Anyone want an original UK Tamla Motown L.P of Bobby Taylor 'Taylor Made Soul'? Well there's one in my local Oxfam charity shop for....wait for it.....£80!

Now I know this is a fairly rare L.P but whatever happened to charity shop bargains?    

...better it go to charity!

Anyone want an original UK Tamla Motown L.P of Bobby Taylor 'Taylor Made Soul'? Well there's one in my local Oxfam charity shop for....wait for it.....£80!

Now I know this is a fairly rare L.P but whatever happened to charity shop bargains?    

Oxfam have this sewn up now, clearly managed centrally  - they even have specialist book/record stores and or sections now.  I can appreciate that but it is a bit annoying when they use the Record Collector book for the price but then omit to adjust the price based on the condition ready reckon-er in the very same book!!  That book has made every second hand record dealer (and Soul hater) an instant Soul expert!!! 

Oxfam have this sewn up now, clearly managed centrally  - they even have specialist book/record stores and or sections now.  I can appreciate that but it is a bit annoying when they use the Record Collector book for the price but then omit to adjust the price based on the condition ready reckon-er in the very same book!!  That book has made every second hand record dealer (and Soul hater) an instant Soul expert!!! 

 

The preef of the pidding is in the aeting....................go back in a years time and offer them a tenner............

The preef of the pidding is in the aeting....................

I don't understand this Chris - what's your point?

The worst offender is the Ox book shop in Keswick. Some of the prices are more than the RRPs when the books were new!

( altho I did get Sons of Robin Stone in there for 20p) ;)

Jim.

ive seen lots of records in their shops at rc prices , they never sell em!

It really does only seem an Oxfam thing! There's some other good 60's L.P's in there, R Stones, Kinks etc all at high prices.

Other charity shops are a lot cheaper but they don't seem to get the records Oxfam get? 

I don't understand this Chris - what's your point?

Think he's saying it won't sell, Mike.

Charity shops have an obligation to generate as much cash as they can from the items donated. The fact that we can't buy rare records for 10p anymore from to sell on is a good thing surely for the charities in question? 

Edited May 11, 201411 yr by jim g

Oxfam have this sewn up now, clearly managed centrally  - they even have specialist book/record stores and or sections now.  I can appreciate that but it is a bit annoying when they use the Record Collector book for the price but then omit to adjust the price based on the condition ready reckon-er in the very same book!!  That book has made every second hand record dealer (and Soul hater) an instant Soul expert!!! 

They also think that any record that comes in by The Beatles must be worth £1000's  ...Paul

The problem is that they might be able to understand the book value of something but they rarely, if ever in my experience, understand the difference between mint-excellent-very good-utterly shagged. I asked a woman in an Oxfam why they were selling a battered Rolling Stones LP with 'I love Keith' actually scratched into the vinyl grooves (!) for £40. "It's the price given in the guide book" she said. Still, I have had my moments in Oxfam including:

 

Lots of UK soul including a mint HMV demo of the Impressions 'Woman's Got Soul';

Lots of pop/rock stuff like The Who, Small Faces, Kinks, Action, Rolling Stones, etc;

Gene Chandler/Jerry Butler LP with JB's autograph 'To Lousie, yours Jerry Butler';

A&M demo 45 of Captain Beefheart's 'Moonchild' with record company letter; 

at least 4 copies of 'Long After Tonight is All Over' over the years;

Chris Farlowe 'Air Travel' demo;

French EP of Markey's 'Last Night;

and a copy of Wigan's Chosen Few 'Footsee' with 'Northern wankers' and 'fuck Spurs, up the Hammers' 'written on the picture sleeve - sorry now sold.

I know a record shop owner that advises all the charity shops in his area, he manages to get the best stuff himself and tells them fairly what others are worth.  Oxfam said they didn't need him, they actually buy in from the other charity shops when they think they can make a profit, charity shop madness at it's best

I know a record shop owner that advises all the charity shops in his area, he manages to get the best stuff himself and tells them fairly what others are worth.  Oxfam said they didn't need him, they actually buy in from the other charity shops when they think they can make a profit, charity shop madness at it's best

As I have said I'm not a fan of Oxfam - but I don't blame them in this instance - he advises and .......'manages to get the best stuff himself' ....I'm sure he does and I suspect the punter then pays top dollar from him.....rather than get lucky in a charity shop 

As I have said I'm not a fan of Oxfam - but I don't blame them in this instance - he advises and .......'manages to get the best stuff himself' ....I'm sure he does and I suspect the punter then pays top dollar from him.....rather than get lucky in a charity shop 

 

I've known two blokes who got jobs in charity shops specifically so they could nick stuff and sell it on Ebay (not records but clothes). I'm happy to report they both got rumbled and one got his dole stopped as he was being paid to work there too. Oh dear, how sad, never mind.

