Charity shops across the UK have reported receiving a range of bizarre donations, including used sex toys, taxidermy pets, human ashes, and a teapot full of mouldy tea. The unusual items come as many households declutter after Christmas.
Stacey Dyer, who works at the Ty Hafan shop in Aberdare, Rhondda Cynon Taf, said staff have become accustomed to “wacky and crazy donations”, including a prosthetic leg with a shoe still attached. She recalled a woman who donated her son’s jeans without realising his Christmas savings were in the back pocket; staff managed to find the money after a frantic phone call.
Maggie Hamilton, a retail area manager for Tenovus Cancer Care covering south Wales, mentioned false teeth as a common donation. She described receiving a teapot with tea bags and water still inside, which had become mouldy. Patrick Jackson, a regional manager for the British Red Cross, said they have received used sex toys, stuffed family pets, and people’s ashes, leaving him baffled as to whether donors are careless or doing it for a laugh.
Despite the oddities, charity shops also receive high-value items. Tenovus recently got rugby shirts signed by players from the 1973 Barbarians vs New Zealand match, and a special edition of James Joyce’s Ulysses fetched £750 at auction. Hope House Children’s Hospices received a camel saddle that sold quickly and Ferrari parts that did well on eBay.
Staff emphasise that clothing remains their biggest seller, and they encourage donations of unwanted Christmas presents, fashion, accessories, and homeware. Since the pandemic, demand for second-hand clothing has grown, driven by interest in sustainable fashion.
