Giving up on charity shop shopping!

[Notcontent]

I have always bought a large proportion of my clothes second hand. When I was a teenager (not in the U.K.) it was largely due to financial reasons. This was before second hand became cool. Anyway, the habit stayed with me and over the years, living in London, my wardrobe has been a mix of second hand (80% I would say), basics from places like Uniqlo and the occasional more expensive new item.

But in the last couple of years or so I have increasingly found very little worth buying in my local charity shops. There are fewer nice things (being sold online maybe?) and what is there is really expensive. Today I had a good look and there were gems like a shrunken Uniqlo jumper for £17 and lots of similar things.

There’s one very local charity shop near me and last time I went in with friends we were quite shocked by high prices (and didn’t buy anything) and I popped in there the other day and didn’t buy anythingI then.

I could see if an item is eg Whistles, Boden, Toast etc then you can charge a higher prices but a lot were cheaper brands which were like PLT, New Look, which are polyester etc and I certainly wouldn’t pay their prices in a charity shop.

There was a lovely DKNY lemon yellow broderie Anglais dress in a major brand charity shop nearby but in a size 14 (I’m a 12) and wasn’t sure if I needed or wanted it!

I'm a lot more selective these days and I have to travel further. I'm still finding some good stuff - got a beautiful wool crepe Jean Muir jacket from a vintage corner the other week - but it's definitely getting harder. It also takes time, which I don't mind because I enjoy it, but then I already have plenty of clothes and I'm mostly after upgrades of basics or those gems that I can't afford to buy new, so it doesn't really matter if I go months without finding anything. If I was just starting out and had a limited income I wouldn't shop this way.

I've always loved a charity shop but agree that the pricing, especially in the 'big' name shops has increased even for names like Primark, F&F etc. I prefer the smaller independent charity shops - our local hospice shop for example. I've picked up some good bargains recently - a Van Heusen shirt new with tags for DH (£6), M&S PJ's for me, again still with tags (£5), an immaculate Onjenu dress for £6 and, yesterday, an M&S loungewear hoodie which looked unworn for £4.00. I'm very selective and look for decent brands, fabrics etc.

Are you me?😬

I had a quick shufty in my local ones today. They’re a bit disappointing these days. I do have a favourite - Help the Aged - but they were closed 😔 I went in The Heart Foundation - one of my regulars but omg their prices these days! There was a beautiful Top Shop leopard print skirt that I might have considered. Yes it still had the tag on but it was … £18!! I walked away and maybe tutted.

I was recently in an Oxfam in Germany.Over €50 for a Ba&sh blouse..Ridiculous.
I went to a few fleamarkets and house garage sales.That's where I found decent priced stuff. A Sunspel sweater for €8 and a silk Cos shirt for €15.

To be fair, their job is to make as much money as they can for their charity, not to keep me in bargains.

Sorry I wrote a long post then about charity shops and regulations and trustees and how I believe they're expected to charge whatever they think they can get, but only the first sentence seems to have posted!

You're right, @Floisme . Lots of people seem to think that maximising income is exactly the same as selling everything cheaply but that's not the case.

@Tangoes not sure if you live there but have a look at Kleinanzeigen. Very good place to start

We run a FREE charity shop.

For us charity means giving, not taking, from the poor.

It’s cracking, I have to say. Excellent donations cos loads of people are keen on direct giving. Kids clothes, icandy buggies, ladies and gents clothes - books - household stuff eg air fryers.

I’ll get strangled if I tell you where it is - the corporate ‘charities’ eg Salvation Army (local shop in the church) loathe us cos it shows them up.

Customers are discreetly referred or tell their mates. I got a BNWT Oliver Bonas midi dress yesterday, very smug. The free shop got my unworn Mango haul
cos I’m so fat 😝

But as has been stated dozens of times @Supersimkin2 the aim of most charity shops is raising money for their cause. Not helping the poor. There is no income qualification for shopping in a charity shop.

I agree. Also facts:

Charity shop customers are 80 per cent low-income households.

Many Big ‘Charity’ shops claim their aim is helping the poor.

Most charity shop revenue doesn’t go to the cause, whatever it might be. It goes to the marketing/pension/publicity depts.

Measurability of donation success for charity cause is not something Big Charity spends money on. You don’t say.

There are exceptions - we’ve got a local youth club charity where the shop pays its considerable takings straight into
the youth club account. Measurable success right there, along with 82 per cent return on donation. Nice.

Another local charity has taken on the traditional charity retail model and 92 per cent of their income goes NOT to the cause. 8 per cent goes as grants.

It’s perfectly possible to run a free charity shop with zero fuss and drama. And help people.

Many charities get very angry about this idea - they’re terrified, entirely reasonably. Who wants a threat to their lovely existence? Delivering 8 per cent is nice for them. But direct giving is easier, less red tape and more valuable socially. It gives 100 per cent.

I’m not quite sure what you’re on about. A cancer research shop is not there to “help the poor” it’s there to raise money for reaearch into cancer. Same with BHF, Barnardos, hospice shops etc etc. They are not going to give things away free as that clearly doesn’t raise funds. You are talking about a totally different concept. 8% to the cause is very little and wag below industry standard. I could see your argument about giving things free to the needy if the charity has the aims of alleviating poverty in local communities. But most don’t.

That’s entirely right. Most - well, all - charity retailers are after your money and possessions, not the other way round.

I don’t really do arguing. I was detailing the eternal clash between social & environmental need v. monthly income demands of the particular charity board, whose trustees operate just like any other profit-based corp.

The threat to traditional charity shops, is that the direct giving model works better for customers, donors and the environment. A lot better.

Customers and donors are what keep Big Charity afloat. Direct giving is young, the new kid on the block, and I wonder how long it might be for customers and donors to move on from ‘overpriced tat’ MN threads about Big Charity and go next door to the nice swap shop.

I see what you are trying to get at with a charity whose aim is supporting the poor. But how is giving away stuff for free going to help Cancer Research or British heart foundation? All big charities already encourage direct giving through payroll or by can rattling in thr street.

I volunteer with BHF and the top shop stuff does not sell well (Head Office / Arcadia/ Debenhams arrangment) All the items are brand new and half the rrp, but still too expensive and the quality is not great imo. We have had some of the items for about 6 months and still not allowed to reduce the price, so frustrating.

Supersim I'd love to see the evidence that states that 80% of charity shop customers are 'low income families'. I just don't believe that.

@HorribleHisTories15 Thanks I'll check it out next time I visit. BTW, love your style on the WAYWT thread.

George street used to have great ones- haven’t been there for ages. I used to go to Uckfield a lot. I am in a bonfirey town just North of Brighton and the prices here are mostly ridiculous.

I never started.
Our local ones are rubbish for me, but my teens found a nice evening dress and a fake fur once.
They've had great bargains from thrift shops in Canada and this summer they've shopped in Kl & Australia & found some lovely things.

Bless you @Tangoes , that is very kind of you. One of the good things about Kleinanzeigen (online / app) is that you can barter/ haggle, select in your region , select pick up only etc. there are quite a lot of really good items as I find the sellers have really high expectations and as such the items are really good quality.