Charity shops/second-hand stores

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  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 7,029
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    I'm an assistant manager in a charity shop and I think it's quite surprising how much new stock we actually receive. I'm talking about expensive dresses that still have price tags attached, shoes that are barely worn, that sort of thing. A few weeks ago someone donated a rug that I bought for myself. Obviously brand new and when I looked online similar ones were retailing for upwards of £80!

    Also the staff in our shop, including paid staff such as myself, receive 20% discounts on items. Many staff members reserve items but few rarely take their discount when purchasing.
  • TrollHunterTrollHunter Posts: 12,496
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    Who sets the price if the goods? There's a few in town and some of the stuff is barely cheaper than buying online. When I questioned this I was informed that "we have to try and stay competitive with Amazon".
    No you don't. You're selling stuff that was given to you ergo it's free and whatever price you put on it is profit.

    Surely the original business model of charity shops was for more off folk to donate goods that less well off folk could buy. By now pricing the less well off folk out, it's turning into just another retail outfit rather than a traditional charity shop.

    Well, it's like that where I live anyway.
  • stoatiestoatie Posts: 78,106
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    Who sets the price if the goods? There's a few in town and some of the stuff is barely cheaper than buying online. When I questioned this I was informed that "we have to try and stay competitive with Amazon".
    No you don't. You're selling stuff that was given to you ergo it's free and whatever price you put on it is profit.

    Surely the original business model of charity shops was for more off folk to donate goods that less well off folk could buy. By now pricing the less well off folk out, it's turning into just another retail outfit rather than a traditional charity shop.

    Well, it's like that where I live anyway.

    That doesn't make any sense. You don't increase your prices to be competitive.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 11,313
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    I love mooching in a charity shop!

    I knit so finding odds and ends of yarn is great and often you can get a lot of matching, good quality wool and then find a project to use it with.

    I love looking through the bits and bobs, my favourite buy was probably was 1920 typewriter, it's brilliant. I've got old brass scales with the cool little weights and a big brass iron. The stuff you find is brilliant.

    And I do buy the clothes. There is stuff there with labels still on, why would you not buy it because it's in a charity shop? I got a coat last year, some expensive designer branded thing that was a perfect fit and really 'me'. That still had the label attached, the spare button and all that stuff. Cost a tenner, it's brilliant :)
  • TrollHunterTrollHunter Posts: 12,496
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    stoatie wrote: »
    That doesn't make any sense. You don't increase your prices to be competitive.

    Actually, I may have got that wrong. They were explaining the prices were comparable with Amazon. Still not right though seeing as the goods are second hand.
  • Dragonlady 25Dragonlady 25 Posts: 8,587
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    Charity shops are brilliant!!

    Isn't it funny what people will buy? My mum always told me that paper bred germs so we never swapped comics and now I wouldn't buy second hand books. :o

    The only real jaw-dropping moment I had in a charity shop was when I heard someone asking for a discount. I was astounded!!

    I remember seeing a very expensive piece of Coal Port china woefully under-priced. I told the manageress and she looked at me as though I was stupid. Maybe I was, but in all conscience I could not have bought it. It makes me cross when folks buy things for coppers and sell them for a fortune. If they bought the item years ago, not realising it's value, fair enough but looking for things to sell is, for me, like stealing from the charity.
  • TakaeTakae Posts: 13,555
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    I remember seeing a very expensive piece of Coal Port china woefully under-priced. I told the manageress and she looked at me as though I was stupid. Maybe I was, but in all conscience I could not have bought it.

    I did when I was 12, and I was punished for it. In one charity shop (which stank), I spotted four dark wooden netsuke in a small lid-less, badly-dented biscuit tin. Each was priced 20 pence.

    I grew up with my grandfather's huge collection of netsuke of all types - miniature carved containers, cord holders, figurines and puzzles. Pronunciation: nets-keh. In that charity shop, I could see those four pieces were worth a lot more than 20 pence each because those were cord holders.

    Cord holders are so small - usually either the size of a 10-pence coin or 50-pence coin - that they're easily lost or accidentally thrown away, which makes the surviving ones highly collectible. A well-crafted cord holder can fetch up to £400, averaging at around £150. Although dirty, those four were in excellent condition.

    Buy those on the sly or let the counter lady know? The devil on my shoulder was heavy enough to get me to buy the lot. Gave them to Granddad as a gift. He was suspicious enough to demand an explanation.

