Should rich people buy from charity shops?

[CricutKeeno]

I saw a post from a well known celeb mum on Instagram, she had bought a pram from a charity shop for her baby. My first thought was wow! That’s surprising and great that she’d buy from a charity shop. But then I thought that it could be stopping someone who couldn’t afford a new one from being able to get it.

This mum has a silly amount of money at her disposal, should people like that not buy new, and leave the cheaper options for those who don’t have a choice? If so, then where do you draw the line? Maybe her buying a second hand buggy won’t make a difference to anyone else, or perhaps it could encourage others to shop from charity shops who might not think to, maybe that’s a good thing?

I think it is fine

Would you need to have a means tested entry policy on the door?

Anything to raise the profile of buying secondhand is good, surely. As others have said, there are plenty of prams and other baby equipment around.

In our area people often leave things on their drive with a "free, please take" note. I'm sure it is the same elsewhere.

@LostMySocks

If celebrities and 'rich' people use charity shops it reduces the stigma of buying preloved. So many people go into debt to buy the latest pram.

Yes good point

Ime some people are very snobby about charity shops

The purpose of charity shops is to sell clothes to raise money for a specific charity. They’re not trying to provide cheap clothes for people on low incomes - that not their purpose.
Saying that rich people should buy clothes from charity shops is saying they shouldn’t support that charity.

Generally it’s people with higher incomes who have the time to potter around charity shops finding clothes. It’s much more time and money efficient to buy from primark.

Charity shops are useful and helpful in so many ways, not just to provide affordable things and raise money for charity. This rich person is supporting all the good things that charity shops do. Charity shops are:

• place to donate things you can't use and keep them out of landfill

-A place for volunteers to meet people and find a sense of purpose (the place I volunteer has many retired volunteers whose social circle has started to narrow and also people with mental health problems which affect their ability to work) -A place to go for a browse and a chat if you are lonely -A place to find bargains -A way to raise money for charity

There is still a stigma about buying second hand things. Many poor people make sacrifices to buy new things, which seems sad and unnecessary to me (I love old stuff myself). If some rich famous person helps take away the stigma around secondhand goods, that's great.

I work in a charity shop and we aim to provide affordable things to people in need AS WELL as making money for charity. Anyone is welcome.

Good for the environment to buy second hand, good for the charity (which is the reason for the shop, to fundraise).

“Rich” people have always used charity shops. They also mend and reuse. Most of their furniture is from parents/grandparents/great grandparents and in fact many of their other things too. The disposable lifestyle as far as I can see mostly a different group.

@LaurieFairyCake

EVERYONE should re use and recycle (and of course reduce)

She will likely spend her money on other things that all go into the economy

I'm trying to get my courage up to buy those left over foods from the app to reduce food waste - but I'm so uncomfortable doing it when people with even less money than me could go and get the 'magic bags'

I had this discussion with DP yesterday and he said the same thing. But, I perceive things like ‘too good to go’ are about reducing waste rather than providing a community benefit. It’s about encouraging companies to sell off (so there’s something in it for them) stuff they’d usually just bin at the end of the day. It’s a marketing gimmick really.

By me a lot of stuff on too good to go is from places based in business areas or retail parks and likely to be taken up by people casually in the area or workers. The costs of travelling to/from these locations often outweighs the saving so it’s picked up by people already close by.

OP - charity shops don’t exist to give charity, they’re raising money for charity.

I do have some issues with some of their pricing (instances where they charge more/the same for an equivalent new item - it’s just daft) but breaking down the notion that buying second hand/pre-loved is only something poor people do is a good thing from an environmental pov.

Prams are an excellent example, they’re used for such a short time in relation to the length of time they’re used it’s horrifically wasteful for peoples automatic preference to be to buy new. That applies to pretty much everything baby related tbh.

I think that many lower income people wouldn't dream of buying secondhand stuff. They are horrified at the thought of it and maybe believe their peers would look down on them for doing it.
Personally I have no issue with buying secondhand or from charity shops and do so frequently. There's no way I could afford half the stuff I buy if i was buying brand new. Each to their own I guess.

In my experience rich people often donate the best stuff, so they should be allowed to buy things too.

Depends what you mean by 'rich' ?

@5zeds

“Rich” people have always used charity shops. They also mend and reuse. Most of their furniture is from parents/grandparents/great grandparents and in fact many of their other things too. The disposable lifestyle as far as I can see mostly a different group.

Yes we've always repaired things where possible and some furniture in our house is from relatives.

I repair clothes as well if I can

We're not rich btw

Charity shop manager here! Everyone is welcome to the shop, people donate things which other people buy, so in effect, recycling ...the buyer gets a bargain, the donor gets some space and the knowledge their things are being used and loved again and the charity makes some money. Win/win/win.

YABU - good on her for doing her bit to reuse. What gives you the right to say who should and shouldn't buy things from charity shops?

There's never been a shortage of good, second hand prams about. People are reluctant to buy second hand, IME. I couldn't sell my gorgeous, lightly used pram.

Nah, I think she was doing a good thing.

Have recently re-discovered charity shops in an effort to be more sustainable. They're amazing gems, and it'd be brilliant if more people got into them - rich and poor. Good on her!

I try to bring a (small) bag of donations whenever I visit. I haven't bought me or the kids any brand new clothes in well over a year now. Charities are getting money and all the stuff is getting well used.

Our local food bank accept buggies, so donating there is always an option for people who want their old buggy to go to someone who would otherwise struggle to afford it.

What do you class as rich, OP?

I think charity shops really support reuse and recycling and we should all be using them, never mind how much money anyone has. We also use "too good to use" to stop food waste - although I have noticed that people who advertise food on this app sometimes seem to indicate that they may think we are poor (rather than preventing waste).

While I don't think that rich folk should leave the used stuff for the poor folk (I mean wrong in so many ways), I have before thought particularly with tech stuff, for there to be used tech stuff for people to buy, there does need to be people buying new tech stuff to sell and donate their old?

At least she’s showing people with a lot less money that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with 2nd hand. From all I’ve ever read, it’s often people with very little to spare who think they must buy everything new for their baby.