Charities & Causes

Op Shops

Charities & Causes

Posted by: bigred

18th Feb 2012 08:18pm

I live in a country town with 6 op shops, they have all got quite expensive, 2 in particular look up ebay and put expensive prices on items that are donated, the same 2 have paid managers and have to reach their monthly budgets, hence high prices. Some of the stuff sits for weeks, isn't it better to have a quick turn over.
One shop has put up fence to stop weekend donations ( they only want stuff donated in shop hours) they still get heaps of donations and the council collects it all (as it is on the footpath), and it all goes to the tip....
Out of the 6 op shops only 2 of the 6 keep the money in the town, all the rest goes to head office, I think all moneys collected from op shops should be kept in the town, and help the locals???????????????????

Comments 38

bj
  • 29th Sep 2021 07:22am

Yes I think that cash from sales in the town it is collected from should be used in that town. The wages of the staff is a niggley issue for me. I once asked why, answer was, We get better staff if there is a wage.
So what happened to the charity work, seems now it is a tag and not a reality.
Some stores have to deal with a lot of rubbish that some drop at the sites rather than take to the dump.
The high prices in our area are so that 'the donater of items sees that their items are sold with a worth while price.
It is a real run-a-round these days.

Missy Sarah
  • 8th Jul 2021 11:13pm

Unfortunately Op Shops aren't like they used to be. All about money and wages as you suggested above.

mustang6000
  • 20th Jun 2021 11:56am

We do a lot of our clothes shopping a op shops, with 4 children it makes a lot of sense. We also use 2nd hand sale sights like Freecycle or Facebook Marketplace anh have found some great furniture bargains there. I aggree that the larger op shops have become too expensive and we taend to use the smaller charrty shops.

Migaloo
  • 18th Dec 2019 01:19pm

Have to agree with you there , l like the Salvation Army for helping people out whom need cloths that are donated , if they have no money l have seen them give people a bag to go fill for them selves for nothing , after all the cloths are donated to them to help the poor as well as run their shop , and yes l do know of other charity's who sell what is given to help the poor sell it on Ebay for a high price .Sadly some charity's have become big business .While others are much fairer, helping the poor.

frilly
  • 24th Sep 2018 10:31pm

I do so agree with that idea money raised locally should be used locally especially when there are things neglected that you are aware of in your local town.
I have sent many clothes etc, almost new to our local Charity shop & I have never seen them there . They have obviously been ent away & I discovered there were people locally who had been looking for my size. I gac=ve them to a friend who took them to her ladies church group they were so pleased to receive them.

l0lapx
  • 15th Aug 2018 02:40pm

Reading the comments, I would agree with most of them...

Op Shopping in the past 50 years, has been the same as ordinary shopping... You need to look around..

Also it would be nice if people who commented at least put and area they are in helps others if travelling through that area. [just a thought]

I live in Latrobe Valley, Victoria, and we have between Warragul and Sale oodles of Op shops and the are as varied as the difference between Scarda and coles.

Most are clean, they have sorting rooms, all volunteers and prices reasonable, they work together and help each other with stock, and rags or such get sorted into the rag bin and sold for rags.

Apart from the biggies like Red Cross, [no comment as I dont shop there so dont know enough] but St Vinnies, LifeLine, Anglicare, all help locals, Salvation Army seems to be the only one that has paid supervisor and prices are higher.

But it is still a good day out as all the little stores in the smaller towns of which I am one, have great variety, When stocks are high, there is a 50c sale on all clothing and shoes, until the store is almost bare then they put out new donations..

I still find plenty that are old school and keep away from the one that are not good value for money.

At least I know that our area is helping locals and if this changed, it would revert back very fast as the community is very strong in our area

Ersu31580952
  • 14th Sep 2018 07:43pm
Reading the comments, I would agree with most of them...

Op Shopping in the past 50 years, has been the same as ordinary shopping... You need to look around..

Also it would be...

