This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Maria Johnson. It has been edited for length and clarity.
I’m a content creator. My niche is sharing tips and tricks to get things cheaper, mostly at Disney World but also at other places in Orlando.
I stumbled upon Bin Wins at my local Staples in Florida, which was an interesting way to bargain hunt. So, I decided to give them a try.
Bin Wins is a new program that the company started a few weeks ago
I passed by Staples and saw a yellow sign right up front and two bins. I thought, it can’t just be these two bins, so I went to the back of the store, and there were about seven huge black bins just full of stuff.
Staples started the program a few weeks ago, according to an employee, who also told me it was all Amazon returns and overstock.
Courtesy of Maria Johnson
Friday is the day that unloading happens. All the best stuff comes out on Friday, but it’s also the $15 day. The price drops each day, down to $2 on Thursday, before the next load of stuff comes in the following Friday.
There could be things in there on a Friday that are not really worth $15, so you could come back on a Thursday and get it for $2 if it’s still there.
I was savvy and price-checked items online in real time
To check the retail prices of items, I used my Amazon account. You open the app, and there’s a little camera lens on the search bar. Click it and scan the barcode on the item, or even on a closed box — it’ll tell you exactly what’s in the box.
I saw cases of Alani Nu drinks and Fairlife Core Power protein drinks, which are like $30 to $40 in store, plus shoes and clothes. I heard employees say that sometimes there are high-ticket items like AirPods. I saw a lot of holiday items, like Halloween decorations, Christmas ribbon, and stockings. There was a lot of seasonal stuff at our store.
There were also a lot of auto parts. My husband couldn’t figure out what they were at first; we had to look them up on Google. Another person shopping near us told us they were going to resell them on eBay because they were $15 here and going for $700 online. I think a lot of people were doing that.
I ended up buying the tumbler I showed on my viral Instagram reel. It was $35, and I got it for $15.
I’d shop them again
I think the experience was fun. I’d shop again at the Bin Wins, but mostly for entertainment value, not actual deals on stuff my family needs.
Not everything in the bins was worth $15, but if you could find them on the $2 day, it would be worth it. It would be a fun thing to do with someone — grab a coffee and go through the bins.
