Lots of books to donate - which charity shop?

[miss]

In my experience there tends to be a lot of inequality between the donations that charity shops receive, to the point where some have to turn stock away while others are desperate to receive stuff.

I have a few bags of good-quality books to donate. I appreciate that all causes are worthy but can anyone direct me to a local charity shop which will be particularly glad of them? Camberwell / East Dulwich area preferred.

Many thanks.

[Sue]

The Saint Christopher Hospice shop in Lordship Lane (the big one near The Palmerston) always has a good range of books.

I'm sure they'd be glad of yours to replenish their stock after I've bought loads of them :)

[FatherJack]

Scope in Camberwell Green, it's not in a great place if your driving but it's near a bus stop.

[KestonKid]

There is an Oxfam Bookshop on Half Moon Lane, Herne Hill. You can get Nectar points as well!

[ironjawcannon]

Or the Mind shop at Goose Green,. It depends on which you wish to support and whether they have space for you books at this time, as I'm sure it varies.

[Sue]

The Mind shop had a big notice in the window recently asking for stock.

However their clothes and books are really expensive considering they are a charity shop. In some cases their clothes seem to be more expensive than you could buy them new!

[hoppermum]

i'm also in this situation - i called into a charity shop in forest hill yeaterday and they said they couldnt take more books at the moment...does the oxfam shop in HH have any parking?

[b.b.rowe]

I'm doing a car boot sale to raise money for a charity Raleigh International and would be happy to take the books of you to raise money for a good cause that's not on the high street

[dukesdenver]

Seconded, or stay on the bus to the Trinity Hospice shop on Walworth Road. Several others up that way too.

Am often amazed at book prices in charity shops. Surely lower prices = faster turnover = more room for new stock?

FatherJack Wrote:

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> Scope in Camberwell Green, it's not in a great

> place if your driving but it's near a bus stop.

[Sue]

dukesdenver Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

>

> Am often amazed at book prices in charity shops.

> Surely lower prices = faster turnover = more room

> for new stock?

xxxxxxx

The St Christopher Hospice shop in Lordship Lane used to charge 50p for virtually all their paperbacks, which was a very good price.

Recently they nearly all went up to 75p. Still a relatively good price, but a 50% increase!

When I queried it, they said it was because their rent had gone up - fair enough.

I no longer buy quite so many books there though ....

ETA: And I very rarely buy any books at all from the Mind shop, because for a charity shop their prices seem extremely high to me.

[rgutsell]

Hiya

I'd like to suggest that you don't take them to thye main charity shops at all.

A lot of books pass through my hands; I put them all outside of my house, with a notice "Please take" They go very soon.

I'm not a fan of the common charity shops; they are really chain shops undercutting wages and independent sellers, with a less than remarkable charitable return. Small local charity shops run by enthusiasts for local coauses are great. But the likes of Oxfam, British Heart foundation, etc pay large wages to senior staff, who often come from the retail sector, use chain store practices, get tax benefits, and pay low, or no wages.

IMOP of course!

Yours

R Gutsell

[edcam]

We recently gave lots of unwanted books to the Mind shop and they were very grateful for them.

[Loz]

Another vote for St Christopher's - a local charity as the hospice itself is just behind Crystal Palace Park. And the people in the shop are generally pretty nice as well!

An anti-vote for Mind, as I think their prices are way too high.

[edcam]

I don't know about the prices but Mind's stuff looks like it's better quality so that may be the reason.

[intexasatthe moment]

Other options I know of are Oxfam book shop at Herne Hill ,there are 20 min parking spaces very close and same side of road .It's opposite Half Moon pub in Half Moon Lane .

Or I use charity shop in Peckham ,it's on Peckham high St ,just before junction with Peckham Hill st on left hand side if driving east from Camberwell Green towards New Cross . Just after Peckham Square and before bus garage .

There is a car parking spaces immediately outside ,but it's only free parking during the morning

[Cassius]

I gave a lot of books to the Oxfam shop in HH and tbh they looked annoyed at the amount of work it would give them.

[Sue]

edcam Wrote:

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> I don't know about the prices but Mind's stuff

> looks like it's better quality so that may be the

> reason.

xxxxx

No I don't think it's better quality, either for books or for clothes, it just seems to be way way more expensive than similar items at the St Christopher's Hospice shop.

[joom]

If they're children's books how about taking them to kings college hospital children's ward or A&E dept?

[minder]

If you're looking for charity shops in Camberwell (OP) then there's the Cancer Research shop in Butterfly Walk. If you have a car you can park right at the back of the shop (off Morrisons Car Park) and deliver to the back entrance.

[Lynne]

I leave mine in the Station I reguarly use in Kent, where there's a constant change-over of donated books. I'm so grateful to have something to read when the train is late/cancelled yet again that I happily take my discards along

Lynne

[niki_nje]

R Gutsell on the large charity debate, there are disadvantages to large charities but there also can be huge advantages! British Heart Foundation and Cancer Research UK give money towards scientific research in academic labs, smaller charities cannot afford this. A lab bench even before the cost of wages is on average ?150,000 per year due to costs of reagents and rent etc so smaller charities really cannoy scratch the surface.

One thing people complain about with small charities is advertising, but they make more money doing this than they waste otherwise why would they do it?! People often need to be prompted/reminded to donate to charity and that is what the advertising is for. I've worked with large and small charities, and sometimes seeing the waste of money/resources of some small charities I think they would be better off teaming up to pool their resources.

On the other hand there are very good valid small charities which do get neglected and whose visions are not covered by the large charities, but my point is that it isn't as simple as "big charity = bad and wasteful" and "small charity = good and efficient"

[sarahlou]

The British Heart Foundation have always picked up my books once I've got a couple of boxes put by for them.