BEST THRIFT STORE
Land of Lincoln Goodwill
The question, really, isn’t whether Goodwill is the best thrift store in Springfield but rather which Goodwill is your favorite. There’s an outlet on Wabash Avenue and another on Dirksen Parkway and yet another in Chatham, on Plummer Boulevard. They all have their charms, but we prefer the Wabash Avenue location for its sheer size. In our book, bigger is better when it comes to thrift stores, but every location is a veritable Treasure Island, and you don’t have to dig. Just look and you can find amazing deals. Some folks aren’t keen on wearing used clothes, which is Goodwill’s strong suit, but there are plenty of things for everyone. As we write, we are gazing at a pristine copy of James Brown: Live at the Apollo that we picked in the 99-cent record bin. Not so long ago, we hit a prolonged lucky streak where most every Goodwill visit yielded commercial-grade cast aluminum cookware from Toledo, the world capital of cast aluminum. The stores are kept neat and the dressing rooms are spacious enough that you don’t feel like you’re changing clothes in a phone booth.