Customised Clothing

Charityworker

I'm the manager of a charity shop so I can get hold of really cheap secondhand clothes. In the past I have customised some of them and sold them on on ebay for a profit. I was thinking of doing this a lot more for extra income. I was just wondering if there is any rule against selling customised clothes from another retailer?

I'm already registered as self employed as I do make overs and nails as a small business too.

Thanks.

Wywth

Charityworker wrote: »

I'm the manager of a charity shop so I can get hold of really cheap secondhand clothes. In the past I have customised some of them and sold them on on ebay for a profit. I was thinking of doing this a lot more for extra income. I was just wondering if there is any rule against selling customised clothes from another retailer?

I'm already registered as self employed as I do make overs and nails as a small business too.

Thanks.

Does your manager and/or charity know you are buying their items really cheap with a view to reselling them for personal profit?

There is nothing wrong in reselling used items of clothing (customised or other not) - lots on ebay, in charity shops, etc.

TheChillPill

Charityworker wrote: »

I'm the manager of a charity shop so I can get hold of really cheap secondhand clothes. In the past I have customised some of them and sold them on on ebay for a profit.

And THIS is why fewer people will donate to charity shops these days. Nothing wrong with being enterprising and making a profit, but when charity shops are getting cheap rent and rates, while others struggle to make ends meet - then I have a problem with it.

paddyrg

Profit for you or profit for the charity? I can't see how a shop manager doing this wouldn't be a conflict of interests to be honest if it was personal gain. Even if you paid the shop floor price for the items and could prove they were priced correctly, you would still be having privileged first pickings, so make the shop less appealing to buyers. I can't see any way to reconcile the two, even if it is just in terms of the perception of the charity.

Charityworker

Blimey talk about jumping to conclusions! I will be paying the going rate for the clothes. I won't be getting them cheaper or getting first pick. The volunteers steam the clothes and hang them up long before I get to look. I'm too busy with paperwork to look at them until later on in the day. The charity will be benefitting from me doing it as I would be buying the hard to sell clothes.

As for cheap rents and rates I'd like to point out that we pay the going rate on the rent and rates. We don't get any discount for being a charity. If anyone would like our registered charity number to check our accounts let me know and I will gladly supply it.

The other question - does the manager know I'm doing this. I AM the manager. The charity is pleased that I am thinking of buying the hard to sell clothes so they don't have to give them to the recycle people.

Please consider what the facts may be before you get on your high horses.

lincroft1710

Before you get on your high horse, reread your first post, it gives the impression that you are not paying the going rate for the clothes.

paddyrg

Charityworker wrote: »

I won't be getting them cheaper or getting first pick...
Please consider what the facts may be before you get on your high horses.

However the *perception* will be just what some of us perceived it as - and is that the image you want to portray?

This is why I can't see it wouldn't be a conflict. At the very least, if someone donates a top to your charity based on their good name, then find out a week/whatever later that the paid(?) store manager was selling the item (however modified) for personal gain... well can you see how that looks? They won't come and ask you how long you left the top on the rail after getting your volunteers to steam it, they'll just stop giving to you and give to another charity. Perception is all in the sector.

Annisele

Charityworker wrote: »

As for cheap rents and rates I'd like to point out that we pay the going rate on the rent and rates. We don't get any discount for being a charity.

Have you checked whether you're entitled to reliefs? See HMRC's links to information about charity business rates relief.

As to your original question, I think the answer may well be "it depends" - but I'm not a lawyer.

Some clothes have trademarks or brands on them (I'm thinking of Levis jeans and Disney, but there are plenty more). If you were to remove the trademarks, or do something that made it look as though you were passing off somebody else's branded goods as your own, that might get you in hot water.

If you modify the clothes so much that they're entirely you're own design, I think you'd be fine.

Exactly where the line is between those two things I don't know.

But I'm afraid I agree with others about the overall problem with perception. Whether or not you're *actually* doing anything that would harm the charity, I think it *looks* as though you're taking advantage of your position.

Could you buy the clothes from a different charity shop, run by a different charity, instead? If not, that adds to the perception of a conflict of interest. If you can, you might as well do that.

ntb1

Just to add you'll be paying the market rate for rents but as a registered charity your entailed to an 80% reduction in rates.

As far as buying the hard to sell stuff I would have thought its better for you to buy it than Ragman it. As long as your upfront with the charity then I wouldn't see an issue

DKLS

If your going to make ny decent money you need to start getting the first pick obviously you cant do that with what comes in direct, Does your charity use a rag mill service?, If so I would approach them direct and ask them to save "vintage" for you. Which you would normally pay the Mill x amount per KG and a "Tip" to the rag pullers.

However that may have already been sewn up by other clothes dealers also may be worth broadening your horizons for stuff that you wouldnt customise but could sell on, e.g. Antigue and Vintage linens sell very well, and if you can find an original Sex Pistols t-shirt in good nick you could sell that for 10K!

Charityworker

Thanks for your replies. I think that if I buy the clothes from the shop I work in I'll get frowned on for 'getting first pick, conflict of interests' etc but if I buy the clothes from another charity shop I'll get frowned on for not supporting the charity I'm woking for. So I cant win. I'll have to rethink.