Many Thrift Stores are Not Charities

A Minneapolis newspaper tries to sort out the local second-hand clothing scene, but it's barely a peek into a billion-dollar international industry from which charities benefit very little. 

Columnist John Ewoldt in the Minneapolis Star Tribune surveyed local thrift stores to reach the conclusion that not every thrift store is nonprofit.  While the local Goodwill and Salvation Army stores and some local stores like Silver Angel* are charities, but chains like Savers, Unique Thrift or Valu Thrift are not.  Even more confusing, some stores with the "Value Village" name in the Minneapolis area are run by a charity, but others are not. 

* Silver Angel was an independent charity until 2003 (EIN 36-3297905 Handwritten Form 990), but has merged into East Side Neighborhood Services (EIN 41-0873798 Form 990).

The for-profit stores buy used clothes from charities that lack their own retail outlets, and there are many.  Clothes are sold either by weight or cubic volume.  Thus the cash yield to the charity can be very low compared to the tax deduction taken by the donor, since most clothes donors base their value estimates on what they originally paid, not on how much it weighs or how much space it takes up. 

But local second hand sales are small part of a worldwide trade.  A report on the second-hand clothing industry by Oxfam last year provides an overview of the flow of used clothes and the impact it has had on some developing countries.  Over 25% of the value of clothing imports of sub-Saharan Africa is from SHC (much higher percentage of the volume), and SHC accounts for more than 10% of all imports to the region.  The combined effects of SHC and imports from Asia have caused a collapse in the textile industry in some African countries. 

Comments

[JOE]

SO WHERE CAN I SELL MY USABLE USED
CLOTHING AND IS THERE A LIST OF ORGANIZATIONS WHO WILL BUY THEM PER LB.AND/OR ITEM? AND AT WHAT
PRICE?

[Mike G.]

Some one must get the truth out about planet aid as they hurt Charities like The Salvation Army and Goodwill, keep up the good work!

[ティンバーランド]

ティンバーランド堺市北区の象印マホービン元副社長、尾崎宗秀さん（８４）が自宅で襲われ殺害された事件で、尾崎さんが発見される約２時間前、自宅周辺を黒の原付きバイクで往復する不審な男が目撃されていたことが、捜査関係者への取材で分かった。数日前から近所の複数の住民らも目撃しており、大阪府警はこの男が尾崎さん殺害に関与したとみている。

　ティンバーランド捜査関係者によると、尾崎さんは１日午前１０時２０分ごろ、自宅２階の納戸で顔を粘着テープなどで巻かれ、両手足を結束バンドで縛られた状態で発見された。目撃情報は午前８時前後で、通行人が尾崎さん方の周りを走る不審なバイクの男を見ていた。男は黒っぽい服装で、ヘルメットをかぶっていたという。