Anyone else gathering a whole heap of charity shop stuff

[Bridecilla]

When we have no idea whether charity shops will re-open and the knowledge that if they do they'll all be inundated as half the UK is decluttering in lockdown?

I've done the toy area, ds' room and the kitchen. Still our bedroom and the utility to do. I have 8 bags of charity shop stuff and piles of tip stuff already

I just can’t see how charity shops will reopen. Mainly staffed by elderly volunteers or people pertaining to the charity itself, so those who may fit into the vulnerable and shielding categories. I’m gutted as they were my main go to shop wise but I’m imagining them closed for a long long time.

Me neither, I just don't know what to do with all the stuff. I've always done 3 bags when I spring clean. Bin, charity shop, tip.

Yes, people in our village have started putting up a little table offering free stuff outside their gates. Sometimes it works but not always.
I really miss my trips to the Cancer Research shop in our nearest town

I’ve got bags full. Aaaargh

I’ve got loads already boxes up as was planning on doing a boot sale as soon as the weather improved which obvs lockdown put paid too. I don’t think boot sales will even be a thing again until god knows when! No social distancing at stalls, multiple people picking up stuff then putting it down again, cash rather than contactless - absolute nightmare scenario 🙈

I'd love for them to reopen. It was a weekly thing that I'd go for a browse after one of the school runs, and I love picking up a bargain.

I have a couple of bags so far. I have to drive DD1 to her school from Sept (no public transport and t's out of catchment) but if I can get a regular lift share I might put my money where my mouth is and volunteer a day a week.

You are not going to be able to rock up to many charity shops at 9am on the day shops can open with 30 bags of stuff, the larger ones will have phased openings, restrictions on donations and there will be a lot of work to get shops ready for seasonal stock, not to mention measures in place for quarantining donations, social distancing, cash handling refunds the list goes on, my DH runs 2 charity shops there is going to be a zoom meeting tomorrow to discuss planned openings, but neither of his shops will be open the day other shops can.

Yes, and the stuff I need to take to the tip.
It's all gathering in my garage as I work my way through the house!

Our local community facebook page has lots of people putting up photos of things they have going free. People snapping stuff up very happily. There is also Freecycling.

Someone close to me has dumped a whole load of really good quality baby stuff (changing table etc) next to the bins. I'm pregnant....it's now in our garage. Result!

Im probably going to just stick a post up on my local facebook page, and lay whatever I don't want thats too good to bin out on my drive one day

Hippo skips and bags are still operating. We’ve had to use those instead of charity shops.

I would stick it up on Facebook saying free to collector. I’m passing mine onto a neighbour.

Our local community support and kindness group offer stuff for free on their website and some people put unwanted items on a table in their drive.

I have bags of stuff which was all ready to go weeks before lockdown. It’s all now in the loft.

Maybe a local womens aid or homeless shelter might like unwanted items

I've got 2 big black sacks in the car for charity and I'm currently filling a third sack.

I've got a large cardboard Box also in the car to go to the tip but we aren't leaving the house so that'll be in there for a few more months yet along with anything else I decide to get rid of.

I've got some out grown slides and a plastic ride on horse in the back garden that I think I'll stick in the front garden with a "free" sign for someone to make use of.

Our local hospice are doing collections from this week if you've at least 6 bags

We've had to throw a load of good things out because there's no other way to get rid of it, and we don't have the space to store it at home (need to declutter to prepare for a house move, at some point in the future). I can't use FB or other websites to offer things for free as I don't want strangers coming to my home to pick things up (not CV19 related, I don't like giving out my address to strangers). We can put clothes into nearby clothes recyling bins, but we've got rid of books, DVDs, furniture, household items as there's no way to offer them to anyone else (live in a flat with no garden).

I put a box of paper back books at the bottom of the drive and they disappeared took two day but all went (obviously bought the box in at night) got rid of about 30 books.

Think this would work with puzzles and board games as well as books.

Very fortunate in that there's one op- shop open for business near where I live.

I think a lot of people are simply posting stuff as free on their local FB pages. Much easier than holding on to it with no hope of being able to drop it to a charity shop for months/years.

Try your local neighbourhood site (Next Door??) - I managed to get rid of 5 bin bags and a box of books today alone

Really disappointed with people in our local area. They have dumped A LOT of stuff outside a closed charity shop. The entirety of the pavement outside is covered in junk.

It literally looked like the council hadn’t collected refuse in months with the amount of black bags piled up. They’ve even left loose items Eg random large toys and books on the ground. Are the shop staff supposed to go through all this and sanitise it? It’s essentially fly tipping.

We’re packing to move so are filling up bags nearly every day (DH is a hoarder slowly dealing with his issues). I think they’re just going to have to move with us until we can take them to donate. Have been considering putting the books out for people to help themselves but not sure. Our local collection points such as the clothing bins are all closed too as there’s no one doing collections, which would have made it easier in the interim.