Second hand / Charity Shops

[Goldstone1976]

I donated a pair of Blue Harbour Chino shorts once only to realise i had left a £10 note in them that had a very very sentimental value to me , by the time i got back to the shop they had been sold for £3.50 , very distressing , i also donated a dick Knight book but you can keep that .

You are Ernest, and I claim my fiver...

 

[LlcoolJ]

I donated a pair of Blue Harbour Chino shorts once only to realise i had left a £10 note in them that had a very very sentimental value to me , by the time i got back to the shop they had been sold for £3.50 , very distressing , i also donated a dick Knight book but you can keep that .

[emoji23]

 

[LowKarate]

I bought Dick Knight's autobiography for 50p about a year ago. Opened it and found he had signed the first page which was a bit of a touch.

Also bought a pair of Blue Harbour chino shorts once for about £3.50 only to find a £10 note in the back pocket.

Have you read it though? (the book not the shorts)

I read about 1/3 of his book and found it a little formulaic (it's all I did this and then I said that and I was right...). So I've temporarily suspended reading this in favour of 8 other books which I still haven't read. I think Dick is a 1000% legend, but he's not high on my list for producing a good read.

 

[The Kid Frankie]

Have you read it though? (the book not the shorts)

I read about 1/3 of his book and found it a little formulaic (it's all I did this and then I said that and I was right...). So I've temporarily suspended reading this in favour of 8 other books which I still haven't read. I think Dick is a 1000% legend, but he's not high on my list for producing a good read.

I did read it and I agree with pretty much everything you say. He loves a name drop, and clearly has a massive ego. But yes still a 1000% legend.

 

[marlowe]

I was only joking btw, must I change my name?

Or we can just keep it as my own personal term of endearment for you. Just listen to us. I'll be buying you second hand underwear next.

 

[Perfidious Albion]

The wife and her sister have got Charity Shop shopping down to a fine art , the sister becomes obsessive fo a bargain. ...Some items have come my way as well. Lately we have been clearing out and donating stuff as well.

All such buys are justified with the phrase " It is helping a good cause"

 

[W.C.]

Many moons ago Norman Cook used to donate records to the Oxfam by Waitrose. I picked up a few good 7 inches in there a couple of times. Bit of a **** I knew a little used to go in and nick them

 

[The Gem]

If the "The Gem" is from the store I think he's from then he's absolutely right. Quality cards at very low prices. I get most of mine from there, including the 'under-the-counter' ones [apparently christening cards don't deserve shelf space, so you have to ask!]. Not a charity/second hand shop... just a normal independent, local retailer.

Spot on father_and_son, the number ages will be under the counter soon too, once we get the well you know December ones out, to early to say the word. !!!

 

[The Gem]

you seem to demonstrated his point, is your perception of value distorted because the charity shops sell at so low a price? if every shop ran on volunteer staff and 90% discounted business rates, they'd be able to sell stuff a lot cheaper too.

Agreed. Gosh the money I would make then !!!

 

[Dave the OAP]

The best one we ever found was behind the station at Windsor, British heart foundation I think it is....I bought a Ralph Loren shirt for a tenner and my wife bought a silk dress for £20 which must have cost around £500 when new. It is full of designer gear and really high quality stuff.

Whenever we go to Windsor, we always head there during the day.

If anyone spots a wooden model ship kit in a charity shop, please do let me know as I have been commissioned to build a couple for friends.

 

[The Gem]

Is that what they get? 90% off business rates? Hmm - I'll have to have a think about that.

The other thing to remember also is the landlord getting away with the rates too.

If a shop is empty the landlord pays the rates in full. If a business like mine takes over we pay the same rates and the landlord stops.

If a charity shop takes over the landlord stops paying the rates and the charity shop only pays a tiny % of the rates to the council.

This also means there is less money going into the coffers for us all.

Yes they may be cheap, but they have a detrimental effect on the wider community. Also I bet you a £1 to a penny all the money taken does not go to charity.

Not all charity workers are volunteers.

 

[pearl]

Or we can just keep it as my own personal term of endearment for you. Just listen to us. I'll be buying you second hand underwear next.

https://youtu.be/agKQW1rxAtc

 

[carlzeiss]

The other thing to remember also is the landlord getting away with the rates too.

If a shop is empty the landlord pays the rates in full. If a business like mine takes over we pay the same rates and the landlord stops.

If a charity shop takes over the landlord stops paying the rates and the charity shop only pays a tiny % of the rates to the council.

This also means there is less money going into the coffers for us all.

Yes they may be cheap, but they have a detrimental effect on the wider community. Also I bet you a £1 to a penny all the money taken does not go to charity.

Not all charity workers are volunteers.

The big chain charity shops have paid store managers , assistant mangers , shop staff as well as volunteers .

They also have weekly targets with managers bonus payments

Head office staff , area managers and delivery drivers are all paid as are shop contractors ,

So of course not all the income they generate goes to " charity " . Would guess only single figure percentage of turnover does

They do however provide opportunities to struggling young people who are prepared to work for nothing and prove themselves to potential employers by supplying useful references .

Also nobody is forced to volunteer . Everyone has their own reasons for doing so .Many older people living on their own volunteer to escape isolation and boredom .

 

[Marshy]

A friend of mine found a set of signed Terry Pratchett books in the Lions shop in Burgess Hill i think it was...for something like £1 a book... winner

 

[Titanic]

My best BARGAIN ever was a few years ago now. It was a COOL looking 1980's BHAFC shoulder BAG. When I got it home, it was literally STUFFED with FIVERS and TENNERS. The only ANNOYING thing was that many of them were OUT of DATE so I had to take them to the BANK to get them changed.

 

[beorhthelm]

...They do however provide opportunities to struggling young people who are prepared to work for nothing and prove themselves to potential employers by supplying useful references .

Also nobody is forced to volunteer . Everyone has their own reasons for doing so .Many older people living on their own volunteer to escape isolation and boredom .

its great that they offer opportunities to those that can volunteer*, but people need to realise the lower costs (rates and staff being vast majority) is why charities can afford to sell stuff so cheap.

* yet, if someone wants to volunteer at a large corporation under the title "intern", this is currently frowned upon

 

[Dave the OAP]

A friend of mine found a set of signed Terry Pratchett books in the Lions shop in Burgess Hill i think it was...for something like £1 a book... winner

i gave my complete set to the charity shop opposite the grenadier in hangleton. hardback books and all.

 

[The Gem]

The big chain charity shops have paid store managers , assistant mangers , shop staff as well as volunteers .

They also have weekly targets with managers bonus payments

Head office staff , area managers and delivery drivers are all paid as are shop contractors ,

So of course not all the income they generate goes to " charity " . Would guess only single figure percentage of turnover does

They do however provide opportunities to struggling young people who are prepared to work for nothing and prove themselves to potential employers by supplying useful references .

Also nobody is forced to volunteer . Everyone has their own reasons for doing so .Many older people living on their own volunteer to escape isolation and boredom .

I get that, what I am saying is every charity shop that exist does not pay into the coffers hardly any of the rates that a normal business would, so its the wider community that misses out on the rate money because that does not get seen by the councils and governments, who could then potentially use that money to improve their local community.