Charity Shops-Tip Shops.Have you noticed the prices or is it me.

[Tawnyowl]

Always happy to look around the charity shops.And spend a pound or two or even three.

And donated as well.

But increasingly finding it difficult to find not a bargain but a fair priced item.

As the Great British public donate things free i would have thought the policy would be stack it high sell it cheap.

 

Charity shops are now everywhere on the high streets of Britain and would have thought competition was fierce.

Shoes,clothes household items at prices that you can now buy at certain stores cheaper.New.

 

Charity shops are places where the poorer can go to find things cheaper,are things changing,have they changed do you think

in the last few years.

Now i do have Yorkshire origins and do not want to appear tight and am willing to pay a fair price.

And opening this thread i do expect a little criticism perhaps.I can take it been round long enough.

Maybe i am getting older and grumpier as time goes by.

 

Also some Tips have now opened Tip shops usually in metal containers where articles that the British Public have

thrown away are sold.

Now once again some of the prices i have seen are priced at silly prices and you usually get the response well that is the price.

Have you had any dealings.

Have you noticed things have changed.

Bring it on.Have your say.

God bless the volunteers in these charity shops.How are the prices arrived at.Who decides.

[Old Cogger]

Primark is cheaper these days, I have said this for the last couple of years - no I am not joking, mind you look at the charity directors million pound home etc says it all, nothing new there.

[Tawnyowl]

Have you ever got to the counter of a charity shop to buy your item then have it taken from you,saying oh sorry that is not for sale.

Any experiences.Any views on things.

Noticed things changing in the last few years.

Are things being sold elsewhere perhaps.

Do you work in a charity shop.What is it like these days.Seen changes.

Just in case there are people looking in and are wanting your say register here and have your say we are a friendly lot.

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/register.php

[unclebulgaria67]

This is pretty true. I have seen some charity shops trying to sell items for a higher price than they are for sale as new items in the stores that sell them.

 

Also some charity shops buy items from other charity shops and attempt to sell them at a higher price. I took a few items to one shop a few weeks back and one of them is now for sale in a different charity shop.

 

Charity has become a business now and they make a lot of money, much of which does not go to the good cause.

[Tawnyowl]

Interesting thoughts,thanks for the replies so far.

Just throwing a few more thoughts out.

What training do the managers of these shops have in dealing with the great British Public.

Do things today vanish to the back of stores where a monitor of computers are firing off things to Auction sites perhaps.

Never to be seen in stores.Making them as bare as a badgers?.Shops round my area are becoming boring and once bitten,next time i walk on.

 

If so why not pop things into the shops.Give people a fair chance.Increase sales that way.

Whether Jewellry,pottery,paintings or anything.

If does not sell then bang onto the auction sites.Not before a fair try in the shops first.

Do not make your shops boring.

Now of course i do not know if this is happening just banter i listen to while on my travels.

And like to pop a few thoughts out there in webland where people who do know can answer.

Once i hear a few people saying the same thing i ask others,as simple as that really.

Someone who works in these stores come on in and have your say.

Just what is going on.

And anyone please have your say,what do you think of things.

[Tawnyowl]

I would say to the Charity shops and the managers who run these shops Think of if Carlsberg did a charity shop.

And start from the back room.Fill your shops and watch the people come in.

Forget about the auction sites.If this is happening of course.Get the silver,gold and jewellry,pottery,clothes,books. that are worth the price you are asking and the rest out and let us in.

Nothing worse than a boring, half empty shop.That is overpriced.

Now who has a picture of if Carlsberg did a charity shop.

If you work in one send us a picture showing the goodies on display.Is your shop the business.The best.

I am off now,i hope i have not offended anyone.

Just wondering as i feel many maybe.

[Tawnyowl]

I have not said to much about the Refuse Tip shops.

Places where you throw away your rubbish.

I suppose the profits from these shops go to the councils which benefits the council tax payers.

 

Started a few years ago place was packed out with stuff,reasonably priced.Garden tools,anything really.

Remembering back in the 70s when i went to the tip a few people were always there seeing what you were throwing and grabbing what they fancied then

putting in their cars and vans then selling on elsewhere.

This practice was stopped in my area.

 

Although one day i went and threw some items away into the machine which was just in the process of crushing.

One of the operators pressed the stop and excitedly dived in and removed the items.I assure you these did not appear in the shop.I could not believe it.It was sheer comedy.

Makes you wonder a few things.But that is the nature i suppose and always will be.Perks of the job comes to mind.

 

Do you have these in your towns and cities.

