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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Charity shop donations

187 replies

Seymour5 · 10/12/2020 05:57

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?

OP posts:
EveryDayIsADuvetDay · 11/12/2020 03:53

A few tears ago I had my flat refurbished. Moved out for a couple of weeks, everything in storage. Took longer than anticipated Hmm doesn't it always!
I needed to buy basics of a plate, etc. Single odds and ends in the charity shop were way more expensive than basics from Sainsburys or similar.

EveryDayIsADuvetDay · 11/12/2020 03:54

years, not tears - when's the edit function coming!!

OffredOfjune · 11/12/2020 04:18

@Vellinbracelet

Eddyf Do you ever eat out at restaurants? It's used cutlery 🍴
This. Lol.
EddyF · 11/12/2020 05:40

I have plastic cutlery wrapped in my bag. I guess high end restaurants I just suck it up. The thought of walking into a charity shop and buying used cutlery is abnormal to me. Just why?

But there are a lot of things that I have read on mumsnet that is unhygienic and problematic to me.

I also wash and clean my chicken with water, vinegar and lime (but that’s another thread).

Original poster
Seymour5 · 11/12/2020 06:02

I'm glad other CS workers and/or volunteers have posted similarly to my OP. If we can encourage people to pop their worst throwaways in their own bins, that would be great.

Our shop is one of several in our local area, another has a similar style, a couple are at the very bottom end of quality and pricing, and a couple somewhere in between. We are often complimented on our displays, because we make the shop attractive. That suits some customers, and we have many regulars. Other shoppers may prefer to have a search through less organised offerings.

OP posts:
Bookworming · 11/12/2020 07:27

Do people really have the mind space to have three boxes named Charity, tip or keep?
I know I do a specific charity clear out but I’m special

Well yes!

CaptainMyCaptain · 11/12/2020 07:35

@oldshoeuk

I would imagine used sex toys are worth a fortune in a niche market, just got to find the market for them.

I'll let someone else Google that.

My neighbour used to sell dirty, worn shoes on ebay once she discovered there was a market for them. Hmm I would imagine there's a similar niche clientele for used sex toys.
RaspberryCoulis · 11/12/2020 07:43

why would you buy cutlery/cooking pots/cups etc from a charity shop???

Because they're so easily washed? One of my favourite casserole dishes came from a charity shop.

Haven't ever come across sex toys but we did have a bag once of porn DVDs, not English language, think they were Dutch or German or something. Obviously couldn't sell them but they went to Music Magpie and I think we got quite a bit for them.

RaspberryCoulis · 11/12/2020 07:45

more opportunity for a mss as Maher

Manager, obviously.

That's what happens when you type on your phone without wearing your specs.

goopsoup · 11/12/2020 08:28

There is always a bad smell in the shops I wish they would air them out (my friend used to drag me in there to buy books).

I’ve never noticed a smell in a charity shop. Could it be a case of she who smelt it dealt it?

goopsoup · 11/12/2020 08:30

I have plastic cutlery wrapped in my bag. I guess high end restaurants I just suck it up.

So you’re happy to eat from forks that have washed off saliva from people who frequent high end restaurants?

I don’t believe you Eddy, there is no way you use plastic cutlery in Nando’s.

PrincessPain · 11/12/2020 08:36

I’ve never noticed a smell in a charity shop. Could it be a case of she who smelt it dealt it?

Clearly too immature.
I laughed way too loudly and enthusiastically at that.

CaptainMyCaptain · 11/12/2020 08:38

@EddyF

I have plastic cutlery wrapped in my bag. I guess high end restaurants I just suck it up. The thought of walking into a charity shop and buying used cutlery is abnormal to me. Just why?

But there are a lot of things that I have read on mumsnet that is unhygienic and problematic to me.

I also wash and clean my chicken with water, vinegar and lime (but that’s another thread).

Do you ever stay in hotels? If so you take your own sheets?
OffredOfjune · 11/12/2020 08:42

@EddyF

I have plastic cutlery wrapped in my bag. I guess high end restaurants I just suck it up. The thought of walking into a charity shop and buying used cutlery is abnormal to me. Just why?

But there are a lot of things that I have read on mumsnet that is unhygienic and problematic to me.

I also wash and clean my chicken with water, vinegar and lime (but that’s another thread).

Ah, so you're okay with eating from the same fork as the upper-class, but not the poor, charity shop peasants then?
problembottom · 11/12/2020 08:47

That’s appalling. I regularly donate to Mind but I do a sort out with a bag for the bin/tip and a bag for the charity shop. I’d never send anything I wouldn’t buy secondhand myself.

