prices in charity shops

SUESMITH_2

i had a big sort out and took our stuff to an age concern shop, i had a citroen picasso boot full, in fact i had to put the seats down - no rubbish as i would never send stuff i wouldn't be prepared to buy myself. asked in my usual cheery fashion if i could leave my stuff to be met with "no thank you, we dont want your car boot un salable rubbish" i didnt quite hear her and asked her if she really had said that "yes, i know your sort" she told me - well by this point i was quite angry, pointed out that the things i was bringing was what she was asking for in the window (larger sized clothes. books, dvds and kitchen stuff) and asked her to inspect the stuff i was wanting to leave, pointed out i could easily have ebayed it but as i like buying from that shop thouht i should give something back.

she then backed down and said they do get people just dumping rubbish on them and ok, even though it was saturday (they don't like donations on a saturday) they would take my stuff. no help unloading, they sat at the till and watched me, and as i left they were having a right good rummage looking v pleased.

took my next lot of stuff to oxfam!


i love that age concern as they are so much cheaper but they wont get anymore stuff off me - since found out she is well known for being strange

hayley11

I went to buy a book from BHF a few weeks ago, they wanted £2.75 for it. I can get it from Amazon brand new for less than that. I'm all for supporting charities but I won't pay more for something than I have to.

We have a cancer research next door to the BHF, I go in there now. Books are usually £1.30 but now and again they sell them for 50p. I always take them back after i've read them too.

We have another one supporting a local animal shelter which looks really rubbish (they don't do themselves any favours by having it looking so shabby!) but there are some good finds in there sometimes and it's very cheap.

mynameisdave

I've seen VHS production tapes (single) for £3 in the local (I think) Oxfam.

Flat_Eric

My office is situated within walking distance of 9 charity shops!

I walk past one shop every day and their window is always very inviting and well presented but the prices charged leave me scratching my head ?

I am all for supporting charity shops but I really do not understand their pricing structure. Books overpriced most definitely. you can buy them cheaper on amazon - primark - never buy - particularly as the charity shop seem to sell it for more than it probably sold for originally!

I really do not understand it. I very rarely visit them now.

themull1

If charity shops start overpricing, people will stop buying. Simple as that.

Gettingtherequickly

Gosh, this was a depressing read! Luckily I had been in a shop last week end and got fab gifts. Had been tasked with getting a birthday gift, which had to be fun, from a charity shop & cost less than £10. Spent £5 and think everyone will see the humour. Had I been going tomorrow, I may have been a bit more sceptical about my chances.

A little humour - my mum was in a charity shop checking out the books when the local traffic warden stuck his head in the door and said "you have 3 mins to make sure your tickets are ok"

"ooh, I have nothing on" said a voice from the changing room,

"in that case, you have 30 seconds!"

And they say traffic wardens are jobsworths!

karenb33

Thanks for the above post - made me smile.

I blame Mary Portas for the increase in prices. Charity shops have now had a make-over and think they are boutiques. Just because you put your clothes in batches of the same colour (very annoying) and make fancy displays doesn't mean you should double your prices.

Yesterday in charity shop with son (clutching his £1 he had to spend) noticed horrible cut glass vase (about 6" tall) for £22. Not crystal and not a 'named' brand. Then saw all of the glass was priced at those prices - strangely no-one buying......

Azari

It's definitely the lack of any sort of grading that's the big problem with charity shops.

They now all seem to charge around the £4 mark for shirts.

I have four Yves St Laurent shirts that came from charity shops. They were bought at different times, all new (why do so many people give brand new clothes to charity shops?) and all around said £4.

That's fine but when I look at what's available I find that all the shirts are the same price: Primark? £4 M&S? £4 YSL? £4.

trukdiver

karenb33 wrote: »

I blame Mary Portas for the increase in prices. Charity shops have now had a make-over and think they are boutiques. Just because you put your clothes in batches of the same colour (very annoying) and make fancy displays doesn't mean you should double your prices.

Charity shops were doing that long before Mary Portas came along!

I used to work as a volunteer and I was often confused by some of their pricing policies. They would sell clothes and paperbacks for high prices but often sold "collectible" books and other items for really cheap prices (easily checked on Ebay). If I was pricing something, I'd look at Ebay, work out an "average" price and then price it for less.

pulliptears

SUESMITH wrote: »

i had a big sort out and took our stuff to an age concern shop, i had a citroen picasso boot full, in fact i had to put the seats down - no rubbish as i would never send stuff i wouldn't be prepared to buy myself. asked in my usual cheery fashion if i could leave my stuff to be met with "no thank you, we dont want your car boot un salable rubbish" i didnt quite hear her and asked her if she really had said that "yes, i know your sort" she told me - well by this point i was quite angry, pointed out that the things i was bringing was what she was asking for in the window (larger sized clothes. books, dvds and kitchen stuff) and asked her to inspect the stuff i was wanting to leave, pointed out i could easily have ebayed it but as i like buying from that shop thouht i should give something back.

she then backed down and said they do get people just dumping rubbish on them and ok, even though it was saturday (they don't like donations on a saturday) they would take my stuff. no help unloading, they sat at the till and watched me, and as i left they were having a right good rummage looking v pleased.

took my next lot of stuff to oxfam!


i love that age concern as they are so much cheaper but they wont get anymore stuff off me - since found out she is well known for being strange

I'd have let her inspect it in the car, said "Well, there's what you could have had!" and driven off to the next charity shop