Breast cancer charity collection.

[Shallot Man]

But a bag of clothing out for Breast Cancer Charity collection. Someone had it away before the charity vehicle came around

[oldherbaceous]

There are some awful low life about, Shallot Man, I would love to catch them doing it!!

[Stravaig]

My mother, my husband's mother and my cousin's wife all died of breast cancer quite young (in their 50s?). It seems to be very prevalent.

I do agree about low life and thieves, but maybe a lot of people are desperate these days so stealing is their best option. I don't know.

[Stravaig]

Give a big hug to ShallotMan (Emperor Shallot).

((((Mr Shallot)))) We love you!

Edit: the brackets are meant to be hugs,

[Westi]

Often there are a couple of charities collecting on the same day & I've seen them take every bag out whether it's theirs or not. Also a while back there was bogus collectors coming around & taking them as during that time there was money to be made for the cloth, not the clothes. I don't know if there is the case currently!

[Stravaig]

I have a favourite charity shop. It's not that it's a cause I particularly want to support (although it is a worthy cause) but they often have good cookbooks for a quid or so. Yes please! Therefore, if I have stuff to declutter or pass on, they're my first port of call. But I guess it's easier just to put bags out rather than take stuff to a shop.

[retropants]

I dropped off 3 bags at a local (not my usual) charity shop last week, and got the 3rd degree about what was in there. The reason I no longer drop off at the usual one, is that they became really fussy and snooty, now I feel like I can't drop anything anywhere, they made me feel embarrassed and like my donation was an unwanted burden. I never donate rubbish, it's always good stuff, clean & folded. I think I'll just put anything I have in the future into those charity bins on the pavement, although I don't know what happens to the things that end up in those, I'd hate tho think everything being shredded.

[Westi]

Welcome to the forum monkaw15415!
Feel free to post away on anything. It appears kinda quiet but the numbers of folk online indicates folk are reading the posts. Never hesitate to add your views, ask questions or have a moan; & no need to worry about just where to post. That's why we have 'General Chatter', which you may note is quite diverse in topics.

retropants I was chatting to over the road who are clearing things as the daughter has officially been asked to work from home as kinda central to her work coverage needed since no banks for folks to go to, so apparently she will work from home but go out to folks if needed. Anyway massive clear out of all sorts of stuff for this space & when she got to the donation point in the next village they were there collecting & sorting what was in the huge collection bin. Apparently rude enough to throw, yep actually throw stuff they didn't want back at her. Her boyfriend went back the next day & put it in the empty collection bin!

[retropants]

That is awful Westi. I remember when they used to be grateful for donations, now it seems nothing is good enough. Also, the prices they charge are ridiculous. I wish they'd stop trying to be boutiques and just sell on good clean clothes at reasonable prices. M good friend volunteers at one in Salisbury, she is a textile artist, so she repurposes a lot of the unwanted denim for her work.

[Westi]

I just use the bags when they come through the letter box & blatantly see them picking up the lot whether for their charity or not, but my bits are gone. I don't sort or fold anything now just shove it in. My friend says these never make any charity shops & advised me to look at the charity & sure enough some are unknown to me. Look professional & like all the others but never heard of that particular charity. I looked online & it says only '10-30% are sold in the UK & most are exported overseas. The 5 top destinations are Poland, Ghana, Pakistan, Ukraine & Benin. This deviation of our donations is valued at more than £2.8bn'! Hmm?

[Stravaig]

They can be very rude these days. I've had good stuff rejected because some snobby snooty wifie turned her nose up at it. But not at our usual two shops. They're glad of whatever you give them. We're always buying books for £1 in there and very similar things sell for £4.50 in the charity shop across the path. There's no need to be greedy. People will give you more stuff to sell if you're nice. So you'll end up making more money anyway.

[Stravaig]

We're in a relatively 'nice' area here. Mostly 5 bedroom detatched houses and are absolutely plagued with these charity 'please donate' bags through the letterbox.

Of course I'll donate if I want to and very often do but I don't want all this begging stuff.

I doubt if there are any neighbours here who don't have a car (or more) and who couldn't just drive their extra belongings to the charity shop of their choice. It's not as if you get a choice anyway, if you use their bags, as any old bod will come along and take it. Just like Sir Shallot said. Someone will swipe the lot.

[Stravaig]

I just use the bags when they come through the letter box & blatantly see them picking up the lot whether for their charity or not, but my bits are gone. I don't sort or fold anything now just shove it in. My friend says these never make any charity shops & advised me to look at the charity & sure enough some are unknown to me. Look professional & like all the others but never heard of that particular charity. I looked online & it says only '10-30% are sold in the UK & most are exported overseas. The 5 top destinations are Poland, Ghana, Pakistan, Ukraine & Benin. This deviation of our donations is valued at more than £2.8bn'! Hmm?

Yeah, I've lived and worked in several (ie three) of these countries you've listed and seen some huge 'flea markets' there. And there are more, eg Kurdistan, N Iraq. I don't really know who benefits. The purchaser getting cheap clothes? Maybe the importer for getting free stuff to sell? I honestly don't know and while I'd not begrudge poor people overseas my offcasts, I would kinda prefer my items to go to the charity shop of my choice rather than disappear into a void.

But some charity [edit for typo] shop staff are vile. They make out like they are doing you a favour. Of course not all of them are like that! Some are wonderful.

[retropants]

I've had some uncomfortable experiences recently with charity shop staff. It's true, they do act like you are inconveniencing them. Such a shame, I only donate the good stuff to them, not crappy over worn t-shits and the like. It's very insulting to me, I feel like I shouldn't be there at all, they make you feel really uncomfortable, I got the thrid degree last time I dropped off a coupe of bags.

[Stravaig]

Most of the charity shop 'staff' have some particular affinity with the charity's cause. Yes, they're volunteers but they could still benefit from some training rather than alientating people.

We mostly have a very good experience and go back time and time again. You only have to P me off once and that's it - goodbye. That's why I go to the same ones all the time.

None of us would give rubbish to such a shop, so why subject us to such scrutiny? It's quite horrible. I agree with RetroPants, it's horrible to be treated that way when you're just donating nice stuff for them to sell.

Stuff them and go to a different charirty shop.I have no real affinity with the chariry shops I use. I just like them and their 'staff' so that's where I go to buy and donate.

Unfortunately husband came back with a few cookbooks for me. Well, thank you, but these are what I donated last week. Men, eh?