Charity shops aren't doing themselves any favours

[Downatthefarm]

I can afford to buy new but prefer to buy second hand. I enjoy the experience of sifting through the varied clothes in the charity shops and finding things I wouldn't otherwise see on the high street at that time, and of course I like other thrifters love a good bargain.

Over the last 5 years charity shops have really gone downhill where I am. They price second / third hand clothes similarly to the original RRP, sometimes even more expensive.

They are stocking more and more brand new items, like Frenchic furniture paint, priced higher than it costs at places like Wilko's and B&Q.

I already know somebody will say "the shops purpose is to raise as much money for their charity as they can, not to cater to people who don't have much money" but hasn't being accessible to people with low incomes and being good value for money always been one of the most appealing aspects of them?

I still donate but do the vast majority of my own second hand buying on vinted now and I know lots of others are doing the same.

AIBU?

This one was viscose.

Yes there was a buyer protection fee + postage, a couple of quid.

so much fast fashion in charity shops now :( I regularly visit mine and notice how things from boohoo/plt just do not shift.

that being said my has and got a pair of lovely wool reiss trouser the other day for £3. Still bargains to be had.

We don't get much Oliver Bonas but depending on who was pricing it £4-£6. The shirts are selling on eBay for between £1 and £8 so somewhere in that price range.

Not really the charity shops' faults that there are more cheap, badly made clothes around - that's the main problem now; most clothes are from cheap, disposable makes so they are worn-looking and you know they sold originally for not much less than a charity shop can charge. Which isn't very appealing.

YANBU. Charity shops have become overpriced greedy money making machines over the past few years. Totally missing the point that the shop could be used for both raising money for charity but also helping those less fortunate in the community. Very very sad.

I've bagged many a bargain like that. I myself never give away stained clothes but I can see why if it was 'designer' it might still bring in some money,
Not cheap rubbish like Primark though. Even if it's perfect... à la poubelle ....

I went to a charity shop a few weeks ago and there was a cracking white suit jacket, they wanted 60 quid for it.

I donate things from shoes to new toys my kids don't use on guntree freebies, my partner also works for companies who sell high end furnishings and furniture, sometimes if something is scratched and due for the bin, it makes its way onto gumtree freebies as well as someone replacing their old new couch thays never used.

We could easily sell the stuff but way we see it as we got it free we don't need it someone else can have it for free. Sometimes its hard to tell if someone is genuine or going to resell it. I'd be disappointed, because we do stuff like that for people who are in need. Wouldn't put any of it in a charity shop, they can go swivel.

@FrivolousTreeDuck That's good to know. The one in Leeds is like a boutique store

Again, side note but I love gumtree and freecycle! I got lots of stuff when I was a young student/adult between houses, it was a cheap way to furnish flats and the next tenant was usually happy to have it. I've still got a great second-hand sofa I brought to my forever home. It's comfy, soft and still going strong.

There are many local groups now, FB marketplace, sell and swap etc.

We have a super hospice charity shop near us that has great items and displays and prices them well.

I popped in today and suggested that they might want to pop pick items in the window to capitalise on people wanting to go and see the Barbie movie etc.

pink not pick

I don't usually look so much at clothes - I mostly buy books in charity shops. My criteria are a bit different than for clothes - I also have a Kindle and sometimes buy things that then come up on Kindle deals, but I'm more interested usually in reprint editions and books which aren't available new, or non fiction books which aren't available at low Kindle prices, or which have extras/that I might want to share. I did buy myself a hardback of a book that I'd already read from the library and then bought on Kindle, but it had photographic plates and was only £2. And I ended up giving it away to my aunt anyway....

Other great charity shop finds - 6-8 years ago I kept finding lovely cuddly toys, including a small Zoo gift shop tiger with her tags still on. I also found my son a new scientific calculator, same or very similar model to the one recommended for school, unopened packet, for £2.75.

If I was looking, colour coding makes sense for clothes but I've seen a couple of shops do it for books, on the spines. Noooooo. Either stick to fairly random, sort the books by alphabetical by author or non fiction/fiction/genres etc, or a combination (yes, charity shops that do that tend to be the pricier ones but then you can find things). But if books are otherwise random, colour coding doesn't help rationally sort content and I've found that it makes it harder to look through them than if spines are distinct. I had to have cataract surgery last year but even before my sight got bad and since it's a bit better again, this is a hideous thing to do.

A lot of real bargains are being sold on vinted etc. now rather than being donated which only leaves a slew of Primark and supermarkets stuff. Money is tight for many

Also, they are there to make money for good causes, and they need to cover overheads etc as well - so it is sensible to price to what the market will pay, that's not greedy.

I went to a charity shop a few weeks ago and there was a cracking white suit jacket, they wanted 60 quid for it.

But surely that depends on the condition and brand?

We sold a gorgeous beaded cream dress for £85 last week, it was brand new with a £500 price tag on it and the lady was going to wear it for her wedding.

I don't think anybody disagrees with that - but the point people are making is that market won't pay.... as people who can afford that might as well buy it new.

Looking at my store's P&L the market clearly does pay for some of us.

But are you pricing fast fashion close to new? Or one of the sensible ones?

Hmmmm, let me see. Nothing you have said relates to what I said. Just being deliberately obtuse to make your point. Not everything that gets sent to landfill is a crusty old sock etc is it?

I'm sure you get lots of total crap that can't be sold. That's not what we're all saying. None of us can believe you are selling all the stuff at the inflated prices you are trying them at.

Are you trying to say that everything sells at an inflated price, despite everything that every poster is saying on this thread?

That's the point, not some anecdotes about a crusty old sock

Depends on the area where you live. I've volunteered in a couple and they said that the more upmarket areas where the shoes are will get priced higher than if thetywete in a lower income place

I do a Google image search, can see it sells for £20 new so probably price £6-£8 depending on season and stock levels

That wouldn't be the 'Yorkshire Cancer Research' shop by any chance - if so, they are different from Cancer Research. There's a YCR in Skipton as well and that's boutique style and pricey.

On a slightly different matter. Has anyone haggled in a charity shop. As I've seen a couple of bangles in one - they are definitely a set made of plastic but they are £2 each. Not brave enough to ask if I could buy them for £3 each

As a side note - I really dislike when customer make "helpful" suggestions. The shop will KNOW that there is a Barbie movie out. There are 101 reasons why they have decided not to have a Barbie window. One of our local shops has an amazing Sewing Bee themed window with patterns and fabrics and so on as it was the final last night. Again - charity shop volunteers are not thick and can look at a calendar as well as the next person.

The people who make the "helpful" suggestions about what we should be doing, in their opinion, never actually "pop in" and offer to create the window display, reorganise the book section or whatever. Just expect the volunteers will be super grateful for their superior knowledge and pull an extra two volunteers out of thin air to implement it immediately.