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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Charity shops seem to be unrealistic with their prices and I can't afford them anymore!

812 replies

AutumnFairy01 · 29/10/2022 08:03

Firstly, this isn't to do with not giving to charity. I give to charity separately and donate items to local homeless charities, food banks, etc but I've always loved supporting charity shops too. They're great (or were great) for grabbing a bargain and reusing an unwanted item. I love secondhand wherever possible.

However, I've now come to the conclusion that charity shops are largely unaffordable for me now. I browse round charity shops weekly I would say (in more than one town) and the prices are just crazy! I always buy secondhand clothing for myself, dh and children but quite often the charity shop prices seem more expensive than buying new or at best, very little difference. For instance, in Chelmsford the other day, I went into the BHF shop and I saw a very simple baby's top, not designer or anything and it was £4! And then for adult clothing, I couldn't see anything below £6/7.

Boots sales and Facebook marketplace are my go to places more and more now. Sometimes freebay too.

I can understand charity shops putting their prices up a little with rising costs of everything but there has to be a balance surely?

AIBU to think charity shop prices are unrealistic for secondhand items?

Are they becoming unaffordable for anyone else?

OP posts:
ArcticSkewer · 29/10/2022 08:27

Our cheapest one has closed due to rising costs - they couldn't cover their bills.

Pashazade · 29/10/2022 08:29

The price hikes are too much though. Everything in my locals is £6+ I might buy for less than a fiver but at £6+ unless it's high quality I won't. It feels like an own goal, their sales must be dropping surely. Plus one local BHF have stopped putting size labels on their hangers, I do not have time to wade through the rails to check sizes! So haven't bought any clothes in there in months.

Blinkingheckythump · 29/10/2022 08:33

As well as being priced too high (I'm not paying £3 for a kids tshirt from primark /George etc when I can buy a brand new one for that) in the ones I've been to recently all the kids clothes seem to be tshirts only. I know that's not the charity's fault and is due to the donations they receive, but tshirts are cheap and easy to get new especially if they aren't cheaper in the charity shop. It's really spoilt the fun and point of charity shop shopping for me and I have begun to use vinted and store sales for almost all of my purchases now. I don't have the time and effort to pointless walk around loads of charity shops to get nothing

Whinge · 29/10/2022 08:34

Our local BHF have a new section called something like make do and mend, which is a rail of items that have holes, broken zips, buttons missing etc. It sounds like a great way to still sell items that could be fixed and made usable again, except the items are ridiculously over priced. They had a next jumper with a hole for £4 and a coat with a broken zip for £8. 🤔

Yerroblemom1923 · 29/10/2022 08:35

I do think the pricing is generally a bit random as the prices are decided by the volunteers who don't always know what things are worth. For example I picked up a 1st edition rare hardback for £2 and I knew it was worth much more but if the people pricing it don't know about books or might not spot a designer label if they're not familiar with that designer etc etc. I think they need more training in their products.

bigfamilygrowingupfast · 29/10/2022 08:35

Yes! I had this conversation last night! I nipped into our local oxfam bookstore and the prices were extortionate for secondhand books. All the kids books were minimum £3 even for little picture books for babies, and there was a nice toy car and it was £8. Walked out (the volunteers were extremely rude as well). I do a lot of charity work myself and we're very conscious of our prices when we're selling things etc

MegGriffinshat · 29/10/2022 08:35

Gah, I meant to say, the children’s t shirts you can buy for £1.80 in Primark are often on sale in a couple of my local charity shops for £3.

So what’s the point?

I did used to live in a much more affluent area where I knew people who would have rather paid over the odds for a faded primark t shirt in a charity shop because they were being sustainable. Always used to make me want to shake them because they had no fucking idea that some people bought clothes from charity shops as they had
no other choice and no money.

Original poster
AutumnFairy01 · 29/10/2022 08:36

One observation I have made is that it's the charity shops run by much older volunteers where the prices can be overinflated. Don't get me wrong, they're doing something worthy butcould they be a bit out of touch? Works the other way too I'm sure where they might not be charging enough maybe in some shops (I'd like to find these shops 😂).

OP posts:
Original poster
AutumnFairy01 · 29/10/2022 08:37

MegGriffinshat · 29/10/2022 08:35

Gah, I meant to say, the children’s t shirts you can buy for £1.80 in Primark are often on sale in a couple of my local charity shops for £3.

So what’s the point?

I did used to live in a much more affluent area where I knew people who would have rather paid over the odds for a faded primark t shirt in a charity shop because they were being sustainable. Always used to make me want to shake them because they had no fucking idea that some people bought clothes from charity shops as they had
no other choice and no money.

Exactly this! The secondhand Primark prices are so annoying.

OP posts:
Londonnight · 29/10/2022 08:38

I agree with you. Our local Barnardos donation centre is the worst. I was browsing last week and they have ex Debenhams goods and priced tea plates at £13 each!!
The only things I end up buying in there now are books which I can get 5 for £1. Everything else is too expensive.

RampantIvy · 29/10/2022 08:38

ivykaty44 · 29/10/2022 08:18

I think it depends where you go to the charity shops, they take in donations and then look at the items and distribute to particular areas depending on wealth

I'm in South Yorkshire and my local town is not noted for its affluenc. I paid £2.50 for a nice blouse recently. It would have cost a lot more than that new.

