Magik Quilter

magikquilter March 14th, 2008

This week did not do much vintage shopping as had a big problem over the donations that were being given away from that store. Some of them were quite good and silk at that, not to mention new from Lincraft! Was told I did not know what sold and that they were basically unsaleable, this in front of a shop full of people. Well thems fighting words and had been really concerned for some time since I bought a large shopping bag of embroidered items for about $40 and was then given two bigger bags full of goods of better quality than I had bought.

So I contacted the area manager who said no donations should ever be given away as if they had no value and that anything that is not paid for cannot leave the store. So there has obviously been a mix up somewhere along the line between policy and implementing that policy. I should say here that I did ask the manager if they were throwing away any damaged embroidered goods if I could have a look at them to see if any could be used by cutting them up etc. Thank goodness I was able to rescue so much embroidery which I gave to another branch of the same charity. One pair of crochet gloves that were rescued sold for $25! I just hope that they do not decide that some of the type of things I rescued are unsaleable and throw them out. The reason I asked was because there were no stained tablecloths etc going out that could be cut up and restyled. And I did suggest that scrap bags could be a money spinner as you only have to look on etsy and ebay to see what sells. I know some of the larger stores have older volunteers who are there to price the manchester. I had offered to go in but honestly after the hostility I faced when I tried to explain the situation to a staff member I just cannot be bothered inflicting more abuse on myself.

They do get inundated with donations at times but these vintage linens may well be from deceased estates and the attitude of staff or volunteers at the many charity organizations sometimes increases the impact of the grief if they perceive that their loved ones donations have no value. It is ironic that in trying to save these items for future generations that I may be inadvertently the cause of their destruction. I have to trust that the area manager somehow managed to instill into the staff the true value of these items. I feel that they are blessed in this particular person as she has suffered loss of an unimaginable kind and is in the very real position of knowing what the impact of tossing items out would have on remaining loved ones.

Neither my husband nor my son thought apparently that it was worth the trouble involved to pursue this matter. Even knowing the sheer mortification of having staff turn their backs on me when entering the store does not make me question my decision as cannot stand by while these things go on. My son after much discussion said that the biggest problem with the world today is apathy, I believe it is selfishness. In the incident that I next detail for you both of these “virtues” ensued.

In the same store I witnessed a previous manager run downstairs to tell the fifty odd year old gentleman that she did not want his donations. He was putting them into the donations bin at the time so have no idea how she knew what he had put in there. As she ran downstairs she was saying “I have had it with this”. She had a heated argument with him and he then said he would take the donations back and would never again set foot in or have anything to do with the charity. I was appalled as who knew what these donations meant to him? Could they have been books from a dead child or a broken marriage or an aged parent who has been placed against their will in an old persons home? That is just it we do not know and it behoves the staff to graciously accept those donations in the spirit they were offered. Not the “people like nice things” whine that came out of the manager’s mouth when she realised she had gone too far. And all this in front of a shop full of people who were too intent on not missing a deal to even consider speaking out.

You may ask what did I do then? I followed him outside the store after shaking my head in disbelief at the manager,who knew me quite well, and told him I was mortified by that outburst and that I personally knew that it was not the policy of the store to refuse donations and that they would be appalled at the verbal abuse and victimization. He was shaking with rage and who knows what other emotions and repeated that neither he, nor if he had anything to do with it would anyone else he knows after this, darken the door of that particular charity again. I do not know if he reported the incident, I think he made a good case himself anyway and that is another thing that the manager should have been aware of…we live in a highly skilled area with a large university presence and he was able to run rings around the manager verbally once he got started, all this without being abusive back. What a remarkable thing to take that kind of victimization and not get down and dirty with it…he certainly left the store with his pride in place whereas nobody else in the store that day could say the same.

I did phone the area manager as was concerned as this was the fill in manager for two weeks and thought that the stress of the position was obviously getting to them. I do not know what ensued as do not have the same confidence that I do with the current person in the position but I do know that I could not go in the store for over two weeks as felt really sick about it. The fill in manager saw me shopping in our mall one day and asked me to come back as she had missed me.

So that was in contrast to this week when I did try to explain to a staff member why I had spoken to the ‘boss’ and to assure her that I had in fact put in a good word for her. She would not talk and turned and walked away from me, leaving me standing in front of a store full of customers. This is also a person that I had done free alterations for as knew money was tight with her. I shall wait a few weeks until I feel that I can handle whatever may be dished at me …as I said to a friend I have enough angst in my life I do not need to add more!

Here’s hoping I have some stuff to show you next week, I am intending to do a little trading myself so keep posted if you are looking for luscious jewellery etc

Tags: apathy, charity shops, deceased estates, donations, honesty, intergrety, reclaiming embroidered vintage items, vintage embroidered carving cloths for the table or buf

• Designer Thrift Finds , Jewellery , Personal , St Vincent de Paul in Sydney , Thrifting , Vintage Shopping
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