Lets Thrift at Vinnies, Salvos South Geelong and Lifeline Breakwater. Book Donation Outrage!

[@kelseyyyleee]

Salvos Tecoma bins lot of donations before being sorted too, in front of customers. I sat there in my car and watched a ladies donation go straight into the dumpster 😢

[@geelong-flipper]

That sucks big time. insulting too

[@annisha68]

All those books!! I had tears in my eyes and felt sickened to the pit of my stomach. Some of those childrens books could be donated to childrens hospitals, or given away to children in need. So many books that so many people could still read. I am absolutely disgusted and sickened by that is horrible needless wastage!!!!

[@geelong-flipper]

@@annisha68 and they still do it

[@annisha68]

@@geelong-flipper im not surprised. Thank you for exposing this shitty practice

[@brodiegriffin_is_Ozzy]

I used to volunteer 1 day a week for Vinnies & drove a truck for them out the Altona distribution centre, this was about 16 years ago & back then they didn't electronics or electrical devices / appliances . They said it was because they could be fire hazards or electrocute someone , I found that weird then & thought a faulty appliance would just trip the safety switch or blow a fuse before starting a fire & we could make sure they work & not charge much before a blanket no sale throw away policy surely . I noticed they sell them now .

[@rubyview]

was wondering why their book selection was so thin.. so many people would be happy to help with this problem, what a shame

[@geelong-flipper]

@rubyview it’s utterly shameful and continues to this day

[@daledrake7870]

Ive been to that vinnies on a Sunday after Belmont market and its a shame that stuff isnt put out the front for free rather than for landfill

[@geelong-flipper]

Mate I know! It’s effing criminal to be honest with you! And the worst thing is I know they love throwing books out. It’s gonna sound bizarre, but they really have a thing against Books at that store. I’ll never understand it.

[@chloerosenberg2198]

Aww thats so sad re books.

[@JennyinGero]

I’m horrified that they would do that!! 😮

[@geelong-flipper]

Jen! I know. It’s utterly horrible. Just sell them for a dollar the public would eat them up.

[@Kelli_T]

I'd be climbing in the dumpster and saving as many books as I could!!

[@geelong-flipper]

Are used to do that when I was a volunteer Kelli, but it’s sort of hard now that I’m not really associated with the organization. Other than as a customer I wish though you saw how good those books were.

[@annhicks6972]

I took some out of there once, a volunteer saw me and went and told the manager who came out and told me off. I offered to pay for them and for any future books they wanted to get rid of but no they'd rather pay the skip fees to get rid of them. Absolute insanity and makes me sick thinking about it.

[@videohistorysnippets8963]

They should be sending excess books back to the warehouse to be redistributed to other stores that haven’t got many.

[@geelong-flipper]

I agree you would think that they would do that. I know that in the Geelong region, at least at the time of me doing this video only one store was sometimes sending back books. The fact that they would rather throw them out and sell them cheaply, utterly staggers me.

[@annisha68]

Oh im so incensed about those books. If op shops actually brought their prices down and didnt charge 12 bucks for common vhs they may have room to put those books on shelves!!!

[@geelong-flipper]

The local Vinnies at South Geelong (in this video) at the time of recording threw out VHS on the orders of the Area Manager or so I heard. They get so much money from the Government for throwing good things away. Just give them away is my opinion if you don't want to try selling them.

[@Nannasrevival]

I’ve heard of charities throwing stuff that’s donated in their bins but I’ve never actually seen evidence of it until now. I love my books, have since I was a child and refuse to get a kindle. I love the feel of a book, and can’t believe the good quality of some of those books you showed in your video, that had been tossed in the bin. Loved the visit to the op shops.

[@geelong-flipper]

As always, mate, thank you for your support yeah I agree it utterly sucks to see those books in the bin even if they weren’t worth money, someone took the time to write them and publish them and they deserve a better life than in a dumpster

[@emusaurus]

The only reason I can think of that they don't donate them to another store is it might mean less sales for them. Which is stupid.

[@geelong-flipper]

I agree, but it points to the absolute, ridiculous, hypocrisy, and disgusting greed that some of these places have

[@conniehatch9832]

I’m actually disgusted with Vinnies South Geelong … it’s absolutely awful… I know myself I would be more than happy to take them off their hands … so many people could benefit off those books …. Disgusting!

[@geelong-flipper]

Connie, it’s terrible and it’s been going on for so long the entire time I’ve volunteered there they would throw out books. I couldn’t buy them. I could not donate them. They just were happy to throw them out rather than them go somewhere else. The whole place needs an overhaul.

[@GinaDodd]

seeing those books in the dump breaks my heart - how many other places do this? Can't be alone on that one surely - it's sickening 😓

[@geelong-flipper]

It’s absolutely BS and yes, I have seen it in more than one place. The Lifeline that I worked at used to throw out eight recycle bins a week of books that were totally salvageable and salable.

