Charity Shops!!!!!! bah humbug

soolin

juliaw wrote: »

I am really fed up with charity shops' attitude towards books. Our local charity shops only sell the ones with new looking covers, so all you can buy there is last year's bestsellers. They seem to be throwing all other book donations in their rubbish bins. I actually took some out of an overflowing wheelie bin recently because I wanted to read them.

Do people making donations realise that the stuff is just being thrown away?

I think it depends on the shop. The one i use now (and help out at occasionally when a a step ladder person is required) has taken a policy to reduce the price of its books to sell them. The rest of our charity shops stick them up at rather daft prices, on some occasions more than the Tesco price ticket on them shows, and I suspect that yes they do just dump stuff as they see books as worthless.

So 'my' charity shop gets all my donations and even when I see a lovely coffee table illustrated book in near mint condition going for £1 I don't mind as at least it is gong to sell. The turnover they have is amazing, I can take stuff in and they usually let me start to shelve it straight away and people come and buy the books as soon as I put the bags down.

Tirian

There's no 'one rule fits all' for charity shops, I'm afraid. So many factors will affect what it is or isn't worthwhile for a charity shop to put on their shelves and for what price - size of premises, average footfall, clientele, average sales, whether they have paid staff or all volunteers.

The Oxfam near where I work has a policy of pricing all books at 1/3 the cover price, regardless whether they were published a week ago, or in 1920. In other words, great for old books but generally a rip off for newer ones.

The Oxfam near where I live, on the other hand, prices all books at 59p - with the odd exception (they did have a big hardback reference set in there for £50 once. But I won't begrudge them that ... especially as I still made £100 profit on it )

The Amnesty International bookshop in Bristol prices every book individually, but that takes a hell of a lot of effort and volunteer time. They also put a date by the price, and do regular sweeps of the shelves and halve the price of anything that hasn't sold after six months. After another six months it goes into the bargain bins out the front, where everything is 20p (also reserved for dog-eared, damaged or otherwise undesirable books).

While there's no reason for any charity shop worker to be rude about someone wanting to make a donation (esp. if it includes a 1st edition Greene!!!!), the people here who seem to think that a charity shop's sole role is to give them everything they want for next to nothing are somewhat missing the point. A charity shop is there to raise money for charity: as much money as possible. There are many different ways to approach this - and, as noted above, many factors affecting how this may work for different stores.

I somehow fail to summon up much sympathy for tsharp, whose main concern seems to be that they can't make as much money out of their charity shop as they used to. You say you suspect they'll turn over less stock now - that may well be so. But what if they make more money? If you make less money out of them, and they make more money, then I doubt they will be too upset if you don't go back! I'm not trying to get at you - I love nabbing a charity shop bargain as much as anyone else - but you can't blame them for not letting you make a profit, or for trying to increase their takings.

dreams_R_free

I was amazed recently when DH came home with an armful of 'new' looking gardening books, the big ones with wonderful photos in etc. I thought he'd been to the library or a bookshop that was closing down as he never pays much for his books:rotfl:

I couldn't believe it when he said they were free from the local Salvation Army charity shop. Apparently adjoining the small shop there is a warehouse and yard(in good weather) full of books and jigsaws. There is a sign up for people to help themselves and 'if possible' just leave a donation in the box. DH felt guilty at taking so many excellent books and asked the manager how much he wanted for them and he said ' a quid or so for the lot will be very kind please'. I hope he left more than £1 as they are top-quality books(for his own use not for resale). DH said there were so many wonderful books he was hard-pressed to choose so few as he didn't want the manager to think he was abusing his generosity or of cashing in on the charity.

I haven't been able to go there yet and wonder if it would look greedy to come away with armfuls of books on a several times a week basis. I'm more than happy to pay a small fee for them. Or should I try to negotiate with the manager to take a van-load off his hands for an agreed price?

dreams_R_free

pseudopensioner wrote: »

Having ventured into the loft in my new house, I find I am the 'proud' !!!! owner of an UltraToner fitness machine or whatever you want to call it.

Can't see the local charity shops being too pleased with that dropped on their doorstep:eek:

C'mon folks, best option ?

1) ebay, but think of the postage

2) Gumtree

3) Freecycle

4) Take it to the recycling depot

5) Send it as a surprise gift to the purchaser of a pair of 'well worn' shoes, pretending I'd worn them out on the bl**dy thing:rotfl:

What about postcards in the local shops or an advert in the local freesheet or paper?

