This article will cover the answer to the question “Does Goodwill take used bicycles?” and discuss other things people don’t know about the company. If you’re looking for a place that will take your old or broken bicycle, then you’ve come to the right place! This article will cover everything that you need to know – check it out!
Goodwill Do Take Used Bicycles, But…
Goodwill is one of those charities which are able to accept donated goods from people who are moving or purging their homes for various reasons. One of the items which they can take is your old, but the still usable bike. People may be surprised to find out that Goodwill is one of those places which will take your used bike, as they would imagine that donating a bicycle would require them to throw it away. Basically, some Goodwill centers take bicycles, but others don’t. It all depends on your locale. Some centers will take bicycles in good condition, while others won’t. Some don’t even accept bikes at all and will refer you to a local organization that does. Goodwill has the final say when it comes to accepting donated items, and in some cases, bikes may not be accepted due to their storage space or other issues in the area where the center is located.
Most Goodwill centers won’t accept bikes that are too old or too broken to be fixed or ridden. This is because they may think that a bike that can’t be fixed won’t be worth anything to anyone, and the center could end up losing money if it accepts them for repair. Most Goodwill centers will also operate a bicycle donation program, where you can donate your old bike to the charity and receive a tax deduction. In this program, each bike is recorded as a donation of value, meaning that the donor will get a tax receipt for their items at the end of the year through their accountant.
If you would like to contribute a bicycle to the program, you can drop it off at a local Goodwill location. They will then take it apart and assess its value. If your bike is worth enough money to be worth donating, they will then give the parts to a charity that will repair and reassemble it, and then try to sell or donate the bike. This way, people can get something out of their old bike without throwing it away!
Things You Should Do before Bringing Your Used Bicycle to Goodwill
If you’re going to donate your bicycle, then there are some things that you should do to ensure that you get the highest value for it. If you have an old bike that is in bad shape but still usable, there are a few things that will make your bike more valuable when it comes time to donate it.
Here are some things to consider when taking your bike to Goodwill:
1/ Wash Your Bicycle (Even If You Don’t Think It Needs It)
This is very important. If you take your bike to Goodwill with a dirty bicycle, then its value will plummet. Don’t wash it unless it’s absolutely necessary, because then I’m pretty sure that the whole purpose of the charity is defeated. In fact, if you take your bike to a donation center and they can’t get the worst of the crud off of it, they won’t even give you a price for donating your old bike! So make sure that your bicycle is clean enough to donate before bringing it in. You can always wash your bike later.
2/ Inspect Your Bicycle (Find out If It’s Worth Fixing)
If you’re about to donate your old bike, then I’d recommend that you check it over for any problems with the brakes, gears or wheels. It won’t be worth much to Goodwill if these parts are malfunctioning or damaged! You don’t need to bother with taking off any components which are broken unless they’re essential to the assembly of the bike (like pedals). If you find any problems with your bicycle before taking it in, then you should fix them so that its value is higher when you go to donate it.
3/ Document All Problems
Your best bet for increasing the value of your bike is to document all of its faults before you go. If you find out after taking it to Goodwill that your bike is damaged or needs work, then you can sell or donate it later. By documenting problems before taking them in, then nobody will have the chance to mess up the bike!
4/ Document All Features
On the other hand, if your bicycle is in fantastic condition or has a lot of great features, then make sure that you write down all of those features and take pictures. This way, if the registration needs to be replaced or there’s an issue with it later, you can bring back documentation and they may still value your bike highly.
5/ Record the Serial Number (for Tax Purposes)
A bicycle has a serial number on it, which is also known as a VIN number. This number can be recorded onto any documents so that they are legally binding. For instance, you could write the serial number measurements down on your measurements for its parts, or have it recorded in the title of the bike so that anybody who buys it will know that it’s yours.
6/ Don’t Take Your Bike to Goodwill If You already have Insurance Coverage!
Finally, don’t take your old bike to Goodwill if you already have insurance coverage for its value. They won’t accept your item if you have this option available to you, because their main purpose is to help people who can’t get things back on their own. If you have insurance, then there’s no need for Goodwill to take your bike.
7/ All Goodwill Stores may not Accept Bikes!
If you’re planning on donating a bicycle, make sure that you know about the location’s rules beforehand! Some places may not accept bicycles at all, others will only accept them if they are in good condition and still in working order.
Other Things You can Donate to Goodwill
There are other things that you can donate to the charity, not just individual bikes. Here are some things that you can give :
1/ Clothing
Goodwill has a wide variety of clothing that people can donate, like used shoes, shirts, pants and jackets. Most of this clothing is brand new, but it’s possible that there might be some old clothing tossed in there as well. Each Goodwill location will accept the donations on behalf of different organizations in the community where it’s located. So make sure that when you donate clothing, you know where it’s going. Some Goodwill locations will only accept clothing if it’s in a good condition. Others may also take clothes from donors who own a business.
