Thrift Shops are not only a popular way to recycle clothing, household articles, toys, books and more, but they are excellent money-spinners for a variety of charities.

Places like The Barn and the Bargain Box have been around for decades, and have long track records of success. Indeed, many of today's shoppers are third-generation bargain hunters, and the thrift shops also attract a solid clientele of guest workers.

Naturally, those responsible for running these outlets are eternally grateful for all the donated goods which come their way, for they know that the revenue they earn is important in helping others.

The Barn, for example, raised $200,000 for our hospitals last year, and the Bargain Box donates over $80,000 a year to The Committee of 25 for Handicapped Children.

While the racks and shelves of these outlets are crammed with goods, all share a collection of common problems that, despite their best efforts, just won't go away -- and are seriously impacting on potential income.

First and foremost is the problem of clothing and other goods dropped off on non-collection days.

Despite the presence of signs, printed notices, locked doors and more, it seems the public continues to ignore the request to bring in goods on collection days only. As a result, the public's concept of helping the charities fails because goods left on doorsteps are almost certainly vandalised, and worse.

"People rip the bags open and scatter the contents all over the ground. If the weather is bad the clothes get wet and have to be thrown out,'' manager of The Barn, Mrs. Mary Morris, explains.

Mrs. Bea Stott, co-founder and long-time manager of The Bargain Box, is already on record as saying that scavengers who pick through goods left on its doorstep seriously impact on earnings because these people take away all the best things and leave the rest scattered about. The Serpentine Road thrift shop even has people who habitually outfit themselves from the bags of left clothing, and leave their dirty clothes behind. Despite the erection of wire fencing, vagrants manage to climb over and sleep behind the building, where they also defecate.

"It really is quite disgusting,'' Mrs. Stott said.

Vandalism is also a major problem at The Barn. Not only do bags of goods get ripped open, but also undesirables who hang about in the area urinate on the bags and their contents. They also defecate around the building and surrounding trees, and strew beer bottles and other trash around the entranceway.

The problem has gotten so bad that a frustrated Mrs. Morris who, along with her willing volunteers, has to don rubber gloves to clear up the mess several times a week, is urgently appealing to the public to combine its generous instincts with common sense and co-operation.

"We really want and appreciate your donations, but please don't drop them off on non-collection days,'' she urges. "Our official receiving days are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday between 9 a.m. and 12 noon. If someone finds it very difficult to fit in with those times, they are welcome to call me at 236-3155. In exceptional cases only I will endeavour to meet them at a mutually convenient time.'' Emphasising that she does not wish to sound ungrateful or yet deter donors, Mrs. Morris says that, like many other charities, the Hospitals Auxiliary of Bermuda, which operates The Barn, is experiencing a shortage of volunteers, so those who do help out have a lot to do, and time spent clearing up trash and vandalised bags of donated goods subtracts from time spent doing more important tasks.

Like the Bargain Box, the Devonshire thrift shop also has a problem with people exchanging their dirty clothes on the doorstep and stealing the best merchandise from bags left when it is closed.

Another problem common to all thrift shops is the off-loading of goods which are clearly unsaleable. These include dirty clothing, defunct electrical goods, items with missing components, broken, cracked and rusty goods, termite-ridden furniture, and badly soiled mattresses.

In fact, due to space limitations, neither The Bargain Box nor The Barn handle furniture, yet very often they find sofas, beds, large mattresses and more on the doorsteps -- all of it too heavy for the volunteers to even move, and expensive to cart away.

"You would be amazed at what people leave here that we can't sell,'' Mrs.

Morris says. "Some of it is just unbelievable. We even get clothes full of animal hairs and fleas.'' Because people continually dump items when The Barn is closed -- including Christmas Day -- it falls to Mrs. Morris to arrange for them to be carted to the dump. As with other thrift shops, the suspicion is that, while most people do know better, they simply choose these locations as an easier option than visiting the dump.

Even when donors are found dropping off unsaleable items and politely asked not to leave them behind, the usual response is to sneak off empty-handed when Mrs. Morris's back is turned, or else they say: "Well, somebody might want it'' and simply walk away.

Apparently the public does not realise that it costs money to truck away furniture and mattresses, and indeed all items for which there is no sale.

Of course, this is not to suggest that thrift shops are too picky, but through experience the staff do know what sells and what doesn't, and believe it or not, most shoppers are particular in their tastes. They do not want clothing which is unfashionable, or with zippers and buttons missing, or which is stained or faded. Nor do they want goods which do not work or are otherwise seriously flawed.

To run a successful operation like The Barn requires a great deal of hard work, and Mrs. Morris devotes countless hours of her week to making it an attractive, organised place to shop.

Behind the neatly arranged racks and shelves of clothing, books, household goods and more lies a well-defined master plan and good organisation. Specific days are set aside each week to sort received goods, stock and re-stock the shelves, and thoroughly clean the place from top to bottom -- all with the help of faithful volunteers.

To visit the shop when all is ready on the eve of a sale day is a joy to behold. Books are divided into hard and paperbacks, and stacked by category; shoes are sorted by type of wearer; baby clothes are hung on pink or blue hangers; clothing is divided by sex, type and size.

Toys are neatly stored in bins, with groups of tiny ones sealed in plastic bags; china sets are displayed in separate boxes; jewellery is carefully sorted, with the better items displayed in a glass showcase. Mrs. Morris takes watches and good jewellery to be valued by a professional, and prices it accordingly. Baby gear has an area all to itself. Linen is immaculately laundered and folded, thanks to a volunteer who makes it a point of pride to help in this way.

In fact, you won't find dirty anything on the shelves, for Mrs. Morris and her volunteers try to dust or wash saleable items before they are put on display.

Stock is regularly inspected, and items which have been on display over a certain length of time are removed and disposed of.

"I have to keep the stock fresh and interesting because if the shoppers come here every week and see nothing's changed they leave without buying anything,'' Mrs. Morris explains.

In fact, so astute are the regulars that they don't even want to see Thursday's merchandise on Saturday! In the interests of good customer relations, items like answering machines are stamped and initialled by Mrs. Morris at the point of sale, so that if they are subsequently found to be defective, they can be returned for a refund, provided the stamp is intact.

The shop itself is thoroughly cleaned -- including the ceiling fan blades -- every week, and all surfaces are washed down. A dehumidifier prevents mould and mustiness, so the air is always fresh.

Mrs. Morris readily admits that she has deliberately upgraded all aspects of The Barn to keep her clients coming back -- and it certainly seems to be paying off at the till. Revenue is up markedly, and increasing all the time.

On sale days, customers are lined up and chomping at the bit. When the doors are opened, it is like a mini-stampede.

"I try to tell them, `Take it easy, there's plenty for everyone','' the manager chuckles.

As elsewhere in the retail trade, shoplifters are an ever-present hazard, but steps have been taken to lessen their chances. A security guard is always on duty on sale days, and a large, reflective mirror covers a far corner. Bright lighting and beady-eyed volunteers are among the other defences against them.

Incidentally, both thrift shops are desperate for more volunteers. Any amount of time to assist will be much appreciated. Please call the numbers listed below.

Sale days at the Bargain Box are Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Receiving days are Mondays and Tuesdays between 7.30 a.m. and 12 noon, but goods can also be dropped off on sale days. Receiving days at The Barn are as stated above, and sale days are Thursdays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. For further information telephone 292-4169 and 236-3155 respectively.