Went in the other day fancied a few mirrors.Various prices up to 15 pounds.Flawed,scratches not that bothered really i can cut them up for what i do with them.

Same though over the few years once again things have clearly changed.Not as much seems to be in the shops.And prices risen.

One or two have said some things go in the shop and never appear on the shelves.

Others say dealers are favored by some.Things are put at one side for the favored ones to be collected.

I find this hard to believe myself but makes you wonder.Just talk perhaps but why say this.

And i suppose i have just diversified from the thread title.But someone may be interested.

Makes you wonder how much is thrown away that could be given to charity shops as well.

I would estimate millions of pounds worth of items each year.Perhaps each month.

To the tip.

[citizenB]

I have noticed, yes, Tawnyowl.

 

It is my understanding that they are now more commercial enterprises than real charity shops. My Mum and Sisters were/are great Charity shop, shoppers and they have said how things have increased in price. I used to purchase paperback books from them - but now find that buying from boot fairs is often much cheaper.

 

I do understand that they might have operating costs - but very few of their staff are paid a salary.

[citizenB]

When I lived in Kent, quite a few years ago - the people who ran the recycling centre (tip) used to rescue quite a few items and repair/restore them and put them up for sale.

 

Wasnt there also a programme just recently where a group of people were taken to one recycling centre and saw what could be made from recycled plastic - clothes, furniture - amazing.

[silverfox1961]

I am all for buying used everything (but I draw the line at underwear!)

I go into charity shops regularly to see if they have anything good. AgeUK tends to have some good stuff and are reasonably priced but the British Heart foundation have lost a good many customers due to the higher than normal prices you would expect in a charity shop.

 

I managed to pick up a brilliant wool blend coat from AgeUK, a very expensive brand, in excellent condition all for £7.99

 

In my local area, there is a shop that donates all its profits to local causes and they clear out homes for people who have lost a relative (this is a predominately older population) then sell on the bits at very low prices. I picked up the best 3 piece suite I have ever had for £100. Delivered and old suite removed for free.

[citizenB]

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?454948-BBC-Waste-Not-Want-Not-Hugh-s-War-on-Waste

 

Hugh's War on Waste

[Tawnyowl]

Quite keen on this charity which helps the homeless.And has opened a superstore.

Homeless charity Emmaus opens furniture superstore in Hull

Read more: http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/Homeless-charity-Emmaus-opens-furniture/story-28785582-detail/story.html#ixzz41pZWLqyM

 

And this one.Where you can go in grab a coffee and have a look around.

Daisy Chain, a charity supporting children with autism and their families, has taken over an out of town store on Stockton's Portrack Lane.

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/NEWS/11237787.Charity_opens_up_new_superstore_in_Stockton/?commentSort=score

 

Charity superstores.Modernising.Is this the way things are going.

Perhaps as they get bigger moving to the outskirts of towns.

Shops on some high streets to small.

[sillygirl1]

One of my friends has been doing work experience in a charity shop warehouse as part of the government Workfare programme. He was told that they needed him for a further 16 week period as their assistant manager was going on maternity leave. He told them that if they were keeping him on they needed to properly pay him. The manager told him he had no choice in the matter. He said he was going to inform the local job centre of what she said to him and then get the local MP involved in his case. He had already done 12 weeks there instead of the usual 6.

 

According to him some people showed up once and never came back, and other people only worked one day a week He ended up doing 6 days a week for them.

 

This reason has put me off using that particular charity.

 

I used to love charity shop clothes hunting but more and more of them are putting high prices on clothing, more than it would sell normally, especially shoes.

[Nystagmite]

We've managed to get some decent stuff for my flat from charity shops. Although, we found there was no point getting things like fridge and freezer because of the warranty, etc.

[tony3x]

A little story about a charity shop. A few years ago whilst on a weekend away in Cork my friend noticed a nice looking tuxedo in the window of a charity shop. He went in and asked to try it on but they said they had no facilities for that. He though the size was ok and it was very cheap so he said he would have it anyway. Was then told he could not have it until Tuesday as thats when they changed the window display. He pointed out that he would not be there on Tuesday but the shop would not budge. He asked how long they the suit had been there and was told 2 weeks - but they still wouldn't sell it to him until Tuesday.

 

Obviously that shop did not need the money!!

[Nystagmite]

That's just weird. I used to volunteer in a charity shop and we'd usually have people asking for items in the window. We'd sell those and just put new items up. It's really not that difficult!

[sillygirl1]

Just got a nice jumper and two tops for 99p each at the Age Concern place at the bottom of the high street. One is a nice Debenhams shirt.