Donating a designer bag to charity?

[TheWatchersCouncil]

I have a Louis Vuitton bag that I don't use and would like to donate to charity. Does anyone have any ideas on how to do this sensibly? Yes, I could just pop into my nearest charity shop and donate it, but I am concerned that they may not mark it up for its true value. I'd hate someone to just go - oh look a brown bag and mark it up for £50. Or someone to go, oh it must be a fake (it's not). I want them to get the maximum they can for the bag!

I am in North London, but can easily get to Central. My preference would be for cancer charities, homeless charities or kids.

Thank you!

[73dexter]

Could you sell the bag yourself and then donate the money?

[dalek]

Would it be possible for you to sell it as you will know what it is worth and then donate the proceeds to the charity of your choice?

I would guess that if it is actually for sale in the charity shop it will go for less than it is worth.

Good luck xx

[dalek]

Great minds Dexter

[TheWatchersCouncil]

Can't be bothered to be honest. If I sold it through a consignment shop, then 50% would go in fees. And Ebay is fraught when it comes to selling designer bags. Just too much hassle.

[AveEldon]

If you gift aid it then you will get sent a letter saying how much they sold your stuff for
Otherwise there are a couple of designer shops eg Oxfam but I can't remember where

[Corygal1]

Please please don't donate it to cancer research UK - they only spend a quarter of their donations on cancer, there's been a huge row about it
recently in the papers & they are now pretty horribly discredited.

Please do donate it to Trinity Hospice, or Royal Trinity Hospice, which does amazing work for the dying & is a small London outfit that spends 98 per cent on its patients. They will ebay it for you & you can see how much they make. Gift aid it and you give them an extra 25 per cent.

[ExasperatedAlmostAlways]

How much would it sell for, maybe someone on here would buy it then you could donate the cash.

[LondonStill83]

I work for a charity- you could donate it to me :-)

[QuiteLikely5]

Post a picture here? Or a link

[TheWatchersCouncil]

Cory - am professionally involved with palliative care, so would be very happy for it to go towards a hospice. Trinity Hospice is fab . Do you know how I would get it to them? Or if I hand it in at any of their shops, will it automatically find its way into the 'designer stuff to be ebayed' system?

Exasperated - not allowed to sell on these pages!

London - it's an option!!

It's a Petit Noe in dark brown Epi leather with silver hardware. Generally in good condition.

[TheWatchersCouncil]

Cory - am professionally involved with palliative care, so would be very happy for it to go towards a hospice. Trinity Hospice is fab . Do you know how I would get it to them? Or if I hand it in at any of their shops, will it automatically find its way into the 'designer stuff to be ebayed' system?

Exasperated - not allowed to sell on these pages!

London - it's an option!!

It's a Petit Noe in dark brown Epi leather with silver hardware. Generally in good condition.

[NoAdventureNoTime]

You could give it to your local Sue Ryder store, ask for the manager to take it who WILL know and price it at its worth, as we have designer sections. We have many hospices where the money directly goes, so it stays local and if you can gift aid it we get an extra 25p on top of every £1 that your bag raises from the government at no cost to you.

[TheWatchersCouncil]

Thanks Adventure - also an option, and there is a Sue Ryder near me. Do you work for them?

[herethereandeverywhere]

Trinity Hospice cared for my friend's husband in his last weeks. They just about held the family together with all the stress they were under. Truly amazing people and lovely, humble, grass roots charity. Should I befall cancer and still live here in London I would like them to look after me in my dying days.

It would be a great place to donate to.

[NoAdventureNoTime]

I do, a truly amazing charity with lovely volunteers.

[LadyIsabellaWrotham]

Trinity Hospice seem very on the ball about pricing - it's disappointing for shoppers who like a bargain but it's obviously brilliant when it comes to the important factor of maximising income. This page has an email address for the shops which you could contact them to ask what best to do. Or you could drop it off in the very naice Clapham High Street shop, ask for the manager, and gift aid it so you can track what they sell it for.

[Corygal1]

I've PM-ed you.

Am all proud about being a lovely volunteer.....

[bishboschone]

My sister is a manager of a cancer research shop . She is very clued up about labels etc . She ebays valuable items and checks prices etc with local shops that's sell that label . Just take it into your chosen shop , ask to see the manager and make sure she is aware it's Authentic .

[TheWatchersCouncil]

Thanks so much for everyone's suggestions. I'm going to be donating it to Trinity Hospice.

[Floggingmolly]

Well done

[PrimalLass]

I would email head office.

You are doing a lovely thing.

[Eliza22]

You are doing a lovely thing but beware....my friend used to work in a charity shop and would often say that many items never made it into the store....the volunteers would have first choice. I know that's not a nice thing to say but I've heard this first hand from someone who worked there.

I'd sell it privately then donate the money.

[bishboschone]

The volunteers are allowed to buy first but only at the price it would be sold for . No one gets things for free !

[Corygal1]

I'm afraid in some charity chains the volunteers do get first go, but at
Trinity that doesn't happen.

OP, thanks a million - I know it sounds soppy to say it, but you really have made a massive difference to someone who properly needs it - thank you so much.

[Eliza22]

Well done OP.

The shop where my friend worked used to say the staff could make a "suitable donation" but often didn't. Sad really.