Q&A: Is it ethical to buy books for resale from charity shops?
I read this column in the paper a few months ago, and with the holidays near, it's quite fitting. It poses an ethical question for those of us who buy books for resale from charity shops like Goodwill, Salvation Army, and others:Dear Amy: I have a friend, "Mandy," who is a stay-at-home mom with two small children. Her husband is well-paid, and they have a very comfortable lifestyle.For the columnist's answer, click here. In a nutshell, there's nothing wrong with it. The Salvation Army is glad for every penny in sales, which funds their programs. They don't care who buys the stuff -- needy people or the general public.
Mandy sells clothes and shoes on eBay to make extra cash. What bothers me is the way she does it. She goes to Salvation Army stores and buys shoes and clothes by "armloads" (her words) and sells them for about five times the purchase price.
She does work hard to earn that money, but aren't these shops for the economically needy?
But I don't suppose this issue will ever be totally put to rest. Some people just get outraged whenever someone else makes money.
What about library sales? I'm usually the biggest buyer at most library sales I go to. That's the whole point of the sale, unloading the books. But it never fails: When I check out, I get dirty looks from the sale volunteers and others ... because I'm buying lots of books. I guess they can't stand the fact that I'm going to make money by selling those books to people who want to read them.
posted by Steve Weber at 12/10/2007
18 Comments:
Goodwills by my house charge 9.99 a hardcover, and soft covers start at 3.99.
I think that they are making their money.
As a Christian, I have tossed this moral dilemma around also, and here is what I came up with. In the Old Testament we are told of Ruth and Naomi gleaning wheat in the fields which was left by landowners for poor people. I think a lot of the things in charity stores are comparable to the wheat. . .things for poor people to be able to purchase at reduced prices. . .so I am careful what I buy. Primarily I sell books, antiques and collectibles, and I know the money I spend does help the thrift store to feed homeless people and run a Christian based drug/alcohol rehabilitation program. I don't think it would be right for me to purchase all the clothes, shoes, household goods, etc. for resale. Occasionally I will purchase a pair of shoes or an outfit for personal use. And I purchase any vintage clothing or shoes, because those things would likely be thrown away. I also help straighten things and arrange them to help sell them. While searching through the books, I nearly always leave any Christian books that I think others may find helpful. Otherwise, I purchase any books I want for myself or for resale. I think this is a win-win situation. I have talked to the people who run this thrift store and they agree with me. Everybody has his own situation but this is what works for me.
In Hartford, CT where I live the Salvation Army teams with a local radio station during the holiday season to solicit donations for the needy. What's the top item they request? It's not frozen turkeys, guys. It's checks.
When you buy merchandise from a Salvation Army store or other retail outlet run by a charitable organization, it provides cash that can be used to feed the homeless, provide day care, or help subsidize a family down on its luck. How many books can a homeless guy eat? I can guarantee they're not as nutritious as the meals a book dealer's purchase will fund.
These stores exist to convert tangible donations received by charitable organizations into what's really needed--cash to buy the goods and services needed to fulfill the organization's charter.
I purchase items for my inventory from several thrift shops including a bookstore run inside a local supermarket in support of the Juvenile Diabetes foundation. It's my way of doing my part to provide services in my community. I could not afford to make these contributions if I was not receiving some payback through resale of the goods I purchase.
What a silly discussion. Charity shops don't exist to sell to disadvantaged people, they raise money to help disadvantaged people. This is a common misconception, and one I did not understand before I started going to them. Now, I buy my clothes there, too.
The entire purpose of Goodwill, for example, is to put people to work. The shops exist to give people jobs, and the money they raise pays their salaries and buys equipment for Goodwill's other job programs like picking up trash on highways, in my area.
I've never gotten a dirty look from anyone at a library sale either. If you feel guilty buying from a library, don't do it. Here, the woman who runs the library sale has so many outside deals with book dealers there is often hardly anything left for dealers like me who aren't on her call list.
I suppose it is also wrong to buy from used bookstores because a needy person could buy books there cheaper, too.
Bottom line: I pay the full asking price of the store, shop or sale from which I purchase, just like everyone else.
I always feel good about purchasing from charity shops because it's almost like a donation. They get what they want -- money for their programs -- and I get what I want -- money for my bills, indirectly.
It's a great system. Everyone benefits. Thrift stores who do not like this system can sell directly on Amazon, for example, and some do.
In my area there are many economically disadvantaged people and the thrift stores DO provide them with a way to purchase clothing and necessities. However, there are many generous people in my community so the flow of items into the thrift store is large.
I wholeheartedly agree with every comment here, and I'm glad someone brought up the fact that these charities are turning re-usable items into what they really need: cash. They're not selling stuff to their clientele, they're selling stuff to their customers, people like me who are unwilling to pay full price for a can opener; who would rather see that $2.99 go to disabled vets than Target Corp.
People who buy things at charity shops to re-sell are doing a three-fold service to society: helping a worthy cause, aiding the economy and doing right by the environment. Additionally, if I hadn't found this "niche" market to sell in (which helped me launch my business), I would still be a disgruntled bookstore clerk, rather than a satisfied business owner. And I think anyone who is doing what they really want in life, whether it's being a doctor, or selling other people's stuff, is serving God and man more than the ninny who wrote the "Dear Amy."