    Next day, he took me to the charity shop where he forced me to apologise for being dishonest. Then he paid the 'correct' amount - £770 - for those items. I made him so angry - for pointing out that a bargain is a bargain is a bargain - that he didn't give me a red envelope on New Year's Day a few months later. :cry::D
  • netcurtainsnetcurtains Posts: 23,494
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    There is a fabulous charity shop not far from me, everything's a quid and the old ladies that work there are fab.

    I don't really go in the trendy charity shops like BHF and the like anymore. I got bored of seeing second hand Primark fodder priced higher than it would have been new.

    The best time to go shopping is in January when all the ungrateful swines have given away their unwanted xmas gifts. Lots of bargains to be had then.
  • LaVieEnRoseLaVieEnRose Posts: 12,836
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    Takae wrote: »
    I did when I was 12, and I was punished for it. In one charity shop (which stank), I spotted four dark wooden netsuke in a small lid-less, badly-dented biscuit tin. Each was priced 20 pence.

    I grew up with my grandfather's huge collection of netsuke of all types - miniature carved containers, cord holders, figurines and puzzles. Pronunciation: nets-keh. In that charity shop, I could see those four pieces were worth a lot more than 20 pence each because those were cord holders.

    Cord holders are so small - usually either the size of a 10-pence coin or 50-pence coin - that they're easily lost or accidentally thrown away, which makes the surviving ones highly collectible. A well-crafted cord holder can fetch up to £400, averaging at around £150. Although dirty, those four were in excellent condition.

    Buy those on the sly or let the counter lady know? The devil on my shoulder was heavy enough to get me to buy the lot. Gave them to Granddad as a gift. He was suspicious enough to demand an explanation.

    Next day, he took me to the charity shop where he forced me to apologise for being dishonest. Then he paid the 'correct' amount - £770 - for those items. I made him so angry - for pointing out that a bargain is a bargain is a bargain - that he didn't give me a red envelope on New Year's Day a few months later. :cry::D

    How very rude and ungrateful of your grandfather. What a disgusting way to treat a child. I hope you never gave him a present again after that. >:(
  • TakaeTakae Posts: 13,555
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    How very rude and ungrateful of your grandfather. What a disgusting way to treat a child. I hope you never gave him a present again after that. >:(

    Nah. He was a good guy. Just happened to be one of the last generation that abhorred dishonesty and bad manners, regardless of age, gender, social status, etc.

    He generally spoiled us grandkids, but usually took the hard line when we did something dishonest. That incident taught me not to take advantage of ignorance again and that was what all he wanted, really. :)
  • BluescopeBluescope Posts: 3,432
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    I go in charity shops when i am out in town. I mainly looking for books, DVD or games. to be honest all the books shops apart from WHS have closed down so they are one of the few places you can still buy them.

    I only got one today for the grand sum of 69 pence :). I do tend to treat them more like a library when i have over filled my bookcase I have a clear out and take my unwanted books back to the shop.

    I have heard a number of people asking for discounts mostly little old Indian women i think they just like to haggle but the store reply is always the same the price is the price.

    I don't buy cloths but I do donate all my old clothes.
  • Danny_GirlDanny_Girl Posts: 2,763
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    I like to pop into them if I'm out for a walk, I often find good deals on books and dvd's. I don't generally look for clothes as I'm a large lady and don't imagine there would be much in my size, but I've found some good deals for my daughter.

    Does anyone still own a VHS player these days? I see quite a few tapes on sale, I think the last time I watched a video was more than 6 years ago.

    When my kids were very small, I would buy quite a lot of 2nd hand clothes as baby clothes are often in very good condition due to the short span of time that kids wear them and outgrow them.

    Do you go into charity shops or steer clear of them?

    My daughter is a student so not much money and she loves vintage so a lot of her clothes come from charity shops.

    I do wonder what impact e-readers will have on charity stores as a lot of their revenue comes from second hand books. I used to go in to buy books but since I bought the kindle I never do. A shame Amazon couldn't set up some sort of scheme where you could donate read kindle books to a charity shop Internet site who could then sell them on once more.
  • The WizardThe Wizard Posts: 11,071
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    Our town is overrun with charity shops. Mainly due to high rents and the fact that nobody else can make a living in this one horse town so any abandoned empty shops just get filled with charity shops which people use as a place to dump their unwanted junk because it's far easier than making a trip in the car to the local tip. House clearances are a favourite where often people dump stuff without realising how much it's all worth.

