Comments on: Is it ok to be given clothes for free by a stranger?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 16:27:23 +0000

Replying to comment in Facebook section of comments, but I'm not on Facebook, so can't reply in that section. So here I am!

I party disagree. Maybe the woman giving the clothing looked at it as a collection. She could have easily tossed the bag of clothes into a donation bin and been done with it, but she chose to find someone who would take the clothing as one lot. I don't know about you, but I feel a strange connection with my kids' clothing, so I like to pass it on to someone I know. I bet this woman, when she met you to give you the clothing, enjoyed the opportunity to look into another mother's eyes, knowing her son's clothing would be going to another young growing boy, who would appreciate them. Sorry, being sentimetal about clothes, but that's the way I feel. :) Also, that is a big bundle of clothes, but I see short and long sleeves (so covers all seasons), and at 6-7, stains happen. So a good selection of shirts is a bonus!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 16:20:02 +0000

I think we need to be happy just to give, no matter what happens to the item once it's purchased. If it gets resold, so be it. The person who resells it is happy, so we should be too. I have put things for free on sites before, when I know I could have sold them, but it was more important to get things out of my house. The person who gets the item is so happy that it's free, and I'm happy to see the item go! Favors all around! 🙂 Also, I don't think thrift shops are really considered "charity shops" anymore. They may benefit a charity, but thrifting is so common now, that most people donate knowing that the donations might not go to the "most needy". We donate knowing that we're keeping items in circulation and out of the landfill.

By: Zoe

Zoe — Tue, 03 Jun 2014 06:37:46 +0000

Very true TheFIREstarter!

By: theFIREstarter

theFIREstarter — Thu, 27 Mar 2014 17:57:48 +0000

It is a bit of a moral hazard but I feel that if I give away stuff and occasionally pick something up that I need as well then the balance of karma is restored. As mentioned above the system is open to abuse but I think the percentage of people doing that is very small compared to those using it for its intended purpose. Like you say it's not just about helping out the less fortunate, it's also about swapping things and creating a sharing economy that stops things going to the dump!

By: Zoe

Zoe — Thu, 27 Mar 2014 11:28:58 +0000

Well there are supposed to be rules on those sites that people shouldn't sell things on afterwards. I think though that either way it is better that things get reused rather than dumped in landfill.

By: Nina

Nina — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 07:20:53 +0000

I feel the whole free-sites thing: although a brilliant concept and a social ideal is sometimes 'abused'. There are people who make a living out of ebay. They snap up items from freegle, then sell them on. Ethically I have a problem with this.
Charity shops are not cheap... not anymore. However, car boot sales are for kids clothes, where they are often sold in bundles for a couple of pounds.