Are Charity Shops Misunderstood?

01Aug
by Cherryl

Are charity shops misunderstood or have they evolved to become much like any other high street retailer?

We all love a bargain whether we ‘need’ one or not. People with plenty of money to spend can be found pottering around in charity shops, just as those with limited budgets can also be found looking longingly at the wares of expensive department stores, running up their credit card bills.

There are no obvious rules or predictable patterns these days.

Common misconceptions about charity shops

  • They’re all filled with old junk, worn out dirty and faulty goods
  • Everything in them is cheap
  • Charity shops are for scroungers – nose turned up attitude
  • Charity shops are for poor people (depending on how you define poor)

Well none of the above is true.

The general stereotype of finding cheap clothes in a charity shop might be a bit dated.

“Greedy’ charity shops under fire for prices beyond means of poor” Guardian Newspaper

Charity shops are bumping up the prices and you might find things cheaper in some of the known ‘fast fashion’ type retailers. The whole ‘fast fashion’ culture has really taken off in recent years.

On the one hand, charity shops are all about raising money for a cause, so the more money they make the better, meaning a push for higher prices is a good thing, right?

You’re donating to a cause not a greedy capitalist, so you don’t mind if it’s not all rock bottom prices….?

“Charity shops raise more than £330 million in a typical year, which funds medical research, overseas aid, environmental initiatives, supporting sick children, homeless people, disabled people, animal welfare, and many other good causes.”  Charity Retail Association

On the other hand

Some people who go to charity shops are looking for a bargain first and foremost.

In many cases, people on very small budgets might hope to get some good deals in a charity shop to save money, and I’m sure they do sometimes.

When I donate things to my local charity shops, I like to think that a local person will get my items at a bargain price – making them happy customers, and leaving me feeling like I’ve helped someone out. Embarrassingly perhaps, I’m not normally thinking about the actual charity as much as hoping my things reach someone who really needs them. Same difference, perhaps.

If prices are not bargain prices, then (in the short term) the people I want to help might not benefit.

Everything is second hand

Definitely not true. In the past, I’ve donated things that were new, sometimes still with tags on (never got round to returning them). I don’t feel bad about this if I think I’m helping someone else get it for less. I’ve donated new books that I had no desire to read, new lampshades, unwanted gifts, you name it.

Some shops get donations of brand new items directly from retailers, job lots in some cases.

You won’t find anything decent

Just not true. I’d be embarrassed to donate anything I thought was fit for the bin. That said, many charity shops will recycle donations they feel are unsuitable to sell in store, so don’t worry!

Mixed messages

I’ve spied books and dvds in charity shops knowing I could probably get them cheaper online, (brand new in many cases). But yes, I have also seen bargain prices too.

“The charity shops used to be cheap – all the stuff that used to be at jumble sales is in charity shops now but at a ridiculous price.” Source: Cornwall live

If your motivation is to put goods directly in the hands of those that need them the most, and quickly – charity shops might not always be the best choice.

There are other organisations and good causes that allow you to give, without those in need having to pay for the items. I think I’ll do a seperate post highlighting a few that I’ve come across, since they’re relatively invisible compared to your well known charity shops on the high street.

The Big Issue seller that got lucky with a charity shop….sort of!

I’ll call him Dan. When I stopped to buy his latest issue, Dan told me about the time he was stood selling The Big Issue in a more affluent part of London. That day, a range rover pulled up beside him and a man got out and walked over. The man was on his way to a charity shop to drop off all the clothes in his car boot, because they wouldn’t fit him anymore after losing a lot of weight. He opened the boot, and to Dan’s surprise, the boot was full, mostly of brand new designer clothes and belts.

The man encouraged Dan to take a look and help himself.

Lucky day? Well you’d think so wouldn’t you.

Dan took a few items and thanked the man.

The man seemed puzzled and pressed “is that all you want? Take more, take as much as you like, I don’t need any of it, it doesn’t fit”

Dan replied “Thanks but I won’t take too much. If I stand around in the street dressed in clothes like these, nobody will buy my ‘Big Issue’ cos’ I’ll look richer than them lol” 🙃

The man took his point, though I’m sure he was probably a bit baffled by Dan’s ability resist. Admirable really!

Anyway – I just thought this random conversation really highlights the misconception about charity shops only offering second hand goods – as well as the fact that there are still people in the world of noble character!!

 

 

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37 thoughts on “Are Charity Shops Misunderstood?”