I volunteer at an opportunity shop. Our prices for clothes can be high, but generally we work on the principal of being 1/3 the eBay price. Working behind the counter though I began give people who need a break big discounts. Also I generally give discounts depending on what your buying. Kids stuff always gets a discount from me. If you have a problem with a price let the staff know. I have people who come and explain to me why something is overpriced, I'll listen and if they make sense I'll remeber that. If you think the shop is over priced in general ring their head office add encourage friends. The head office sets the budgets, and these are usually based on previous sales which can be off if someone's donated something really expensive in a particular week. If you really can't afford the prices you can also ring the main line and ask for help. They can either send stuff round or give you a voucher for the store. The head offices don't have kpi's to help with pricing and most times were geussing. I've seen amazing bargin because the volunteer that day had no clue on that item or brand

Berocca
  • 6th Aug 2018 09:05pm

When you say they don’t want weekend donations, are they not ooen on weekends at all? If not, that’s a massive mistake.

linnyj
  • 9th Aug 2017 08:05pm

My friends and I think op shops are great and often go on op shop crawls. At Christmas the criteria for secret Santa was it had to be purchased from an op shop. We all had a lot of fun.

. V
  • 5th Aug 2017 12:37pm

yes I agree, they are getting overpriced but the old 'supply and demand' and greed of course has pushed up the prices. Ebay I believe is to blame for the price increases as people scourer op shops for items to resell for profit on ebay, I know a few people that do it. What I would love to know is what are charities doing with all the money they raise? Also I have heard the volunteers at these op shops get first pick at all the good stuff and take it.

Bigfoot
  • 5th Aug 2017 12:41am

I agree, some op shops mark the prices much too high, in particular the Salvo shops. Small profit big turnover is the rule. I love books and to see them charged at $3 or $4 is way too much.

Tina1947
  • 4th Aug 2017 11:29am

I know what you mean, I think some op shops think they are competing with David Jones LOL I personally love to op shop you find some really beautiful things that would just never be available in the retail stores, I personally find the church run charity shops to be very well priced and staffed by lovely volunteers.

In your town I would just avoid the ones that take their profits out of town and use the couple of local based one's

Happy shopping!!!

gramonaghan
  • 4th Aug 2017 10:11am

I visit Op shops when I can, and search for novels. I believe they are a great place for people with little money to often get clothes that they would never be able to afford.

bj
  • 4th Aug 2017 08:43am

Wow, a fence. You say its to keep stuff from being donated over weekend. It maybe to stop people raiding it . We have 2 op shops in our small town, one is friendly with prices and staff.. The other well they think buyers are subhuman

mausy
  • 4th Aug 2017 05:18am

Agree, some have become quite expensive, cheaper to buy new items from department stores.. and all money should go back to charity, helping those in need.. I love op shopping and finding a bargain, I volunteer often at Vinnies op shop, feels good to help, great people, often a bargain, seems fair and trustworthy..

pebbles
  • 3rd Aug 2017 11:15pm

i give up on op shops , they never have anything in my size and then they charge too much for used clothing i can sometimes go to a store and buy new for a few dollars more even after loosing alot of weight 4 dress sizes over the last 6 months i have just bought belts for the pants , and then also i love the baggy tee look i never throw anything away , it will comeback into fashion , i have clothes i wore 30 years ago in my wardrobe , and i intend to wear them by next year 2 sizes to go , once i have made my goal i may find some things i like in op shops , my daughter filled hers with almost new size 8 at a vinnies some had the tags still on , i had a friend who volunteered for one opshop and said some of the women pick alot of the really good stuff before it makes it to the shop floor .

musicmum
  • 3rd Aug 2017 10:31pm

Op shops are not like they used to be. I shopped for years in them as a single mum. I could get all the clothes I needed for my son and I, books and other household items very cheap, it made all the difference to my life. I gave up a few years ago when new managements started, prices went up and I found I could by new for cheaper than the op shops. Why pay $5 for a tshirt for example when you can go to Target, Kmart and Best and Less and get them new!. Our local one always has sales on school holidays which is unfair as we are a beach town and all the tourists come in and by the bargains, another reason I stopped going. Op shops used to be for the poor but now more for middle class trying to save some money. And who knows where the money goes, I don't know whether any of it gets spent locally.

Nefertari
  • 3rd Aug 2017 10:03pm

I love shopping at Op shops as you never know just what little treasure you might find. What some people throw out might be just what someone else is looking for. I have to say though that I think the prices are getting a bit steep just like in charity shops. Clothes and other goods that are no longer wanted are donated to these places for the needy so it does seem unfair that Op shops and charity shops should be allowed to raise their prices

marktime
  • 3rd Aug 2017 08:19pm

I am on the fence on this one yes charities have moved closer to being a business but so much red tape etc you need paid qualified staff.
Stuff left in the in the elements is usually ruined and cost council dumping fees eating into funds that could go back via welfare.

