AIBU to think charity shops are there to make money, not provide cheap stuff?

[TinfoilHattie]

Cards on the table - I'm a volunteer at a charity shop. One of the large ones which has branches nationwide.

We have one regular "customer" who is nicknamed the Smiling Assassin by the volunteers because she comes in a lot (3 or 4 times a week), smiles and says hello to everyone, then spends the next 5 minutes bitching about the prices. She rarely buys anything. She is of the opinion that our shop is there to provide her with cheap stuff. Cheap as in 50p for practically everything. She is horrified when volunteers explain that we're trying to raise as much as we can for the charity, and the best way of doing that is by pricing realistically - not giving away Jaeger suits or "mother of the bride" type outfits for £1.

She was particularly horrified and commented loudly on a bracelet we have in the cabinet priced at £170 - it's antique, 18 ct gold, emerald and sapphire, and has been valued by a jeweller. We would be daft pricing it at £19.99, even if it is the most expensive item in the shop by a long way

So anyway, what do you think charity shops are there for - raising money or providing cheap things?

(Disclaimer before everyone starts about their local charity shop which prices bobbled Primark tops at £29.99 - mistakes happen, stuff slips through the net. Even if the manager has a "price to sell" policy, she/he isn't going to check each and every item and some items will be priced too high or too low by well-meaning volunteers.).

Sure some things may be overpriced in a charity shop but surely the ones donating the unwearable items are as much to blame.

Charity shops are not junk shops for your £1 Primark cast-offs or the knackered, bobbly jumper thats been sat in your wardrobe for last 12 years. There are plenty of other places for those such as a clothes bin, collection bag (many round my area just want the items for the weight, not the item itself) or even just make yourself 50p per kg or however much.

Some people do donate bags of stuff which should have gone straight in the bin - half coloured in colouring books, chipped crockery or broken glasses, CD cases with no CDs inside, odd socks, board games with half the pieces missing.

It takes time to sort through the dross and recycle/bin it, and stuff which goes in the bin costs money to dispose of as we are charged commercial waste rates to empty the big waste bins. Not so fussed about bobbled jumpers as at least those can go to be ragged and recycled. It's the other stuff which can't be recycled which does my head in.

lordanthony Well the effect has been that when I was in a position to afford buying my own clothes new I donated them to that store when I was finished with them. I also have cash to that charity. Yes they gave me a £70 suit, which they hadn't sold BTW as it was priced high, but over the following 5 years I probably gave back to them about £150 in donations and cash. They helped me out when I was in need and I didn't forget that. I would imagine most people in my shoes would do the same.

Got a cute skirt for 99p just now in our local Barnardo's, so not all charity shops are the £8 Primark t-shirt jobbies!

Do you really think a charity shop is the place a buyer is willing to spend £170 on a bracelet? You'll be better off flogging it to a local jeweller and let them sell it on.

Considering all stock is acquired for free how do you determine the value? £20 for a £30 jacket that cost the charity shop nothing is a piss take.

Things are worth what people are prepared to pay for them NPG. If someone walks in to a charity shop sees the donated jacket which they hadn't seen in New Look originally (or had seen it but not fancied paying 30 quid) likes it and is prepared to pay 20 quid for it then who are you to say that that's wrong? Is it immoral for the starving children of Yemen, or cancer research or the local hospice to receive more money than you think the jacket is objectively worth?

Now if it won't sell at twenty quid then that's a different story, but if it will sell then why the hell shouldn't the shop charge as much as someone will freely chose to pay?

Are CS open to offers? CS are a bit like car boot sales with people flogging unwanted stuff, but woth BS you are able to offer what you are prepared to pay.