    People tend to call in while they're on a walk around for somewhere to go for a quick nosey around but usually walk out without spending any money. Occasionally you might get the odd bargain. That's if the shop owner hasn't got their first by putting all the good stuff aside for themselves so they can flog it on eBay. It's a well known fact around here that any decent stuff that gets taken in, the volunteers get first pick before it goes on sale to the public which is why I'd rather try and sell it in the local paper before offloading it on them.

    I imagine whatever these people make from it, the charity sees very little of the profits. Some people even make a living from picking up bargains from charity shops and selling them on for a tidy profit.
  • The WizardThe Wizard Posts: 11,071
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    iHelix wrote: »
    I'm an assistant manager in a charity shop and I think it's quite surprising how much new stock we actually receive. I'm talking about expensive dresses that still have price tags attached, shoes that are barely worn, that sort of thing. A few weeks ago someone donated a rug that I bought for myself. Obviously brand new and when I looked online similar ones were retailing for upwards of £80!

    Also the staff in our shop, including paid staff such as myself, receive 20% discounts on items. Many staff members reserve items but few rarely take their discount when purchasing.

    So basically you get given some quite valuable items which staff get first dibs on and on top of that you even manage to get them at 20% less than the public would have to pay. So not only do you get first pick of all the bargains but you don't even have to pay the going price for them. This is why I stopped giving to charity shops. The charity itself sees very little of the true value of such nearly new items which could raise far more money for the given charity. The rest of the unwanted tatt gets put out in the shop as unwanted crap for everyone else while the staff get to reserve and cream off all the good stuff for themselves possibly to be sold off on eBay for their own selfish gain.

    I'm not saying that you do that but you've just managed to highlight how it's possible and I know for a fact that it does happen and some people manage to even make a tidy little sideline from it.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 7,029
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    The Wizard wrote: »
    So basically you get given some quite valuable items which staff get first dibs on and on top of that you even manage to get them at 20% less than the public would have to pay. So not only do you get first pick of all the bargains but you don't even have to pay the going price for them. This is why I stopped giving to charity shops. The charity itself sees very little of the true value of such nearly new items which could raise far more money for the given charity. The rest of the unwanted tatt gets put out in the shop as unwanted crap for everyone else while the staff get to reserve and cream off all the good stuff for themselves possibly to be sold off on eBay for their own selfish gain.

    I'm not saying that you do that but you've just managed to highlight how it's possible and I know for a fact that it does happen and some people manage to even make a tidy little sideline from it.

    Actually no, the vast majority of items we get reach the shop floor. It makes it sound like staff members rifle through donation bags with the sole purpose of finding items for themselves, which doesn't happen. The brand new items I described previously usually find their way to sale because none of the staff members want them. In fact it's usually items that are already on the shop floor that staff members spot and put away for themselves.

    But yes, occasionally staff members find items for themselves and put them away. When they come to buy them they are not priced any lower as a favour, and like I said many staff members decline to take the discount so pay the exact price that any member of public would've paid. And I know for a fact nobody sells on eBay as we used to have someone who did that a while ago and it was highly frowned upon. If we get any very expensive items such as designer items worth hundreds or art that is valued at a high price, the manager's manager takes it and sells it on eBay.

    Nevertheless, I honestly don't see the issue with volunteers being able to at least have the ability to purchase items before members of the public. They're donating their time out of their own kindness, and for some people that's a lot of time, and it's not like they spend that time simply rummaging through items looking for stuff they can sell for themselves. I don't know how it is elsewhere but it's not like that here.
  • twassingtontwassington Posts: 163,146
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    I work for an animal charity, and we have a charity shop which our branch runs almost entirely with volunteers. If they ask to buy something before it goes on the shop floor, the manager will price it exactly as if it were being put on the racks/shelves and the volunteer will pay that price. Often, since they are all supporters of the animal charity themselves, they actually give more. At other times we are given items we are not able by law to re-sell, such as a rack of kitchen knives, which I gave a decent donation for and have myself.

