To think charity shops are charging too much and are losing their way.

[TheoriginalLEM]

I appreciate that they are wanting to raise as much money as possible for their various causes but they are charging way over the odds for many things now.

Clothes from primark and tesco - £5?? really? probably cheaper to buy it new.

But what made me really sad tonight was walking past a charity shop window and seeing toys being sold at really expensive prices. Some mega block dragon sets £15 £17 for some hotwheels tracks. Both really bashed up boxes, obviously secondhand.

Now charity shops have become trendy, i think they have forgotten, that whilst this isn't their primary aim, they used to be a godsend to parents with little money. They could go to the charity shop and pick up some half decent toys for their children for christmas etc. I'm lucky, i can afford to get my DD new toys, i would have bought the megablocks if they had been reasonable, as an extra but not at £15 - sale lost.

So where do parents with little cash have to go now? poundland? cheap plastic tat that wont last five minutes. When they used to be able to pick up half decent stuff in charity shops.

Like i said, their aim is to raise money but ive seen back rooms of charity shops with bag upon bag of "stuff" ready to be sorted and put on the shelves. I have lost count of the times ive left something on the shelf because ive been unsure of it, but if it were a couple of pounds i would have bought it and taken the chance. I can't afford to shell out a fiver on something that might not fit and i don't always have time to try things on if i ve just popped in. So whereas i might have gone and bought 2 or 3 tops for a £2 each spending £6 on stuff they were GIVEN, i leave with nothing because i think either, no, not taking the chance, or fuck that i can buy it in tesco for that price.

Its the toys that have made me feel sad tonight.

[TwoSmellyDogs]

I agree with you entirely. I blame eBay actually. They all look up what stuff fetches on eBay and think they've got the bloody crown jewels too. Whatever's wrong with the concept of turnover - price it cheap, shift it out, new stuff in. The way they're doing it now just pisses people off.

[rollonthesummer]

I agree!

I have got some real bargains in charity shops, but some near me are selling Tesco/Primark/George clothes for the price they cost!!? Have they put up the price to pay their staff or are they volunteers?


There was also someone on here a week or two back who bought a clock radio that when she got home, found it didn't work. People on here were saying what did she expect for £4!!?

[kennyp]

there's a macmillan shop in sussex (if you're there?!?!?) which is hugely reasonable. but oxfam and heart foundation and age concern i find far too expensive. usually £6-£8 for a top, like you said.

and without having to leave the sofa (/loo/bed/etc) you can get something from ebay for less, even with postage. sighs

[Lelania]

I think that shops for the smaller local charities are often cheaper. But I don't think you can blame the shops for getting as much as they can.

[Akire]

Oh yes I find bigger chains are the worst like you say oblivtory £4.99 for top you can get new. I know they have rents but you are more happy to take a risk on a top if it was £2.99.

I also find a lot second books really expensive, considering a lot of new books like autobiography a end up in pound shop a year later they still sell them at high price.

[northern78]

I saw a sample of shampoo (one you get free in a magazine) for 50p in one. Yes yanbu op although there are bargains to be had.

[Timri]

I agree! As for the £4 clock, I would expect anything I bought from a charity shop to be working unless stated it didn't (for parts maybe? I don't know, I don't buy 'parts' for anything!).
Yeah, you'd expect for it to be a bit battered round the edges, but it should bloody work

[wasonthelist]

I think this very regional - and even then can vary a lot between shops. There are loads around me, some are very good, others terrible. I was a bit taken aback in a BHF shop where a woman customer was angrilly and agressively trying to knock down all the prices - not in a nice way at all, just beinv rude and agressive.

I guess popular stuff may be expensive, but this year I've had a few real out and out bargains.

[Ubik1]

At one of ours you can buy used IKEA furniture at a higher price than new

Charity shops are expensive

[wasonthelist]

Oh, and kids books and toys are very reasonable prices in my local Ageuk

[notquitehuman]

The bigger charity shops round here are a complete rip off. I can get cheaper clothes on eBay, and it's easier to find the stuff I want. They tend to be run more like a business nowadays, with paid staff instead of volunteers.

Luckily, my local hospice shop is still nice and cheap and has all sorts of stuff including furniture.

[TheoriginalLEM]

I just think they would sell much more (and have less stuff hanging around!) if they sold it more cheaply. It really comes to something when you have to think about a charity shop buy!

Saying that, i do get bargains - a lovely leather jacket for DP, hardly worn if at all. Happily paid £10 for it. Felt quite guilty when we googled and saw they are £200 new.

It does matter what shop it is too. The sense shop near us has started selling new stuff too, it is utter shit and its not cheap.

The other week there was a child handknitted jumper - they wanted £4 for it. Fair enough, wool isn't cheap, would take AGES to knit. But it had shrunk in the wash and was pretty much unwearable!

[MillionToOneChances]

One I've tried a few times (and given up on) sells small jars of old buttons for £5

YANBU

[Preminstreltension]

Agree. A used cotton jacket from Zara for £30

[wasonthelist]

Actually the most expensive charity shop near me is open infrequently, dark and dingy and packed to the rafters with undesireable items at ludicrous prices - it's for our local hospice.

[eastwest]

I agree with you. Some of the ones near me are overpriced. I see things that look good but then double-take at the price. Others in areas where there are less people with more money than sense aren't so bad, but I reckon the shops near us have sussed that there are a lot of well-off people who like to 'shop vintage' locally & will pay the prices. Sadly there are also a lot of poor people who are losing out.

[WotNoLoobrush]

YANBU

[eastwest]

Books can be had for nowt, but that's books...

[desperatelyseekingamovingdate]

I live in a town with a lot of charity shops ( i used to love a bit of charity shop shopping). The big names are very expensive, as previously said £4.50 for a tesco top that probably only cost £6 before it got bobbled and started to smell of someone elses perfume.

I have found a few good things but really i am better off in primark or peacocks. The ones near me are very selective on what they take, a well know charity shop wouldnt take a baby bouncer as it was a health and safety risk??!! or my old bread maker as i didnt have the manual, the next door local cause type charity shop happily took both items.

I was on hollday in wales and picked up 3 books for a £1 but the ones near me all charge £1.50-2.50 each.

I know their aim is to support the work of the charity but they get charitable tax status, free goods, volunteer staff, reduced business rates etc and since clothes etc are so cheap they really arent doing themselves any favours.

[BackInTheRealWorld]

I absolutely agree.
I can't afford to shop in Oxfam. Seriously!

[revealall]

Also agree. There is so much stuff out there now they will struggle unless they offer something different to Facebook selling or eBay.

[EvansOvalPiesYumYum]

A friend and I went into a charity shop one day about six or seven years ago. We saw an ancient, very faded and tatty t-shirt carrying the Winfield label (for those of you old enough to remember, it was Woolworth's own adult range of clothes, which they hadn't done for MANY, many years). T-shirt was on sale at the 'bargain' price of £4.25.

We did laugh

[Tanfastic]

I agree. I used to love a good rummage in a charity shop but they've become overpriced.

I've also been put off giving since overhearing the staff in my local shop moaning after someone dropped off a bin bag of stuff (before they'd even opened it). The back room was stuffed to the rafters of bags and bags which is probably why.

You would think in that case they'd lower the prices to get rid but oh no!

[desperatelyseekingamovingdate]

I now tend to use freecycle, i know its full of people getting stuff to car boot! but i have given stuff away to people who genuinely need it and i have also received some very good stuff.

[Timri]

'They should be wearing masks!'