  1. Pingback: Are Charity Shops Misunderstood? - Live Marketplaces UK

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  3. Liz Dexter – Birmingham, UK – Book blog is at http://www.librofulltime.wordpress.com Writer, proofreader, editor, transcriber. Also runner, gym-goer, volunteer and BookCrosser! My married name is Liz Dexter but my maiden name and the name on the books I write is Liz Broomfield.

    Liz Dexter

    This is an interesting post. I buy a fair bit from charity shops and really missed them during the pandemic – Oxfam Books was the first place I went between and after the lockdowns! I do worry that the prices are a bit high now for people who really need the clothing and other goods. I don’t donate books to charity shops as so many get thrown away (but I give them away or register them on BookCrossing and leave them on free bookshelves) but we do donate as much as we can.

    Reply
    1. Cherryl – UK – This and that, an all rounder!! If it amuses, entertains, inspires or proves useful to just one person then it's doing its job! God bless x 💛🔆🌴🎨🌼✈️

      Cherryl

      Yes, the free bookshelves, like the ones you sometimes see in train stations – they’re another really good place to leave unwanted books. I saw a blog entitled ‘The Gentrification of Charity Shops’ and I think there’s a lot of truth in that. There are lots of bloggers/’influencers’ and youtube vloggers making regular videos of their charity shop hauls, it’s become trendy and fashionable to go thrift shopping, so I guess a lot of charity shops are capitalising on this, which is not good news for those who are truly in need of the lowest possible prices.

      Reply
  4. Wind Kisses – Just wandering around. You?

    Wind Kisses

    I love charity shops. These days I spent a lot of time donating as I am simplifying my life. A few years back when teaching kindergarten I loved shopping there. Kids like “real” stuff more then toys so it felt real to them. I could also find old electronics for them to take a part…and rebuild. Quite fun. Nice blog. Super organized and will written. Donna

    Reply
    1. Cherryl – UK – This and that, an all rounder!! If it amuses, entertains, inspires or proves useful to just one person then it's doing its job! God bless x 💛🔆🌴🎨🌼✈️

      Cherryl

      Aww thank you so much Donna, your feedback means a lot.🙏✨ Charity shops definately seem to have become more popular and mainstream for shopper these days, including teens and vintage hunters etc..it’s good to see this.🛍

      Reply
  5. beetleypete – Beetley, Norfolk, United Kingdom – Retired from work, and moved from London to Norfolk. Getting used to a slower lifestyle, Country ways, and more time on my hands.

    beetleypete

    My wife and her daughters can still find real bargains in local charity shops in Norfolk. But the larger charities like Oxfam now buy-in much of their stock, and have become more like retail gift shops.
    Many thanks for following my blog.
    Best wishes, Pete.

    Reply

  6. Pingback: 5 Alternatives to Charity Shops: Give clothes to people who 'need' them. -

  7. Rebecca Cuningham

    Rebecca Cuningham

    This is a favorite topic for me, I go to our local thrift shop just about every week. Since we are in a college town, the clothes can be from around the world. I love the unique finds. Once about five years ago, I was haunting the aisles and a stranger came up to me and said in an angry tone, “You don’t need to shop here!” Little did he know the designer jeans I was wearing and fancy handbag I had bought at that very store for $8 and $20 respectively! How can we tell by looking what someone’s economic bracket is? As you pointed out, helping those who need it is part and raising funds is another reason for the charity shops. Our little store makes money for those having difficult times economically, for the food pantry they run, and they outfit families who need clothes and provide furniture. I feel good helping people with my purchases and it keeps my spending under control. Thanks for this great post.

    Reply
    1. Cherryl – UK – This and that, an all rounder!! If it amuses, entertains, inspires or proves useful to just one person then it's doing its job! God bless x 💛🔆🌴🎨🌼✈️

      Cherryl

      Lol, he actually approached you and judged you like that!! Plus, he’s assuming people would only shop there if they ‘needed’ to, not because they simply wanted to. It’s a two way street. Times have changed. Your little store sounds lovely – directly in touch with those in need, this would make me want to spend money there too 😊
      Thanks for reading Rebecca

      Reply
  9. Oh, the Places We See – Knoxville, Tennessee – Met at University of Tennessee, been married for 54 years, and still passionate about travel whether we're volunteering with Habitat Global Village, cruising the ocean blue, or taking a drive through the country. Join us as we try to see it all while we can!

    Oh, the Places We See

    A very interesting post, especially since my husband once ran the Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store in Knoxville. He had lots of new clothing that people had bought with the intent to lose weight. When that didn’t happen, they just donated it to the store! So keep shopping. There’s always good stuff: one man’s treasure, I suppose!
    Thanks for following our blog, Oh, the Places We See. We hope to be traveling again soon.

