This ‘moving things on’ lark is still taking up some of my time. Yesterday I decided it was best to load up the car before I broke my neck trying to manoeuvre around the bags of things in the hallway and pass all those unneeded items on to the lovely helpers in the nearby Op Shops. Op – opportunity…..aka elsewhere as Charity Shops – Thrift Shops
Sadly here in my area little ‘you never know what you’ll find’ ones are a thing of the past – a lot of the big charities have moved into barn like structures and have raised their prices way above what anyone would reasonably pay for something not brand new. If the amount of stock they have available is anything to go by they don’t seem to have problems with donations.
Well, donations that they actually want that is.
The other week, we ……The Golfer and I…..went out into the garage to sort through the luggage. All packed in black garbage bags and neatly stacked in a old cabinet. There were various suitcases of all shapes and sizes, travel bags, cabin bags, back packs and The Golfer’s pièce de résistance….something he used regularly and has held on to for years. His ‘very expensive at the time’ garment bag. Similar to this one
Do you remember the years of the two bag allowance for the hold plus carry on and various other personal bits and pieces at no extra cost……..now a thing of the past in economy on most airlines. Years ago we used to do round the world flights visiting rellies in Asia, U.K and Canada, take in an Air Force reunion for The Golfer necessitating a suit and accessories, and then after being nice and polite with family and others treat ourselves to a ‘just the two of us’ holiday for the last lap. Different climates as well as different situations needed different clothing! So put to use for for many business trips as well as a second bag on those long haul holidays that garment bag served him well.
‘One checked bag only unless you pay for more’ put an end to the amount of clothes we took – cases on four wheels are easier for (ahem) us older ones; on the ocassion he does need a suit he’s developed an easy crease proof way of packing it so the much loved sturdy ‘carry my wardrobe over my shoulder’ bag was relinquished and put on the op shop pile.
Which would have been good……if they had taken it!
Back entrance of these big ‘Family Stores’ is usually where donations go – the person receiving at big place #1 said we don’t take luggage of any sort……….#2 said as it wasn’t on wheels they didn’t want it (“we get enough old fashioned ‘crap’ (his words!) without taking any more”)…..#3 politely said they might have a problem selling it so they’d rather not accept it! In other words….bin it!
There was no way That was going to happen so I went to a smaller place in a closer to the city suburb, where a very nice volunteer smiled when she saw it, remarked on its good condition and said ‘I had a customer ask about this very same item only the other day. He’s a regular so I’ll give him a ring and see if he’s still interested”
Lol I didn’t think the old adage of ‘it’s not what you know but who you know’ applied in the world of op shop shopping where it’s usually ‘first in best dressed’ but obviously in some cases it does. And if you’re lucky they might even buy it 😊
Still Waters 
I hear you.
The bigger Op shops are, I think, getting greedy. After my father’s death I approached one asking if they had a use for his (almost unworn) clothes. Not unless it is dry-cleaned and given to us in the dry-cleaning bags was their response. Not a happening thing was mine.
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Ooh that was a bit of an ask – suggesting they’d like ‘clean’ clothes would have been a better way. Donating deceased family clothing is stressful enough without having to deal with stipulations like that.
Having ‘worked’ in one I know the sort of ‘rubbish’ they get given – and have to remove at their own cost.
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My goodness! How rude…how ignorant of that person!! His words made me angry just reading them! I’m not sure what I would have said to him face to face if he had said that to me! People!!! What is wrong with some people nowadays????
It is little wonder I live my chosen reclusive existence!
The two little Op Shops here on the mountain…one run by the Presbyterian Church and the other by the RSPCA are very good…polite and welcoming.
I’m sorry you were treated so rudely, Cathy.
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I think it’s lack of training Lee – often these ‘people’ are on ‘work for the dole’ schemes and really aren’t bothered about a companies good name and reputation. The little shops are always more pleasant and welcoming – I was on my way past the other day and thought I’d just do the drop off as I was in the area. In the end I went out of my way to the smaller establishment and felt better for doing so.
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That’s interesting about the op shops. If I had cases without wheels I would probably throw it out. We recently gave away a suitcase with two wheels as we have three with four wheels, one eacht the same for longer trips and a small one to share for two or three nights away. We don’t even come close to the weight limit and not being a suit owner, it is not a problem for me.
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It’s surprising the amount of men you see at the airport Andrew still touting garment bags over their shoulder. They can take them onboard as carry ons – means they’re on and off without hanging around the baggage carousel.
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The charities are big concerns now and operate like any other shop – ruthlessly. My sister in law has now quit as a manager for one of our local British Heart Foundation shops as they nearly ran her into the ground meeting their ever increasing targets for more sales and she had the best sales in the area time and time again but it just wasn’t enough for them.
I am so pleased your case has found a good home – it is all about matching up things to people.
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It’s good to hear your relative had the sense to quit before she was ‘damaged’. Unfortunately some charities are not very charitable towards their workers- paid or unpaid. Also supposedly ‘not for profit’ – all earnings being ‘passed on’ – doesn’t always happen.
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I have just been clearing the house after mother’s death. Her clothes were in good condition as were her collection of bags of all sorts, from clutch purses to suitcases. I deliberately did not take them to the big charities as they seem to have a policy of sending the best items to better off areas to sell, but took them to small local charity shops where they were appreciated…and I could be sure that they did not contribute to some executive’s overblown pay packet.
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I’m sorry for your loss Helen and remember well the house cleaning after my aunt’s death a few years ago. That is the main reason for this surge in ‘moving things on’ while we’re around to make the decisions on what goes where instead of leaving it up to others.
And I hear you on the pocket lining.
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Yes they are named charity shops but the prices are way more then if a person shopped after seasons. I may get a book at one but here in Canada prices are terrible for second hand clothing.
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