Page 6 | Aibu to make money from a charity shop purchase?

Partnerprobs · 2021-08-27T10:29:31+00:00

Recently went to a charity shop and found a couple of items for sale that I liked and were in very good condition. A handbag and a book. Both were in a locked cabinet. I bought them for £25 in total and have sold them on eBay for £75 and £34 pounds, so I’ve made about £84 (less eBay fees which I haven’t seen yet) My best friend was really shocked and said it’s like stealing and I should donate the money to the charity - this has surprised and unnerved me as I thought it was fine (as they were in the cabinet so had been picked as higher end items, and also they were more expensive than normal items) I thought it was a lucky break and was looking forward to treating myself. Aibu?

TractorAndHeadphones · 27/08/2021 13:21

@BeenAsFarAsMercyAndGrand

What you did was legal, but this:

found a couple of items for sale that I liked

is 100% bollocks. You didn't buy them because you liked them, but because you wanted to sell them on and spied an opportunity to make a profit. At least be honest.

Several people have already pointed out that it’s possible to buy something and find its true value later. But you right carry on making assumptions …

MyPatronusIsACat · 27/08/2021 13:22

@Partnerprobs You have done nothing wrong OP. Well done on your good fortune!

Puts me in mind of an occasion from some 15 years ago, when my husband bought something off a man at work, (a 'collectible' item,) for £200. He sold it 2 weeks later (to a dealer,) for £700.

DH was daft enough to tell him, and the man went batshit. This man called him all sorts of names. Liar, cheat, and scumbag, were 3 of the nicer names he called him. DH said he paid for the item, he gave him what he asked for, so it was then HIS, and he could do what he wanted with the item.

It caused such a bad atmosphere at work, and working with this man became intolerable, that in the end the other man was put onto another shift, so he and DH didn't work together. He blamed DH for being the reason he was moved, but it was this man's behaviour that caused him to be moved.

The moral of the story is, if you make money off something you bought, DO NOT tell anyone!

Also, I know several people who buy from charity shops specifically to sell it for a massive profit on ebay. One woman I know has made about £600 in the past 3 months alone. One item she bought was a pair of Converse trainers for £10 from the charity shop. Sold for £40 online. Nothing wrong with it. You've got to make your own luck in this life.

Bloodypunkrockers · 27/08/2021 13:27

You haven't done anything wrong. They were yours to sell

I wouldn't though, if it were me. It just seems a bit? Off? Can't quite put my finger on it but it doesn't seem very moral.

AlmostSummer21 · 27/08/2021 13:27

@Tohaveandtohold

I know someone who does this as her job. She sources things from different charity shops and auction houses, gets a bargain and then sells it on. I can’t see anything wrong in it. She paid what they asked for it, she didn’t steal it. She then had the time go through valuing it and getting a buyer. What’s to say that the buyer won’t even get more money for it.

My objection to that kind of thing is only that it stops less well off people having those nice things that are creamed off the top.

BeenAsFarAsMercyAndGrand · 27/08/2021 13:31

Puts me in mind of an occasion from some 15 years ago, when my husband bought something off a man at work, (a 'collectible' item,) for £200. He sold it 2 weeks later (to a dealer,) for £700.

I think this is quite different to what happened in the OP. Morally, it's in a whole different ballaprk - he was buying from a friend/acquaintance rather than a shop.

Colleagues are often on a similar level to friends, albeit possibly casual friends. If I sold something to a friend/acquaintance and found out later that they'd known it was worth more than triple what they paid me, I'd be really issed off. A decent person would tell you what it was worth, not be glad that you'd unknowingly sold it below value.

ifIwerenotanandroid · 27/08/2021 13:31

Just a quick sidetrack...
Is there an area of MN where posters can put up pix of items & get them identified/admired?

six666 · 27/08/2021 13:31

I don't think you are being unreasonable but it might be a nice idea to donate part of your profit back to the charity?

Debetswell · 27/08/2021 13:31

Your friends a bit dramatic.
It’s not the Elgin marbles!

NoIDontWatchLoveIsland · 27/08/2021 13:32

Its obviously legally fine but a bit.... ew.

I wouldn't do it myself.

BashfulClam · 27/08/2021 13:33

The shop got them for free probably so they have already made their money.

TractorAndHeadphones · 27/08/2021 13:34

That’s true, but nice things aren’t a right. I say this as someone who looks for designer bags at charity shops.
Not to sell though - it’s a pain and is actually a lot of work listing and selling (unless you have something that’s clearly a winner like a Hemingway first edition)..

Lockheart · 27/08/2021 13:34

My objection to that kind of thing is only that it stops less well off people having those nice things that are creamed off the top.

No it doesn't - the items aren't held back from those less well off. If they find them before PPs friend does then they can buy them if they want. It's just luck as to who gets there first.

NoIDontWatchLoveIsland · 27/08/2021 13:35

But then I find it distasteful how many people seem to see everything as a money making opportunity these days. I recently donated something on a local fbook page intended to help people in need, only to see it sold on immediately for cash. I found it depressing as there had been other people on that group who were really in need of it and I was wanting to help someone who couldnt afford it.

