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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

For not paying nearly £20 for a second hand coat?

263 replies

Sbrown32 · 25/10/2025 16:09

So, today I went charity shopping for the first time in a while as I needed a winter coat for the last few months of my pregnancy. I found a really lovely one that I wanted, it was a nice colour and the quality wasn't to bad, a few imperfections but overall I was happy, until I went to go look at the price 🙃 £18.50!! I don't know if I am just being cheap but that seemed expensive for anything second hand!

Most of my clothes are second hand and I rarely buy brand new, I am used to paying a few £ for any item of clothing and have gotten many coats in the past for £5 - £10 depending on type of coat. I just can't get over it and may have embarrassed the OH with my rant inside the store 🤣

OP posts:
mamagogo1 · 28/10/2025 13:13

Depends on brand, how worn it is etc. my coat was £20 but had tags attached

Fairydustand · 28/10/2025 13:14

Hmmn,well , thankfully my area has a few low priced charity shops left. The thing is ,a lot of what you pay for something in many charity shops, goes on admin,wages etc..Not that much goes to the actual charity. I would agree that when you are looking for designer labels in charity shops, you will have to expect to pay a bit more, than say, from a supermarket store .OP I hope you have found a low cost coat 🙂

ParmaVioletTea · 28/10/2025 13:31

YABU.

£20 for a nice winter coat & the money goes to charity? YABU & mean.

Postcardsender · 28/10/2025 14:40

MeekAndModest · 28/10/2025 12:41

@NecklessMumster ,That was a bargain.

@Thistlewoman , the charity shops are there to raise money for the charity.
So what if someone re-sells it. They aren't there to dress the poor or sell vintage clothes. if they do, great.

Let me explain it again for you, as a lot of people don’t seem to understand business or economics.

First of all, “market price” is where what a buyer is prepared to pay matches what a seller is prepared to sell for. The market for used clothing has expanded in recent years - it is no longer just charity shops, jumble sales and dress agencies but has expanded to include Vinted, eBay and other online market places.

The issue raised in this thread is whether charity shops should reduce their prices below market price (what an item could be sold for in this wider market) because some people (like OP) don’t want to pay that market price or believe that it is somehow morally wrong for a charity to charge the market price.

But if we work through what would happen if all charity shops did what OP wants and reduced their prices below market, we see that it doesn’t achieve OP’s objective (to pay less than she is currently being asked to pay), or satisfy those who think charities have a moral responsibility above and beyond profit-maximising market participants.

Firstly, it would create a very attractive arbitrage opportunity where individuals or businesses buy items at a lower than market price from charity shops and resell on Vinted or eBay at market price, keeping the profit for themselves.

In the short term, it might drive down the market price a little because the arbitrageurs have much lower total costs than charity shops and could potentially price at a lower level than current market prices while still making themselves an acceptable profit margin (price minus costs). Inventory on Vinted at al would also increase dramatically, helping drive down prices. So seemingly good news for OP wanting to spend as little as possible.

However, the long term picture is less good for OP. As most charity shops have a high fixed cost base (rent/rates/utilities/insurance /staff costs/POS fees), most would very quickly find they could no longer cover these costs, let alone generate profit to fund their causes. The number of charity shops would decrease sharply. Arbitrageurs’ access to under-priced stock to resell would therefore reduce, and prices would rise again. OP would ultimately find that she had to pay prices at least as high as she was paying before, and probably higher (as market cost of goods sold would overall increase due to donors no longer giving items to charity shops for free).

As to the moral question, charity shops exist to fund hospices, cancer research, animal rescue and overseas aid programmes by maximising their profits. Their legal and moral responsibility is NOT to keep every potential buyer on the market happy, including those who don’t want to pay market price. (If OP thinks people like her deserve a special charity that exists to sell her cheap clothing then she should apply to the Charities Commission and see what they say.)

As previously mentioned, most people who take donations to charity shops do so on the understanding that they are forgoing alternatives (eg whatever they could earn by selling on Vinted, or landfill, or leaving to gather dust or get moth eaten in their cupboard) because there is moral value to them in supporting hospices and cancer research. They do not donate because they want to personally enrich individuals or businesses who have nothing to do with the charity. If it became obvious that this was happening, donations would quickly dry up, charity shops would close down faster, and overall market prices would go up due to less inventory.

HTH.

Fairydustand · 28/10/2025 15:09

Wake me up...sorry but it went on a bit...why don't charity shops just change their names to clothes shops and be done with it then?.

Postcardsender · 28/10/2025 15:32

Fairydustand · 28/10/2025 15:09

Wake me up...sorry but it went on a bit...why don't charity shops just change their names to clothes shops and be done with it then?.

Two answers to your unnecessarily rude question.