It really does only seem an Oxfam thing! There's some other good 60's L.P's in there, R Stones, Kinks etc all at high prices.

Other charity shops are a lot cheaper but they don't seem to get the records Oxfam get? 

 

The reason other shops don't get the records is because people WANT to donate to Oxfam, exactly because the records won't be sold for 50p. They know a decent income will be generated from their donation. I know a few years ago Oxfam were suggesting people left their collections in their will...

 

i think the examples given are annoying, but most specialist Oxfam music shops price their stock accurately and fairly. The whole point is to sell as much stock as they can. How the money gets divvied up after it hits the till, well, that's a whole other can of worms...

i think the examples given are annoying, but most specialist Oxfam music shops price their stock accurately and fairly. 

 

I don't think so. They quite obviously use out-of-date price guides instead of real-time sites like Discogs. I'm often staggered to see many run-of-the-mill things priced at sometimes 2-400% more than the average price on Discogs. I know it's for charity but I don't think paying waaay over the odds for stuff is the way to go.....

 

Ian D 

A bit off topic I guess but Oxfam are a good charity in terms of their work, outcomes and maximising any money which is donated to them for their mission.

 

Peter

Can anyone guess how much the chairman or woman of Oxfam gets paid per annum?

I bet it would make your eyes water.

Same with the RSPCA.  Someone I know, his father worked for them and went up the ranks, they built him a house for Gods sake.  Paid for by donations.

Too many Charities imho , in our little town there must be half a dozen on the the high street (and there's never any bloody records in 'em !!)

 

anyway sorry that was off topic

Oxfam have this sewn up now, clearly managed centrally  - they even have specialist book/record stores and or sections now.  I can appreciate that but it is a bit annoying when they use the Record Collector book for the price but then omit to adjust the price based on the condition ready reckon-er in the very same book!!  That book has made every second hand record dealer (and Soul hater) an instant Soul expert!!! 

 

I had an image of some little old dear in the local charity shop with Manship's guide until you posted that.

It's that furking Mary Portas that started it all off when she showed the charity shop that they should be selling things at realistic prices.

All the charity organisations will have watched it and followed suit. I've certainly noticed the change in prices and a more professional look and layout to charity shops since the program was aired

Edited May 12, 201411 yr by Northern Soul UK

guest, on 12 May 2014 - 4:39 PM, said:

 

 

I make sure everything I donate goes to 100% volunteered 'local' charities who actually seem to think of the people that might be buying in their shop and show plenty of 'charity' . Unlike Oxfam who [over] price their items for the aforementioned Boden types .

 

Support you local hospices .

Sounds a bit contradictory - Hospices are not run exclusively by volunteers, far from it.

guest, on 12 May 2014 - 7:57 PM, said:

 That's true - I meant more the ones where they only have the one local 'hospice' shop . Generally they are staffed by volunteers - the ones where I am are . I certainly feel the money I give to them goes a more 'direct' route to it's intended need . 

Most charities which operate second hand shops do so with volunteers. Being a "paid" shop manager is viewed as being one of the worst jobs in the third sector - the pay is very poor too.

 

I'm not wishing to be argumentative - just providing a view. I've worked in the third sector for many, many years for lots of different sorts of organisations. Like I said I'm just proffering a view.

 

Nice

 

You would be astonished to see the amount of records Oxfam main donation quarters handles on a daily basis.

They also bin a large amount of donated items deemed unsuitable. Some folks are just so naive with charities business.

Won't name him but a well known full time dealer got a contract for Oxfams cast offs from their distribution centre.

1000,s of albums on a daily basis - classical , rock , pop he just had to take the lot. 

Had a warehouse in excess of 250, 000 pieces last I heard. 

Full of Jim Reeves,Top Of The Pops sounds like the original artist lps,classical,ValDoonican Rocks But Gently,Herp Alpert...oh and every James last lp apart from Beach Party or Voodoo.

Edited May 14, 201411 yr by wiggyflat

Full of Jim Reeves,Top Of The Pops sounds like the original artist lps,classical,ValDoonican Rocks But Gently,Herp Alpert...oh and every James last lp apart from Beach Party or Voodoo.

 

Except there are loads of classical albums which (value wise) blow your average northern soul rarity out the pond!