What Happens To Books Donated To Charity Shops?

[reinganum]

A short while ago I donated some books to a local charity shop but when visiting recently none were there. Curious, I asked whether they had all been sold. The assistant (manager?) said that most books are sent on to a central depot and then redistributed to other shops.
Can anyone shed more light on this practice?

[boxtops]

A lot of charity shops which are chains (rather than independent small charities) have a central warehouse so goods are distributed to wherever the need is greatest.

I must admit that I've never thought to look for "my stuff" once I've given it to a shop - wouldn't you just assume it had been sold?

[chelle7272]

Our local charity shops say the same about all their goods. They distribute items to areas where they are most likely to sell, for instance shops based in the city centre will get more expensive items than in the outskirts. One also told me that it is because customers don't like to see people wearing things they donated.

[Jeza]

A couple of years back I sent 2 sacks of good clothes to our local charity shop. When none appeared in the shop I was told they are sent on to other shops in different areas so you can't say something like 'That was my coat once'.

[Psybbo]

A friend said he stopped giving books to charity shops as they were bought by second hand book sellers but now supermarkets here have a table with second hand books and the money goes to charity

[jno]

my local Samaritans shop does that with everything; I assume that's for the reason chelle gives.

But I've heard some Oxfam shops, eg Westbourne Grove, are famous for having fab fashions in donated by hip and wealthy locals, so presumably those aren't carted off to the East End.

[boxtops]

chelle - that is so true, and not only on the part of the donor. I was mortified when I took a charity shop handbag to a party, and one guest said they liked my bag and where did I get it, and another woman said that she had donated it to the shop the week before.... I wasn't upset because I'd bought it in the charity shop, I didn't mind them knowing that, but it didn't feel right that it was another guest's cast-off!

[chelle7272]

Exactly boxtops, I'm outside the city in an area with very much a 'smalll town' thing going on, I would hate to be in that situation!

[jamesnan]

Lots of the books donated to Oxfam for example to to special book shops, and there is also a list online, which helps you look for books you are after.

[Nini74]

boxtops what an insensitive snobby cow that woman at the party was! you should have said, " your loss my gain - I love it, and I've had loads of compliments about it tonight - thanks!". Hate when people are like that!

As far as books are concerned, I used to buy them in a local charity shop and then return them for re-sale when i'd finished with them - the assistants loved it as the price was already on there for them! lol x

[FredPuli43]

There's a charity shop off the King's Road in Chelsea that has stuff on sale that you would otherwise see in London auction houses, and vintage quality clothes and accessories and newer clothes by top designers. Now, naturally, its catchment area has a lot of rich people in it, but I was told that the charity employs specialists to value items from all over the country and any star items they discover are sent to shops like that one.

[FredPuli43]

Blimey, methyl. Oxfam have a 1771 Pope's translation of the Iliad. Granted that its only the one volume out of probably four, and its a third issue, but that would fetch £100 at, say, Cheffin's book auction in Cambridge, or Bloomsbury auctions in Godalming. They have it at £29.99 and its in pretty good condition; Oxfam have obviously taken time in cataloguing it, but not to the detail of those places, and its perfectly acceptable.

Thanks for the link !

[wolf63]

Fred - this bit of the Oxfam site is the best. http://tinyurl.com/mtp8kqm

I volunteer in this brilliant shop

[atalanta]

I'm sorry to say I know of one charity shop which throws away a large proportion of the things it is given. ( It doesn't even use the stuff for jumble sales - just bins it.) It is in a particularly favourable spot for people delivering by car ( none of the other charity shops in the town has any parking available within easy walking distance.) The other charity shops know very well what is going on, but the one with the surplus will not even pass on its castoffs to the others. I refuse to go there any more.

[susanxx]

Charity shops are too pricey and too picky. I have been at my local council tip when white vans turn upproudly displaying their charity logo and open theier doors to tip all their contents into the skips, books, vids, dvds, records. Also it is more profitable to sell clothes for rags than sell at a knockdown price. I have seen a rag merchant from a town 55 miles away turn up to the back door of the national charity shops and then return to base wih all your good quality clothes as rags. I would suggest donations are given to local independent shops that sell cheap but at least the public get a chance to get a bargain and the local cause benefits.

[pugthedog]

I know someone who works in a charity shop and says the staff have their pick before the public