To think people are quite petty to object to charity shop staff getting "first dibs" when they are BUYING the items?

[SorcererGaheris]

For context, I am a volunteer in a charity shop myself, and if I see something that I want, I will purchase it. The shop doesn't give staff discounts, either; staff pay full price - the last item I bought, a book, cost me £40.

Anyway, I COMPLETELY understand people objecting if volunteers were to just take donated items for themselves, but I've seen some online discussions in which people complain about the staff getting first pick of donations when they are paying for them. I really don't see the problem in this case, and think people who object are rather out of line. Other retail workers surely sometime purchase items from the shops they work in, so I don't see why volunteers should be begrudged that. A volunteer is a customer as much as any other.

As I understand it, "potentially" essentially means the possibility of something occurring (generally in the future.)

Given that we we get a good supply of donations and that there is always plenty of good quality books (as well as music and DVDs) on the shelves, it is highly unlikely that when staff purchase things they want, that other customers are going to be put off coming in at a later date because there is nothing they're interested in for themselves. The donations keep coming in.

It might not happen in your shop, or in most shops. But lots of us have encountered awful charity shops, or have tales of volunteers with ebay shops, so it must happen sometimes.

I've no issue with volunteers buying stuff, provided it's priced fairly and they're paying full price.

The thing I do have issue with is a Facebook site that our area has for offering items for free to those in need. It's not unknown for the admins to immediately grab the better things for themselves the second they post them, before anyone else gets a moment to look. I donate all my good stuff to the local hospice shop now instead.

@Fluufer This is exactly what happens. First dibs is first chance to get something good first. When others don’t know the value. Then resell on eBay for a lot more.

This is asbolutely true. We are in an affluent area too and our shop is entirely staffed by volunteers, we have no paid staff at all. Oversight from a district manager who is many hours away by road, support centrally by phone.

I really don't get the argument that volunteers have "lost sight" of what their volunteering is for, or are snaffling all the good buys in any store. It's just impossible! So many times a shift I will price something and recognise it's good quality, or in great condition, or ideal for a party or something, but not buy it because it's not my style or size. So it goes on the rails.

But if I see something in a bag I'd want to buy, then there is a conversation with the other volunteer(s) who are on that day about pricing, not so much on clothes but definitely on other items. And there have definitely been times when I have paid more than the others have suggested - they are not knitters so work off the assumption that yarn should be priced the same whether it's 100% hand dyed wool, or cheap acrylic.

I've volunteered for around 10 years in 2 different shops and haven't ever personally witnessed stealing or anyone pricing a designer bag/frock for £1, and I've volunteered over those years with probably 100+ volunteers.

It depends. If all the best stuff is being skimmed off by staff before anyone else has a chance to see it, it reduces the overall value of the charity shop and makes it less likely people will make the effort to go. Stuff should at least get a chance on the shop floor so that people are encouraged to go in and browse.

Aren’t people forgetting the main reason we all donate to charity shops?

It does us a favour.

We are getting rid of things we neither need nor want. We’re clearing space in our wardrobes, cupboards and shelves. We’re avoiding landfill. We don’t have the time or energy to try sell things in ourselves; we don’t have a sibling or mate who wants the stuff or we’d just give it to them.

We can posture and preen about what good people it makes us, supporting charities, and we can enjoy the glow of generosity when we take a big load of good value items to the shop.

But ultimately, it’s something that helps us deal with clutter land outgrown items with a clear conscience.

It’s also worth remembering the amount of utter dross that gets dumped on charity shops that is not saleable and puts a large burden on their staff and disposal systems.

If volunteers picking through all that get the occasional first choice at paying the going rate for something decent, I’d have to be petty to mind.

I trust that all the people who are so concerned about this, are giving up their time to volunteer as well.

Excellent post @JingleB
👏

Yanbu but I can see the other pov too. People use charity shops for two reasons - firstly to support the charity, and secondly to participate in the section of the economy that does something to help people on lower incomes who can't afford to buy things new at full price. If your main motivation is the former then it doesn't matter a jot who the buyer is, and that's clearly where you are so yanbu. However if someone prioritises the other reason, and perceives charity shop volunteers as generally affluent enough to not have to be working for pay, then I can see why they would begrudge the volunteer getting a bargain when they could afford to buy something new, rather than leaving the bargain for someone poorer. I've seen some people assert that it's unethical for affluent people to buy anything from a charity shop. I disagree, but their pov is a valid thing to believe.

I have read your posts and I didn’t mention anything about discounts. What depresses me is the thought that the volunteers might snap up good items before they’re even on the shop floor. This will have an impact of the quality of the stuff left over for customers and therefore an impact on the amount of customers who visit the shop etc.

