Charity shops - expensive?

pigpen

Jack's_mummy wrote: »

Trust me they do. I volunteer in a shop and it's amazing the dirty stuff that comes in. I have been known to retch at the smells of some stuff unpacking it._pale_ It doesn't get put out for sale though. We sell all our rags for money for the hospice.

I often take a bag of 'rags' and make sure they know it is rags and not to be sniffing it!! lol.. it is usually washed first but that doesn't make it pleasant.

My friend once took in a bag of rags and went in next week to find half of it on sale!!!

I do know someone who buys a whole set of clothes from charity shop wears it day and night until it can practically stand up and walk itself then he bins it and buys a new set!!! :eek::eek:

Jack's_mummy

pigpen wrote: »

I often take a bag of 'rags' and make sure they know it is rags and not to be sniffing it!! lol.. it is usually washed first but that doesn't make it pleasant.

Thankyou for telling them. If only everyone was as considerate

Floss

Barneysmom wrote: »

I don't really go any more, Asda etc is much cheaper.
I went to one in Alderly Edge once and a jacket was £40.00
Handbag £100 :eek: - for a handbag, they're having a laugh.

That's because the WAG's who donated them probably volunteer there & will be pricing the goods!

Reverbe

monkeymonkeymonkey wrote: »

I don't know how 'good' a person you are if you have absolutely no sympathy whatsoever for the pathetic plight of a person who has to steal clothes from a charity shop! Whatever your opinions about it, I don't really see what their race has to do with it, anyway.

Monkey they don't HAVE to steal that's my point. You can bet your bottom dollar that they eat better than I do - they all look well fed and quite frankly a lot of them smoke. I have never smoked but they can find the money for that can they not.Like I said I wouldnt steal if I was starving , homeless and penniless as I would never be able to live with myself. Beside there is benefits and charities and even dumpsters to dive in. There is no excuse for stealing. That's the trouble these days. People just don't think there is anything wrong with stealing.

I'd thank you not to question my morals and principles. I am the most generous person I have ever met, I ALWAYS put other people first on EVERY occasion and if I won any money would always give all of it to charity.No matter how badly off my situation I always give time and money to charities as they are worse off than myself and far more deserving. But monkey do feel free to knock a person of moral fibre and generous caring nature if it makes your day to do so.

annie-c

pigpen wrote: »

I do know someone who buys a whole set of clothes from charity shop wears it day and night until it can practically stand up and walk itself then he bins it and buys a new set!!! :eek::eek:

that made me spit my coffee out!

Mini_Bear

Im not sure if anyone has previously mentioned this but many charity shops also sell more valuable items on ebay now. With so many people out of work there are a lot of voluntary positions in these shops for people to price items, and as younger people come on board pirces will inevitably increase to market levels. I know this because my brother puts the items on ebay for a charity, he also knows all the branded clothing and how much it should be priced at (tho he doesnt price extortionately).
I think many people will vote with their feet and go to the independent charity shops, the larger chains like oxfam will then have to lower their prices.

suered

Pigpen - do you really have ELEVEN charity shops in your high street? where is it pretty please?

LizD_2

I don't think i'm going to bother with my local charity shops anymore - they've all but one racked their prices up a lot over the last six months (either that or I'm getting tighter!). I have PDSA, Red Cross, local hospice (always the most expensive) and CLIC Sargent just at the top of my road, but considering I went to a jumble sale on Saturday and bought 4 good tops for 20p each, the shops just can't compete.

Austin_Allegro

LaurenManchester wrote: »

I picked up a couple of old 'take a break' and 'chat' magazines in a charity shop last year for my nan who'll read anything and everything - no price on them, but I thought they'd be 5 or 10p maybe.

£1 a mag :eek: - according to the woman at the till, they're 'first editions' so 'you should expect to pay a fair price for them'. I started laughing, then realised she was serious. What planet was she on? They're only about 60p new!

I don't bother with the charity shops near me anymore - £1.50+ for smelly, battered paperbacks, clothes costing more than new. I used to browse every week, but when I realised I hadn't bought anything for months, I stopped. Now, I probably only go in once every month. Surely my 2 or 3 50p books a week brought them more cash than 1 or 2 £1.50 every couple of months? The ones near me will close soon I'm sure, they've priced themselves out.

PMSL! That is hilarious, a 'first edition' Take a Break!!! Hahaha!

I've noticed a lot of charity shops sell mass-market paperbacks for around £2.50. I suspect this is because it slightly undercuts the 1p + £2.60 postage you pay for most paperbacks on Amazon now.

On that note I'd like to give a plug if I may for my favourite charity shop, the North London Hospice Shop in Muswell Hill, London N10, that sells 5 books for a pound and also has a 10p book basket.

I also know a lot of good stuff gets diverted to specialist antique and designer charity shops as well, which is why you may not always see very good stuff in your local shops even if it's being donated.

Personally if I worked for a charity shop, I would just value everything that came in at slightly less than Ebay/Amazon prices, that way you would know it was as near to fair market value as you could get, though I guess it's a bit of a pain if the shop doesn't have a PC or internet access.

missminnie_2

They have got very expensive. Books are ridiculously priced, I saw a handbag in a local one a couple of weeks back for £75! I didn't recognise the brand name either.

I tend to get my books from Amnesty International, they have a bargain bin outside the shop where all books are 20p. I've picked up some nice things from there.