Would You Buy What You’re Donating?
written by Jo williams, whs thrift shop assistant
“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” This well-known proverb is entirely true—to an extent. When an item no longer sparks joy, fits, or fills a purpose, or is outdated or becomes unnecessary clutter, donating it to our WHS Thrift Shop can feel better than throwing it away. You’re saving it from entering the landfill and giving it a second (or sometimes third or fourth) chance at life. And you’re supporting a good cause, which is to raise money for the animals at our open-admission domestic, farm, wildlife shelters. While well-intentioned, one very important question to ask yourself is: Would you buy what you are donating?
Assessing a small percentage of the donations that come through our intake doors, this question becomes important to highlight and remember. We are a nonprofit with a limited budget and storage space, and sometimes very limited volunteer help. Every single item donated must be sorted, inspected, cleaned if it passes said inspection, priced, and then put on the floor for sale. When donated items are damaged, chipped, broken, soiled, ripped, or filthy, they don’t miraculously become sellable. Instead, they become an item for us to figure out what to do with, including having our mostly volunteer-run staff handle some very questionable and unhygienic things. While we have recycling resources for metal and torn or dirty fabrics, including clothing and linens, these resources cost money—funding that then doesn’t go towards our intended mission, the animals.
At the WHS Thrift Shop, we take pride in only selling quality items. Many people shop at thrift stores out of necessity, not for entertainment or income as a reseller. When we share items in poor condition, it sends a message about what we believe others should accept. When a damaged or dirty item no longer meets your standards of cleanliness or useability, it likely doesn’t belong in a donation pile meant for our shelves. Donating responsibly and respectfully helps for multiple reasons: It raises money for our cause because items that are clean, working, and in a condition that you’d pay for yourself will sell; thoughtful donations help us succeed and help our customers secure everyday necessities and discover treasures they didn’t know they needed; and it keeps items out of the landfill, taking care of Mother Earth by reducing waste.
Asking the question "would you buy what you donate?" is not meant to shame anyone but rather to encourage awareness. We are extremely grateful for the support and dedication from our donors and customers alike. We are only asking people to take an extra moment when putting an item in your donation bag: If you wouldn’t buy it due to the condition it’s in, please consider that it might be the time for it to be discarded rather than donated (a choice that may save us time and resources from needing to do the very same thing). In this way, donating thoughtfully becomes an act of respect—for our volunteers and staff, for our loyal customers, and for the knowledge that shopping secondhand doesn’t mean second best.
Need a refresher on what can and cannot be donated to the WHS Thrift Shop?
Check out our list of please do's and don'ts: