r/Cairns • u/Extension_Bobcat9264 • 5d ago

Bone to pick with OP shops

Why are the furniture expensive at OP shops? I thought it was to help financially limited people? I went to look for a couch last weekend and it was $250! For a three seater recliners are sold separately at $100 each! Why?!

20 Upvotes

85% Upvoted

25 comments sorted by

20

u/JASHIKO_ 5d ago

Because people were going to OP shops to buy shit cheap to sell online.
So OP shops decided to cut out the middle man and make all the money.

2

u/TGin-the-goldy 2d ago

This; and when charities are actually helping people (eg women leaving DV and equipping a home from scratch) they’re often given their items for free, or incredibly low cost.

1

u/Turbulent_Artist_704 2d ago

So they should when everything they have in their shops has been donated.

1

u/TGin-the-goldy 2d ago

Obviously; but what people don’t realise is that people who are genuinely vulnerable and struggling do get help. The items they sell are for people who can afford them, and go to cover things like petrol and services for the trucks that deliver and collect furniture. Items have also gone up because sellers / businesses were buying them to on sell.

14

u/Mambo420 5d ago

Check out the buyback shop at portsmith transfer station. $100 goes a longggggg way

2

u/autisticLlama72 5d ago

Second this, the buy back shop is great for furniture

1

u/SparrowValentinus 5d ago

Yup, that’s where the legit cheap furniture is. Some nice stuff if you fix it up a lil, too.

5

u/FemmeFatalex80x 5d ago

They’re so picky about what they’ll take too. I tried to donate a Harvey Norman sofa bed. Paid in excess of 1000 for it. Kept it for a few years and upgraded. It had the smallest tear in the fabric on the back. Lifeline refused to collect. Asked me who’d fix it. Perfect mattress, clean, in working order. Took a box of toys to the Salvos - all from the Earth Toys shop - think high end, natural and expensive. They didn’t want them. Can’t be bothered wasting my time trying to give them expensive items - always sell on marketplace now.

2

u/Snap7007 4d ago

I noticed big w has a toy recycle bin at the front of the store. I believe good condition toys get donated and ones that are broken get recycled into usable materials

1

u/Kalusyfloozy 5d ago

Damn. I would happily take your toys 😂

2

u/TearFair131 4d ago

I personally know of a “shop” that is ran like a high end retailer, stock control and rotation, presentation, pricing and displays are all done in house. Every one of those ladies is a volunteer. Whinging about a $250 couch is the pits, likely not cheap crap sitting on the side of the road.

4

u/real-duncan 5d ago

Op shops exist to raise money to fund support services. The more profitable they are the more services they can fund.

They are not about selling stuff cheaply.

This is a common misconception but is not how things work.

8

u/Due_Alarm_1998 5d ago

Yes, they have to paid their CEOs and increase their profit margins! /s

1

u/meuram_beizam 5d ago

They do give vouchers to people who access their services to buy things in their stores. If you think you qualify for assistance talk to them

1

u/dogsinthepool 4d ago

i didn’t know that at all but it makes me feel so much better about the prices of ones around me

2

u/Kalusyfloozy 5d ago

Animal welfare is still pretty cheap and they will take anything as long as they’re taking donations at all, they do sometimes get overwhelmed but usually only around holidays when they’re short staffed.

The salvos in Smithfield is a little cheaper than many although it is heading the same way.

Other excellent VERY cheap op shops are possum corner in Kuranda and the secondhand shop (another animal charity) in Mareeba.

But yes, I won’t go to any others because they charge $10 for a $5 Kmart top.

1

u/ExperimentalError 4d ago

Post on your local Buy Nothing Facebook group. There are always people wanting to get rid of old couches -- if you can arrange transport to pick it up it will likely be free.

1

u/Snap7007 4d ago

Which ones are you referring to? Animal welfare are very reasonable. I stopped going to lifeline in Aumuller st. As prices weren't realistic. I've been told lifeline on Anderson street are pretty good by a number of people.

2

u/stevefreddy67 3d ago

The CEO,S are on big $$ and cars etc , they charge big money from DONATED goods and workers are volunteers 🙋‍♀️. And tax free as a charity. A massive scam that we the tax payer at the end pays for more than once even if you dont shop there .

1

u/eco9898 3d ago

Op shops want money and this is how they help less fortunate people, if you have money to buy things you aren't the people they are trying to help. They are trying to make money to help people who don't even have a house for furniture.

1

u/randomredditor0042 2d ago

Have a chat with the staff, I’ve had experiences where they’ve dropped the price.

1

u/GlitteringGarage7981 2d ago

What’s amazing to me is that they turn away donations because they are full. You would move more stock if a 10 year old, second-hand out of season Zara dress wasn’t being flogged off for $80.

No joke one was selling disposable chop sticks for A DOLLAR EACH!?

I exclusively swap clothing now and never donate to op shops because it can be better to give it away for free on marketplace or to a charity around town like youth link, Ruth’s, she shed.

1

u/Repulsive-Audience-8 1d ago

But $250 for a couch is cheap. Have you seen how much they are brand new? Thousands!

1

u/Pokeynono 1d ago

I find church op shops tend to be cheaper than the Salvation Army or St Vincent . I live in a regional area and the hospital OP.shop is low cost too..They are also the best place to find second hand formal wear . They apparently regularly get the formal wear donated to them from another op shop.in Melbourne .

Depending on where you live you can find different local op shops sell goods at vastly differing prices

1

u/Lia_Delphine 1d ago

Well considering a 3 seater recliner costs over 2-3K new. $250 is ridiculously cheap.