Op shop looting....

My art centre is directly across the road from a Vinnie's store and their drop off boxes, a can see very clearly the happening's there. Recently i have witnessed multiple "stealing's" from stuff left outside of the drop boxes. They are not getting into the containers themselves but ransacking the charity left beside it.

Last night one criminal waved and and smiled at me as they drove away with their loot, another lot of kids ransacked the donations and left rubbish flying across the street. I did growl at the last mentioned ones but it made little impact. I am a bit in awe about how blatantly they do it.

If they didn't look like they need the stuff so much then i would have called the cops. It is after all stealing. I know there is a huge blog whinge (myself included) about the price rise in second hand stores of late but i feel we still need to support or Op shops and donating items is part of the process.

So a little bit of advice, if you would like to donate to charity then please put it in one of their bins to make it harder for thief's to "snatch n grab" or take it into the store during opening hours. Secondly please only donate stuff you would buy yourself. Perhaps our Op shops are increasing the price to account for the tip fees they need to dispose of donated rubbish....That rubbish that was left strewn around that i mentioned earlier was there because someone had "generously donated" their kids drawings and other personal papers in a huge bag...i know because i cleaned it up.

Just saying.

Mxo