RaspberryCoulis · 11/12/2020 08:55

Quite right, @problembottom, if everyone did that there would be no problem. Or even come into the shop and look to see what we've got on sale. If, for example, all of the books are in good condition, with no missing pages, dog-eared corners, and wrinkled spines, why do you think people will want to buy your bag of battered Mills and Boons from 1984?

Similarly with bric-a-brac, if you don't see chipped mugs and broken items on the shelves, why do you assume we'd want yours?

My pet peeve is electricals. We can't take them, can't sell them as we can't PAT test. If people ask if we can take appliances I always tell them that the DEBRA shop along the road can. Often people will say that of course there aren't electricals in that large box they have just handed over, I go through the back, open it, and it's all plug-in stuff. So now it's my job either to take it along the road to DEBRA, or bin it.

There is a long list of other stuff we either legally can't sell (counterfeit handbags, food or offensive weapons) and things which the charity has a policy of not selling (fur, safety equipment like car seats and bike helmets, porn, opened toiletries). Most volunteers know exactly what we can and can't sell and a quick phone call is all it takes to discover there's probably a better place to donate your lifejackets, riding helmets and rice steamer.

RaspberryCoulis · 11/12/2020 08:57

I have plastic cutlery wrapped in my bag. I guess high end restaurants I just suck it up. The thought of walking into a charity shop and buying used cutlery is abnormal to me. Just why?

To be honest, the idea of walking around with plastic cutlery wrapped in your bag is FAR more abnormal.

BahbaraHumbug · 11/12/2020 09:06

I used to donate everything I wasn't using and keep a very lean ship. Items were in tip top quality. I'd recycle the rest, but I've stopped doing this. I've now got a system of eBay/ local FB. This year I've made £1200 on eBay and about £300 on FB. I also advertise things on FB for free. Then I see if my good friends want it e.g. younger sons getting my DC's stuff. Then I give the rest/ unsold to charity.

That sounds mean but my town is full of charity shops and whenever I've walked in to them with a bag of stuff they've huffed and puffed and said they are overflowing, what is it? Not sure we need it. You'd think I'd given them a bag of stained underpants, not decent branded stuff. Also seriously I'm over giving to the million charities in this country. We are very highly taxed in this country and our government should do more, plus I'm not donating to somewhere where the CEO is on 300K.

This year I'm giving to our independent run homeless hostel and independent run food centre that helps 7,000 up from 1,500 pre COVID.

Iwantacookie · 11/12/2020 09:13

I used to throw all my worn out clothes until one day a lady in the charity shop told me just to bag it all separately and either mark the bag rags or tell them. I dont send broken toys but some half toys I do send e.g. might send a board game but no dice, nerf gun without bullets, barbies without accessories.
I would happily buy a bored game without a dice then just buy one off ebay or something.
Off the top of my head the only thing which I've been turned away for is pillows. Ok they werent great but they werent so gross you wouldn't be comfortable using them. I took them to local pet charity to use for beds.

MrsBobDylan · 11/12/2020 09:16

I buy a lot from charity shops and donate a lot too. I wouldn't donate anything that I wouldn't be prepared to buy, but some people are lazy scuzz buckets Sad

HappydaysArehere · 11/12/2020 09:18

I took some pristine hard backed books by popular authors and Booker prize short listed authors to a local charity shop. They refused them as they didn’t have room for them. However, the Salvation Army shop received them with gratitude. After that anything decent goes there.

emilyfrost · 11/12/2020 09:35

@HappydaysArehere

I took some pristine hard backed books by popular authors and Booker prize short listed authors to a local charity shop. They refused them as they didn’t have room for them. However, the Salvation Army shop received them with gratitude. After that anything decent goes there.
Most charity shops are inundated with books. It’s not an insult if the one you try first rejects them you know, no matter how naice your hard backed Booker prize winning donations are Hmm
Chickenblc · 11/12/2020 09:38

@HappydaysArehere

I took some pristine hard backed books by popular authors and Booker prize short listed authors to a local charity shop. They refused them as they didn’t have room for them. However, the Salvation Army shop received them with gratitude. After that anything decent goes there.
If the don't have it doesn't matter what prizes the authors won, surely. A lot of the books at my old shop went to world of books anyway.
thedevilinablackdress · 11/12/2020 09:55

Did you think they were lying @HappdaysArehere ?? No need to get upset or 'punish' them by taking your donations elsewhere in future!

GhoulWithADragonTattoo · 11/12/2020 09:56

I always have 3 bags. One for rubbish, one for recycling and one for charity shop. I only put things in that in decent. I thought everyone did.