Anonymous wrote:Food, except some people in our group really need it. I'm more surprised by the folks who try to grab everything and its clear they are resellers or if they cannot sell it they regift it. Its frusterating to see them get so much all the time. They rarely give their own stuff. Also, really dirty stuff. Clean it first. Also, the background - some of houses are gross (not expecting perfect but they are really gross).
Anytime I donate stuff I run it through the wash if clothes or linens, run a lint roller over if needed, wipe down books with a slightly damp cloth to get any fingerprints off the cover, scrub out counter appliances, toys, etc. I have a velvet blazer hanging in my bathroom right now. It's been in a box of plan to give away for awhile so I want to steam it and get the wrinkles out a bit first.
I love thrift stores but I hate finding clothes that reek perfume. I used to know someone whose husband worked in a for-profit store that takes donations, sells some stuff and then donates the rest that doesn't get thrown out, they always used gloves to pull stuff out of bags and there could be some really, really nasty stuff in those bags.
I gave through a free-cycle group they used to have some years ago, a relative had died and he was a really, really big guy, and it was all his clothes, got snapped up instantly. After that I discovered how unreliable people were about pickup so just take to the thrift store.