I know it very much looks like I've not been writing recently, or not for the blog at least, but I have. The problem has been that between writing it and posting it, I've had the most wracking self-doubt, that it's either the sh*test thing imaginable, or that no one cares, but would read it anyway, and inflicting it on anyone is something equivalent to a crime against humanity. It's a wonderful little brain I have.
The other thing I was going to name this post was 'Reasons I'm No Longer Using Charity Shops'.
Okay, so this is not me dragging charity shops because I love them. A lot of my books are from charity shops, I've had clothes from charity shops and a lot of things I love have come from them. The concept is magical to me because it's essentially here is a thing that someone else no longer needed, that you want and love, or perhaps need for less than you would have had to pay for it in another shop, and it also helps financially support a charity. Honestly, there is nothing better than that as a concept!
In previous years - actually probably since I was very little - a lot of the times I was doing any sort of clear out, everything went to the charity shop, partly because it does make you feel good to make donations, partly because throwing stuff away that still had/ has use is a difficult thing for me to get my head around, and also, and this is a big one, the idea of being able to rock up to somewhere, empty your boot and then walk away within twenty minutes is magical. Yes, car boot sales are great, but I don't like getting up early, I don't like bartering with people and I absolutely hate asking for money for things, so I am rubbish at them.
Some of the reasons above are reasons I love Facebook marketplace, eBay and Vinted. The expectations are set out very clearly and if I have to say something that would be uncomfortable in person, the anonymity of the internet helps me to be able to handle it. Saying no to cheeky offers no longer involved trying not to say 'You cheeky b*tch,' after the no. You can say it, just don't type it. The problem with these sites - and it's not something of their creation - except maybe eBay and their hugely unnecessary list of required details - is that it can be cumbersome to get things listed and things can take a while to sell. If you're having a clear out because you want some spare cash, you have to suck it up, but if you're doing it because you want or need the space freeing up, a charity shop can still be a really attractive option. (Granted, we still seem to be in that post-pandemic era where charity shops are turning down donations due to being inundated, and that can be really frustrating when you've made a special trip to drive there.
Now, the cost of living crisis is forcing many to re-evaluate things they would take to the charity shop, and instead turn to these sites as a way of making extra money.
Okay, so these might not be the people that we've head about having to choose between 'heating and eating' and if charity shops are still in the predicament that they have more stock than they can take in it might not truly be a bad thing, but the funding streams of charities were hard hit by the pandemic, and the loss of things like summer running programs and other major events, as well as the loss of revenue from their charity shops as they were closed during lockdown. People tend to be creatures of habit, so if this new era - created by the inability to drop off donations and also the need to make a bit of extra money or a desire to swap unneeded things for something new instead of donating it - not only catches on, but persists, because people enjoy it, it works for them, and they have access to a whole lot more choice for things like swaps or buying from the same platform, charities are going to be hard hit again.
One of the reasons I've been selling things isn't just the idea that I want the space (I mean, I do want the space because my house is full of far too much stuff!) but also because I worry about things like having enough savings for if something happened to my dog or my car. There are times when I think, ooh, I've sold a few bits, that can go towards the [insert whatever camping gear is next on my list] because I want it for Scout camp and it's a bit pricey. It's not like I'm using the extra money for essentials, but even as a civil servant who is somewhat privileged, with decent job security (yes, even when certain politicians seem to be trying to change that) I still have to look at what impact taking something to the charity shop could have as opposed to listing and selling it independently.
After what has been a hard few years, predictions on the energy price cap, interest rates, and other situations are making everyone a bit more cautious, whether that's rightly or wrongly, and whilst I'm glad that there are tools there to help people to help themselves, and places like Vinted that can help us as a community or a country or however we want to term it address issues such as fast fashion and the vast mass of textile trash that we face each year, I worry about the potential impacts it could have and the people behind the profiles, and I wonder if we would think differently about the items we were purchasing if we knew the real reason that they had decided to take to the marketplace. Then again, it's also not really anyone else's business, is it?
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