as possible; in some cases as little as pennies an hour. All while getting free product, no taxes and state subsidies.
posted by Ferreous at 11:41 AM on July 15, 2020 [12 favorites]

the title throw me to a different visualization.
on of the most powerful (and relevant) dealing with women dress code.

image
(western) skirt length as an economic barometer
"manwatching", desmond morris, 1977, p220. source
posted by yosh at 11:50 AM on July 15, 2020 [3 favorites]

"So, exactly how bad are these data and how did you get them?"

This should be a section in every peer reviewed science paper.
posted by 445supermag at 12:08 PM on July 15, 2020 [19 favorites]

I've never seen it, an Ebay search makes it seem VERY VERY specifically designed for a particular retail customer. I've worked retail. I know exactly what I mean. Does anyone else?

Yes, it looks like the Bealls version of those loud beachy brands (vera bradley, lilly pulitzer). Matter of fact, they are shown next to each other on the Google search. $18 for an obvious Lilly Pulitzer knock-off ($44). Lilly's popular days (and it's off brand knockofss popularity) would have roughly coincided with Goodwill finds today.
posted by The_Vegetables at 12:23 PM on July 15, 2020

Gloriously unnecessary and extra! I love it.
posted by rhizome at 12:32 PM on July 15, 2020 [1 favorite]

Somebody's been applying what they learned from Tufte, I see.
posted by signal at 1:24 PM on July 15, 2020 [3 favorites]

This is so funny and charming!
posted by Don.Kinsayder at 2:10 PM on July 15, 2020 [1 favorite]