More Charity Shop Bargains for 2018 & beyond!

Pollycat

Lucy5781 said:

Only Barnardos open here so far. No kids clothing. All sent away to make room for other stock, which was at least a third formal work wear and evening dresses. 

What do they think people need to buy right now?? Um.... Not office attire and evening wear. 

 

Oh, I don't know.

I'm absolutely desperate for a new evening gown to wear when cleaning my cooker.

Must match my marigolds though.

For some reason, typing that ^^^^ has brought an image of Margot Leadbetter (The Good Life) to mind

suki1964

I had to go into the big town last week so thought a bit of charity shopping was in order

Once again, foiled in my attempts

Only the two open, the local rescue one which is furniture and knick knacks and Oxfam

Oxfam had barely a thing in there that wasn't part of their new stuff. Seems they have taken the clothes racks out to make social distancing possible and the walls were just their jewellery and bits of which I had no interest in

Footpather

clyndu said:

DD went round the charity shops after her physio, she was after a couple of mens shirt for a project she is doing. The prices were higher than pre lockdown, £5-£14 for m&s etc. So she came home empty handed.

I would have thought it would have been better all round to minimise their prices to get stock moving, get money in and to help those who are struggling.  They are going to have a huge amount of stuff coming in so it would be better to get it shifted than to hold out for silly prices.

DigForVictory

I need help (well, that you probably knew already)
A really fun work colleague is about to become a Vicar's Wife when his missus is ordained - please could you nominate a good Jam cookbook as a gag gift? (Or any other 'suitable' gifts for the role?) I've already teased him that I do hope it can all go ahead, Distanced, as I'd already bought a Hat...

helensbiggestfan

Footpather said:

clyndu said:

DD went round the charity shops after her physio, she was after a couple of mens shirt for a project she is doing. The prices were higher than pre lockdown, £5-£14 for m&s etc. So she came home empty handed.

I would have thought it would have been better all round to minimise their prices to get stock moving, get money in and to help those who are struggling.  They are going to have a huge amount of stuff coming in so it would be better to get it shifted than to hold out for silly prices.

So true.    A quick turn round of stock and get the money rolling in.....Sound business sense.  

I used to volunteer at a charity shop, part of a chain.  Gave up in the end because the decisions from head office were ridiculous. They really hadn't a clue about regional variations and how pricing had to reflect the pockets of the locals.  They had a one size fits all pricing policy and you weren't allowed to deviate.  The manager constantly tried to tell them that our shop was in one of the poorer areas of our city where unemployment was above average and where our customers really didn't have much money.  It limps along, whereas a couple of other charity outfits In the same shopping precinct that price accordingly do a roaring trade.  They pitched their business to meet the market conditions. 

The prices are keen so people snap up the goods there and then because they know that if they delay and think it over the item will be gone.  This means a very quick turnover of stock so there is always something new on the rails, which in turn increases footfall and keeps the money coming in so they flourish whilst the one that won't budge in prices falls further and further behind.....same old tired stock and same  high prices.  People know this so donations also decrease.  It's a vicious circle. 

The bods at head office kept blaming the manager of course.  She got paid a pittance anyway so in the end she quit. Can't say as I blame her.  No matter how much you believe in the charity to have your experience ignored, to be paid less than half of what you could earn in a "normal" shop and then to be yelled at because you aren't meeting targets is enough to make anyone feel aggrieved.  Especially when you can see your "competitors" flourishing because they are doing exactly what you have advised your line management what needs to happen.  

Bogof_OAP

Some c/shops I won't even go into now as I know the prices are silly.  Walking past and they are often empty except for a bored person behind the counter.  Defeats the whole object really.

Rosa_Damascena

DigForVictory said:

I need help (well, that you probably knew already)
A really fun work colleague is about to become a Vicar's Wife when his missus is ordained - please could you nominate a good Jam cookbook as a gag gift? (Or any other 'suitable' gifts for the role?) I've already teased him that I do hope it can all go ahead, Distanced, as I'd already bought a Hat...

I have a fully illustrated copy of the Karma Sutra (a chazzer purchase of course). Couldn't be less appropriate 

tessie_bear

d f v what about a womens institute book ? dont they make a lot of tea so a teapot might be good x

Pollycat

tessie_bear said:

d f v what about a womens institute book ? dont they make a lot of tea so a teapot might be good x

I recall this recent post:

MrsStepford said:

The Women's Institute Book of 650 Favourite Recipes arrived today. 

Or just Google 'jam making'. There's some reasonable priced books on Amazon (but we have Prime so mostly free delivery).

DigForVictory

The essential words will be spoken over Zoom with a Cathedral ceremony hoped for in September. Meanwhile, a pinny and a book on eccelesiastical flower arranging have been sourced... The jam making volumes have stuck to my bookcase, for some reason. (Yes, it's been scrubbed.)