Charity shop workers - please share your tips

MSE_Laura_F

We have lots of charity shop workers and volunteers posting across various threads, but I'd like to start a dedicated chat specially for their tips.

So, if you work in a charity shop, is there anything you can share with us shoppers to help us snuffle out the best treasure? For example:

• Is there a best time to visit?
• Or for people donating, are there items that are always needed?
• ...Or items you have way too many of?
• Is there a particular etiquette you wish more people would observe?
• Is there usually a section of the shop that gets overlooked, unfairly?

Most tips might be specific to a particular shop, but the more we get, the bigger picture we can get.

Thank you.

annieb64

I think it all depends on the shop. In the shop where I worked the book sorters were in on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturdays. There were no clothes sorters on Tuesdays or Thursday and Monday was probably the best day for bric a brac. 

We usually received more donations just after Christmas  and in the school holidays but things like the weather could also affect the supply of donations-nobody wants to carry boxes of books in the rain etc.

ellenvan

My tips would be.
Ask in a specific shop if you don't see something you want - e.g. they might have more brollies in the stock room.
Advice for visiting - just drop in as many times as you can - the best items get put on the shelf and go within an hour sometimes.

OrkneyStar

annieb64 said:

I think it all depends on the shop. In the shop where I worked the book sorters were in on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturdays. There were no clothes sorters on Tuesdays or Thursday and Monday was probably the best day for bric a brac. 

We usually received more donations just after Christmas  and in the school holidays but things like the weather could also affect the supply of donations-nobody wants to carry boxes of books in the rain etc.

I second this, I doubt it will be possible to give advice which applies to every charity shop - there really is a lot of trial and error, plus luck, involved in charity shopping.  I commend anyone who works in one though, based on some of the stories I have heard of what people 'donate'. My personal advice when charity shopping is always have a rough idea in your head of what you are looking for, because it's so easy just to buy because it seemed like a bargain there and then! I also agree with @ellenvan about asking if they have certain things - some things like knitting needles might be kept in the back or they may have just got something in and not had time to put it on the shelf yet!

luvchocolate

One very important fact is charities have to pay to tip rubbish. Rusty baking trays...furniture without fire labels, these are often dumped outside during closing hours. Student landlords can cost us a fortune 

Rosa_Damascena

Chazzer volunteers everywhere, you are so generous with your duty and courtesy. I think you're chaz-tastic!

flamingo747

Can I ask a question please? If I want to become a charity shop volunteer,  what advice would you give me? Hope it's okay to ask 

annieb64

First choose your charity shop. If you know someone who works in one you can ask their advice. Shops do vary a lot so find one you think you would like and has volunteers that you think you could work with, then go in and ask for a volunteer form. Most will ask for references. 

I worked in a charity shop for nearly 30 years and loved it most of the time. There was one manager I didn't like but she didn't last long. Now we have moved there are only a couple of shops in our town and they both smell a bit musty and are very untidy so I don't want to work in them. I'm taking my time and looking around.

flamingo747

Thank you @annieb64

MSE_Laura_F

Thank you so much to everyone who's shared tips for donating or buying at charity shops.

A great point from @luvchocolate about unsellable items being dumped outside charity shops and later having to be tipped.  Worth keeping in mind for anyone who's doing a post-Christmas clear-out and is headed to their local chazza shop.

The main thing I buy from charity shops is books - I have a mental wishlist of all the books and authors I'm interested in and do a quick scan of the shelves. I've had success at least once from asking if there are books by specific authors in the stock room.

If I'm passing through a posher area than the one I live in, I like to visit a charity shop to see if there are different sorts of things to my locals' fare.

weenancyinAmerica

When I was traveling to the British Isles (haven't since 2005 - but over twenty visits before that), I did all my shopping for books and souvenirs in the charity shops, jumble sales, or in the bookstores to see what was attached to the magazines! We don't have things attached to magazines here, but I got some tremendous presents for people that way as well as my favorite diary. These are what I want to travel again for - that and visiting the public libraries (who often have good book sale areas). I did go to the department stores when I visited but usually just to eat in the cafeterias and to see what was popular though seldom bought anything. At that time I could find every charity shop in some of the towns I visited the most. Coleraine and Ayr each had 13 charity shops at the time and I made it to all of them. When I dream about traveling, that is what I dream about - visiting the charity shops, for some reason Stratford upon Avon and Belfast most often.