Oh, so I'm still here guys.
As you can see we're trying to fill every bit of space now with stuff.
Back fill it right up and then we know where we are then with the stock levels.
I could probably put another 10 boxes maximum in the back storage.
But here I'd rather them priced up and ready to go.
So I'm just going through it all now.
Jan's had a bit of a dust about because obviously we haven't been down here for a while so everything is quite dusty.
But as you can see we've had some beautiful items in.
I'll go as slowly as possible.
Absolute lovely items in.
Stuff have sold today as well.
Beautiful.
Again, Christmas ornaments they are.
You know, like the little villagers.
We've had some lovely items in.
Can't quite see because obviously, but we need to because we've got so much china it's gonna end up getting broke see.
So the china, the breakables are my priority over everything.
We've got some beautiful items.
I've back filled the drawer with some of the Christmas items.
They're out the gunk.
We've only got a few left now.
Some of this is still from the garden center.
Remember the garden center they give us all that stuff.
We still got stock.
Now we need to put this done in.
We've got some beautiful items.
Really have sold some stuff out of the window today.
But I'm trying to back fill it now so that when I get volunteers in, they got plenty of stock here.
They've still got lovely stuff, baby stuff up there.
Clothes have gone really well here today.
Pound runs.
They've probably filled up about 20 hangers today.
So we've done about 20 pound in clothes I think.
Because they're only a pound see by these ones.
So you know, but we we don't believe that you should be paying five, six, seven pounds for pre-mark items like you do in the other charity shops.
You know, we ring-fence the expensive stuff.
You know, it goes to Blackwood Shop.
We ring-fence the posh stuff.
You know, the vintage, the vintage sport and all the rest of it.
And then the rest of it, pound each.
These are the clothes that they charge five or six pound for in the other charity shops.
And then, you know, the stuff that goes in the pound shop or the 20p stuff is the stuff that they send off to cash for clothes that they rag.
In some cases it's not because we've had some good stuff, you know, that's gone for 20p.
But because you keep bringing us your donations, because you believe in us, we can keep it nice and cheap for you.
Not a lot of men's clothes down here as somebody pointed out today, so we are sorry with that.
But obviously we're limited in this, girl.
What I can do, you know.
If they come in, they go up on the rail.
They go up on the rail in the section.
So, you know, have a look.
But yeah, I'm trying to dust it now, bring it back, fill it the best I can, get our novels, because we're only going to have this one section of novels here, and get as many of the books priced up in crates and buckets so that they can just put the bucket out or they're ready to go.
So they sell a book, they can bring one out of the back.
But we've got some beautiful items in, lovely stuff donated again, guys.
You know, and like I said, I've been sat here all day pricing.
Well, I've been pricing.
My under 18 has been pricing.
Jan's been here putting out clothes and things as well, hanging them up.
But you know, we haven't stopped again.
Three of us in this little shop.
And actually, three volunteers wasn't bad, actually, because the one was in the kitchen, I was down by here, and then Jan was back and forth by here.
And it wasn't too bad because at some stages, we did have two or three customers in here.
So, you know, six, seven, one too bad.
I mean, if you've got a pram in here as well, it can be a nightmare.
Don't forget, we've got a toilet, guys, as well, because we had a little one who had an accident today.
Obviously, we give them free trousers and whatever and let them use the toilet.
But don't forget, we've got a toilet for our customers and donators.
So don't feel like you can't use it.
We won't charge you a quid either.
I know some donators are charging a quid now.
Do you even use the toilet?
What's going on, man?
What's going on?
Oh, I thought I'd pull all my jigsaws away.
So, it is a bit backfilled.
There is a lot on there, you know.
You know me, I get my money's worth with square footage, you know that.
But, you know, when you think that I might sell 10 items off there tomorrow, or this evening, they might come in and say, well, have that, have that, have that.
Then, obviously, I, you know, I have a lot of business, haven't I?
But, at least it's, you know, I can just face it up and go, right now I can move that forward, move that forward, can't I?
And then, but yeah, all new items down here again.
Beautiful.
I've got another one on standby.
I'm supposed to be picking that tonight.
I'm not going to make it tonight.
