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.).

I'm not sure.

When I donate stuff it's primarily in the hope someone who can't afford much can buy what they need, rather than for the charity itself.

Yes, that's obviously an important aim of the shop, to raise money, but I hope not the sole aim. Lots of people are facing financial troubles and need to get things cheap.

All businesses have a responsibility to benefit the local community to some degree, charity shops have historically been at the heart of that. How sad your attitude is merchantofvenice

No, my point was why do charity shops have this extra burden to support the poor, that all the other shops don't have? I'm extremely community-minded, so don't try that fake sadness on me, please.

Like most i think charity shops are there to earn for the charity and provide low priced goods to the local community. I also think some of them are becoming greedy and it is not simple pricing mistakes. I used to like shopping in a charity shop but now i rarely do as the charity shops either only have poor quality junk or are asking for the same price or even a higher price than the item would cost new in the shop it came from. Too many times i've heard or read of people saying things are too worn/damaged to sell or arrived from ebay in unwearable condition so they'll 'just dump them in the charity shop or a womens refuge' but the charity shops should be weeding out these bobbled George tops instead of selling them for the same price as they would've been new.

We spent a while gathering a set together recently in a £1 box. Expecting to pay £1 at the till for something that would've cost little more in a shop years ago we were then told it was infact £8 as each little part of the toy was priced individually despite it not being a collectible and not 'in fashion' nor in good condition. They were also charging as much for a very old early version of a leap pad type toy when you could get a recent model for the same price. They often have craft sets and games asking for more than they would cost new and sell free books for £1.

Each time i go longer before going back.

I really miss the second hand book shops in Australia. Taking old books in and getting money off your next book was fantastic! I don't think you could get away with that here...

Personally I can't believe how reasonable the charity shops I shop in are! They're a bloody lifeline! Maybe it's where I live?

I live in a little town and there's a row of maybe 20 shops, just where u can buy daily essential without going into the big town, it consists of 2 charity shops and my friends mum is manager of one all the stuff that comes In she roots though first and all the good named clothes or things with tags on the mother gives to her daughter and children for free there always dreesed nice (thanks to random strangers) also my friends mum let's my friend go through all the jewellery etc and my friend told her mum Elizabeth duke was costume jewelry when we all know its Argos. She then pawns them in o remember she once took a 18ct gold Chain and pawned it only for the customer to come bk in later in the day saying she had mistakenly put the chain in there and could she have it bk. I remember my friend running run in a panic trying To get cash together to get it bk...
Ive wanted to report them a few times but seen as her mother is the manager I wouldn't know who to report them to

Maybe over shops don't consider their customers a "burden"

*Charity shop volunteer by any chance, Merchantofvenice

The community donate to these shops - it's not like all the cheap shops selling tat. People contribute. And selling other people's second hand stuff that you're given for free at a vastly overinflated price well beyond the value or remaining life of the garment IS greedy. And a lot of people are voting with their feet.*

Couple of things, Ms Austen, if I may.

Firstly, no, I'm not a charity shop volunteer, but I have been (back in my student days). I'm intrigued that you think I would only be interested in this issue if I was personally affected. Wonder what conclusions we can draw from that.

Secondly, yes - people will always vote with their feet! That's the surest indication there is of whether a shop is doing well. So, if there are LOADS of charity shops now, does that show that they're doing well, or badly? There may be some that have got it all badly wrong, and are duly failing and closing (presumably while a whole section of MN applauds?). But I guess the others are getting on ok with their simple-minded staff and their outrageous pricing policies...

My point is, if they are so bad at what they do, they will fail, without a whole host of MNetters explaining precisely what they are doing wrong and why they are a disgrace etc.

If you hate them and their nasty smell... stay away!

Why is it ok for the OP to have to put up with this loud criticism from customers? Oh, it's because all the shit in her shop is (shudder) second-hand

That person is probably just as much of a miserable pain in every shop.

Also, Merchant , I donate nice clean good quality stuff to charity shops, and I buy books and DVDs from them. But they all DO smell in varying degrees. I don't know what it is. But it is a very particular charity shop smell, in the way that hospitals have their own smell and schools do. Conceding that charity shops smell is simply bring realistic and doesn't mean that I'm a snob.

As you know so much about them, can you tell me whether or not the donations are cleaned before sale?

Maybe over shops don't consider their customers a "burden"

Eh?

Mummysrcrazy1 what a total abuse of trust!

I don't know of one single charity shop that doesn't have a vaguely unpleasant smell. I only know of one (and I have visited many) and that's the Oxfam bookstore in Marylebone. Much as I love books I have to walk straight out again.

why price out poor people?

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

Both. I think your bracelet example is not representative of what I would expect to find (and I would expect a charity to sell it by other means), but for day to day items I would expect both the charity and the buyer to benefit from the sale of the item. I would expect the charity to benefit in terms of profit and I would expect the buyer to be able to buy items that they may not be able to otherwise afford.

I regularly donate to charity shops (and in the past have donated huge amounts) but do not donate to charity shops known for high pricing.

No, my point was why do charity shops have this extra burden to support the poor, that all the other shops don't have? Your words merchant

That person is probably just as much of a miserable pain in every shop.

