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I handle donations for a charity thrift store, and every so often, we receive items that we are reluctant to sell. For example, we won't sell paintings of nudes, or anything alcohol related(such as bar signs), as company policy. And, those items aren't considered big ticket anyway, so the decision to toss them isn't hard.
But, we also sometimes get black Americana items, like these:
I've yet to put any black Americana on the selling floor, fearful of causing offense among our clientele, but it isn't as easy throwing out items that could bring some decent cash to the charity. If it matters, we are in GA.
Can collectibles be too controversial to be considered collectible?
I think there's a market for anything and everything, but I think you're making the right call, as a charity thrift store, to not put those items out for sale.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Offensive or not, someone will probably buy it. I was surprised to see a black jockey on a lawn in our city and though those were offensive and long gone too.
It takes a lot to offend me. It takes much less to offend some of our customers, and that's where the concern lies. Our customers provide the means to offer services to the community.
You would be astonished at what is dropped off at the donation door. The torn, stained clothing and shoes worn through are recycled as are most broken electronics. But the rugs that reek of pet urine, the furniture wrapped up to hide damage, chipped dishes and glassware, etc, etc, create a huge expense in terms of disposal. Weekends are the worst, that's when people who couldn't sell their treasures for a dollar at their garage sale show up with boxes and bags of the leftovers so they don't have to pay to have it hauled away.
But, once a donation is given, it belongs to the charity, and is ours to do with what we feel is right. You may consider it censorship, but it's making the most use of the limited space and manpower we have while maintaining our customer base.
I can see why people dumping off junk could be a problem.
It's too bad that donations can't be checked as they arrive. Clearly, that's cost-prohibitive for most, but we have one which does just that. They're clear about what they don't accept, and there's plenty of signage. It's a drive-thru only, two people come out with carts when there's a car, and they quickly unload--and check--everything. Then you get a receipt if you want one.
And you get your boxes back lol. I like that when I start to run out of boxes.
You'd have to believe that ever happened in the first place.
I wish I had time for an active imagination, but as one of four full-time employees at a thrift store open 7 days a week, you'll have to believe me on this. It's truly different in the deep south.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Delahanty
I can see why people dumping off junk could be a problem.
It's too bad that donations can't be checked as they arrive. Clearly, that's cost-prohibitive for most, but we have one which does just that. They're clear about what they don't accept, and there's plenty of signage. It's a drive-thru only, two people come out with carts when there's a car, and they quickly unload--and check--everything. Then you get a receipt if you want one.
And you get your boxes back lol. I like that when I start to run out of boxes.
That's our goal, but first we need to raise the money to renovate the store. Future plans call for a full-time sorter at the donation door.
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