To think charity shops should be cheaper?

[Chocolatelover45]

The prices in my local charity shops are ridiculous (small northern town) .
E.g.
£2.50 for a rattle
£1 for a scuffed pint glass
£3.99 for a children's t shirt (George)
£1.50 for dog eared children's paperbacks
£4 for hardback puzzle book with half the puzzles already completed
£2.49 for 4 small plain Christmas baubles

Why do they charge so much? Surely they'd sell a lot more if it was cheaper? Or is there a good reason?

I agree. Several years ago my mentioned she'd seen a coffee maker in the local charity shop and was going to buy t if it was still there we t time she went past. Later that day, I happened to be nearby and thought I'd check it out. It looked well used and before buying, I decided to check prices of new ones in the local department store. Price of a new one, with two year guarantee from the department store was £2 more expensive than the bashed up, no guarantee, charity shop one. Guess which one I bought?

This year, I was looking for a particular item and thought Harry shops would be my best bet. Again, charity shop items were only a £ or so cheaper than new. I know that the money is going to charity, but as a pp said, they used to be good places to pick up a few decent items of clothing at a price that was affordable for the less well off. I think those days have long gone.

I agree with you OP. I used to love going to charity shops, as a good dig around would often source a great find. These days, not only can I not afford the great find, but I can barely afford the tat. I prefer second hand to the likes of Primary, but when they're selling ratty Primark stuff at Primark prices, I'm not using the charity shop.

I agree op. I bet they'd make more money if they lowered their prices. I know a charity shop locally that sells (almost) everything for £1, they get loads of through put and hardly have anything stored out the back. Their main thing though is to stop stuff going to landfill.

I agree. I live on a poor area and there are no vintage bargains or cheap Boden dresses to be had. It's all overpriced rubbish. One of our local charity shops was charging a pound for an opened bottle of Asda shower gel... no thanks.

If you can buy the stuff cheaper elsewhere then buying at a charity shop becomes a lifestyle choice, even a luxury. If you are really struggling financially you would avoid them and go to a supermarket or Primark. Which is mind boggling. No wonder they can't shift the stuff, people aren't stupid.

It's the same where I live. It used to be you could get 3 kids t shirts for a quid. Now they are 2 or 3 quid each, which isn't sustainable. I am a primary teacher and we have had to start, as well as a foodbank, a clothing bank. Because yes - 4 quid for school shirts in Tesco IS too much for some and now even charity shops are overpriced.

My nearest shop ( in an extremely deprived rural area) was selling school trousers from Tesco at 2.50. New ones are less once you've saved up for the double pack they come in.

My litmus test was the sally army store. It always had good stuff priced well for the people that needed it but now it's gone colour coded hanger bollocks. Nothing is dirt cheap. It's all priced for a middle class that does not exist where we live.

My local charity shop sells pound shop books for £1.50. Primark tops for £4. Why would anyone pay more for secondhand when they can buy unused for less? It makes no sense to me.

When I lived in Bristol a charity shop there sold everything for a quid. They turned over thousands a week, much more than their 'boutique' type sister store in a swanky part of town.

There were no changing rooms, so people, me included would just buy loads of items, maybe 8 / 10 if they had good stuff in, try it on at home, and give it back to the chazza if no good, they did a roaring trade!!

My local shop now is like yours OP, absolute crap at top end prices, I never go there.

There was a thread not so long ago about this may of been an ask me anything. Really eye opening about pricing in charity shops.

I do agree with you though. When you've got a bobbly primark top in the charity shop marked at £5 then the top is in primark at £3 you do have to wonder what is going on.

I volunteer at an op shop in Australia and I have noticed the prices creeping up. We have a mix of customers, those most in need are given a $25 gift card to spend how they please, but that doesnt go too far when clothing is $6 a piece. We do get buyers who are looking to make money on ebay, all sorts really. I think we are over priced but head office drive the pricing and we have little say. We have lots of donations and any that dont sell after 4 weeks go to the city shops, so I guess they dont want us to sell out as we are part of the main supply chain. If someone is in need I give them stuff at what they can afford, sod the pricing.

I've seen primark stuff in charity shops selling for more than it does in primark!

I think it's to do with EBay. People nowadays but stuff from charity shops and then sell it for a higher price on EBay. Charity shops are trying to sell it fior EBay prices themselves.

YANBU in that some charity shops have shocking prices I think it’s mostly down to luck of the draw and who the staff are. Some have absolutely no clue about pricing.

I have found that some of the shops are run by retired women (well off) and have no clue of the prices that they should be charging. They have little or no understanding for those who are struggling to buy an item 2nd hand. 6.99 for a packet of cheap Xmas cards etc, it's crazy

Why would I spend only £2-3 less than the price for it brand new??

For some people that is all they can afford.

@Iwantacookie - was that one by an incredibly supercilious OP? Might not have been that one but unfortunately there was a thread with a charity shop worker posting that was sufficiently unpleasant about customers giving to charity shops, not that this was her attention, that I have stopped donating

I think it depends on the charity shop. I have found some wonderful bargains in certain ones. Examples being a Shnuggle baby bath for a fiver, Rebel Girls book for £2 and a girls Joules coat for £2.50.

However my local BHF furniture store is just ridiculous. They advertise beds and sofas in the window that cost a similar amount brand new.

I think it's to do with EBay.

I think this is true too. A local charity shop was good until they went on eBay, now they’ve majorly hiked the prices up.

The second has gone by the wayside somewhat. Maybe because a lot of the people who shop in charity shops nowadays can afford to shop elsewhere but just like a bargain? Providing cheap clothing for people who couldn't otherwise afford it is one thing, providing cheap clothing for comfortably-off shoppers who could easily pay more isn't quite so obviously a Hood Thing.

I agree OP. They used to be cheaper to help poorer shoppers, not just the charity.

I recently heard that some people haggle in charity shops! Wtf!

Sprucetree I agree it’s linked to eBay reselling however charity shops need to understand what sells on eBay and what doesn’t. Primark and supermarket clothes aren’t that desirable. It’s the labels that do.

what I was just about to post about BHF. The sofas are mega bucks. Yet the electrical items are cheap and I believe they have a warranty. 40 quid for a dishwasher and 250 quid for an 80's style suite.

Find a jumble sale - 20p and item!!
Some charity shops are way over priced and it’s greed.
Some have millions in legacies left to them in wills

When I was a child, we didn't have Primark cheap clothes or Amazon bargain prices on toys.

Bigger corporations make stuff cheaper, sell cheaper, but rents etc go up and I think this has a bearing on the issue.

I recently heard that some people haggle in charity shops! Wtf!

It's surprising how many people think nothing of doing this.