9508 Charity shops

Initial thoughts. My Italian friend in Italy dresses very well and passes on his old clothes to to poorer people. I would imagine directly rather than through an actual shop. Maybe through the church??? That would make sense given its prominence.

In the UK charity shops tend to be in big cities. That too makes sense.

Oxfam, I believe are actually turning away clothes at the moment.

Neilo you are a mind reader!!, I was just about to post this on the other thread when you started a new one.
What I was going to say was that we hope to have our first car boot sale this year as part of a local village festa ,donations going to the festa fund. it has been agreed by the comune so we are going to give it a try, but were wondering how the concept would go down with our Italian neighbours.
Perhaps we can sell it as a recycling scheme?, very keen on that around here ,rather than Charity, but we will probably go around and buy other peoples cast offs and return home with as much stuff as we left with.
I will post dates and other info so that if anyone would like to join us they can.
I wonder though if neighbours will feel sorry for us?, Italian friends already think it is sad to live down a white road with only a few neighbours, this will probably just re enforce that view.
A

There is still a lot of prejudice in Mediterranean cultures against charity or thrift shops. People associate them with those in desperate need or abject poverty. In Spain, where I live permanently, furniture, white goods, etc. are donated to EMAUS, a large Catholic charitable organization. They have a small shop in town which sells selected pieces for people who like vintage/antiques together with some fair trade products, but the bulk goes to Madrid and vintage/antique shop owners buy directly from them. Sometimes, people leave old furniture, etc. next to the rubbish containers and people can help themselves or are collected together with the garbage and taken to the dump.
But the mentality is slowly changing as vintage clothes and furniture are becoming fashionable and people travel more and see what happens in other parts of the world. I think that we will see lots of changes in that area within the next 5 years.

P.S. The French are already very much into this. Even small towns organise at least a yearly "braderie" , like a garage sale, and they are very popular. And, in my case, this is just less than 20km away......

Another thought is that there are street markets in every town, many in the cities so that charity shops are not needed.

Yes, Sally, I also thought about the street markets, but they do not sell that kind of goods. The only markets in Italy where you can find those items are generally the antique/vintage markets like the one that is held in Lucca on the 3rd Sunday of the month; however, they have more quality items, in general, than in the average thrift shop.

In France in their street markets, there is the Fripe where you can buy clothing and household lined second hand usually, but sometimes unworn with still the swing ticket.

In London you can donate furniture directly to one of the capital\'s largest housing associations. They have a shop especially for their tenants I believe.

h found this, a shops in Rome selling second hand clothes - [url=http://www.rome.info/shopping/secondhands]Rome.info > Rome Secondhand shops[/url]

I'm not so sure awareness off saving the planet has stretched as far as charity shops and it's still very much a throwaway society.

[quote=Gala Placidia;89075]Yes, Sally, I also thought about the street markets, but they do not sell that kind of goods. The only markets in Italy where you can find those items are generally the antique/vintage markets like the one that is held in Lucca on the 3rd Sunday of the month; however, they have more quality items, in general, than in the average thrift shop.[/quote]

You missed my point Gala. People in towns and villages buy their relatively inexpensive new clothes in the market. No need for them to buy from charity shops. The older people will wear them until they are threadbare. The younger ones will probably either throw them out or pass them on to the their friends or relatives.

Here's a link to a charity shop in Florence [url=http://www.insiderpages.com/b/3712658781]Florence Fuller Charity Consignment Shops - Boca Raton, FL 33428 - Reviews: Thrift Shops, Used Furniture, Antiques & Collectibles[/url]

Sorry I had forgotten. The market in the large town of Sulmona has stalls where you can buy second hand clothing and household furnishings.

[quote=Sally Donaldson;89078]...

Here's a link to a charity shop in Florence [url=http://www.insiderpages.com/b/3712658781]Florence Fuller Charity Consignment Shops - Boca Raton, FL 33428 - Reviews: Thrift Shops, Used Furniture, Antiques & Collectibles[/url][/quote]

.... Sorry, Sally, but that consignment shop is in Boca Raton, Florida, USA. I have not seen anything like that in Florence, although there is the usual antique/vintage market in Florence, once a month on the last Sunday. Also, there are some vintage shops in the Mercato dei Pucci, Piazza dei Ciompi.

