Scam charities are as common as Wounded Warrior T-shirts. Oops, was that my out loud voice? Like any American, I shop where I please. If that location is available and consistently good pickings, so be it. Locally what I find is good summer wear at Goodwill, early winter wear at DAV, and late winter at Salvation Army. It's also catch as catch can the rest of the year. What I have noticed locally is that prices have gone up just enough to stop the flea market buyers from loading up carts to resell in their booths. And I shop a few fleas too, never know what you will find. My last jacket I bought was from the biggest flea locally, Italian labeled black leather for $20. The one previous was a Wilson's sub brand insulated black leather car coat, $18, needed buttons. The one before that was a brown leather insulated John Ashford, $10.
Shirts - Van Heusen, Old Navy, Arrow, Caribbean Joe, Kona Kai, Tommy Bahama, the last three in patterned silks. $2 to $4 each. Shop early in the season, even the off season, and you pick stuff that others aren't looking at yet because so many consumers only see things two weeks out.
Most - most - charity resell shops take donations, spread them out in their chains, and then resell, which nets them a "profit" which is dedicated to operation. Red Pockets has the area DAV franchise - think about that. I have yet to meet a "DAV" worker in it, the employees are all Red Pockets. I'm not inclined to request the last years financials just to walk into the door and buy clothes. I do know some have been there over 8 years - providing long term employment isn't a scam to me. Asking for free volunteers because a charity wants to divert more profit to ministry isn't always successful. The church "closets" stores suffer a lot of closures from it.
I am aware of one organization which is well run but they had a fire - and lost a declared $80,000 in clothing that was stored. Better they had put it up for sale or sold in bulk. Building larger barns for your goods doesn't always turn out if it's all taken away. I seem to remember reading that somewhere.
Any way, just like those who plunk down $20 for Sears shirts, I plunk down $2, and just like others, if I haven't worn it in a season or two - back it goes. I sometimes wonder how many times some items recirculate. Like cars, better to sell it off now that see it in ruins later, check silks for heat deterioration from long term storage in attics. If you can feel the fabric giving way with a strong pull on the hem, leave it. Don't leave them in a car over the summer as contingency shirt, either, I put my arm thru one in August like that. A "car" shirt for a cover up should be cotton or polyester, the latter resists sun fading better. I do that because if I am off the clock and shopping the uniform shirt comes off. I can't tell you how many times people have approached me and asked, "Do you work here?" Never with a camp shirt, tho.
