Pricing is one of the hardest jobs in a charity shop. Every bag of donations is different, there is rarely time to research, and two volunteers can look at the same jacket and come up with two very different prices. Yet pricing has more effect on a shop’s income than almost anything else.
This guide sets out a simple way to price donated items that any volunteer can follow.
Start with what it actually sells for
The most useful number is what the same item has recently sold for second hand. Not what it cost new, and not what someone is asking for one online. Asking prices are wishes. Sold prices are what real buyers were willing to pay.
For most items, recent sold prices on eBay UK are the best guide, because there are so many of them. Look for the same item, in similar condition, sold in the last few months.
Make sure it really is the same item
This is where most pricing goes wrong. A search for “Denby teapot” will bring up teapots, cups, full dinner sets and job lots together. Before you use a price, check that each sale is:
- the same brand and model or pattern
- a single item, not a bundle or set
- the same size, especially for clothes and shoes
- in similar condition
Leave out anything that does not match. Five good matches are worth more than fifty loose ones.
Use the middle price, not the highest
Once you have a handful of true matches, use the middle one. The highest sale is often a lucky one-off, and the lowest might have been damaged. The middle price, known as the median, is what the item typically fetches.
Adjust for your shop
A charity shop is not eBay. Buyers cannot see hundreds of alternatives, but they also expect a bargain. Many charities price at a set share of the typical sold price, for example 60 to 85%, depending on the shop and the type of item. A busy town-centre shop can often price higher than a quiet village one.
Whatever your rule is, write it down and apply it the same way every time. Consistency is what makes pricing fair.
Round to a tidy figure
Round the result to a price that is easy to write on a tag and easy to pay, such as the nearest 50p or pound. A tidy price also looks deliberate, which gives buyers confidence.
Know when to ask for help
Some items need a second opinion: designer goods that might be fakes, rare collectables, or anything you suspect is worth a lot. It is better to hold an item back for a day than to sell a £300 handbag for £8.
How PricedRight helps
PricedRight does all of this from a photo. Its AI recognises the item, finds recent eBay UK sales of the same thing, leaves out bundles and mismatches, and applies your charity’s own pricing rules to give one clear shelf price. Volunteers can see the sales behind every price, and designer pieces can be sent to a PricedRight expert for a check.
Book a demo to see it with items from your own shops.