Sorry Gala. However there are as I said before second hand shopss in Rome listed on The Internet and who knows others not listed.

I'm trying to find out Italian charities. If no charities then no shops. Individuals just don't open them in that guise there.

I actually love to browse in Charity shop;y esterday in Modbury Devon while waiting for some one I spent a happy half hour and £2.50!! For which I bought 2 novels and an 'embroidery hoop' that I needed for a project.

I do buy clothes but they are not my main reason to vist, books are what I tend to buy most and last Christmas my family exchanged presents bought in Charity shops ( before you knock it they include a strand of 200 year old Venetian beads and a Hermes scarf worth £100 ).

I think we need some willing Brit to start up a charity shop somewhere and I predict they will take off in Italy! Its just that no-one has tried yet.So come on then who's going to give it a go?

Sally why do you think there are no charities in Italy? I belong to one, LIPU and in our village there are always posters up for fundraising events for some or other charity.

Becky, I didn't say there aren't. Just that so far I cannot find them listed on The Internet.

It seems that I am not alone in missing Charity Shops here in Italia. Enjoyed the comments you all made and envious that one of you spent time in one yesterday! In England I kept a list in my bag of items to search for (not clothes) book titles, nut crackers etc. All would eventually be found and usually in the poorer towns ie Luton not St Albans. Having dieted hard here, I had clothes that were of good quality but too big, some brand new. I could put them in a skip that would be collected and the items distributed to "the poor". I was told that size 18-20 would go to African ladies...er um. Well a young Italian woman of that size became a friend and so I gave her brand new cardigans and trousers, mostly in black or dark colours. The look on her face told me that I had made a mistake...just for cleaning the house in ...I said when handing them over. (None had cost less than £50 each!) It seems she prefers to wear synthetic clothes, mostly shell suits from the market.

The bric a brac we transported here that was supurflous was sold at the village festa by children, who I think kept the money but I had suggested the proceeds go to the village fund. The idea simply did not catch on. As for seeing something I fancy at the riciclaria, the man sticks out his hand or names his price. He gets the idea alright!

Each and every town street market I have ever visitied in Italy has a well patronised section where secondhand goods can be bought.

Have see none around here, although had a chat with a teacher the other week who said she thought there might have been one, once, not sure where... :veryconfused:
My OH says the reason why people in this area (can't speak for the whole of Italy!) are suspicious of charity shops is because some years ago, the Catholic charities that collect clothes for redistribution to the poorer members of society, were discovered to be fraudulent. They had collected the clothes for free, and were reselling them - the money was not going to the poor, and nor were the clothes. This has made people very wary, as they can't trust the fact that if they do buy the clothes, or give to the charity, the money and help will go where it is needed.
I miss charity shops, too - books, clothes and unlikely bits of fabric! Have just looked at my summer clothes, and have some I would love to get rid of, and pass on to others, but I know no-one my size, and the thought that once I could have bought what I needed second-hand, and got rid of unwanted stuff makes me wish these shops could get a lift-off here!

The Catholic non-profit organization which runs opportunity shops in Italy is EMMAUS, see

[url=http://www.emmaus.it/template.php?pag=39694]emmaus italia[/url]

it is part of the big international organization founded in France by the Abbe Pierre. They do this throughout the world.

I was amazed to receive email details from the leader of an English Amateur Dramatic Group 5 mins ago and as it takes place in Umbria have posted details there! Who was praying for me I wonder?
No second hand stalls around here yet but yes the Charity cheats selling clothes happened in Perugia too.

I think the Italian attitude to second hand goods is alongside the aversion to eating outside(unless accompanied by a gleaming nuclear powered barbecue) that is - poor people eat outside and therefore if you do you must be poor which we certainly aint I mean look at the amount we spend on hair gel alone.