I highly doubt that. It seems I do know more about them than you... From my student days, I can confirm that there ARE certain customers, as OP suggests, who harass ONLY charity shop workers, and come in looking for something for nothing, believing that the aforementioned 'charity' should be flowing in THEIR direction.

Also, Merchant , I donate nice clean good quality stuff to charity shops, and I buy books and DVDs from them. But they all DO smell in varying degrees. I don't know what it is. But it is a very particular charity shop smell, in the way that hospitals have their own smell and schools do. Conceding that charity shops smell is simply bring realistic and doesn't mean that I'm a snob.

True enough. But what is there to be gained by mentioning this odd smell? Nothing. Literally all it achieves is a brief moment of superiority for the person identifying it. Doesn't affect prices. It's kind of irrelevant.

As you know so much about them, can you tell me whether or not the donations are cleaned before sale?

No. They're not. Who is going to pay for all that labour? Some badly creased clothes are steamed. That's it. Surely people are going to wash the clothes when they get them home? V hard to believe that MNetters would do anything less...

I love charity shops and have been frequenting them regularly since being a young teen (30 yrs), both as a buyer and a donor. However, there has been some mad pricing in the few of the ones on our high street recently. I'm thinking particularly of toys such as bashed up toy cars for a pound each (not collectables, mostly old Hotwheels that you can buy new for the same price or less in Tesco). I mean, who is going to pay that when you can buy new? Things like old Sindy dolls for £16. A quick check on eBay will tell you that they are not worth that.

Most charity shops seem to charge £5 to £10 for a coat or jacket, which, if in good condition, I think is fair enough, but one charges £20-£30. I just can't imagine buying something at that price second hand (and they're not designer by any stretch).

Recently, I saw a glass vase I fancied in the window and went in to check the price: £29.99! I asked to look at the vase and there was no make on it or anything so I queried why it was priced so highly. The manager came out and said "because it's retro". I googled and the same on eBay went for about a fiver so I put it back. Nowadays, I don't buy if I consider an item to be overpriced (and I always check second-hand value on my phone).

FWIW we have in the cabinet priced at £170 - it's antique, 18 ct gold, emerald and sapphire, and has been valued by a jeweller I would not expect to pay full price for a second hand piece.
Too funny

I don't believe that charity shops are about providing cheap stuff

I'm someone who pretty much only shops in charity shops, and actually, I think that is what you're there for. If you don't see that, maybe rethink. Or lose the customers who actually need you, as opposed to the ones who chirp about their £17 charity shop bargain.

SinisterBum are you being deliberately obtuse?

The theoretical 'burden' I referred to what this idea that charity shops are supposed to provide charity for their customers - an idea that I was, if you remember, very keen to debunk.

So, they OUGHT NOT to have that extra burden. It's not part of the deal.

Their customers are customers. Not a burden. Just people, paying for stuff. With money.

I donated my child's mamas and papas rocking horse. I liked the idea of donating to charity and giving to a child whose family might not be able to afford it otherwise. I'd be pretty disgusted at any charity shop asking over a tenner for it even though it cost me over £50.

why price out poor people?

But you could say the same about any money-making scheme. They'll out-price whoever they like if it works financially. If it doesn't, they won't.

I donated my child's mamas and papas rocking horse. I liked the idea of donating to charity and giving to a child whose family might not be able to afford it otherwise. I'd be pretty disgusted at any charity shop asking over a tenner for it even though it cost me over £50.

I find this interesting. Obviously, you've done a nice thing, and it would be lovely to think of the joy some other child could get from the second-hand rocking horse.

On the other hand, it your local hospice shop could get, say, £25 for that item rather than £10, that's an extra bit of money going to a VERY, VERY good cause. Perhaps a different family would buy the toy, but that's still a second child getting joy out of it, and some extra money going to a charity that cares for the terminally ill. Is that not an even better use of resources?

Charity shops used to be for poor people, but many are now starting to think they are vintage boutiques designed to extract as much profit as possible from the gullible. Or over charge on supermarket clothes that cost less to buy new. Nobody wants to feel like they are being taken for a ride, especially if you are on a limited budget. Great if that £170 is going straight to the charity, but that £170 is going to remain fictional.

Charity shops used to be for poor people, but many are now starting to think they are vintage boutiques

I'm sorry to keep disagreeing with you, but I strongly believe you are wrong.

Charity shops have always been for raising money for charity. The fact that people with lower income found them the most useful made for a good symbiosis - but, crucially, this was not their raison d'etre.

Some charity shops ARE now, essentially, boutiques of a sort. Just as Oxfam started some specialist bookshops, some charity shops in my city have started special bridal branches and similar. Why shouldn't they? They are making money in any way they can according to the donations they receive. With the greatest respect, they don't have to run that by the city's poor first.

Everyone I know who shops in charity shops does so for a bargain. They're not going to go in to buy anything in specific, they're just going to browse and see if anything cheap takes their fancy. If there are no bargains they'll stop spending in them. I know someone who buys loads but if it was overpriced they wouldn't bother. I stopped going in when I'd see a top thinking that's alright for a couple ££ but then finding it was about £8 and Atmosphere.