She should be more concerned with the structure of the thrift shop (i.e. how much goes to operations & management versus the needy), than nitpicking what her friend does for a little extra cash.
The thrift shop chooses their price. Period.
The thrift shop wants to move the merchandise in a brick and mortar store. Period. If they wanted to do an online book selling business they could do it.
The prices that thift shops choose don't always make sense if you ask me. All give no judgement on the condition, specifically I mean they are selling books which are dirty-grungy, water-damaged and full of mold or mildew for the same price as a brand new like book.
IMO those books should be thrown away, especially the mold and mildew ones which can go on to infect other books. THey are a health risk for workers and customers.
The Goodwill near me wants $2 and $3 for adult hardcovers, not cheap. Library sales in this area are far cheaper.
Some stores get greedy. One thrift shop near me just changed managers. She upped the prices on everything, now things are not moving. You can barely walk in the store. And the books are one thing that is just too expensive. The books for adults have always been overpriced and they still are. There are some that have been on the shelves for YEARS.
Some may be interested in the theory written about in the book "The Tipping Point". There is a point where a person is willing to buy something or not depending on the price. I am not really a bookseller, I am a buyer of used books. When I see a book for even 50 cents I ask myself, "Do I really need to own this?" yet if it was a quarter I may snap it up and say, "It's worth it for a quarter to just buy it even if I'm unsure if we'll use it." We all have our different tipping points.
I feel that some of the thift shops have no concept of 'the tipping point'. Some shops would do best to move more inventory out to make more room for the new stuff by lowering prices.
The sign at Goodwill thanks you for every purchase as it goes to help the poor, the jobless, etc. Also, most "poor" folks dress better than I do because of Government assistance. One more thing, after I have never ever seen a Goodwill or Salvation army that was short on Clothing or Books after I made my purchases. I think some people just want to feel miserable about everything that goes on around them. Especially when they see someone else making money.
After becoming an Amazon bookseller, I joined the local Friends of the Library. Now I am one of the officers. The group goes out of their way to help me so I can get first views of potential rare books, though the library gets first dibs of course on anything they can use. It pays to join the Friends of the Library and become active. Most of the books I receive now I am given for free at the librarian's discretion. She decides what books she does not want to offer for sale at the library sales, all to my benefit.
A practice I have made is to tithe 10% of the sales that I make from books purchased from charitable organizations back to the organization from which the books came. That way they can receive some benefit from the difference in price between what they sell the books for at a flat rate and what could have been made in the market. One thing I have noticed, however, is that since Goodwill has its own online bookselling site, most of the good books are already being siphoned off to that. The treasures that I find tend to be pre-ISBN books,
I, too, am one of those people that buys items from thrift shops to resell on eBay. As many have said, the charity is making money, on a regular basis, from eBay sellers. Second, I am a single parent and I earn my living this way - so I am not on a goverment program, nor do I have to put my kids in daycare so I can work a minimum wage job to barely get by. I am at home, earning a living raising my kids and keeping them safe and out of trouble. Third, buyers on eBay are getting great deals because I am the middle man. I consider myself a professional recycler. Also, keep in mind that thrift stores exist to raise money for charities and provide job training for physically or mentally challenged people. Their main focus is NOT to provide cheap items for people to buy.
Cheers~
Suzanne Wells - The eBay Coach
Hey Steve,
Great post as usual. I regularly buy from a few local charities and I can tell from the way I am treated that my visits are appreciated. As you mentioned they get cash to spend on the needy but on top of that when I shop there I don't bother the staff, leave things very tidy - even straighten out a row once and a while - often bring in a box of books and I imagine spend more than the average customer.
Bruce from The Bookshop Blog
Since the late 1960's and 1970's - with TV & other Media broadcasting the "buys" and "finds" the nature of the Salvation Army and other "hardgood donation" groups has changed.
It isn't what it was.
The goods are or aren't bargains but not for the needy.
I get items when they have a tag and not when the price is plucked out-of-the-air after scrutinizing my attire.
The usual typical ridiculous response: mean looks from people who know you plan on reselling the item. I know they are offended, but think it through. The stuff is getting sold at the asking price abnd the Friends of the Library or whatever get their money, perhaps more than they expected. And my local FotL always know what I'm doing and they're eager to see me. They always know I'll buy a big load of books.
Steve said it best: "Some people just get outraged whenever someone else makes money". For some reason, it doesn't bother them so much if it's a huge company, but it drives them crazy when it's a "regular person" like themselves, doing something they could theoretically do themselves - but don't. People are stupid.
Goodwill has their own auction site for collectibles and higher priced items: www.shopgoodwill.com
Many good points have been made in this post and the comments. I'll add just one more. If you are still struggling with the guilt of making a profit from something you have purchased from a charity, then donate a portion of that profit to the charity (or another one) and increase the good you do.
Have Fun!
Mike
www.eBayeBizTips.com
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