TheSilentPicnic · 29/10/2022 08:39

I find charity shops expensive too, and the pricing unrealistic. In my area people say, oh but the goal is to make as much money as possible for the charity. OK I see that point of view, but I wish there was better access
for people who cannot afford charity shop prices.

Whinge · 29/10/2022 08:40

Londonnight · 29/10/2022 08:38

I agree with you. Our local Barnardos donation centre is the worst. I was browsing last week and they have ex Debenhams goods and priced tea plates at £13 each!!
The only things I end up buying in there now are books which I can get 5 for £1. Everything else is too expensive.

Our local Barnardos seems to be 80% new goods. It's difficult to actually find something in there that's donated these days.

Backstreets · 29/10/2022 08:42

I went to a panel on sustainability once and the director of the biggest second hand shop chain/charity in my country was there and someone asked him about the rising prices and it not really being the affordable option like it used to be. He went "doesn't say anywhere we're not allowed to make money". Never set my foot in any of those shops after. Flea markets/clothes swaps for me.

Oblomov22 · 29/10/2022 08:42

I hate how overpriced a lot of their stuff is. Like a pp poster says £12 or £20?

Reallycomplicatedpants · 29/10/2022 08:43

AutumnFairy01 · 29/10/2022 08:36

One observation I have made is that it's the charity shops run by much older volunteers where the prices can be overinflated. Don't get me wrong, they're doing something worthy butcould they be a bit out of touch? Works the other way too I'm sure where they might not be charging enough maybe in some shops (I'd like to find these shops 😂).

I work in the 3rd sector and in reality, it's almost entirely powered by 'much older volunteers'.

If younger, more 'with it' volunteers had the time and inclination to come through the door, they'd be very much welcomed!

NumericalBlock · 29/10/2022 08:43

YANBU.

I find that the big national chain shops are usually the bigger culprits of marking up things and I find a lot more in smaller, local based charity shops. Expensive areas are better too (though I found loads of really nice white stuff/fat face/joe brown bits for me in one in Clacton recently)! I'm often finding that I could go into the outlet type shops like Choice and find nicer, brand new, better quality clearance stuff from Next and similar in there for similar prices to charity shops now though.

Original poster
AutumnFairy01 · 29/10/2022 08:43

TheSilentPicnic · 29/10/2022 08:39

I find charity shops expensive too, and the pricing unrealistic. In my area people say, oh but the goal is to make as much money as possible for the charity. OK I see that point of view, but I wish there was better access
for people who cannot afford charity shop prices.

Yes, exactly. It's a balance between the two. And what charities might find is people are less inclined to buy these expensive items and so they could lose out.

OP posts:
MrsDThomas · 29/10/2022 08:44

ive given up on charity shops. Never find anything nice there.

prefer to buy a nice item on vinted, as I find charity shops have nothing that is of any value and is shit that joe public cannot sell

KirstenBlest · 29/10/2022 08:44

They're brilliant where I live. Children's clothes are 50p or £1, unless it's something obviously worth more. Most adult clothes under £3.

Hermenonville · 29/10/2022 08:45

We can all thank Mary Portas for this, it all started with her with her tv program 'Mary queen of charity shop' .

LolaSmiles · 29/10/2022 08:46

I find a few of them quite unrealistic in their pricing.

Primark, Pep&Co, and supermarket clothing shouldn't be priced at close to, or higher than, original sale price.
Some of ours sell a lot of Nasty Gal, Shein, BooHoo, In The Style garments with tags in for more than the sellers would have sold it for. I hate that they churn out so much cheap disposable tat, but then find it odd to see them hanging on a 'brands' rail in a charity shop at silly prices.

I find that the Next, M&S, White Stuff and Fat Face type clothes tend to be reasonably and fairly priced in my area but then cheaper high street and super fast fashion is ridiculously overpriced.

Original poster
AutumnFairy01 · 29/10/2022 08:46

NumericalBlock · 29/10/2022 08:43

YANBU.

I find that the big national chain shops are usually the bigger culprits of marking up things and I find a lot more in smaller, local based charity shops. Expensive areas are better too (though I found loads of really nice white stuff/fat face/joe brown bits for me in one in Clacton recently)! I'm often finding that I could go into the outlet type shops like Choice and find nicer, brand new, better quality clearance stuff from Next and similar in there for similar prices to charity shops now though.

@NumericalBlock Yes, Clacton has loads of charity shops doesn't it and it's fairly deprived in some parts so you'd think they'd accommodate that.

OP posts:
Notjustanymum · 29/10/2022 08:47

On the other hand…
I was appalled when I donated some really beautiful (and expensive) toddler clothes that my daughter had outgrown ( this was 25+ years ago) and they were put in the window for £1.25 each item (each cost over £20.00 new).
I also once made a full traditional Christmas cake, complete with marzipan and icing, for a school fair, for which the ingredients alone cost £7.50+, and they put it on the cake stall for £1.50, so after those two incidents, charity shops and fund-raisers became a “just no” for me.
There has to be a balance, I think, and now you can actually gain a Master’s degree in charity admin, I think it’s gone the other way! Thanks, (not) Oxfam…

TheIoWfairy · 29/10/2022 08:48

Agree, it all started with Mary Portas. Manager at our local BHF shop thinks she’s running Harvey Nicks. It’s annoying because I donate stuff there and I would like to benefit BHF and help shoppers on squeezed budgets

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