charity shops

In an affluent area the prices are higher. Paperbacks here are usually £1.25, the Oxfam bookshop charges £2 each.

Our jewellery although only a few pounds or even pence each is kept in a locked glass case Seacliff I really don't think it has anything to do with affluent places my town is deemed a deprived area ( seaside town) we get amazing designer things in A few weeks ago a bag of baby designer goods I cannot tell you ...coats dresses shoes that must have cost the absolute earth never worn a very indulged baby who probably grew before she could use too many We have named handbags, shoes, designer prom dresses wedding dresses etc etc it amazes me beyond belief I really don't think there is such a thing as a deprived area as those who know their way around the benefits system are the ones that often indulged in the latest designs .... But that's another story don't get me on that one

I buy lots of books from Charity shops mostly novels usually pay about 50p very often they look unread. After I have read them they are given back to the Charity shop.

My local charity shop even open the door for me because they know that the goodies I bring are clean and of good quality, especially the books- often read once and then donated.

I gave them a few hand towels a couple of years ago and they were donated at just the right time. They had recently opened and were going out to buy cheap towels when I arrived at the right time.

I think it is disgusting that people steal from charity shops. Some steal things that they then resell on FB or at car boots. I don't know how they could sink so low!

A lot of charity shops in southend only put out one shoe ( that stumps the shop lifters )
Some of the shop lifters here don't bother to hide the goods, they just grab and run.

I always buy the GC toys from there, and when they have outgrown them they get re-donated. The girls don't care if they have been used, they are just excited to have something new to play with!

I never have much success in charity shops. I have got the occasional ornament which catches my eye.

My SIL helps out in one, and is always bringing home real bargains, as they get first "dibs" on new items coming in, of course she does pay.

Maybe the more affluent areas have better bargains. Also because I'm a larger than average size, that must restricty my choice.

I am always popping into our local charity shops and am constantly amazed at what people donate! my last bargain was a set of 6 china mugs for only £4. they were perfect and just what I needed to replace some of my older chipped one!

Volunteering and shopping in charity shops changes your habits drastically. I never buy new clothes (apart from underwear of course), I totally ignore advertisements and if I need something specific I visit the local charity shops often, until I find it.
I don't think anyone would guess all my clothes were secondhand, I only buy good brands in perfect condition and get much satisfaction from finding great bargains.

As for the old lady

Stealing from a charity shop is about as low as you can get.
If he had shoes to leave behind then he wasn't desperate.

In the charity shop I work in, we put a longish lovely dress out, it was lovely.

Later on in the day when straightening up the rails,
someone !! had the time and audacity to cut off the bottom half and leave the upper half on the coat hanger !! (wouldnt mind but it was around £3-00) to buy also we had a person come in last week, try on some shoes, must have kept them on and left his underneath the rack!!

Few weeks ago an elderly lady came in she did buy something, then moved to the stand where we have little bit of jewelry earings etc.. later on in the day we noticed the £10-00 tiara had gone missing, after searching through ctv we saw it was the little dear old lady!! so the next time she came in the manageress took her to one side (and very nicely said could I have a word with you)! the lady denied it but then when we said we had her on CTV.. she left but she did come back the week after and put £20 in the donation box (she didn't bring the tiara back though) and we haven't seen her since. We now have code words for anyone we think needs watching.

Welcome MaggieMay I hope you continue to post on GN we're a great bunch
I love the idea of jigsaw swap in the library. I will have to enquire at ours. Thanks for that.

hello. this is my first time on here. I just would like to add my two pennorth by saying that I volunteer in the local library, they have a free jigsaw swap, and the lady in charge puts them straight into the recycling bin if a customer says there is a piece missing. It is a very popular part of the library and the customers are very grateful for the service.

I am also a Charity shop worker of 11 years . I am constantly amazed by the fabulous stuff which comes in but also there is the odd bag of dirty stuff which should have gone in the bin . I have had used pot brushes , underwear, filthy towels to name a few . These go in the rubbish which we pay to have taken away . On the other hand we get designer clothes with the labels on , antiques , unopened household items and everything inbetween . I work in the back room sorting and pricing . We are floor to ceiling sometimes with donations which is wonderful but no time whatsoever to count jigsaws . I would only buy an unopened one as most people say they are complete .

I volunteer now in a charity shop if you saw the back room I work in you wouldn't expect the puzzles to be checked It is floor to ceiling with donations and as fast as you clear a couple of bags another load comes in

We check all kids puzzles and games and all the battery toys We also only write complete if people have told us or if they look sealed in a plastic bag We would always give money back if someone brought it back

A lot of people do give rubbish as a means to get rid, some dirty, torn, broken things but others give unused stuff, designer label, it can be quite amazing

My adult stepson has learning difficulties and lives in a house with other residents and friends. They are so fen given DVDs, CDs and videos that don't work properly - very mean or careless of the people who donate.

I volunteer in a charity shop. We get given HUGE piles of tatty old books and tatty old jigsaws, which are immediately dumped. We cannot possibly store stuff which will not be sold quickly.
As others said, please don't give grubby, damaged, out of date items. Nobody is going to buy them.

Some people are just looking for somewhere to dump stuff after they've had a clearout. I know, I've done it myself with loads of books. I tried various places and was refused, and finally put them all in the village paper bin, which was a shame.

I used to manage a residential home for people with a learning disability. Many people brought incomplete puzzles to us saying " these will be alright for the handicapped won't they "
Grrrrrrrr

Just because there are no pieces missing doesn't mean they actually belong together. DH and I once spent a long Sunday afternoon sorting Disney Princess jigsaws that got mixed up because GC had tipped several boxes on to the lounge floor.
I do online jigsaws, even if you are not finished when you switch off it automatically saves it. No lost pieces, no storage problem

nannybev that's an excellent comment. I have worked in a charity shop for 16 years and we find that although many people only donate sellable items many also regard it as 'easier than taking their rubbish to the tip'. If you wouldn't consider buying it, don't donate it. With regard to jigsaws, if you could see what goes on in a workroom, you wouldn't ask if the jigsaws were checked to see if they are complete. It's a risk you take, but it is great when the words 'Checked and Complete' and the date are written on the back. The manager in my shop works extremely hard over and above her hours and the volunteers are all committed to making the shop a success. I would suggest to anyone who is feeling a bit down and has a few hours to spare, go and volunteer. It will do more for you than you can imagine, so rewarding.

A member of my family worked in charity shops a few years ago. I was astounded to hear about the amount of shoplifting that went on from a charity shop !!

I worked for 11years in a local charity shop, I think everyone should spend a day in one of the many charity shops, if only to understand the difficulties we have to face on a daily basis. Some of the donations left for us to sort through are so discussting I couldn't begin to tell you, some people just clear out a draw, a cupboard or a wardrobe, and put it all in a bag, obviously not sorted into good or rubbish, but leave it for the kind people to sort for them. The amount of rubbish charity shops get and for which they have to pay to be collected and disposed of all has to come out of the profit made on the very good items donated by careing people. I urge you to please think twice before donating, ask yourselves "would I buy this from a charity shop" if your answer is no then bin it yourself.