I'm exhausted.
Hopefully, I'm, well, maybe I'll be able to pick it up in the morning.
If I can empty the car tonight into and get it priced, then I could pick that one up in the, in the morning and then get that one out.
I can't just sit here.
See, guys, I've got to be busy all the time, you know that.
I can't just sit here, you know, like jam.
It's like, are you going for a meal tonight?
It's like, no, I've got stuff to do.
It's just like, it's your birthday.
I'm like, I guess I'm fine.
I'm fine here in Riscay, you know, doing this, like.
So, I'm fine.
I've got watsits, some wraps, I've got fruit toast.
I bet I won't get that on the celiac disease prescription when I get diagnosed.
Fruit toast won't get that.
That's a gift, isn't it?
I like my toast.
Oh, look, I just wrote 3.49 to confuse everybody.
They'd be like, oh, great.
Just use wrong numbers because it's easier.
But yeah, there's some beautiful items here.
Beautiful items donated again, you know, and these have been, you know, from somebody's mum.
A lot of this came, that's been put into a nursing home.
And they, they were selling it as a job lot and they gave it to us for free.
Because they said that's what their mum would like.
She would like it to go to people who are going to enjoy it.
And they know that the money is going 100% to a good cause and not some registered charity that's pulling a fast one, like, you know.
I'll try and keep this one open now.
It's a nice little shop.
I've actually enjoyed being down here.
I was dreading coming back down here.
I was like, oh, God, I've got to go back down there and deal with this.
But actually, I really enjoyed coming down here.
Pontypool is my favourite.
I won't lie.
Blackwood goes on my nerves because of the resellers up there, you know.
They've often dragged them out in an headlock and security guard had to come running down and find out what's going on.
And I'm like, this one's offended me.
He's like, oh, okay, okay.
I'm getting on my nerves this one, dragging him out in an headlock.
But I do think, well, look at the work that goes into it.
There's three of us today.
Well, there's three of us here and I think there's three of us in Pontypool and two in Blackwood, right?
So what's that?
Six?
So that's eight of us.
It's giving up our time today to volunteer, you know.
And I just think, well, it's a come in and say, you know, you won't get the nice stuff that you got on the road.
I can tell you that now because we get all the good stuff.
We get all the good stuff.
So
I'm waiting a minute.
Sorry guys.
But yeah, it's been a quiet day today, all around, I think.
I think Pontypool had some sales last going off.
I think they're OK if I come down here tomorrow.
I know they've had donations in again.
So I know the panic level's gone up a bit.
I'm not panicking now because we've been offered to lease a big square footage area for the price that I really, really wanted to lease it for.
So that's on the table.
I just haven't signed for it.
They're pretty good.
They're one of our current landlords.
So we're not going to have a problem with them, you know.
That's why they've offered it to us at a deal price.
It's just there isn't that much work.
There isn't that much work for us to keep it cheap and cheap at all.
It's just another bill at the end of the day on top, isn't it?
We've got a gentleman that wants us to go and view a shop in Caerphilly.
He's contacted us and we're still interested in his shop for the right price in Caerphilly, yeah.
Like I said, if it's like £300, £400, yes.
Signed today, you know, a bit more than that.
I'll have to consider it because I know we can make the money and then, you know, still buy the nappies and everything else.
So it's nice to be head hunted, isn't it?
Head hunted as a tenant.
We do our best, you know.
I think everybody's struggling with the credit crisis that's going on at the moment.
I understand people got their own bills to pay and everything
but, you know, like I just say to people, I do not take a wage.
I don't take a wage because I don't believe that's what charity is about, taking a wage.
I understand people are going to work and have money and the rest of it.
But right now I can't do anything because I'm useless, absolutely useless physically.
So I might as well put my input into something like this.
I mean, you know, I can't see them doing my knees anytime soon and the rest, fixing the rest of me anytime soon.
So I might as well get on and do something charitable, and help other people out.
Save all of this stuff in the process.
You know, we've got the manpower and the storage space here to save this amount of stock on a regular basis.
But we need more footfall now guys, so I need you to be saying to people go and shop in your shops.
It's 75 percent off this week.
