• Courtesy
• Ryan Monsonc

Like snowflakes or fingerprints, no two Goodwill locations are alike. Each of the world's 3,000-plus Goodwill branches has a unique inventory of pre-loved goods, bearing traces of the locals who donated them.

That's why Ryan Monson, an Indiana-based vintage reseller, is on a mission to see every Goodwill in the nation. This month, after visiting the 120-plus locations in his home state, he's taking his venture to the Northeast. On July 8 and 9, Monson plans to sweep through Vermont's four Goodwills, picking up secondhand treasures along the way.

Monson has been reselling used clothes under the name Vintage Indy since 2017. The idea for his Goodwill crawl came when he "hit a wall" after several years of selling on Depop, eBay and Instagram.

"I was like, What's the craziest thing I can do?" Monson recounted. "No one's ever been to every Goodwill in Indiana."

Monson decided to change that. He documented his journey on social media and scored local news coverage that provided the exposure he was seeking. By 2019, he had visited every Indiana location.

But he wanted to keep going. In the coming weeks, he'll visit the nine Goodwills in New Hampshire, the four in Vermont and the 15 to 20 in Connecticut. He'll finish with a jaunt to Rhode Island's sole Goodwill.

Monson's visits are serious hunts for items he deems cool and can resell at high margins.

He looks for name brands such as Nike, "Made in USA" tags and single-stitch shirts (a time stamp of the mid-'90s or earlier). His favorite items are "random" and hyperlocal — such as a T-shirt featuring an elementary school.

Though Monson is looking forward to his entire Northeast tour, he has a soft spot for Vermont. His parents honeymooned in Stowe, so he'll make a stop there, despite the town's lack of Goodwill.

Those interested can track Monson's journey on Instagram, where he hopes to share his love of secondhand clothing.

Used clothing "is still in good condition," he said. "It's still fashionable, and we just have so much of it."