Thinking Vinted will see Charity Shops out of business?

[Monty27]

If you're a chazza fan like me have you noticed how they're not busy?
Vinted is new in the great scheme of things and fantastic. It's a new discovery] for me.
I'm not sure how sympathetic I am towards chazzas losing business because the profits aren't shared

A lot of volunteers sadly don’t know the difference in quality/RRP between brands. I spend a lot of time in my shifts at the charity shop pointing out to the manager that they could sell specific items for more than they have been marked up for!

It’s a variety of problems.

The first one being “chazza” - wth?! I shall file it along with “picky bits” as terms which define the fall of civilisation.

Anyway, it’s the internet. Charity shops started price-matching with eBay, which was stupid. Of course they don’t want to price a valuable item at 50p, but they are local and eBay has a worldwide customer base. And thinking that a bobbly 2004 dress from Boden is worth £15 just because it’s Boden.

Bric-a-brac: now there are sites like Vintage Cash Cow - you don’t get a fortune but I made £50 from old spoons and suchlike.

But mostly it’s the standard of goods for the past 25 or so years, and especially recently Primark, Temu, Schein etc. Those things are tuppence ha’penny in the first place and of dubious quality. These are donated to charity shops and no one wants them - especially if exhorbitantly priced!

Charity shops are just that, they exist to benefit a particular charity. They’re mostly run by volunteers, very few people get paid.

Their sole purpose is to raise funds for their purposes, whether that’s Cancer Research, the British Heart Foundation, the local Hospice or whatever. They aren’t providing a service for people who want cheap stuff.

Nowadays charities are all about regular revenue through direct payments. If the shops stop working for them as a fundraiser, they’ll close them.

I think both have their place. I buy a lot in both, but never sell in Vinted. I can’t be arsed with the hassle so I donate. I love hearing how much my donations have raised.

I've been a big fan of charity shops over decades. Couldnt pass the door of one without a quick dip in, and used to love a good mooch. I've had some amazing finds - antiques, homeware and clothes. Now I find my interest waning and can walk past a whole row of charity shops without a second glance. I know what to expect. The quality of the clothes has really declined, and the prices!! If people can buy new for similar prices, why would anyone buy used?

Really interested to know which regions widely use the term “chazza”! Not one I have heard before (I’m Scottish, but live in London).

As to the question, for me it’s a pretty simple thought process:

1. I could make some money selling something on Vinted
2. Giving an item to charity is the same as giving that money to charity

so my decision as to what to do with something depends on how charitable I am feeling and how much I need the money. No different to my thought process when someone rattles a tin.

Before it was easy to make money from unwanted clothes it was a no-brainer to give them to charity.

As a buyer I don’t buy a lot of clothes for myself anyway, and prefer new. For the kids Vinted is way too much of a faff but I am a heavy user of the school’s secondhand uniform store. Kids’ clothes in our local charity shops are terrible quality.

I buy lots of books, toys and homewares from charity shops, as well as supplies to make fancy dress and costumes.

Not for me, Vinted - I like to see and feel the fabric of clothes before I buy them, and try them on if needed - and I don't want the hassle of postal returns if it isn't as described.

I give all of my Vinted fails to a Chazza shop and I’m sure I can’t be the only one

I do worry quite a lot about the environmental impact of so many packages of £1 Vinted items moving around the country. And it seems to perpetuate the gig delivery economy too. Tbh our addiction to home delivery of everything feels wrong, somehow. I hate how normalised it has become to use Deliveroo.

I use charity shops because I can’t be bothered spending the time needed to sell and post things on vented or eBay

I agree about our home home delivery love just filling the roads with delivery vans

And there are fewer SAHMs to staff them. It's an issue here that less people volunteer than ever..

They are mostly staffed by retired/pensioners round here.

Nope. Never use Vinted, rarely buy second-hand stuff online, go to charity shops several times a week. Different experience.

I’m in SE and never heard expression “chazza” before.

I can see the corner shop from my window so it’s no trouble to get there. I don’t do home delivery for Vinted. I think the amount of new clothes bought directly from retailers being delivered to peoples homes far exceeds Vinted.

I also really value my corner shop and hope the business they get from Vinted helps keep them going.

Nah if I can't sell something for less than maybe ten pounds it goes to the charity shop
Not worth the time of photographing, listing, having it sat round the house for who knows how long until someone buys it and then having to package and send.

I've got bags of charity shop stuff post clear out though do buy and sell on vinted too

It's been a thing for ages. Everyone says chazza 😆

Not true local to me. I volunteered in charity shops for about a decade and only gave up just before Christmas. Last year was the busiest we'd ever had.

People on these threads always go on about clothes as if it's all charity shops sell. We used to take more money on bricabrac or toys/games as women's clothing.

Vinted is great, I buy on there too, but there is space for both models in the market. There is hardly a shortage of second hand clothing.

And there are fewer SAHMs to staff them.

It's never been stay at home mums staffing our chazzas, it's always retired folk. Still volunteers though, I'm guessing.

Literally never heard the term "chazza" before this thread.

Vinted is so corrupt. I personally would never buy or sell on there again. Charity shops have my support

I love charity shops and buy most of my clothes from them. I sell on Vinted but rarely buy clothes on there unless I'm very sure it will fit due to the postage costs etc.
You get to know which Charity shops charge too much...Oxfam!!!
Its so ridiculous when you see Primark, Shein etc for crazy prices.

No I use Vinted a lot to buy and sell but as a mum to a 4 year old who is constantly growing out of stuff, there's no way i'd have the time to sell everything on vinted.

I dont think most of it is worth selling on vinted either and/ or probably wouldnt sell ie a plain basic jersey top

I cherry pick items i know will sell on vinted- branded things or zara dresses and the rest i send to charity.

I feel like this is a good balance. Definitely still a place for charity shops

No, Vinted is too much hassle for anyone working full time and with a busy life. All that storing, listing, posting, just too much bother.

I drop my ds' grown out of clothes at Cancer Research, they make a little money, I feel good. Job done 😊

I never used charity shops for clothes. I’m there for the books, vintage glassware and useful pots to put things in. In my area the charity shops are doing great.

I could not be bothered to sell on Vinted. I take kids stuff to the second-hand and my own stuff goes to the charity shop.

Nor me.