Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

or is my local charity shop having a laugh?

107 replies

AmberNectarine · 22/11/2011 12:09

Just popped in for a quick browse, and was staggered at the prices:

Not terribly nice Kurt Geiger flats - £45
Radley bag - £100
Primark acrylic jumper - £6.50

Haven't done any charity shopping since I moved to the area (though have dropped off a couple of bags) but is this the norm now? While I appreciate they are trying to make money for the charity, surely people would buy new rather than pay these prices? As a case in point we bought MIL a Radley last Xmas - it was £95 but John Lewis were doing a 20% disount so it ended up being seventy-something, and it was brand new...

Flame me if I'm wide of the mark here but aren't they going to put themselves out of business?

OP posts:
FootballFriendSays · 22/11/2011 12:11

Did they misplace a dot in the price somewhere?

have you just moved to Wimbledon? :)

AKMD · 22/11/2011 12:12

YANBU, sounds ridiculous to me.

wahwahwah · 22/11/2011 12:13

Notting Hill?

MissIngaFewmarbles · 22/11/2011 12:14

YANBU. We have loads of charity shops near us. Most of them are pretty reasonable but one is most as mad as that, last time it was £20 for a dress from Tesco Shock

typicalvirgo · 22/11/2011 12:15

oxfam was it ?

fuckityfuckfuckfuck · 22/11/2011 12:16

yanbu. SO many don't know the value of what they're selling, and overprice a lot. Likewise, some underprice. I don't expect to pay pennies in charity shops anymore, but I do wish they'd set a fair price, rather than a fiver for some bobbled up, out of style piece of Primark crap. I got the dc a huge (seriously, massive, I struggled to carry it home) bag of Lego this morning, which has the medieval castle, pirate ship and lots of random bits as well for £17. A lot for a charity shop maybe, but definately a fair price, and I have no objection to that. I cannot wait for them to open it at Christmas :)

Original poster
AmberNectarine · 22/11/2011 12:18

Football you're very close!

It wasn't Oxfam, but an independent hospice charity shop, which makes it worse in a way, as I imagine the hospice depends on the income stream!

OP posts:
JAMW · 22/11/2011 12:18

My auntie is always in charity shops and looking out for baby bits for DS. She said the old ladies have no concept of prices, a single primark (bobbly old) newborn vest was £6! You can get a pack of five for that!

BluddyMoFo · 22/11/2011 12:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mrspear · 22/11/2011 12:21

when i worked for Oxfam we had a price list to adhere too where shops were graded. Personally i would think it would be in the hospices best interest to know if you can be bothered to write an e-mail

MrsVoltar · 22/11/2011 12:22

Some of the charity shops have crazy prices, although never seen as bad as that OP.

Have seen M&Co tops for £4.50 (which is what they would cost new in the M&Co sale)

Similar stuff from Tesco, Asda, Primark. I've bought jeans in Primark for £1, if I donated them to charity they'd probably put £5 price on them Confused

ItWasABoojum · 22/11/2011 12:23

YANBU - I always think charity shops should work in more than one way. Yes, they make money for their causes, which is great of course, but they're also important for people who can't afford to buy new for whatever reason. One of my best friends is on disability benefit and buys everything from charity shops because it's all she can afford. And because she doesn't work, she is able to volunteer there one day a week. It's a win-win situation, and charity shops charging extortionate prices jeopardise that sort of relationship.

fuzzynavel · 22/11/2011 12:26

YANBU -

Only go in to them in my area "Fulham" to have a good tut these days. Ever since that bloody Mary whats her name got involved.

hardboiledpossum · 22/11/2011 12:28

Are you in Clapham? There is a charity shop I used to go into that was great for bargins but now I don't bother as it's too expensive.

NinkyNonker · 22/11/2011 12:30

Prices seem to have gone up since eBay, so I guess they are trying to make up their losses.

AKMD · 22/11/2011 12:30

Another point is why do people donate horrible, stained, dirty clothes? I don't bother donating Primark because I know it will get amrked up for more than the original selling price. The local charity shop loves me :o

margherita76 · 22/11/2011 12:33

I agree- it is absurd.

As other posters have said I don't mind paying if it is a fair price but all the supermarket and primark tat is now as expensive to buy as it was first time round. Which makes me think the pricers have no idea. Conversely, yesterday I saw a Cos dress for the same price as a Primark dress. I suppose you could say that I profit from that but I would rather the Cos dress was at a fair price and the Primark dress in a big basket for the 20p it is worth.

plupervert · 22/11/2011 12:34

Maybe they are trying to minimise the cost of disposing of crap donations - getting rid of stuff does cost charities business - but if so, they would be more sensible to sell off at 10p, to avoid the cost and claw a little something back, rather than have it hanging around for ages.

At the worst, one of the volunteers could "cheat" the cost to the charity of disposal by freecycling things which won't/can't sell.

Bobbly Primark crap indeed!

corygal · 22/11/2011 12:35

What staggers me most is not the goods' comic overpricing, but the fact that they sell.

Hailing from south London, where most of the not-so yummy mummy stuff on offer is only good for a laugh, I'm bewildered at the store policies - is that the telephone number of the shop or the price on that dead Matalan vest?

I asked an Oxfam shop manager why it sells. She said "Most of our customers usually shop in M&S and think that they're getting a bargain if our goods are priced less. Also, a lot of our customers are quite old and the cheap clothing revolution has passed them by."

EricNorthmansMistress · 22/11/2011 12:36

Hahaha you wouldn't see those prices where I live :) I got two pairs of trousers for DS, two complete puzzles, 30 day shred DVD and a story book for £6.50 last week.

DeliaSucks · 22/11/2011 12:37

Our local furniture charity shop definitely takes the piss with prices. Over £100 for a grotty looking sofa. YANBU.

KRITIQ · 22/11/2011 12:37

It is a bit mad in some shops. I've seen a few used items from Primark, Tesco, etc. that I know are priced higher than they were originally in the shop.

Not all charity shops do this and not for all items. Just as with any shop, I won't buy something unless I want it and the price is right for the item.

Twice I've got lovely Kurt Geiger shoes for under a fiver. Best buy was probably the large black leather Radley rucksack (minus doggy) for £3.

Bluebell99 · 22/11/2011 12:38

i went in one last week, and they had a pair of scuffed jane shilton boots for £99! That was the Blue Cross.
And maybe I should start another post about WHSmiths and their 20% off lego prices which still makes it more expensive to buy it there than anywhere else. For example Harry Potter lego bus rrp £29.99 Whsmith is selling it for £40 with 20% off so £32 but making you think you have a bargain. Makes my blood boil.

margherita76 · 22/11/2011 12:39

Cory, that is sad isn't it- that people have no idea and think they are getting a bargain. Exploitative in fact.

Also I hate all the new shite they are selling. Like soaps and honey and crappy baskets. WHY?? who buys it?

corygal · 22/11/2011 12:42

Speaking as a Londoner, I can certify ebay is now cheaper than charity shops.

Which is sad because charity shops should be a local resource for their community as well as a grabbit for their various causes (after all, that's why the local council gives them such cheap rent and rates).

On the upside, the third lot of ethical issues - recycling, waste reduction, general greenery - are just as well fulfilled by ebay.