[@BigNoizz]

Great upload 👍 Please share more stories like this! I'm sure it's not just that one branch that does it, if you have tea....please 🙏 Spill THE TEA

[@geelong-flipper]

I do have some horrible stories

[@BigNoizz]

@@geelong-flipper I'll grab some popcorn 🍿 LeTs GO!

[@jad29376]

Hopefully someone higher up in Vinnies sees this and changes it. Most of those books would have been snapped up for even 50c if they didn't want to give away. I love books and this hurts my soul seeing them tossed away...especially when so many looked in very good condition. 😭

[@geelong-flipper]

Ruby, as always, I agree with you. Like I said in the previous comment even sell them for five for a dollar. Books are so heavily donated. I really don’t understand why they are guarded as though they are gold that should be thrown out rather than given away.

[@Mrs-Resell]

Oh my goodness!! That is totally insane about those books being thrown out! Oh good on you for exposing them! That should be illegal to do! Is it illegal to take the books out of the dumpster do you know?? Oh that REALLY upset me..I absolutely love books too.

[@geelong-flipper]

Hi there, mate I am not too sure about that. To be honest. I guess it is on their ground in their bin and their donation. Technically they can do what they want with it but it’s effing shameful that they throw it in the bin without even bothering to sort through it, small minded people running let’s face it a big business that store alone made over $1 million last year

[@jamespeacock1331]

Alot off the books have pages ripped out and kid's write in them so that's why they are in the bin.

[@geelong-flipper]

Sorry mate, I was the book volunteer and thats not the case. They literally take them unsorted by the cage and thrown them in. Thats why I'm calling them out.

[@OpItPoppit]

They should donate those books to the lifeline bookfest

[@geelong-flipper]

I’d be keen to learn more about the Book fest the Lifeline I worked at loved throwing Books out. The funny thing is now they all overprice Books and then bitch about them not selling.

[@reetsoz2592]

Hey Tori loved your video. Firstly you are funnier than Kevin but not yet as funny as Dave and Cary 🤣🤣. Now I too have had experience volunteering at an op shop in a previous life. It was a Red Cross shop and we were expected to toss dinner sets if there were any pieces missing, books even prams and even if they were new…I never did put them ‘in’ the big industrial bins. Some of us used to place them ‘next’ to the bins so at least someone could take them. Unfortunately some of the charity has gone out of the op shops. They would rather dump than give away. Anyway glad I found your channel…now subscribed.

[@geelong-flipper]

Thanks legend I really appreciate that it does blow. My mind just sell the damn things for $.50 each hey even sell them for five for a dollar. It’s all too easy when you’ve got the federal government propping up your rubbish disposal.

[@Thomas-1967-AUS]

I used to get some from Brotherhood of St Laurance....pick up an IKEA Bag full for $10. Done it a couple of times weekly then was told to come back in 2 weeks....came back ...nothing...then told in a months time...nothing again. I gave up after that. Was told by someone that they would rather throw them out then sell them :(

[@geelong-flipper]

It’s pathetic isn’t it

[@merridybenton7028]

you would think they would be glad to get money no matter how they get it because puting books in bins cost them money. Sounds like that store needs a new manager.

[@geelong-flipper]

Mate I agree wholeheartedly. Sadly, the current manager is pure a puppet and I think almost incapable of undertaking a independent thought.

[@BigNoizz]

I know of a few Op shops run by a Nation wide charity that have a list of books that can not be sold and have to be binned. Certain themes that they deem harmful to their values.

[@geelong-flipper]

I hear that. I just knew Spot was for kids like Wu-Tang

[@Luka-b3r8l]

Do you realise how many books charities get donated? All op shops, not only some, get huge numbers of books and there is only so many you can store waiting for people to want them even for free. I know, we tried and had so many nobody wanted. It’s better to have them recycled then put into a normal bin for landfill.

[@geelong-flipper]

@@Luka-b3r8l hi mate you might have missed the part where I said I was the book guy at this op shop

[@juzygirl]

The fact they're in perfect condition does hurt the heart 😢 The art as well!!!😢😢😢😢I wasnt aware you could throw out what wasnt dirty, ripped etc. Different rules for different shops. 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

[@geelong-flipper]

Theyd rather put the sorting of books in the too hard basket and throw them away. At least when I was volunteering there, I could police at a little bit but now it’s just open slather to throw anything with pages.

[@Vintage_trunk3195]

Ha ha love his commonwealth cabin, man cave…. I would help myself to there bins? Can you do that? You jump in first? Disgraceful on a lot of levels & like new quality. Makes you want to stop shopping at Vinnies.

[@SaucyMorsels]

What the actual hell Vinnies South Geelong. That’s absolutely sickening. Should be donating those onwards to other charities or simply putting them in a book bin in the shop for 50c. Kids need those for good early childhood development. What about schools or local libraries who need them?

[@Nozillatruthteller]

Yes! And building on your comment, I looked it up, they even run education/helping with school stuff programs for kids that are underprivileged. Pretty sure those kids would benefit from a mountain of books too