Just a note about buying books from charity shops (which I do frequently), apparently this is one of the reasons that fewer people visit libraries and more and more are having to close. I do think that no libraries would be much sadder than no charity shops (and I am such a charity shop addict I cant remember what you do in a "proper shop"!)
pam

[quote=She-Wolf;89094]Have see none around here, although had a chat with a teacher the other week who said she thought there might have been one, once, not sure where... :veryconfused:
My OH says the reason why people in this area (can't speak for the whole of Italy!) are suspicious of charity shops is because some years ago, the Catholic charities that collect clothes for redistribution to the poorer members of society, were discovered to be fraudulent. They had collected the clothes for free, and were reselling them - the money was not going to the poor, and nor were the clothes. This has made people very wary, as they can't trust the fact that if they do buy the clothes, or give to the charity, the money and help will go where it is needed.
I miss charity shops, too - books, clothes and unlikely bits of fabric! Have just looked at my summer clothes, and have some I would love to get rid of, and pass on to others, but I know no-one my size, and the thought that once I could have bought what I needed second-hand, and got rid of unwanted stuff makes me wish these shops could get a lift-off here![/quote]
It may be of interest to know that (and these i believe are EU. STATS) that italy has the highest pro capita quota of donations to charities in Europe.Having said that there are no charity shops for a number of complex burocratic/fiscal reasons
(similar to the same reasons why there are no car boot sales here)there are second hand shops and in cities like milano you can find second hand clothes shops but they tend to be expensive as they are generally selling used designer stuff and famous names.We regularly put used clothes in the special "HUMANITAS
bins present in a lot of towns you supposed to wash and iron them fold up and deposit them for collection in the closed bin.

[quote=Sally Donaldson;89069]In the UK charity shops tend to be in big cities. That too makes sense. [/quote]

Actually that's the one point I'd disagree on. I stocked up on paperbacks (a couple of carrier bags full) in my Mum's town on my last visit home and the village where I lived had a couple. Either way they are widespread but there's only one here in my city and not much good: I went there looking for furniture when I first arrived but rarely open and poor stock. Never seen a stall at my local (large) market.

I need to have a good clearout of stuff so I suppose I'll end up shoving it in the
humanitas bins. Clean, but won't be ironed though!

Sorry having discussed this point with a Library Volunteer, I don't think that the reason for Libraries closing is because people buy books in Charity shops. People also by thousands of books via the web Amazon, Abe Books et al. The cost of actually running a library service, particularly in rural areas is regarded as too high in relation to those actually using the library service.

In our village there are charity collecting tins in the shop and most people will drop their change into it. The shop keeper also sells Geraniums or Cyclamen at "inflated prices" and locals gladly buy them, as the money goes to Charity. A "Green Shield stamp" type system also operates and as I don't need another orange serving dish etc. Stamps are saved for Medici Senza Frontiere. At times I may not care for a particular cause but all are generous to a fault.

Well yes, I did mean buying books in general. I was just reiterating what the librarian who runs my reading group told us. Not many people are interested in borrowing books anymore. And yet they will order any book you want at quite a cost to themselves.
Getting back to Italy - are any of you who live there members of a reading group that you have started up or that already existed?
pam

There are several reading groups here around Lago Trasimeno area and also in Perugia. Books in English are read and discussed but I am of the opinion that they are more of a social gathering of Expat women.

Noble I dont know why but most reading groups are 'women only' Don't men read? Or possibly they don't read novels which tend to be dicussed most in reading groups.I think an expat reading group is an excellent idea.I have to carry at least 4 novels with me to last a 3 week period in Italy ( not counting the 2 I have for the plane/train). I cant think how desparate I'd be if I couldnt get my hands on a book when I felt like reading.

I do speak Italian but too basically to be able to read and enjoy a novel.

I try and bring as many books as I can each time I come so that when I can come for longer periods (when I retire) I will have plenty of unread books waiting for me. I can easily do without Tv + even computer but cant imagine a life without books. I do read some italian books but it takes a long time and cant be called relaxing. I'm just lazy really. I ought to persevere with those long, long sentences where the beginning is somewhere in the middle and it's a real breakthrough if you manage to find it!
pam