Many people pine for the "good old days" of online auctions. I'm not just talking about sellers. Buyers miss the way things used to be, too. Gone are the days when a simple search would quickly reveal great bargains and unusual, hard to find items from yesteryear.

While the bargains and gems in the ruff are still out there, they're hidden, or maybe a better word would be mired, in between huge quantities of mass produced goods. Now obviously, there are plenty of people who want all those new products. If there weren't, then one of the most popular online auction sites would be rethinking their format.

The original online auctions appealed to the same demographic that went to yard and rummage sales, estate sales and live auctions. No one shows up to an estate expecting a house full of new items. For the die hard sale crowd, it was always a huge disappointment when an advertisement touted "years of accumulation" or "lots of antiques and collectibles, to many items to list," only to discover a garage full of new merchandise from an at home business venture with a few household items off to the side.

ShopGoodwill.com is reminiscent of the original online auction format of old. The site has a simple, well organized layout that is easy to use. The pages load quickly and there are no outside ads cluttering the listings. Auctions are divided into popular categories, with the option of searching by name. Best of all, items are sold in a traditional auction format, with proxy bidding.

This is a site for shoppers, not sellers. Only member Goodwill Industry Stores are allowed to list items for sale, and all proceeds go to support Goodwill programs.

An important point to remember is that the items are not in one central location, but are scattered across the country at individual Goodwill stores. Each Goodwill lists and sets the terms for their own auctions, so always read the terms and conditions carefully.

Since the majority of listings are from donations, you'll always find a wide variety of original items. You can even support your local Goodwill, simply search by location.

ShopGoodwill.com