    Yes, volunteers do have to go through items donated since many of them are dirty, only fit for selling as rags, broken or unsuitable for resale [such as the knives] and therefore they do occasionally uncover items they would like to have themselves. However, it is the manager's decision and if an item is considered valuable we make sure the charity will receive the best return from it however it is sold.
  • Fairyprincess0Fairyprincess0 Posts: 30,038
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    I think Ill be wandering down to the big charity shop on road, see if they have any new videos this afternoon.

    I've only got about eight spaces left on my shelf. I'll have to start being choosy.....
  • MadamfluffMadamfluff Posts: 3,310
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    iHelix wrote: »
    Actually no, the vast majority of items we get reach the shop floor. It makes it sound like staff members rifle through donation bags with the sole purpose of finding items for themselves, which doesn't happen. The brand new items I described previously usually find their way to sale because none of the staff members want them. In fact it's usually items that are already on the shop floor that staff members spot and put away for themselves.

    But yes, occasionally staff members find items for themselves and put them away. When they come to buy them they are not priced any lower as a favour, and like I said many staff members decline to take the discount so pay the exact price that any member of public would've paid. And I know for a fact nobody sells on eBay as we used to have someone who did that a while ago and it was highly frowned upon. If we get any very expensive items such as designer items worth hundreds or art that is valued at a high price, the manager's manager takes it and sells it on eBay.

    Nevertheless, I honestly don't see the issue with volunteers being able to at least have the ability to purchase items before members of the public. They're donating their time out of their own kindness, and for some people that's a lot of time, and it's not like they spend that time simply rummaging through items looking for stuff they can sell for themselves. I don't know how it is elsewhere but it's not like that here.

    I am the manager of a charity shop and I agree with you, in fact as manager I cant even price goods I want to buy for myself my assistant manager has to do that, and I can only buy goods on a monday when my assistant manager is with me as I am not allowed to put my own purchases through the till and no other staff member has the authority to put a discount through the till.

    I too have heard stories about old ladies filling up their car with goods and selling in car boots or ebay, I have worked/volunteered for the RSPCA, BHF Salvation Army and Cancer research and I have NEVER seen this happen, in fact when I was asst manager at BHF I had to sign a contract that forbade to me to have an ebay account or sell anything at a carboot sale

    People forget that even free clothes have a price attached to them in the form of business rates, electricity charges, rent and staff costs my Charity even has to pay for a TV License to run a screen with a looped information video on, someone dumped 5 boxes of videos outside my door the other day, I am not allowed to sell them, no other charity shop wanted them so my Charity will gave to pay the bin men extra next week to take them away, so some 'free goods' actually cost the Charity money and its getting worse with people just dumping stuff on us thats only fit for the bin.
  • Fairyprincess0Fairyprincess0 Posts: 30,038
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    Bluescope wrote: »
    I go in charity shops when i am out in town. I mainly looking for books, DVD or games. to be honest all the books shops apart from WHS have closed down so they are one of the few places you can still buy them.

    I only got one today for the grand sum of 69 pence :). I do tend to treat them more like a library when i have over filled my bookcase I have a clear out and take my unwanted books back to the shop.

    I have heard a number of people asking for discounts mostly little old Indian women i think they just like to haggle but the store reply is always the same the price is the price.

    I don't buy cloths but I do donate all my old clothes.

    I've started doing the same thing, only I've been treating them like a video library. 10p a tape. And if I don't like it, back it goes......
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 7,029
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    Madamfluff wrote: »
    I am the manager of a charity shop and I agree with you, in fact as manager I cant even price goods I want to buy for myself my assistant manager has to do that, and I can only buy goods on a monday when my assistant manager is with me as I am not allowed to put my own purchases through the till and no other staff member has the authority to put a discount through the till.

    I too have heard stories about old ladies filling up their car with goods and selling in car boots or ebay, I have worked/volunteered for the RSPCA, BHF Salvation Army and Cancer research and I have NEVER seen this happen, in fact when I was asst manager at BHF I had to sign a contract that forbade to me to have an ebay account or sell anything at a carboot sale

    People forget that even free clothes have a price attached to them in the form of business rates, electricity charges, rent and staff costs my Charity even has to pay for a TV License to run a screen with a looped information video on, someone dumped 5 boxes of videos outside my door the other day, I am not allowed to sell them, no other charity shop wanted them so my Charity will gave to pay the bin men extra next week to take them away, so some 'free goods' actually cost the Charity money and its getting worse with people just dumping stuff on us thats only fit for the bin.

