to hope for a donation?

Not unreasonable to hope that it happens. Just unrealistic. Unfortunately.

Doubtful. I would like to think people would donate.

In an ideal world yes. But unlikely. You're definitely not being unreasonable in thinking they should give some back.

Badenkate, we often say exactly that ... if it was me, I'd just have to give a substantial proportion back to the charity- and would hope most would do so.
Why is it unrealistic to do 'the right thing'? - sad.

But I expect that many will want to keep whatever it is they bought . They must have liked it to buy it in the first place. So they haven't actually profited.
I don't suppose anyone who bought a house some years ago and it is now worth 10 times the buying price are going to donate to charity.

Or even give some of the huge profit back to the vendor.

When we go to boot sales, isn't that what we are trying to find, that diamond ring for a few pence at the bottom of a box of junk ?
If it was from a charity shop, I would like to think I would make a donation back, but it hasn't happened yet so it's hypothetical.

I wouldn't tie the two together.

I give to charities of my choice when I feel like it...so if I had a windfall, one of my favourite charities might benefit, or maybe I would spoil a family member.

Did you ever buy a house given to a charity annsixty? Quite different surely.

Agree with you Ann and Gk
I think charity shops often have people weeding out what is valuable and what is not, and if they identify something worth £0000's it is sold through appropriate channels.
Anyway caveat emptor works both ways.
Do charities contact a donor who has inadvertently given them a Ming vase so they can have the opportunity to sell it at auction?
No, I thought not.........

The principle is the same granjura - something is worth a lot more than what you paid for it.

Wouldn't give any money back to the donor. "Donor beware"!

Car boot sales are fair game. No ethical thinking required there.

I work in a charity shop and believe it or not we have to keep our eyes open for thieving and swapping of price labels! Many people have no conscience whatsoever so it's a dream that the buyer of a bargain would donate back to the charity.

Sad, isn't it? they certainly should do.People on these shows often seem really smug that they bought it in a charity shop for next to nothing, they have no shame in saying so! They could easily pop in to the shop ( without saying why) and give a good donation.

No. I give to charities I feel passionate about. I have a direct debit to a hospice lottery and the last two weeks I have won five pounds which I did not claim. if I won the thousand jackpot I would keep it.

If I bought a gem in a charity shop I would have paid over the odds for it since I never pay the asking price. If I sold it for £££ I would keep it.

Agree with jinglebellsfrocks on this one.

I've seen people at boot fairs looking at the jewellery with a special eyeglass. If they then decide to buy something, does that not alert the vendor that it may be something valuable? Why would they let it go for 50p?

inishowen I have seen people do exactly as you say and when they find something they think is of value the will pick up a few other non-valuable pieces and ask for a price for the lot.

I recently bought a beautifully framed limited edition print in our local charity shop (which I donate to regularly) the price was £10. I later Googled the artist and found some of his prints from the same limited edition had sold for around £350. I felt a little guilty and gathered together some items and gave them to the charity shop later that week and put a £10 donation into the collecting tin on the counter. Probably not enough but it salved my conscience and I can now enjoy looking at my print without feeling any guilt.

disagree jane - charity and business are not the same.

... and jingl, re car boot sales, which again is business, not charity.

We've had this discussion before ... but, to recap, most of the larger charities nowadays are big business.

Most charities are run as a big business because they are there, in part, to generate funds. However I would still feel some unease at knowing that I had deprived a local hospice, say, from money that would help ease someone's last days.

Surely the charities are at fault if they don't appraise things properly when they are brought into the shops?
And as Ann pointed out, you would only make a financial gain if and when you sold it.

Don't know where you live Janeainsworth, but this is a small market town where the charity shop workers are local volunteers, not antique dealers. I'd guess this is true of a majority of charity shops. It seems unreasonable to expect them to identify high worth items

I think Oxfam do. Don't they have a special website for collectable items?