AliceMcK · 27/08/2021 13:35

I know someone who makes a living from this. I have also come across “volunteers” who only volunteer to get good stuff before it goes out on sale. I have more of an issue with this than I do with people who buy the asking price and on sell it.

My cousin use to manage a charity shop, it was a big furniture one, she would forever have people trying to get discount on already cheap price. She would also have people trying to go through donations before she got a chance to look at them, they would try and offer pennies for things worth a lot of money. Luckily she knew her stuff and would sell anything of value online and get it’s true value.

Saying all that I do love a good charity shop bargain. I bought my dd a dressing table that’s £70 in Smyths for £7.50 brand new in the charity shop. Couple of weeks ago along with some new unopened Harry Potter stuff for my other DDs.

AliceMcK · 27/08/2021 13:37

@NoIDontWatchLoveIsland

But then I find it distasteful how many people seem to see everything as a money making opportunity these days. I recently donated something on a local fbook page intended to help people in need, only to see it sold on immediately for cash. I found it depressing as there had been other people on that group who were really in need of it and I was wanting to help someone who couldnt afford it.

Can you not report to the group administrator? Our local giving groups are really on top of this and black list people for doing it.

ManifestDestinee · 27/08/2021 13:38

@NoIDontWatchLoveIsland

But then I find it distasteful how many people seem to see everything as a money making opportunity these days. I recently donated something on a local fbook page intended to help people in need, only to see it sold on immediately for cash. I found it depressing as there had been other people on that group who were really in need of it and I was wanting to help someone who couldnt afford it.

You wanted to play Lady Bountiful and get all the feels by being benevolent to the poor. You realise poor people in need might well do much better by selling your old stuff, which is clearly worthless to you? But you begrudge them because that messes with your sense of altruism.

inmyslippers · 27/08/2021 13:40

This got me through my college access course at college 😆 still do the odd bit of flipping now. Sleep like a baby myself. Charity shops are heaving and I pay what they want

Rosesviolets · 27/08/2021 13:41

YANBU. You bought at the price paid. On another day you might not have sold it for so much. Prices and buyers can vary. I've listed lovely stuff (real bargains) and they haven't sold in 3 weeks and then on the 4th week there's a flurry of competing bids. It all depends on who's looking at that particular time.

ifIwerenotanandroid · 27/08/2021 13:42

I don't understand why anybody thinks this is wrong. Shop gets donations, shop values & prices them & puts them out on sale. Customers come in & buy them, money goes to charity. Customers are all looking for different things, for different reasons, & it's first come, first served.

Given that some things in charity shops are priced at more than they're worth (& more than identical items cost on ebay) & some are priced at less, it all evens out. And I can't be the only person to buy something & find out it's worse than I thought or actually useless - should I take it back & get a refund? Oh no, because it's for charity, so I don't.

I've also seen charity shops really trying it on, e.g. a camera with a major fault which they acknowledged on the label, but they wanted over the odds for it because if it hadn't been faulty it would've been worth a lot. I wasn't remotely tempted by that one!

Rosesviolets · 27/08/2021 13:43

*Price advertised.

LuaDipa · 27/08/2021 13:44

[quote Tryingtryingandtrying]@doomscrolling People donate to charity shops hoping they will sell their things and get the best price to support the charity.[/quote]
Absolutely. I feel the charity have been remiss here in not researching the value of the items.

5128gap · 27/08/2021 13:47

Its obviously not stealing as the OP paid what was asked. She was able to take advantage of the naivety of the charity shop staff, who typically volunteers, cannot be expected to always know the value of wide ranging items; and on occasion, under price them. I do think it's a shame that charity shops aren't a bit more savvy about valuing though, as its disappointing when something has been donated in good faith to help a cause, and then that cause doesn't benefit as much as it should.

NoIDontWatchLoveIsland · 27/08/2021 13:49

You wanted to play Lady Bountiful and get all the feels by being benevolent to the poor.

Excuse me?

No, I'm lucky enough that I didnt need to sell the item (it was worth a lot), and thought there might be someone who would really appreciate it, and didn't want it to go to waste. It's called kindness, you might want to try it?

But hey, or I could just never fucking give anything away ever again

What I mean is the person in question actually turned out to be essentially a dealer for the furniture item I offered, was not in need at all.

To the pp who asked yes I did report but these people often hide behind multiple profiles to avoid getting blacklisted.

NoIDontWatchLoveIsland · 27/08/2021 13:51

ManifestDestinee
People like you completely put me off ever trying to do something nice. Is it only EVER ok to donate cash? Or else I'm fucking "Lady Bountiful".

The group in question doesnt allow cash donations because those have been heavily exploited/abused.

HaveringWavering · 27/08/2021 13:51

@slashlover

That's not how gift aid works. Gift aid is for cash donations to charity, not for goods donated to charity shops or on charity sales of goods.

It is absolutely for goods donated to charity shops. Everything which is gift aided is sold through a different barcode linked to that person. It means that something sold for £10 is actually worth £12.50 to the shop, where the £2.50 is claimed from the donators tax.

Yup. I get a gift aid statement from Barnardo’s every year totting up what they made from all DS’ toys and clothes that I regularly donate.