Two weeks ago, I celebrated the one year anniversary of opening my thrift store. "Everything Under the Rainbow" is a small (yet utterly fabulous) thrift store that raises money on behalf of the Rainbow Community Center. If you havent checked us out yet... you should.
Over the last year, you wouldnt believe the crazy items people have donated to my store... and never made it on to our shelves. And as your friendly neighborhood Drag Queen/Social Worker/Thrift Diva... it is my pleasure to give you a list of 10 things NEVER to donate.
1) Photos of your Grandma. Somewhere in Concord, there is a man that obviously doesnt love his grandmother. Apparently, having photos of this dear sweet woman (wearing teddy bear sweaters and baking him cookies) in his home is just too upsetting for him. Shame on you sir. But seriously, if you plan on donating photo frames, take out the pictures! As much as we love getting to know you thru your wedding photos, birthday parties... and sometimes your embarassing and blurry pics from Vegas... nobody wants a photo of a stranger in their home.
2) Nothing says romance like used candles... Candles and home decor are super popular in the thrifting world. But, you never know when someone has used a candle for some pagan ritual! New candles are great! But when you burn it down to less than 1 inch... really?
3) Craft projects gone wrong... Remember that one time you thought that Macramé was a good idea? Didnt turn out that well? Dont give it to me! Half-finished paintings. Half-finished homemade clothes. If you are a crafty person, we should be friends. I love to craft and create! But, it breaks my heart when we have to throw away these craft projects that someone obviously put a little time into. Put it this way, if you would be too embarassed to wear it or display it in front of your closest friends... Dont do it.
4) Clothing with your companys logo... How many people do you know that would want to buy a polo shirt with "Rob's TV Repair" or "Cindy-Lou's Carpet Cleaning & Pet Sitting" embroidered on the front? Not many, right? Those types of items will usually get priced at about .25 cents... and then the homeless will buy them. So if you run a business, unless you want to advertise via a panhandler... take those old polos and tshirts and make some cleaning rags out of them! Recycle!
5) Stuffed Animals. We all love stuffed animals. Im 28 years old and still sleep with a stuffed Minnie Mouse (don't judge.) But stuffed animals are a common breeding ground of bacteries, lice and much more. Cleaning them helps, but its better to be safer than sorry. Besides, they just sit on the shelf looking sad... also, creepy clown stuffed animals... burn them.
6) Broken... well, Anything! Dolls missing their heads (or worse). A single shoe. Dishes that are cracked and held together with duct tape or chewing gum. Electronics that dont work. Most thrift stores are run by volunteers, usually teenagers or retirees... and while we may be fabulous, caring, talented... and humble... we can't fix everything. If you were getting rid of it because it is broken or missing an important part... nodody else is going to want it either.
Now for some blatantly obvious ones...
7) Used Bedding... You never know what someone did in it. Let that sink in. Grossed out? Yea, me too.
8) Used underwear and bra's... Maybe Im weird, but I don't even like sharing underwear with my friends... Bleach can only do so much guys.
9) Lingerie. You may think you are being super discrete and that we wont remember your face... but I know who you are! And its hard not to blush when I see the woman who donated 10 pairs of crotch-less panties. "Private" items should remain that way. Nobody is going to want to buy these types of things from a thrift store... but I hear there are websites where lonely gentleman will pay big for these things! (Not from personal experience of course!)
And last... but most importantly...
10) Porn. I cannot tell you the number of old VHS videos, magazines, books and toys that have been discretely destroyed (usually in the dead of night when no one will notice me carrying a large box of "adult" items!) THIS IS GROSS you guys. THIS is by far the most important thing to NEVER EVER donate. If you must get rid of the evidence... just throw it away!
So there you have it! 10 things to never donate. Ever.
Small non-profit thrift stores like mine depend on the generosity of our community. Every penny counts when it comes to fundraising. Thank you to everyone that has made our 1st year in Todos Santos such a huge success... and thanks for giving me enough memories to keep me laughing for year to come.
Be sure to stop by the store soon! Tons of new sales going on now!
Always Thrifty... Jimmy, Store Manager
Everything Under the Rainbow
2095 Pacheco St
Concord, CA 94520
925 566 8078
thriftstore@rainboww.org
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