  1. Charity shops don’t just sell clothes.

  2. Markets function in an orderly and efficient way by transparency. Ie expectations - prices, specifications - are communicated clearly.

Charity shops are called charity shops to clearly signal to donors that they need stock for free and to signal to buyers that their expectations of stock and pricing should differ from what they might find in a non-charity shop.

Fairydustand · 28/10/2025 15:36

Ok, thanks but most of them have still become too expensive for buyers on a tight budget .

Fairydustand · 28/10/2025 15:40

Also the OP has been made to look like she's being mean for expecting to find a bargain in a charity shop, she's not.

Digdongdoo · 28/10/2025 15:43

Fairydustand · 28/10/2025 15:36

Ok, thanks but most of them have still become too expensive for buyers on a tight budget .

But they are still charity shops. The charitable bit is the raising of funds, not the provision of cheap clothing.

TheGoddessAthena · 28/10/2025 15:57

Fairydustand · 28/10/2025 15:09

Wake me up...sorry but it went on a bit...why don't charity shops just change their names to clothes shops and be done with it then?.

I'm a volunteer in a charity shop. We make as much on bric a brac as we do on clothes.

ParmaVioletTea · 28/10/2025 16:07

As previously mentioned, most people who take donations to charity shops do so on the understanding that they are forgoing alternatives (eg whatever they could earn by selling on Vinted, or landfill, or leaving to gather dust or get moth eaten in their cupboard) because there is moral value to them in supporting hospices and cancer research. They do not donate because they want to personally enrich individuals or businesses who have nothing to do with the charity. If it became obvious that this was happening, donations would quickly dry up, charity shops would close down faster, and overall market prices would go up due to less inventory.

This 100%

Excellent summary @Postcardsender I was in a local charity shop which runs exclusively as 'bric a brac' and picks out the higher quality things (books, china, beautiful paintings, silver cutlery etc) from the donations & house clearances they do.

A woman was trying to bargain down a lovely 1950s powder compact (oh, remember those? they were lovely) and the manager was having none of it. "we're not here for eBay dealers to profit from us" was his view.

And I agree. No-one needs a 1950s powder compact. The woman was taking the mick.

It's one of those lovely rummagey sort of shops, and supports a local network of hospices. And I thank all the families of the little old ladies (I'm almost one myself) who have donated to it.

ObelixtheGaul · 28/10/2025 16:10

Fairydustand · 28/10/2025 15:09

Wake me up...sorry but it went on a bit...why don't charity shops just change their names to clothes shops and be done with it then?.

As I understand it, charity shops get tax relief because they are charity shops. That's why so many high streets are full of them. They don't have to pay high business rates. If they became just clothes shops, they'd have to charge more to cover the tax increase and most would just disappear.

It's hard for charity shops to be seen as bargain places now, on many item, because you can buy new online so cheaply. I would say £20 is not bad for a decent coat that might have cost £80 new, but it's going to seem dear when you can buy something new online for £30-40.

Fairydustand · 28/10/2025 16:29

I am afraid I can't agree.The more well off are pushing the prices in charity shops up, looking for on trend items.The less well off are now finding it harder to get decent, fashionable clothes at reduced prices as a result.Its a fact, I am not trying to drag this discussion out.Like I said before, thankfully there are still a few low cost charity shops in my area.
If people are willing to pay more than the price of new clothing,in a charity shop,well more fool them.. that's me done on the subject.👍

Mademetoxic · 28/10/2025 16:53

Fairydustand · 28/10/2025 16:29

I am afraid I can't agree.The more well off are pushing the prices in charity shops up, looking for on trend items.The less well off are now finding it harder to get decent, fashionable clothes at reduced prices as a result.Its a fact, I am not trying to drag this discussion out.Like I said before, thankfully there are still a few low cost charity shops in my area.
If people are willing to pay more than the price of new clothing,in a charity shop,well more fool them.. that's me done on the subject.👍

Haven't you read any of the comments or just come on with that ignorant comment??

MeekAndModest · 28/10/2025 17:10

@Fairydustand , your posts make no sense.

SheilaFentiman · 28/10/2025 17:37

,a lot of what you pay for something in many charity shops, goes on admin,wages etc.

Well, yes. Not as much as when you buy something at a regular shop, what with no business rates and some staff being volunteers, but some.

The way to reduce those costs further would be for charities to shift to an online selling model and have staff/volunteers doing stuff on Vinted/eBay, BHF has some successful eBay stores, for one.

But there would still be overheads, and the online marketplace would still influence the pricing.

MeekAndModest · 28/10/2025 17:41

@SheilaFentiman , many of them do sell online. I have a Barnado's item in my watch list right now.

Postcardsender · 28/10/2025 18:02

Fairydustand · 28/10/2025 15:36

Ok, thanks but most of them have still become too expensive for buyers on a tight budget .