Of course there is an element of subjectivity about what qualifies as the 'best stuff' but let's not pretend it's entirely subjective.

In a clothes shop (I realise yours isn't, OP) it's the high-end label items, or designer items, especially if they are in excellent condition.

Electricals - again, high end brands and designer brands, especially if they are current or 'classic' such as kettles or mixers. Nearly-new items in mint condition.

Books - rare, collectable books that would sell for significantly more than the original list price.

Bric-a-brac - you have to know what you're looking for, but again, collectables that have risen in value from the original sale price; antique items with valuable hallmarks (I was once in a charity shop where a man very kindly informed them that a vase they were selling for £2.50 was worth about 10 times that much).

The donation level could potentially decrease though, or others could hear about your policy and potentially go elsewhere because they find it unfair.

The Mary Portas show was 2007. That's quite some time ago.

Yes in every shop there will be older people, younger people, middle aged people. The trick is knowing what everyone's expertise is, and TALKING to each other! Every shift I will have multiple conversations with other volunteers - can you spot a hallmark on this necklace, have you heard of this brand, what would you put on this weird ornament?

I think the people who bang on about volunteers taking "all the good stuff" for pennies should spend a couple of shifts seeing what comes out of bags and they'd soon realise that yes there's a lot of rubbish, there's also so much other stuff that you couldn't possibly buy it all.

I disagree with your 'it matters not who buys' philosophy as one reason people go into charity shops is to find treasures and great one off finds. Once a shop is known for never having anything interesting as the staff buy it before it hits the floor, many people just don't bother going in. Staff purchases aren't enough to keep a shop open. They need vintage hunters to frequent the place to buy the things the staff bought plus other things they might find whilst in there. Vintage hunters don't bother looking in shops with a poor reputation for finds.

I have considered volunteering but currently waiting until there are some less gossipy/bitchy folk working in my local shop! That's me being brutally honest. I don't need folk like that in my life (and sadly it only takes one or two). I know folk who've left because they couldn't take the level of in house bitching.

Can we have a discussion about how people define "best stuff"? The OP's "best stuff" is books on her niche interest which I would not be interest in at all. She would likely not be interested at all in my genealogy books or knitting wool.

Once a shop is known for never having anything interesting as the staff buy it before it hits the floor, many people just don't bother going in.

Staff purchases aren't enough to keep a shop open

These statements are rather contradictory.

Either the staff are grabbing everything good, leaving nothing worth buying for the general public OR the staff purchases are negligible and can’t keep the shop afloat.

I think the OP makes a brilliant point about volunteers buying the best stuff.

When I was a charity shop volunteer the item I was most pleased about buying before it hit the shop floor was a very specific glass coffee jar that was in a bag of bric a brac. It was a jar that instant coffee came in in the 60’s-80’s and I use in my pantry. I have dozens of them. THAT was my ‘best item’.

Conversely I went into the charity shop next door on the same day (it really was a bumper day) and saw a candlestick for sale for £9. A design classic well known to anyone keen on scandi design. I took it to the counter, explained that the candlestick was worth at least £90, and did they want to add it to their eBay pile? I showed the manager the online listings and she said ‘okay, it’s not £3, it’s £10’ - I purchased it. I love it. Use it daily. The

Last week I purchased an item of clothing BNWT from a charity shop - not in my size for £15. I put it on vinted for £38, sold it that day for £33 and purchased the same item, in the right size, from Vinted, for £30. I did this because I couldn’t afford to just spend £30 on an item without making the money back.

Which is worse?

Totally. See my post above.

They're not contradictory because the staff may be buying most of what would entice people in to start with.

No because perhaps I go into a charity shop to buy something "good", whilst I'm there I might also grab a cheap book and a toy for the kids, or a raffle ticket. If there's never any "good" stuff I won't bother going in at all.

So you're a reseller, and openly admitting it on MN? You're brave.

You are making another massive assumption that people are taking/buying the "best stuff" for resale. Nobody's going to buy a size 6 or 8 dress when they are a size 14 or 16, even if it is Armani. Or a kettle/mixer when they have one in the cupboard at home already.

Most charities will have a policy to monitor what volunteers are buying, I used to volunteer in an Oxfam shop like the OP and everything is written down in a book and audited for transparency, where i currently work someone else puts the sale through the till. It would be easy to spot people leaving with bags and bags of stuff to put on ebay.

Exactly this... I know people too who volunteer just to get the best picks.. it's absolutely worth their time and effort.. especially when it comes to jewellery