I mean, what other charity shop is doing that here?
Not a lot.
So yeah, you know, like I said, once we're okay with the bills and everything, we can bring it, bring the prices down even cheaper for you.
But I need more footfall in the shops because, obviously, you know, if I get 30 new customers word of mouth, that's brilliant.
But the other thing is that those 30 customers will bring three or four bags of them next time they come in.
So I'm in a catch-22 because although yes, we want the donation so we can give it back to people.
House fire yesterday, we offered clothes straight away.
You know, if you need clothes and stuff like that, come straight down the shop, like give us a shout.
We can get it sorted for you.
You know, we would do three or four bags per person, you know, for that household of clothes.
They wouldn't need to worry about them and other stuff as well.
But
I need more footfall to keep it down because that's what keeps, you know, that's what keeps environmental health happy, is that there's less stuff in the shops.
You know, that's what keeps the shops tidier, is having more footfall.
I need more volunteers to help keep the shops tidier.
We've got massive projects that I can't get off the ground because I haven't got enough volunteers, guys.
You know, I need you in.
I need you in now.
And before long, the Jobcentres and all are going to be saying to you anyway, you need to volunteer because that's what it's going like, you know, if you're if you're looking for work, at least if you're volunteering and off your back a bit.
That's what we find, our volunteers find, that if you have been told, you know, if you are under the Jobcentre, then they will be on your back about looking for jobs and can you get one?
Probably can't get one, you know.
So at least if you're volunteering with us, they know you're working, they know you're showing willing.
Plus you can put volunteer work goes really well on your on your CV, you know.
And the other thing is, is mental health, isn't it guys?
You know, keeps you busy, keeps me busy.
I'd like to say keeps me out of trouble, but I don't think it does.
I think I was born to cause trouble, there's not a lot I can do about it.
I have tried to rectify my behavior, it doesn't always go that way.
yeah, it keeps you busy as well, see guys, don't it?
You know, keeps your mind off things, doesn't it?
Gets you out to the house, talking to other people, talking to other mothers.
You know, you haven't got to worry about lunch because we'll we'll sort you out with lunch with a micro meal or...
so you haven't got to worry about paying four or five pounds for gregs every day.
Probably more than that now, isn't it?
You know, we do tea and coffee and pop and squash for people, so you haven't got to worry about your drinks while you're in here.
You know, we do a micro meal or a handbroom or something.
You've got snacks lying around the place as well, so you haven't got to worry about that when you come in.
If you're a good worker, I will pay your transport as well.
I mean, some some people are more available than other people, so some people I know are good sellers as well, then if I've got to pay for their bus fare to bring them in, then I'll pay their bus fare to bring them in.
But I'm a bit selective with paying petrol and things like that, unless you are actually making a massive impact.
Because, you know, transport costs can come to quite a lot.
We can keep the food costs down with a food bank, so we feed people anyway, so...
but with the petrol and all, you know, you need to be in quite a bit or work in 24-7.
The people I've had in with me today, I've worked 24-7, and I know they've worked 24-7 over Ponty Port,
because I know they wouldn't have stopped over there today.
I don't know.
So I've got to fill up that bottom shelf now, and I think there was a few items on there, the worm price from the last time.
I've got a load of teacups, but it's all those silver red and anniversary ones, and the pearl ones, they don't tend to go very well, unless somebody's got, like, some sort of craft...
craft thing going on.
But yeah, I've still got stuff in the car, so I've got about three or four boxfuls in the car, big boxfuls.
So I want to try and get out as much as possible.
Clean the shelves.
Clean around the floor where the stuff is.
Make sure it's priced.
Get it out.
Because then I can just have an easy day then, can't I?
I sat there, well, I never have an easy day, just at the pricing all day, or making content that we get paid for, or golden the way that other haters, so that they pay us.
No, no, no, we're on our fire, come on in.
Come on in, I'd be here all night if my landlord would let me, but the landlord wouldn't let me.
Sends me on this one, does he?
Careful, man, there's a step.
Thank you, babe.
Hiya, are you alright?
Yes, we do.
We've got a few customers now, guys, so I'll take the live off now.