    Reply
    1. Cherryl – UK – This and that, an all rounder!! If it amuses, entertains, inspires or proves useful to just one person then it's doing its job! God bless x 💛🔆🌴🎨🌼✈️

      Cherryl

      Thanks for stopping by, it’s good to hear some of the charity shop myths being busted. I’ve donated new things myself so I know someone somewhere got a good deal!! One man’s treasure…indeed!! 🤗
      Happy future travels💫

      Reply
  10. My Life in Our Father's World – Illinois USA – I am a wife and mother with 2 adult children and a granddaughter that brings me joy every day. I am the Assistant Director of a childcare center and a jail chaplain. I consume copious amounts of coffee not because I need it to stay awake but because I love the taste. I believe that God has a unique plan for each of us; consequently, I write what God tells me to write when He tells me to write it..

    My Life in Our Father's World

    I love thrift stores (as we call them in the US). I have found so amazing deals including computer monitors & party dresses.

    Reply
  11. Time Traveler of Life – Where my Motor Home is! – Biography Creating worlds, characters, and wielding power like a madwoman, making my characters happy, sad, angry, and some of them with no redeeming qualities. I probably shouldn’t admit this, but I sometimes laugh out loud when I am writing a scene, and I have been known to cry when one of my favorites has to die. I am a left-handed Gemini, what do you expect? Reading bedtime stories to my two children until they fell asleep or until they just told me to go away, was fun. Making up wild stories for my grandchild, and creating Halloween costumes from Cowboys to a Dragon, was another favorite thing to do. I missed that so much when they were grown, that I started writing. My yearly newsletters frequently were drafted third-person by my Love Birds, Miranda our motorhome, and by Sir Fit the White Knight, our faithful Honda. Throughout the years, some of my creative talents centered around writing letters of complaint expressing my displeasure with services or products. One crucial, at least to my Son, was a note to our local school bus driver petitioning her to allow him back on the bus. He was kicked off for making an obscene gesture at his buddy. I reminded her that it was not directed at her, and that “obscenity can be in the eye of the beholder,” kids use that gesture as a greeting. He rode the bus until he graduated. I loved driving my English teacher crazy. Leaving a “continued next week” at the end of my five handwritten pages required each week. He was one of many people that suggested I “do something about my writing.” I graduated from the School of Hard Knocks at the top of my class. After 30 years, in the trenches as a Real Estate Professional, I have found that truth is stranger than fiction. My books are filled with characters I met in that profession. Their names were changed to protect the guilty. Others were from people we met traveling around the country in Miranda, our Motorhome. I am married nearly 60 years to the love of my life, Shirl, and partner-produced two exceptionally talented children, and one grandchild who is our pride and joy.

    Time Traveler of Life

    I donate to Savers, not most of the others because the CEO’s of many of them make BIG BUCKS! Many of them are a business and not a Charity! I still think we should support them, but think about who and what they are accomplishing.

    Reply
      1. Time Traveler of Life – Where my Motor Home is! – Biography Creating worlds, characters, and wielding power like a madwoman, making my characters happy, sad, angry, and some of them with no redeeming qualities. I probably shouldn’t admit this, but I sometimes laugh out loud when I am writing a scene, and I have been known to cry when one of my favorites has to die. I am a left-handed Gemini, what do you expect? Reading bedtime stories to my two children until they fell asleep or until they just told me to go away, was fun. Making up wild stories for my grandchild, and creating Halloween costumes from Cowboys to a Dragon, was another favorite thing to do. I missed that so much when they were grown, that I started writing. My yearly newsletters frequently were drafted third-person by my Love Birds, Miranda our motorhome, and by Sir Fit the White Knight, our faithful Honda. Throughout the years, some of my creative talents centered around writing letters of complaint expressing my displeasure with services or products. One crucial, at least to my Son, was a note to our local school bus driver petitioning her to allow him back on the bus. He was kicked off for making an obscene gesture at his buddy. I reminded her that it was not directed at her, and that “obscenity can be in the eye of the beholder,” kids use that gesture as a greeting. He rode the bus until he graduated. I loved driving my English teacher crazy. Leaving a “continued next week” at the end of my five handwritten pages required each week. He was one of many people that suggested I “do something about my writing.” I graduated from the School of Hard Knocks at the top of my class. After 30 years, in the trenches as a Real Estate Professional, I have found that truth is stranger than fiction. My books are filled with characters I met in that profession. Their names were changed to protect the guilty. Others were from people we met traveling around the country in Miranda, our Motorhome. I am married nearly 60 years to the love of my life, Shirl, and partner-produced two exceptionally talented children, and one grandchild who is our pride and joy.