Helen
  • 3rd Aug 2017 07:24pm

I volunteer at a Hospice Opp shop, there is a paid manager, the rent of the building, power etc before any profit can be made. People donate not to get rid of their junk but to be able to donate goods rather than money. The shop has $1 t shirts, cheap kitchen wear most clothes under $10 but also new or near new items at higher prices. Antiques at prices that have been checked. All the money stays in the province. The reason that no donations are left out side is because the shops only take good used clothes not dirty or rags because the shops have to pay & take them to the rubbish dump

AnneS
  • 3rd Aug 2017 06:49pm

The good thing about op shops is that they are staffed by volunteers and they are giving back their profits to charities and community organizations.

Jezemeg8
  • 3rd Aug 2017 06:22pm

Unfortunately Op Shops are the way that many charities raise sufficient funds to help those in need, and as the Government has decreased the amount they support local charities, and the number of people in need in this country has risen, Op Shops have had to increase their prices in an effort to maintain their funds to help the disadvantaged.

helen30692411
  • 20th Jun 2017 03:17pm

In our town, we have a lot of op shops too. I work on one of these. Yes, the income we take is centralised in a sister city. We have another office who looks after welfare and people who want help paying their electricity bills, and to feed their families, come into these offices and are helped, this finance comes from the sister city who manages the finances. People also are helped with meals, can come into our shop and be given clothing for their families. That is what the shops income is being used for.
Yes, our donations do get excessive especially at holiday times when every family cleans their house out. Its ironic, that we say we want to offer clothing that is clean and in good condition, but some of the items seem to have been stored in a barn, and have never been washed and we are expected to make them presentable. Would open up a lot of peoples eyes if everyone volunteered in an op shop once in a while to understand how they work. We do take everything that is offered, and if we can't use them we donate them to another op shop who can use them. eg. some shops can take electrical items and some can't.
The fence thing is interesting, have never heard of that. Our bins are unable to be fenced so if it doesn't fit, it just gets left.....we have signs on bins that say we can't take mattresses and furniture etc. but no one reads that, and they're left anyway, so we have to dispose of them via skip bins, which are expensive too.

Anonymous
  • 13th Jun 2017 04:29pm

I agree with you. Op shops have very little over heads so I would also like to see where the money is going. They also seem to be very picky about what they will collect i think they should be grateful that people are donating.

Anonymous
  • 26th May 2017 06:58pm

I would prefer to see where the money is going. What it is paying for.

dollymay
  • 5th Feb 2015 07:48am

Hi bigred. One of the op shops about 1 hour away from me is the best one i have ever been to. They have a very high turn over of goods. Every tuesday and thursday they have everything in the shopfor $1 each. Its great. Things dont stay for long. nothing gets stale. And this is also helping the poor people get stuff as well.

summer
  • 10th Sep 2014 09:06am

The area I live in my local op shop in my opinion is a disgrace. I took some books there a few weeks ago and before the girl opened the bag, said quote " we don't want any books unless they are in perfect condition", also I told her I had about 6 bags of clothing in the car, and was told again " didn't you see the notice on the front of the shop that we pick up - we don't have the room here for all that stuff" ( the store is quite large and the sorting room is huge). Their prices are getting so expensive, in fact some t-shirts they were selling our local Kmart had similar for same price. They are not I feel a charity store any more, they have become greedy, picky, selective in what they accept. I realize some people think they are a place to dump things but on the whole most people are generous when they can be. Suffice to say, I picked my books walked out went to the MS charity store near my sisters house, they took everything, asked no questions, thanked me profusely with a lovely smile. Guess where I will be taking stuff next time

lefroy
  • 1st Jun 2014 02:58pm

I remember the days when you could take your clothes that didnt fit you or your family and swap them for clothing that did today i beleive the whole reason for the op shops has been lost along the way and i do agree they are getting very dear to shop at i went into a salvo shop and was shocked to see that 70% of their tops were over $20 the poor can not afford to shop at the op shops anymore.

anie
  • 22nd Jan 2014 12:20pm

op shops have to bring a profit Kmart and managers specials are much cheaper I offered unused baby clothes to local Op shop and was told we do not require such junk These clothes were all brands one item alone was still tagged at $65 dollars what do they want

Kessa1959
  • 2nd Jul 2013 07:19pm

I used to love browsing op shops, looking out for items which I could renovate or alter but find that nowadays it's cheaper to buy new items from dollar shops and alter them. All the op shops near us charge high prices and I wonder how those on tight budgets manage. I have also heard of the workers picking through the donations and keeping the better items for themselves.
I now shop at the trash & treasure markets at the council dump sites.

