People having a clear-out should think twice about whether their items will meet these ‘rules’
There is something genuinely rewarding about a thorough declutter, particularly when you realise your unwanted belongings could help someone else at a charity shop. However, staff at one store have confirmed what ‘rules’ generous people need to follow.
Most people who don’t have the time or patience to resell items on platforms like Vinted or eBay might donate items to charity shops. But, ignoring some of these common charity shop rules could mean your donation ends up being worthless and are frankly better suited to the rubbish heap.
Gerry Golden, shop manager at Emmaus in Dover, said: “Donations are very important. Without them, we wouldn’t have a charity shop.”
Emmaus UK is a homelessness charity with branches across the UK. People shopping through them give items a “second life” whilst also helping to fund a worthy cause.
But, how do people know whether their cast-offs will make it to the shop shelves at all? There are a few simple ‘rules’ that many charity shops put in place.
Key questions to ask yourself
When sorting through potential charity shop donations, Gerry said: “You need to think ‘will it sell? Is it useful? Can someone benefit from it?’ If something strikes you as genuinely past it, trust your instincts.
“People need to be conscious of what they’re donating, and if it is suitable for reuse. If not, with the greatest respect, please go to the tip with it.”
Second-hand furniture is typically in demand
Lots of stores will accept furniture with open arms, even with a little bit of minor cosmetic damage. Gerry said: “People donate some very valuable furniture that’s got a small chip in it, and there are a lot of customers now who do their own upcycling projects.
“We sell a lot of cheaper-end chests of drawers and tables, for £10, £15, £20, and people are doing them up. They love it.”
Most charity shops, however, aren’t in a position to fix broken items. Some, such as Emmaus Dover, may have workshop facilities where minimal repairs can be made, but people should always check before dropping an item off.
Health and safety concerns
Not all charity shops accept furniture, and those that do typically require items to “have a fire label” unless it’s pre-1950s. Gerry added: “We don’t want any missing parts, like if someone donates a sofa and it’s got no legs. Glass has to have the kite mark, unless it’s Victorian or something like that.”
At Emmaus, staff won’t accept any safety or large sports equipment “because of the health and safety risk”. Not every charity shop takes electrical goods either and some will have specific restrictions. Gerry said that Emmaus, for example, won’t accept printers or Sky boxes – but for items they do accept, they must be in working order.
Know the items that will sell
Gerry claimed that “bric-a-brac sells”, and in their location’s case, it makes up “about 25% of total sales”. He added: “People love walking around and seeing the bric-a-brac. Clothing is always welcome. And good-quality sofas, they always sell.
“Clothing is a big one, because we have a lot of people call us who are in need,” he adds. “They’ll say to us, ‘What can you give us?’ We’ll always look after them.”
Clothing forms the backbone of most charity shops, but it’s worth considering whether items are genuinely wearable before handing them over. Heavily stained, torn or threadbare garments won’t make it onto the shop floor.
Staff at charity shops sort through clothing donations and “we rag it, if it’s damaged”, Gerry explained, sharing that they’ll bag up items that can’t be sold and send them to an ethical rag company for reuse and recycling.
He also urged people having a clear-out not to chuck out any out-of-season decorations like Christmas and Halloween items. Charity shops typically store seasonal items until they’re required.
Gerry said: “Any Christmas stuff that comes in, it goes in a big cage marked ‘Christmas’. The same with Valentine’s. We never throw away anything like that. We’ll always keep it.”
