Had to collect a prescription for a relative today, didn't bother taking pics on the way, it was just books and kids stuff anyway, I came back a different route and this is what was out today, the guitars are Gibsons apparently so good premonition. Now could you tell me I'll find a Jazz record collection. I didn't bother getting anything although the music stand was quite tempting, incidentally my local shopping street was the busiest I've seen since lockdown, both cars and pedestrians, looks like people are getting fed up with staying in.
I can spot a fake Gibson from a street away. I'd have taken the music stand to replace my crappy folding ones that if I don't use for a while I forget how to fold and unfold them- it's like that Japanese paper folding whatsit. I'd have had the white car as well. I'm also seeing a lot more people out, and some very reckless driving.
I realised that I can go out for exercise so took a ten minute walk around the block, if I'd been inclined I could have had the following haul: DVDs Planting trays Plant pots Electric heater (looked in perfect working order) Some toys A pot of Chinese stuff, no idea what it was, food, medicine something else, it was all in Chinese. About ten pounds worth of bubble wrap Some camping stuff, it was across the road so I didn't investigate Surprisingly no books today, the only things I grabbed were these from the DVDs, my mum may like Map and Lucia and I'll let my brother have the other ones.
Mart post a photo of the Chinese stuff, my wife can translate for you. I put out a couple of boxes of children's books, CDs & DVDs today - ZERO takers between lunchtime and now! Will try again tomorrow. There's some good sh1t in there so I'm kinda surprised.
I didn't take a pic, it was in a Christmas pudding shaped plastic container if that's a clue, there are several Chinese and other Asian supermarkets very close by, but no idea if it was a food item, can't see someone putting food out on the wall. Surprised you had no takers, both DVDs and kids books seem to be really popular around here and I'd have dented your CD box.
Sounds like it could be some kind of fermented congee (rice pudding) type thing, not my cup of tea!! Think you made a wise move by leaving that one. A few of the CDs and books I am putting outside went today! Yay! Also a CD ordered a couple of months ago from Indonesia finally arrived - very pleased, as it's a flipper that should make £500 or so, when I'm comfortable that post to China is secure again.
Doesn't sound like my sort of thing either, even if I was in the market for "wall food". Popped out briefly today, it was quite late, but saw a mirror, some badminton rackets, more luggage, a tube of tennis balls and some kids books, incidentally that mystery Chinese find had gone the next day.
Took a different route home from the shops, lots of new walls, I didn't pick anything up, but highlights include a box of footballs, a wall full of gardening stuff; shears, brushes, hose, etc., and there was even a record deck, the stylus looked unused, hard to resist, but I'm holding out for a Crossley.
Looks like we could be back doing some careful rummaging this summer: Donations to be quarantined as UK charity shops plan to reopen
There is one massive flaw in that, almost all charity shops I've been in are jam packed making social distancing absolutely impossible, now they may drop the 2 metre rule, but I can think of about two shops that could have more than a couple of people in at once and unlike food other than the illustrious participants in this thread nobody is going to queue for twenty minutes to look around a charity shop. I've got some work lined up putting in screens, signage and tape as well as measuring things out so I have been putting some thought into which shops can easily adapt to distancing and which can't. The other problem charities will face is just how many of their volunteers are vulnerable, my guess a lot more than the average shop packed full of school leaver age staff.
Spot on, @Dubmart - I can't see ANY of the little charity shops or 2nd-hand music stores being able to operate under these conditions. And factor in my need for a wheelchair, and inability to queue alongside anyone with mobile phones, I can't see where or when this is going to end (for me, and others like me). EG.
I've laid out three shops, always made sure wheelchairs could access the entire shop floor and go around without having to double back, couldn't make all the displays wheelchair height, but it really isn't difficult to make enough room for wheelchairs and pushchairs as well, I can't believe how few shops even think of people with mobility issues, I do have to pull my local record shop up on occasion when they leave crates on the floor, but at least he'll willingly move them for people.
There will be probably be a lot of trial and error...nobody imagined this would be forced on everyone as a new way of life (for the forseeable future). I will try and wait for things to smooth out a little if and when the miracle happens and people can do normal things again. EG.
I haven't mentioned wall finds recently, there has been absolutely tons of stuff, totally mad, but all I'd bothered grabbing recently was a Star Wars Lego book for the kids next door and some books for my mum, today I happened to go past the SACD house and sitting on the wall was a very clean looking HP Photosmart 2575 scanner/copier/printer, I left it as I was delivering food and medicine, but once I'd done that I returned the same way and it was still there, I figured that at the very least it was a free kettle lead, brought it home plugged it in and apart from needing a new cart it appears to be working 100%, I've ordered a generic ink set from eBay so we'll see what happens. On a more serious note it looked like a few local shops are packing up, I suspect for good rather than a refit, post lockdown I think the shopping streets of Britain are going to have a lot more gaps and I also reckon that charity shops will be concentrating on fewer larger shops they can actually apply social distancing in and staff, looked at a couple of the local ones today and it's impossible to keep two meters away from anyone as currently laid out.
Before lockdown, the main sources of business and activity on the High St were charity shops, coffee shops and beauty salons. All wrecked by the measures brought in, of course. It's going to be post-Apocalyptic out there when things start opening again. Empty units, fewer shops, people shuffling about in queues with masks on. Horrendous. EG.
Maybe some charities can move into the larger shops that will now disappear, giving them more room to move.
Maybe the future is boot-sales. Charity shops could do popups. Lots of space around my town it could be done.
Pretty much what we already knew, many shops are too small or crowded and they won't have many volunteers so most shops won't be reopening anytime soon, as people in the BBC comments suggest, perhaps the chief executives could take a reduction in their six figure salaries. I know of at least one boot sale reopening this weekend, not one I go to, but I'll be monitoring the situation, I think I'm happy to go booting, with obvious precautions, also if you see a nice box of records about to come out just start coughing, job done no competition.
I can't boot, so my excess CDs and DVDs intended for donation will have to go elsewhere. Still hoping the small record shop in Guildford reopens, so I can offer them to him. EG.
On a positive note Hermes just delivered some cheap refill carts for the printer I got off the wall and it's 100% working, I'm very pleased.