LizzyC
  • 26th Jun 2013 10:20am

Unfortunately op-shopping has become a hobby for the not so needy. In Sydney's Northern Beaches, the "wealthier" the suburb, the higher the prices.
As for the dumping, it costs charities money to dump the useless donations at the tip, no wonder they have put up a fence.
I'm just wondering if charities need to change the way they operate, if people on benefits get given first choice on certain days of the week.

Eugine
  • 23rd Oct 2013 06:04pm
Unfortunately op-shopping has become a hobby for the not so needy. In Sydney's Northern Beaches, the "wealthier" the suburb, the higher the prices.
As for the dumping, it costs charities...

I thought the idea of Op shops was to make money to help those in need. eg Lifeline so why does it matter who actually buys the items?Perhaps the wealthier the suburb the more expensive the items were new so are still a good buy for quality. Another reason why the goods cannot be left at the store when closed is that people rifle through the goods taking what they want and leaving the rest strewn across the footpath. We have seen this ourselves. With the bins, idiots were pitting rubbish in them making the goods useless.

Anonymous
  • 25th Oct 2012 09:04pm

I live in Katoomba (NSW) and have 5 op shops in town. One of them has now reinvented itself and is now a proper shop and the prices are quite reasonable, but they sometimes cant compete with big shops eg Kmart.It's really unfair that they put up a fence but surely people can just as easily drop in donations during the week as the weekend?
There are special vouchers for locals for beds and clothes but you must meet certain requiremnets for them.
Altogether though we as an area do well with charities up here as we also have family support services and neighbourhood centres which help too.

chickclaire
  • 13th Apr 2013 07:24am
Unfortunately op-shopping has become a hobby for the not so needy. In Sydney's Northern Beaches, the "wealthier" the suburb, the higher the prices.
As for the dumping, it costs charities...

I have 2 recommendations for the Neighbourhood Centre in Katoomba, apparently it is a special place. Some time ago when I was looking after a friend I came across a couple of people who suggested women's services through Katoomba Neighbourhood Centre. Some neighbouhood centres specialize in domestic violence and other in counselling. That brings me to the topic of Op Shopping, which I agree is essential in a small NSW town. There are specialized Op Shops for e.g. Salvos where you can find a range of Items. It depends on the cultural make up of the town whether the Op Shop will sell the kinds of things I'm interested in.

Anonymous
  • 18th Oct 2012 05:35pm

i love op shopping its cheap if u live off centrelink money or just cant afford it i love op shops

KJ
  • 21st Mar 2012 05:09pm

I am forever going into op shops and buying things. I think they are brilliant but do think that the money should be kept in the area. We have 5 or 6 here even though it is a very small town and are all reasonably priced. I got an amazing white dress from one for only $6 which I have had for 3 years now. The shoes though I think are over-priced as most of them are painful to wear or broken and priced 20-30 dollars, people don't want to buy shoes that hurt their feet at this price? And I think they are great place to shop for costume parties aswel :)

Jeska
  • 20th Mar 2012 01:53pm

i love going op shopping, its like treasure hunting you never know what you'll find.
i also find the majority of them are over priced but i know of one (out if 32 in town) that has reasonable prices and the nicest volunteers working there.
in the more expensive shops i find you can get brand new items for the same price they are charging

Nona
  • 15th Mar 2012 09:25pm

Hi bigred
Ideally that is the case, that op-shops revenue has to stay in the town and help the local people. In reality however, there are so many op shops belonging to big charity organisations hence profits are being directed to the head office where management decides how best to spend these funds back to welfare assistance and it may not be the same locality where they operate. To avoid this, some op shops remain small and decides to help only the people in the locality where they get their donations.
I am surrounded by about 5 op shops where I live and see this happening. Their prices are also very different and some of them have high stock turnover while the small shops stock remain unsold for ages, until they have their specials and drop the prices incredulously.

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