Do you donate old clothes to charity shops ?

[Return of the Rev]

The staff in charity shops tend to be there for altruistic reasons and not for what they can get out of it. The charity shop workers I know are all extremely dedicated and public spirited.

Or for community service?

 

[Diego Napier]

A mate of mine's bird was manager of a very well known charity shop, she used to take all the best stuff for herself and him.

Oh dear but I suppose there are always unpleasant exceptions to the rule.

 

[Albumen]

Just had a massive clear out of old clothes, was going to Luzz them in the bin, but thought will give to a charity shop, question is, do the staff have first pick before they go on sale or do the public get a chance to buy therefore contributing to said charity ?

Haha that's some inflated perception you have of your trash. I'm sure they'll be pulling each other's hair out to wear your holey grots before the public do.

 

[dazzer6666]

Quite often use the charity bags dropped through the door as a prompt to have a bit of a wardrobe clear out. We also passed our old 3 piece suite on to the BHF (they collected it) and we recently took a big carload of stuff (not clothes but other household bits and pieces - lamps, CD racks that kind of thing) to a shop in Burgess Hill. If the staff at any of these places see anything they want and end up with it, not a problem for me - they're volunteers anyway in the main. Just feels much better than chucking things away - if it's useful to someone, great.

 

[midnight_rendezvous]

I used to be the manager of a charity shop. All clothes donations are very much appreciated. Even if the clothes are falling to bits, they can 'rag' them and can earn money that way. As for shop workers getting first dibs, they might do. When you sort through donations and see something you like it's not uncommon for someone to put it to the side. Of course, they still have to buy it.

 

[Cian]

The one my mother volunteers in requires items to be on the rack for 48 hours before volunteers can buy them. That is (or was when I helped her out occassionally a decade+ ago) fairly regularly flouted if the paid manager isn't there, though; however they still have to buy them.

 

[Wrong-Direction]

Why would you bin things other people could use? #savetheplanet[emoji111]

 

[Philbag70]

I've just finished a stint at PDSA head office (IT projects) and during my time had to roll out new PC's to all the ~150 retail (charity) shops.
Did a couple of visits to "see the coal face" and most of the people are really dedicated to the cause [unlikely to be scroats]

However, the shop PC has a shortcut to eBay which is regularly used to try and establish the value of a given item so it can be priced up realistically by shop staff.
PDSA also has its own eBay store where it sells new items
No idea if the workers are asked not to have their own eBay accounts.

I've just clarified the situation with my girlfriend. It seems, staff can view and buy on Ebay, just not sell. Very odd policy, i think!!

 

[Taybha]

Seeing as all my gear comes from charity shops it would be rude to re introduce them into the system so no I do not .

 

[NooBHA]

The majority of old clothes don't go into the Charity shops to be sold.

They are sold as a bulk ''job lot'' so to speak to African countries.

On arrival there, they are then sorted and they hit a ''pecking order'' system where the best are picked out and the well known labels are sold first and after that they go further down a market style chain.

There was a ''BBC World'' Documentary which was hosted by the guy in the wheelchair who reports for the BBC and who used to be in the GB Para Olympic Basketball team. Cant remember his name

 

[Notters]

The staff might get first choice, but they would still have to pay, I would imagine (as has already been said).

And I think that if what is donated is sub-standard - i.e. not suitable to go on sale - they would probably have the means of sending stuff for recycling, which would still earn them money.

You could well find textile recycling bins locally for the real cr@p.

I'm pretty sure they have to pay to dispose of anything they don't sell. And some of the stuff people dump on the doorsteps of charity shops is attrocious.

 

[KingKev]

My Mrs was saying some of the bigger ones scrap clothes they don't think they can sell. We always take our donations to smaller outfits.

They sell stuff they don't think they can retail or recycle for 'rag'. I think the going rate is about £5 per bin bag, so even if it's not top quality the charity can make some cash from our 'pre-loved' clobber.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

I'm pretty sure they have to pay to dispose of anything they don't sell. And some of the stuff people dump on the doorsteps of charity shops is attrocious.

