"A Vinnies charity shop in Lane Cove, Sydney, is facing scrutiny after attempting to sell two Harry Potter books, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, for an "outrageous" $500 and $1,000 respectively. The books were advertised as rare first editions, a claim challenged by a shopper named Mat, who operates a website focused on finding undervalued items in op shops. Mat highlighted that these particular Harry Potter titles are not rare due to their immense popularity at the time of publication, leading to massive print runs. Deathly Hallows, for instance, had an initial print run of 12 million copies. He suggested these books would realistically sell for around $10 online. The value of true first editions, like Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, stems from their extremely limited initial print runs (only 500 copies). Vinnies' Response and Pricing Policy Following inquiries from Yahoo News, the St Vincent de Paul Society (Vinnies) confirmed that the overpriced books were removed from sale, acknowledging the pricing was an error. A spokesperson stated that Vinnies NSW Shops determine pricing based on "affordability for customers as well as the quality of the goods on sale," using a "simple pricing guide based on research on value in the general second-hand marketplace and the quality of the garment." The charity emphasised that the principal purpose of its shops is to raise funds for its services, which include homelessness services, domestic and family violence shelters, health services, and direct financial and material support for people in need. Last financial year, the charity assisted 200,000 people and spent $96.4 million on various support programs, including $13.7 million in direct financial aid. Broader Scrutiny of Charity Shop Pricing This incident comes amidst increasing public debate about charity shop pricing across Australia. Many shoppers have expressed concerns about what they perceive as high prices and declining quality of donations. There have been reports of items from budget brands like Kmart and Target being sold at charity shops for more than their original retail price. Conversely, charity shops are facing challenges with an "epidemic of low-quality donations," often receiving broken furniture and damaged homewares, which can lead to them refusing donations due to the sheer volume of unsellable items and illegal dumping. The Allure of Op Shop Treasures Despite the recent controversy, shopper Mat, who finds and resells valuable books, still believes charity shops hold "a ton of treasure." He specifically looks for "interesting and unique" items, particularly books, which he considers a "goldmine." He shared examples of finding and selling valuable book series and signed biographies for significant profit, highlighting that while some items are overpriced due to incorrect research, genuine finds are still possible, especially by avoiding items displayed in glass cabinets or labelled as "rare and hard to find.""
"Huge range and great prices"
"Clean, Lots of good stock, higher end of price range for Vinny stores"