2/ Apparel and Accessories
This is another one of the things that Goodwill accepts. You can donate accessories like scarves, hats, gloves and sunglasses (for safety reasons). They’ll take any kind of apparel accessory that they don’t sell in their stores too. Some items may be unsuitable for donation if they’re broken or damaged in some way.
3/ Money
People can donate cash to Goodwill through their online store or even in person at their local donation center, like an old wallet or purse. This money will then go towards building community initiatives. There is no limit on how much cash you can donate per year, but make sure that you do it wisely!
4/ Toys
People are welcome to donate toys that are in good condition for children under 13 years old. Goodwill does not accept any toys with parts that can fall off or break, so make sure to check this before taking your donation in. Children’s books are also welcome in some locations, but they may have to be in excellent condition.
5/ Household Goods
Goodwill will take in things like furniture, linens, and dishes. They will even take appliances, kitchen stuff and small home goods. But they won’t accept anything that’s so old or broken down that it can’t be used for anything anymore, so make sure to clean things up before you take them in.
6/ Office Furniture
Goodwill does take in things like office furniture for donation. They will accept desks, chairs and tables from companies wanting to pass along their furniture to someone else. Just make sure that your furniture is in good condition and ready to be donated. Goodwill will not accept any worn-out or broken furniture pieces.
7/ Unwanted Craft Items
Goodwill accepts many different kinds of crafts. Popular items include jewelry, pottery, clothing, and toys. They will accept almost anything from those crafts as long as it’s in good condition. So if you have some old yet beautiful crafts that you don’t want anymore, then you can take them in for donations.
8/ Electronics (Computer Accessories)
You can donate many different types of electronics to Goodwill. This includes computers, video games, tablets, iPhones and iPads. They accept most cell phones for donation as well, but not if they still have a contract on them. You can also donate DVDs, laser printers, MP3 players, and MP4 players. Goodwill will only accept items if they are in good working condition.
9/ Cars
People can donate their old cars to Goodwill, but they must be in good running condition. They do accept older vehicles that are either broken down or have mechanical issues, but they may ask for some kind of proof that it’s your car before taking it in. They will not accept any vehicles that are damaged or don’t have a title.
One of the main tips to help you decide whether or not you should donate your car to Goodwill is to make sure that it’s a safe ride. It must have a current license, a current registration, and a valid engine. If any of those things are missing, then it can’t be donated, but they will try to offer you other options instead. For a lot of people, donating a car is a great idea. After all, it can save you a lot of money on fuel and pay for itself very quickly if you need it to get to work or get somewhere. It also offers a way for you to do your part in helping the environment.
10/ Gift Cards
People can donate gift cards to Goodwill to receive some extra cash, but it will depend on the type of gift card you have. Gift cards are typically accepted for clothing, electronics, shoes, computers, and household goods. There are some exceptions though. One type of gift card that is not allowed for donations is a prepaid Visa or MasterCard gift card. This is because there are no expiration dates on these cards.
Goodwill will accept gift cards that have an expiration date, but it must be within the next 6 months. People can donate gift cards in any amount that they want if they call ahead to check on the gift card balance first. You can even donate used gift cards to Goodwill if you don’t have the original receipt to go with it.
FAQ
1/ What does Goodwill do with my old clothes and other donations?
Goodwill will sell them for a profit so they can get more money to help out people in need. This is why it’s so important to only donate the items that you don’t need anymore.
2/ Is there a limit of how many times I can donate?
No, there is no limit on how many times you can donate to Goodwill. It’s always nice when people want to recycle their stuff and Goodwill is more than willing to help you do that. They just ask that you don’t overdo it because they’ll have too much stuff in their stores.
3/ Will Goodwill take back my donations if I move?
There are some things that you can take back to your local Goodwill, but it will depend on the type of donation. For example, you may be able to return some gently-used clothes if it’s within 90 days of when you originally donated them. But other types of donations aren’t able to be returned.
4/ Can I write off my gift card to Goodwill on my taxes?
You might not be able to get a full deduction for all gift cards that you donate, but at least you can get an estimate on what they’re worth if they’re partially used. One of the most popular places to donate gift cards is to Goodwill, but they may only be able to give you an estimate on their value.
5/ Can I get cash back on my gift card donations?
It’s up to Goodwill what they can do with the gift card, but you might be able to get some cashback. If the gift card is fully used, then it will usually go towards another donation or they can take it back for a refund.
6/ Can I buy donated items at Goodwill?
Some items are available for purchase at some locations, but not all of them are. It all depends on what parts of your donation they’re willing to sell at that particular time. If they can make money off of it, then they will, but you might need to show up in person.
7/ Can I donate my items without asking Goodwill first?
No, Goodwill always wants to be fair with the number of donations that they take in. So they prefer to let people know if they are accepting donations that are larger than their storage limits. This way, people won’t donate something that’s worth less than what is being paid for it. Their policies are different for each location so it’s probably best to call ahead before you arrive at the store anyway.