How mean can you get?

Meanqueen · Post by **Meanqueen** » 24 Feb 2008, 22:24

[color=darkblue][color=darkblue]I was browsing through the books in a charity shop yesterday and came across one which made me smile. A readers digest book called, How To Pay Less For Just About Anything. It was priced at Â£2.00. I wondered if I should ask the lady if I could have it for Â£1.00, and thought maybe not, she wouldn't be amused. I left it on the shelf because I am trying to de clutter.
Then I went to the library and got 7 books out for nothing. Now I am feeling guilty, just how mean can you get?
Ilona[/color]
:cry:

Post by **Richard** » 24 Feb 2008, 22:29

Yeah Meany !!!!

I love the idea of the barter though!

I guess the ultimate frugality would be to nick it though )de:

AnnaB · Post by **AnnaB** » 24 Feb 2008, 22:40

Hi Ilona

I don't think that was mean - the awful thing is when you get a refusal from a charity shop....

Years ago, my friend who had 2 boys needed some school trousers for them, we both didn't have much money and I asked the woman in the shop could I have them for Â£2 (priced Â£3.50) the miserable c** said no. I though that was really a cheek as someone had given them to the shop and my friend needed them

Post by **Richard** » 24 Feb 2008, 22:44

Mmmmm, good subject this isn't it. They don't pay for it, you offer so they don't 'lose' and the money goes to Charity.

At Boot Fairs I have an assortment of coins in my pocket, so if something's Â£1.50, I'll feel around in my trousers, take a Â£1 coin out, hold it up and say "Take a quid Mate (or Madam)".

I think I would only do it in a Charity Shop though if I sicerely had only the Â£1.

As for your example Anna, I'd have asked her how many things she'd had first offer on !!

Post by **Richard** » 24 Feb 2008, 22:45

I'd go back Ilona - it's Â£13.19 on Amazon!

Meanqueen · Post by **Meanqueen** » 25 Feb 2008, 20:42

Richard, you make me laugh. :-D

What I should have done was taken the 5 bags of clothes there, and asked for a swap, but I didn't know where the back door was of the Cancer Shop, so I took them to the Hospice shop because I could park outside their front door. Missed out there.
Anna, that was a bit mean not to take a reasonable offer from your friend. These days charities are run like a business, they probably had targets to meet. I might go back and if the book is still there, offer Â£1, just to see what they say.
Ilona

Post by Mo » 26 Feb 2008, 10:53

Yes, my friend took a load of stuff to a charity shop and got a response 'that will be good for my bonus'. She thought it was supposed to be good for the charity!

WendyM · Post by **WendyM** » 26 Feb 2008, 12:04

The charity shops around my area charge rediculose prices for clothes. I went in there to look for a nice winter coat and they were charging from Â£15 for them. I know some of the money goes to the charity, but I think the ethos of charity shops have changed somewhat. I buy from them usually because I can get a bargain, cheep clothes for the me, hubby and the boys, Books toys. But to be honest if you want a real bargain nowadays you need to go to a car boot sale. I buy my kids Xmas presents from car boot sales, I look for toys that are still in the box's, clothes that have hardly been worn. They never know, and I can get a lot more for my money. I hate to buy anything new. I hardly buy any clothes new from the shops, maybe if they have knocked them down in the sales and even then I look for a bargain. I think the only clothes I do buy new are school trousers and shoes for my eldest boy and then pass them down to the others. I have some friends also that hand me down clothes for them.

chucky egg · Post by **chucky egg** » 26 Feb 2008, 14:55

In the South of England here I've found that prices in a charity shop can actually be more than the shop it was and sometimes still is, sold at!
Not so bad the further North I have gone.
I had a very old dog a while back (from a rescue they gave him a month and he lived for a year bless him) and needed some old sheets to cover his bed with. I could cut htem into four...
Anyway I went to a local charity shop and found a lovely big 2nd hand sheet for Â£1.50. I took it to the counter and handed over the Â£1.50. She wouldn't take it. Apparently the llabel was badly written and it was actually Â£7.50. when i said sorry I could buy a new one for less she chucked it at me like I was dirt and said ungraciously let me have it for Â£1.50. I needed it so I took it. funnily enough I've never been back there....
go back and get yer book Ilona!! ...and share the spoils of saving money!!

Speckledhen · Post by **Speckledhen** » 26 Feb 2008, 15:04

Hi Wendy,

Re your experience in the charity shop,you have to wonder why some of these people are working there! They seem to have missed the point of the fact that it is a charity shop and surely some money is better than none!

Glad to say that I have never had a bad experience with a charity shop. Being in an "affluent" part of Kent I have got a couple of very nice skirts for work (don't often wear them other than that!) for Â£4 each from a Cancer Research shop. I also regularly take one of their printed bags and return it with the latest lot of outgrown childrens clothes.

Michele

AnnaB · Post by **AnnaB** » 28 Feb 2008, 19:49

Hi Ilona

I hope you have had time to go back to the shop. I took a very large box of books today to the British Red Cross shop - the woman there needed to go through the books before accepting them. She said Readers Digest are a definite no,no. I had hard/paper backs and she took them all.

I related your tale to her and she said that they would accept an offer as they had so many books to sell.

Anna

Meanqueen · Post by **Meanqueen** » 28 Feb 2008, 20:14

Hi Anna
Haven't had time to go back yet, but I will, 12 hour shifts on this job are normal, Tuesday was nearly 15 hours!!!I got an early finish today but I had to go to the hospital to get my hearing aid repaired, so it looks like Saturday. You have all convinced me I should be cheeky and ask for a discount.
Ilona

Meanqueen · Post by **Meanqueen** » 01 Mar 2008, 23:01

Went back to get the book today, I asked if I can pay Â£1.50 for it, the older assistant said 'no, we have to charge the price inside the cover' .
I might have another try during the week, when there is a different person on duty. The book is in very good condition, I flicked through it, but to be honest, I couldn't find much that I don't already know about.
Ilona

Katew · Post by **Katew** » 07 Mar 2008, 19:21

I bought that book for Â£4 from a charity shop! I agree with Chucky Egg, charity shops in the south are a lot dearer. I live in Bath, and the prices there are terrible!

Sunny B · Post by **Sunny B** » 13 Jul 2008, 09:37

This is the first time I've found myself in disagreement, to some degree, with others on this site.

I have no problem haggling at car boot sales, but wouldn't dream of it at my favourite charity shops, as you are getting something you want/need dirt cheap compared with what you would pay new/on Ebay or wherever. Got hubby a new watch in charity shop for Â£3 the other day, you would pay Â£4 for a new battery!

That said, there are a few charity shops that definitely are starting to charge ridiculous prices (saw a dress for Â£50 in one in Truro the other day!! BUT it was designer, and good value for someone into that sort of thing), I just keep away from those ones.

I try to beat the consumer culture by looking for what I want second-hand before getting new where possible, trouble is I often find something I "want" rather than "need" while poking around the charity shops, reclaim centres, etc!