Rolex watches are way too expensive for me, but I don’t moan that Rolex isn’t charging £15 for an Oyster watch. I go elsewhere to buy a different product from a different seller at a different price.

The vast majority of people can afford charity shop prices and are happy to pay them. For those that cannot (or like OP, just will not), there are other options which have lower selling costs:

  • carboot sales (especially in the last half hour before they pack up)
  • garage sales
  • local Facebook buy/sell groups
  • Freecycle
  • for the truly penniless, homeless shelters
Postcardsender · 28/10/2025 18:23

Fairydustand · 28/10/2025 15:40

Also the OP has been made to look like she's being mean for expecting to find a bargain in a charity shop, she's not.

Sorry to be blunt but OP has made it clear she could afford £15 for a winter coat but she doesn’t want to pay £15, even knowing that it is a) market price for reasonable quality used clothing and b) all profits go to charitable causes and c) when she has finished with the item she could resell it.

We should call that what it is.

MeekAndModest · 28/10/2025 18:28

@SheilaFentiman , if you search on Ebay for charity shop there are loads of them in there.

SheilaFentiman · 28/10/2025 18:41

To be clear - I know charities sell on eBay and I cited BHF as an example. My list was directed at the PP who seemed to be calling out charities in some way for having shop overheads to cover!

MeekAndModest · 28/10/2025 18:55

I was trying to be helpful.
Sorry, @SheilaFentiman .

Thistlewoman · 28/10/2025 19:06

Fairydustand · 28/10/2025 15:09

Wake me up...sorry but it went on a bit...why don't charity shops just change their names to clothes shops and be done with it then?.

Because they sell a wide range of goods, not just clothes. Simple really.

Thistlewoman · 28/10/2025 19:08

Postcardsender · 28/10/2025 14:40

Let me explain it again for you, as a lot of people don’t seem to understand business or economics.

First of all, “market price” is where what a buyer is prepared to pay matches what a seller is prepared to sell for. The market for used clothing has expanded in recent years - it is no longer just charity shops, jumble sales and dress agencies but has expanded to include Vinted, eBay and other online market places.

The issue raised in this thread is whether charity shops should reduce their prices below market price (what an item could be sold for in this wider market) because some people (like OP) don’t want to pay that market price or believe that it is somehow morally wrong for a charity to charge the market price.

But if we work through what would happen if all charity shops did what OP wants and reduced their prices below market, we see that it doesn’t achieve OP’s objective (to pay less than she is currently being asked to pay), or satisfy those who think charities have a moral responsibility above and beyond profit-maximising market participants.

Firstly, it would create a very attractive arbitrage opportunity where individuals or businesses buy items at a lower than market price from charity shops and resell on Vinted or eBay at market price, keeping the profit for themselves.

In the short term, it might drive down the market price a little because the arbitrageurs have much lower total costs than charity shops and could potentially price at a lower level than current market prices while still making themselves an acceptable profit margin (price minus costs). Inventory on Vinted at al would also increase dramatically, helping drive down prices. So seemingly good news for OP wanting to spend as little as possible.

However, the long term picture is less good for OP. As most charity shops have a high fixed cost base (rent/rates/utilities/insurance /staff costs/POS fees), most would very quickly find they could no longer cover these costs, let alone generate profit to fund their causes. The number of charity shops would decrease sharply. Arbitrageurs’ access to under-priced stock to resell would therefore reduce, and prices would rise again. OP would ultimately find that she had to pay prices at least as high as she was paying before, and probably higher (as market cost of goods sold would overall increase due to donors no longer giving items to charity shops for free).

As to the moral question, charity shops exist to fund hospices, cancer research, animal rescue and overseas aid programmes by maximising their profits. Their legal and moral responsibility is NOT to keep every potential buyer on the market happy, including those who don’t want to pay market price. (If OP thinks people like her deserve a special charity that exists to sell her cheap clothing then she should apply to the Charities Commission and see what they say.)

As previously mentioned, most people who take donations to charity shops do so on the understanding that they are forgoing alternatives (eg whatever they could earn by selling on Vinted, or landfill, or leaving to gather dust or get moth eaten in their cupboard) because there is moral value to them in supporting hospices and cancer research. They do not donate because they want to personally enrich individuals or businesses who have nothing to do with the charity. If it became obvious that this was happening, donations would quickly dry up, charity shops would close down faster, and overall market prices would go up due to less inventory.

HTH.

Edited

What she said👆🏻👆🏻
100% agree.

Theunamedcat · 28/10/2025 19:18

Charity shops are closing

Vinted and Ebay can get higher prices because they have a huge worldwide market thst charity shops do not have

They should aim to be low but not too low currently they are WAY too high

On vinted you expect the item to be washed and posted too you in a charity shop you are rolling the dice on cleanliness