To think Vinted has killed charity shops?

[Finlesswonder]

I'm sure in posh towns or areas they are still alive and well but I went into 3 or 4 in my city yesterday and they were completely barren, I guess because people are now thinking why give their unwanted stuff to a charity when they could make a few bob?
It's a bit sad I used to love a mooch around a charity shop but these were seriously slim pickings! Anyone volunteer in one and know if that's true or did I just get unlucky with the day?

Maybe they shouldn’t try and rip people off with their pricing. I shop on vinted now instead of charity shops because people aren’t trying to sell primark items at more than what they cost new

I tend to leave stuff on Vinted for a few weeks, then goes to the charity shop if it doesn't sell. I've also donated stuff I've bought if it doesn't fit when it arrives.

Which charity. Some of it may be that people don't want to donate to partocular one as much as they used to

I'm not convinced the charity shop model is the best way to repurpose things, it seems like half the time they aren't able to take donations. People want something more reliable if they're giving something away for free.

I’m a volunteer in a charity shop and we are having to turn things away because our upstairs storage is full.
We’ve never had wonderful donations, lots of people use us as a dumping ground for their rubbish; but I can’t honestly say things have got worse.

I think the cost of living crisis has meant people need to sell on Vinted rather than give away things for charity.

Just last week I had a huge charity bag through the letterbox. It said it wanted nice handbags. I had a nice handbag that I never use, I stuffed it in the bag and then thought "wait, how much will I get off Vinted?"

I had a look. I took a photo and listed it. And I sold it for £10 that same day!!

I've spent the last decade sending everything I no longer need to charity which always included good quality clothes. I can't justify doing that anymore - I need the cash.

Our local charity shop is very pricey! A second hand Primark top was in there for £10! Pretty sure it was £10 new :/

Tbh charity shops are known to use vinted and eBay. Over the years they have gotten progressively greedy. It used to be a place helping people who weren't well off get a bargain whilst putting back into charity. Over pricing items to the point they are much cleaner new.

Exactly! Plus in charity shops (in my area) you can't try them on and sometimes the clothing has been altered so you think your buying a 14 turns out it's been altered to a 12 and you have zero comeback

Interesting to read your thoughts, yeah charity shops used to be a great place to find intriguing things, but one of the ones I was in (Oxfam) was just four anaemic rails of Stradivarius tops for £8

Surely eBay started the demise of the charity shop?

The charity shops around here have similar stock that they have always had, British Red Cross also have zara seconds in so they're brand new to the buyer but slightly damaged or last season which is good. I agree at least some will look to sell clothes and make a bit of money especially now with people struggling, buyers as well have more choice online and now many charity shops have raised their prices it's probably cheaper. I saw a primary tee shirt the other day on sale for a fiver, ridiculous! As a lot also don't take donations all of the time a lot of people advertise for free on marketplace or whatever in bundles I've found, especially childrens toys etc.

I think charity shops as a concept are a brilliant idea but they seem less accessible than they once did with rising prices and a lot of the decent stuff being auctioned online. Of course there are controversies with some which will have an effect too, a lot have strayed from their core mission and its a shame.

Do they get massively subsidised rents? Because of was wondering how on earth this particular place was affording to rent the shop, I'd be surprised if they made £50 a day with what they had on offer

Yeah but Oxfam are the pits. I wouldn't donate to Oxfam anymore.

I know many people who have cancelled direct debits and donate elsewhere.

I'm not sure exactly what it is but yes charity shops get reduced rents etc compared to regular shops.

The charities themselves seem to be killing off charity shops. They sell the good stuff on the interweb and the shops are left with mostly tat, which nobody wants to buy.

Yes and it's a real shame. I don't seem to find good stuff in charity shops anymore. I used to like shopping in them and helping a charity but they now they just have a lot of overpriced tat

Might be because it's Oxfam. They got nothing from me since 2018. They are still not dojng themselves a favojr. Kind of knew it would be them.

I think Mary Portas is partly to blame. Charity shops ramped up their prices after her TV programme and the bargains were gone.

Same!

I expect they'd be closing stores soon

Locally, small market town, we have 4 charity shops all for very local causes and a posh frock exchange.

The charity shops shift their stock around to send the best bit where the best payers are and the frock exchange only takes good brands, then sends unsold stuff off to charity shops in posher areas. Pricing errors are few and far between and they don't argue if someone points them out when they do happen. They just adjust their notes.

I get absolute bargains from all of them. It is absolutely horrendous to see how much each of them sells to the rag man on a regular basis. And how much crap gets dumped on them.

@Billyho
No eBay was always quire a user-unfriendly place for sellers in comparison to Vinted, I think you would have sold an eBay if you were going to have this as your sole source of income OR if you had something truly special to sell. But for your standard workaday pair of joggers or GAP jumper I think pre-Vinted people would have just charity shopped their old clothes or given away big bags in their community

Yes plus rates, plus labour costs, material costs etc. Iirc they also got energy bill subsided

Charity shops killed charity shops with their greed. Constant overpriced items and any chance a bargain is put on Ebay.

OK you learn something new every day! I had no idea that
A) They are putting their good stuff online only now- why???!
B) That Oxfam specifically was a dirty word now

Rates are subsidised but not Rents or utilities .