Cute_'n'_Quirky

I have an issue with The North East Air Ambulance charity.

A friend told me about this -

She had a lot of brand new duvet sets, totally unused, in packaging. She didn't want them so put them in the collection bag for the North East Air Ambulance and on the doorstep on the requisite day. They didn't arrive for another four days. She questioned the driver about good things being left out and how were they going to sell them, etc, etc.
His response was "oh don't fret love, we don't sell any of this stuff, it is sold by weight to the local rag and bone man".

So now you know. The NE Air Ambulance don't have shops so stands to reason that this is what they do.

Charity shops are charging far too much for the good they sell - condidering that they don't pay any rates at all.

DenBo_4

My mum works for a Salvation Army shop (She's not paid) and she spends her time sorting toys, bringing home loads of stuff to test if it works or all the bits are there, you would be surprised the amount of stuff they get that is broken, parts missing, no instructions etc. People are under the impression that charity shops should be grateful for any old tat they don't want, dirty clothes, knickers, ripped bed clothes etc, especially stuff that can't be sold at car boots!

SidB_2

Don't get me started on charity shops. I'm now at that age where I shout at the TV.
Near me is a very snooty Oxfam book shop where prices are plain ridiculous, and the service is abysmal. Do yourself a little research and you'll make your donations elsewhere. Check out the Oxfam headquarters, where staff have a free gym and earn £5k pa more than the going rate. Also, remember all of those donations made after the tsunami ? Still in Oxfam's bank account, while some of the effected are still in temporary housing.

Sorry rant over.

Contains_Mild_Peril

Tirian wrote: »

The Oxfam near where I work has a policy of pricing all books at 1/3 the cover price, regardless whether they were published a week ago, or in 1920. In other words, great for old books but generally a rip off for newer ones.

Really? What about the old books you somtimes see with a cover price of one shilling? Do they round it up to 2 new pence?:D

DenBo wrote: »

My mum works for a Salvation Army shop (She's not paid) and she spends her time sorting toys, bringing home loads of stuff to test if it works or all the bits are there, you would be surprised the amount of stuff they get that is broken, parts missing, no instructions etc. People are under the impression that charity shops should be grateful for any old tat they don't want, dirty clothes, knickers, ripped bed clothes etc, especially stuff that can't be sold at car boots!

A little while ago a box of cute toy rabbits were donated and my mum put them up for sale at 50p and they flew off the shelf. Next week another box was donated again, so this time my mum put them up for £1, and they flew off the shelves again. One lady rang and said that she would sue them if she didn't get a refund, her friend had bought one for 50p and she had paid £1. She wanted to get 50p back, from a charity shop, or she would consult her solicitors............................................... of course she was offered her 50p refund. Some people just dont understand the concept of CHARITY shops!

I'd have told her to go ahead and consult her solicitors. Does she try that with supermarkets when they put their prices up? :rotfl:

MRSMCAWBER

I have fallen in love with my local freecycle (stowmarket)
I am moving to Germany at the end of the month and have decide to have a serious clear out...im sure i coulds set up a 2nd home with all the stuff i have sorted...
but as fast as i can list it, it is being claimed and collected...my neighbours must wonder what i am upto LOL
Im sat here now waiting for someone to collect a glass patio table, four chairs, umbrella and garden tourches......as loathed as we are to let them go ..we know they will be a pain to pack up safely, and we can replace them cheaply in Germany....as that is where i got them from :-)
so freecycle has been a god send..
I found with charity shops, there are sooo many rules and regulations... some take things, some dont and as much as i would have liked to have given them to charity i just dont have the time to trundle back n forth..such a shame..
so its freecycle for me....
.

Contains_Mild_Peril

I saw a local Freeshare (formerly Freecycle, but some groups have formed a separate network rather than join with American Freecycle) ad offering decent furniture, which was collected very quickly by a grateful recipient. What shocked me was that she said she'd offered it to a charity first. but they would only uplift the goods if she paid them!
I had a charity agree to take a 3 piece suite just because one chair had a messily stitched tear in the fabric. Since they pass furniture on to families in need, I thought the suite might have been of use to someone just getting their first home of their own and needing furniture. I'd have understood if they'd left the faulty chair and just taken the good chair and couch, but they wouldn't have any of it. Possibly more to do with the fact that I live in an upstairs flat than anything else...