    Your first point is very true here, also. No staff members here, paid or otherwise, are allowed to price items and pay for them without another member of staff present, preferably either the manager, me, or the other asst. manager. The transaction has to be observed and then recorded in a book. It would be highly unethical for me or anyone else to price an item and pay for it entirely without input from someone else there to observe correct procedure taking place.

    Your last point is very true here, also. Often people will dump electrical goods on us despite us not being able to test them to make sure they're safe, therefore we can't sell them. Sometimes staff members put in a donation and take something but usually they go in the bin and take up huge amounts of space in doing so. We too have had donations just dumped outside the front door so I have no choice but to take them in first thing in the morning. A lot of people donate excellent things that keep us in business, and we're grateful for that, but sometimes people seem to prefer unloading all their unusable junk on us rather than go the extra few miles to the tip, which ultimately costs us money. It's irritating but there's really nothing you can do about it, unfortunately.
  • StratusSphereStratusSphere Posts: 2,813
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    If he/she is making a profit out of charity shop donations, then they should be thoroughly ashamed. Unless they're giving the carboot profits to the charity?

    I absolutely disagree.

    The whole charity shop model is great anyway. People get rid of stuff they don't want in their houses by giving it to the charity shop, just to get it out of their hair if they cant be bothered with the effort of auctioning it. The charity shop sells it on for a cheap price to anyone who wants to buy it (stuff the shop hasnt paid for, by the way) and the money goes to the charity and paying the shop workers.

    If the person who BUYS something from the charity shop then wants to sell it on, thats entirely their perogative and their decision. They've ALREADY paid for it and given the money to charity, the thing is now theirs to make money off if they so desire.

    After all they've already done their bit giving money to charity for what is already a second-hand piece of someone else's junk that the original person, if they hadnt given it to the shop, wouldve thrown out.
  • Frankie_LittleFrankie_Little Posts: 9,271
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    I absolutely disagree.

    The whole charity shop model is great anyway. People get rid of stuff they don't want in their houses by giving it to the charity shop, just to get it out of their hair if they cant be bothered with the effort of auctioning it. The charity shop sells it on for a cheap price to anyone who wants to buy it (stuff the shop hasnt paid for, by the way) and the money goes to the charity and paying the shop workers.

    If the person who BUYS something from the charity shop then wants to sell it on, thats entirely their perogative and their decision. They've ALREADY paid for it and given the money to charity, the thing is now theirs to make money off if they so desire.

    After all they've already done their bit giving money to charity for what is already a second-hand piece of someone else's junk that the original person, if they hadnt given it to the shop, wouldve thrown out.
    The person referred to in the original post wasn't an average charity shop customer - if that was the case, you are absolutely correct. It was the fact this carboot seller is the manager of a charity shop which makes the whole thing a bit dubious, in my opinion.
  • annette kurtenannette kurten Posts: 39,543
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    The person referred to in the original post wasn't an average charity shop customer - if that was the case, you are absolutely correct. It was the fact this carboot seller is the manager of a charity shop which makes the whole thing a bit dubious, in my opinion.

    not a manager, just a normal volunteer as far as i know, also i might be jumping to unfair conclusions.
  • stoatiestoatie Posts: 78,106
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    The person referred to in the original post wasn't an average charity shop customer - if that was the case, you are absolutely correct. It was the fact this carboot seller is the manager of a charity shop which makes the whole thing a bit dubious, in my opinion.

    Yeah, that's the difference. As I say, managers have been fired for that before- point being, if you can make that much money out of a donation you should be making it for the charity.

    Although I know some of our more provincial stores use car boot sales to raise money for the charity as well.
  • Frankie_LittleFrankie_Little Posts: 9,271
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    stoatie wrote: »
    Yeah, that's the difference. As I say, managers have been fired for that before- point being, if you can make that much money out of a donation you should be making it for the charity.

    Although I know some of our more provincial stores use car boot sales to raise money for the charity as well.
    Selling donated goods at a car boot sale to raise money for the charity is absolutely fine. But if anyone working for the charity shop, whether they volunteer or are in a paid role, filches items donated, then sells them on for personal profit, then that is immoral, in my opinion.

    But I don't have a problem with a customer buying a garment off the £1 rail and flogging it elsewhere for a tenner, for example.
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