        Time Traveler of Life

        From what I have learned Savers is one of the good ones.

        Reply
          1. Time Traveler of Life – Where my Motor Home is! – Biography Creating worlds, characters, and wielding power like a madwoman, making my characters happy, sad, angry, and some of them with no redeeming qualities. I probably shouldn’t admit this, but I sometimes laugh out loud when I am writing a scene, and I have been known to cry when one of my favorites has to die. I am a left-handed Gemini, what do you expect? Reading bedtime stories to my two children until they fell asleep or until they just told me to go away, was fun. Making up wild stories for my grandchild, and creating Halloween costumes from Cowboys to a Dragon, was another favorite thing to do. I missed that so much when they were grown, that I started writing. My yearly newsletters frequently were drafted third-person by my Love Birds, Miranda our motorhome, and by Sir Fit the White Knight, our faithful Honda. Throughout the years, some of my creative talents centered around writing letters of complaint expressing my displeasure with services or products. One crucial, at least to my Son, was a note to our local school bus driver petitioning her to allow him back on the bus. He was kicked off for making an obscene gesture at his buddy. I reminded her that it was not directed at her, and that “obscenity can be in the eye of the beholder,” kids use that gesture as a greeting. He rode the bus until he graduated. I loved driving my English teacher crazy. Leaving a “continued next week” at the end of my five handwritten pages required each week. He was one of many people that suggested I “do something about my writing.” I graduated from the School of Hard Knocks at the top of my class. After 30 years, in the trenches as a Real Estate Professional, I have found that truth is stranger than fiction. My books are filled with characters I met in that profession. Their names were changed to protect the guilty. Others were from people we met traveling around the country in Miranda, our Motorhome. I am married nearly 60 years to the love of my life, Shirl, and partner-produced two exceptionally talented children, and one grandchild who is our pride and joy.

            Time Traveler of Life

            Savers are in nearly every town in Arizona. The CEO does not take a huge salary and there are good bargain. I donate to them an have bought from them.

            Reply
  13. Cathy Cade – East London – After a career in libraries, I began writing in retirement and have had writing published in Scribble, Best of British, Tales of the Forest, Flash Fiction Magazine, The Poet, Writers Forum, To Hull and Back Short Story Anthology, Fractured Fiction Anthology II, and Writing Magazine. I have been placed or shortlisted in several competitions, and longlisted by the National Literacy Trust. (Always the bridesmaid…) My story-verse, "The Year Before Christmas", is available from Amazon, as are my books, "Witch Way and other ambiguous stories", "The Godmother", "Pond People," and "Jay and Robin..." I live with my dogs across a garden fence from an urban fringe of London’s historic Epping Forest.

    Cathy Cade

    I missed the charity shops in lockdown. We have some good ones around here that get unsold goods from retail outlets. When I worked in Islington my lunch hours were spent in a charity shop where posh people offloaded their designer clothes. I could experiment with clothes I couldn’t afford to buy new and if they didn’t work, they could go back to another charity shop.
    Until recently I would collect bric-a-brac all year for a treasure hunt for my grown-up children at Christmas. Clues were staggered and whoever got to a treasure point first had first choice of what was there. (Some swapping might go on later.) Sadly, none of us now live in homes big enough to support a decent winter treasure hunt 🙁

    Reply
  14. NattyTravels – Hi! I'm Natalie a solo traveller who is on a journey to travel to as many places as possible even if it means doing the whole thing alone. It was never a plan to travel alone, however I have found myself to be in this situation. It has now become my mission to encourage people to travel and live life to the full, regardless of the situation their in. Get inspired and follow me on this sometimes frightening but magical journey. You will frequently see links in my posts where I recommend some very useful cool items at my Amazon store https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/nattytravels17

    NattyTravels

    Your post has just reminded me about going charity shopping. I haven’t had a good rummage through a charity shop in years. I used to be obsessed with finding bargains in these shops 😀

    Reply
  16. vinneve – I believe in this quote "Life is a JOURNEY, travel it well." Wherever we may end up so long as there is LOVE we will be happy!

    vinneve

    I am a volunteer in a charity shop and I agree with you on all these points. We have a lot of good items for a very affordable prices and yes there are some brand new donations too with a tag on them still. Some old furnitures a volunteer specializing on this field can fix it, repainted and it can look good as new!

    Reply

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