Charity shop donations

[Seymour5]

I'm a volunteer in a charity shop, and it's an eye opener. The items for sale are gratefully received, even unsaleable old and torn clothing is sold in bulk, as are damaged books.

However, donations regularly include: Chipped and cracked ceramics and glass; bog standard odd plates, cups, saucers; odd bits of cutlery; ancient plastic utensils; bags full of plastic coathangers; shoes with soles hanging off; opened and part used toiletries; broken toys.

My question is, who do donors think would buy a broken toy for their child? Or a filthy, plastic drainer, or a torn lampshade?

@PurpleFrames

Is it right that you get paid for rags recycling though? That's why I would give clothes in not the best condition rather than just bin them- perhaps that's wrong?

Obviously I do donate decent things too

If you want to give them rags you need to ask the charity first if they accept them, and then if so put them in a different bag and either label it or make it clear when you give it to them that they’re rags.

Not just put them in with other stuff. Volunteers don’t have endless time to sort through crap.

!⬆️ This exactly !

... try vintage cash cow for your metal items! completly missing the point

Have to say, I'm always really careful what goes in the charity bag. If I wouldn't buy it as second hand I won't put it in.
I do run the school thrift shop and there are two extremes: people who iron the clothes the donate, and people who hand in manky stuff!

Odd mugs were brilliant for a local nursery PTA I used to help. We found that the kitchen we used never had more than a couple of mugs for tea and coffee so instead of going to Argos and spend £10 we went to a couple of local charity shops and purchased a load of mismatched mugs for 20p each.
They were the type given as freebies from companies etc so nobody else really wanted them.

bog standard odd plates, cups, saucers; odd bits of cutlery; ancient plastic utensils; bags full of plastic coathangers

All things I have bought from charity shops before. What's wrong with them?

I just wish people would consider ' would I buy it/use it/wear it?' before chucking it in a bag for a charity.

I struggle with that sort of wording when clearing stuff out, because, well, if it’s something I would buy / use / wear, then it’s something that’s going to be staying in my house. I’m not going to be getting rid of it in the first place.

The stuff I give to charity is, by definition, not something I would buy again / wear / use, even if it’s something that’s never been used and is still in the original packaging / with tags on.

It makes my brain itch.
I find it’s more helpful to think, is it something that’s in a decent enough condition for me to be comfortable with passing it onto a relative / friend?

(Assuming they were the right size / interested in that sort of things)
If it’s not, then I put it in the bin or take it to the tip.

But back to the original topic, I think that some people are more concerned about getting crap out of their house quickly than about considering whether it’s in a good enough condition to go to a charity shop.

I always double check my charity bags to make sure everything is clean and neat and definitely in decent condition before it goes. The one time I did give worn clothes, I purposely bagged them all up together and gave them to a shop I knew kept a rag bag for money and asked if they would take them for that purpose. Still made sure everything was clean.

I used to work in one and we got some disgusting things in. People are disgusting and thoughtless. Worst was a used nappy which I think got into a bag by mistake but was revolting to deal with.

Cutlery & crockery odds and sods is a great category though- handy for students (ime a full canteen of cutlery just gets picked off by halls mates and flat mates) and work place kitchens (pre covid, anyway). My work place kitchen has the dregs of my old cutlery set from uni, my old toaster and random china donations from all of us! We always need more plates, bowls and spoons!

I don’t work in a charity shop but I agree. I donate quite a bit to the local shop here but would never donate crap like your explain! It’s just lazy of them!

I'm currently sorting through my late DP's clothes etc. It wouldn't occur to me to take the shabby jeans he wore for decorating and working on his motorbikes to a charity shop, so I sort everything into two piles: decent stuff (including shirts and jeans that have never been worn and still have their price tags on) and shite, that I take to the tip.

I'm a bit that people use charity shops for stuff that really belongs at the tip, tbh.

Off topic but I was in Oxfam this week and as a change from the Christmas music being played elsewhere they had Lou Reed blaring out the song that has They’re taking her children away because she was not a good mother...made me laugh anyway ( the sentiment, not the wailing children).

I tend to think charity shops have a better idea what to do with slightly odd stuff than I do. And they can give things away to where they are needed. That could be the thinking behind the false leg, for example- the shop would know of a charity that sends unwanted prosthetics where they are needed.

It amazes me what people buy, why would I use my own judgement about what other people want, when I don't want the item myself?

@PurpleFrames yes, we get money for unsaleable textiles, as rags. Thank you, very happy to have those.

@HeidiHoNeighbour we do have to explain that we can't accept furniture and electrical goods. We do it pleasantly, and point out the charity shop round the corner that sells furniture and electricsl goods. They PAT test for safety.