Can you imagine the sort of crap that gets left? They can only sell stuff in reasonably good condition on their shelves. The flaw in that plan is that one person's definition of "reasonable" might not match another's

I guess there are plenty of dead people's clothes & property in charity shops.

 

[Cian]

I'm pretty sure they have to pay to dispose of anything they don't sell. And some of the stuff people dump on the doorsteps of charity shops is attrocious.

Even clothes in dreadful condition have a small value rather than a pay to dispose situation occurring. There's an entire industry of textile recycling/recovery - cotton clothes get sold as rags to trades; polyester gets melted and reused and so on

 

[Philbag70]

Not that long ago, a 'donation' was left in a bin bag at the back of my girlfriends charity shop. The donation was a couple of smelly, dirty coats, a few unopened tins of soup and a used nappy tied up in a tesco bag. I just don't get it. Why go to the trouble of bringing filthy rubbish all the way to the back of the charity shop, when you could just dump it all in a bin outside your home?

 

[Notters]

Can you imagine the sort of crap that gets left? They can only sell stuff in reasonably good condition on their shelves. The flaw in that plan is that one person's definition of "reasonable" might not match another's

I guess there are plenty of dead people's clothes & property in charity shops.

Indeed. I remember seeing a grate pile of empty, dirty, slightly broken roses/biscuit tins once.

 

[The Sock of Poskett]

Any time I'm having a clear out its always gone to shelter's charity shop in Worthing, now that's shut I've taken some bits and bobs down to the Worthing Cat Welfare one in the Guildbourne because that's where my last two moms have come from.

I'd find it interesting to find out if anyone from here genuinely buys clothes from charity shops? I do quite often if there's something i like - on the road where I live there's about 6 of them so if I've gone for a wander I'll have a look. Always surprised there are as many fat gits out there as me to be honest!!!!

Yes, we regularly trawl the charity shops and have picked up clothes often over the years. You get to know the ones that are best quality, sensibly priced and well cleaned! Have never had the urge to spend lots on clothes, and like the recycling aspect. We also take plenty to them, as well as books and other stuff. They do a great job, by and large.

 

[Albion my Albion]

Agree the "up" could have been omitted and the sentence and the message still remain clear but I'm sure its a recognised verb for the task of putting price tags / labels on items prior to sale.

e.g. "I'm busy pricing up the new stock" - anyone else, or am I out on my own with this?

Just call it a point of emphasis that I have adopted that was pointed to on this message board.

 

[Colossal Squid]

I regularly take old clobber down the local charity shops and as I frequently shop in the same shops I do see my gear on the hangers. It's always interesting to see how they've priced up my old garb.

I can imagine it's not too hard for charity shop staff to requisition anything they see come in that they really fancy but they'd still have to pay for it and bear in mind there may only be two people working at any one time and donations are being received at all hours so if you've got two old Doris' receiving a bin bag of gentleman's jeans, they probably stick the lot out on the shelves as they'd be of no interest to them.

I'd very much doubt staff would steal the items although of course many of them aren't actually volunteering and are in fact there on community service, albeit under the watchful eye of a supervisor.

Round Kemptown way I have found some absolute steals including a wonderful jacket from Parisien designer Sonia Rykiel for £10 which I looked up online and had a four figure price tag. I've got some lovely Armani jeans (£10), a Milano designer suit jacket (£10), a full pinstripe whistle with waistcoat from River Island (£12) and some cracking retro/vintage t-shirts and hoodies. I'm often amazed at the amount of items that are brand new and unworn you can dig up too, sometimes even with the original shop tags still on.

Being so spoiled for choice with charity shop bargains the only articles of clothing I buy new these days are my shoes as I just love a fresh and crisp pair of shiny new sneaks

 

[GoldWithFalmer]

The staff in charity shops tend to be there for altruistic reasons and not for what they can get out of it. The charity shop workers I know are all extremely dedicated and public spirited.

I would agree with this,most don't seem to have a bad bone,that said there will always be a bad apple in any bunch.