@Rainbowandscarlett like the false leg! Not had one of those, but we've had the container from a commode (empty thank goodness). You never know whats in the next bag!

I used to volunteer in a charity shop and well remember donning the Marigolds and an apron before dealing with the next black bin bag. And the mad requests; no, I don't need to go to the back to check if there's an admiral's dress uniform hat there...

@thedevilinablackdress

Different charity shops have different style/approach/standards. Some are traditional, chuck it all in, no colour co-ordinating or matching hangers. Others are more boutique-y and would only put out naice things. I love a rummage in the mismatched cutlery and deadstock 80s tights.

This. Often smaller, one off charity shops will sell anything. There's a local hospice that has several shops, one of which sells stuff that isn't in good enough condition for the main shops. Lots of odd bits and pieces.

Others prefer to have co-ordinating displays, books in good order, clean, unbroken toys rather than resembling a jumble sale.

@picklemewalnuts

I tend to think charity shops have a better idea what to do with slightly odd stuff than I do. And they can give things away to where they are needed. That could be the thinking behind the false leg, for example- the shop would know of a charity that sends unwanted prosthetics where they are needed.

It amazes me what people buy, why would I use my own judgement about what other people want, when I don't want the item myself?

Sorry but this is not true of most charity shops. They take as many donations as they have space for and try to sell what they can to raise funds for their cause, and they use volunteers to keep costs down. They don’t have time and resources to track down places that will take the things no one else wants, and it costs the charity money to dispose of stuff.

That's a shame. We've sent some valuable but odd things in the past- small collectible steam engines of some kind. 'Course that was pre internet and being able to Google/eBay and find out what was what.

This is why I tend to put stuff on our local Facebook free page. I'd much rather something went to someone who actually wants it than sits on a shelf in a charity shop gathering dust on the off chance that someone browsing will see it. I still donate money to charities, and buy from charity shops, but my bags of old books and kitchenware are given away these days.

Is it right that you get paid for rags recycling though? That's why I would give clothes in not the best condition rather than just bin them- perhaps that's wrong?

Usually we would if the bag was clearly marked but at the moment everyone seems to be having a clear out and everything has to be quarantined in limited space.

I tend to think charity shops have a better idea what to do with slightly odd stuff than I do. And they can give things away to where they are needed. That could be the thinking behind the false leg, for example- the shop would know of a charity that sends unwanted prosthetics where they are needed.

How would the shop be able to transport it to the other shops? Most shops are tiny and don't have enough room to be storing stuff for other charity shops.

Thing is, while you might think something a bit broken or knackered could still be useful, odds are most people won't and certainly wouldn't pay money for it. People expect charity shops to have good quality stuff, and having loads of tatty broken items makes it look like a dump. It also makes people more prone to haggling as they expect everything to be cheaper and cheaper if they see lots of items for 20p/50p etc. We used to have a rule that if it wasn't worth a quid, it didn't go out.

@slashlover re transport to other shops. Where I worked, we had a few other branches and used to have delivery drivers who would help rotate and transfer stock. Other places probably have similar.

How would the shop be able to transport it to the other shops? Most shops are tiny and don't have enough room to be storing stuff for other charity shops.

Some charities do exactly that. Donations are collected from shops and processed centrally. The best stuff might be sold at auctions out via e Bay and the rest redistributed back to shops. I imagine Barnardo's do this as they have two tiers of shops. One 'regular' and one '99p' ( I think it's still that).
But true that many just do not have the storage. This year especially, I ask if they've got the room before I hand over stuff.

Lots of people are lazy, thoughtless bastards. They take crap to the charity shop because they can't be arsed to take it to the tip.

I wouldn't dream of sending any old shit to the charity. Clothes are washed and pressed, bric-a-brac is clean and nicely wrapped. Only things in good saleable condition. Rags go into rag bags which I label accordingly.

I think charity shops do a brilliant job.

re transport to other shops. Where I worked, we had a few other branches and used to have delivery drivers who would help rotate and transfer stock. Other places probably have similar.

Some charities do exactly that. Donations are collected from shops and processed centrally. The best stuff might be sold at auctions out via e Bay and the rest redistributed back to shops. I imagine Barnardo's do this as they have two tiers of shops. One 'regular' and one '99p' ( I think it's still that).
But true that many just do not have the storage. This year especially, I ask if they've got the room before I hand over stuff.

I work in a charity shop and while we do move them between different branches, we would not move them to a completely different charity which is what the post I was replying to stated.

That could be the thinking behind the false leg, for example- the shop would know of a charity that sends unwanted prosthetics where they are needed.

Like people who donate their Christmas decs in January.