The Bureau Drawer Thrift Shop — Local services in Quincy

Interfaith Thrift Store Donors Beware

For the past year, I've been going through the physically and emotionally difficult task of cleaning out my mother's house, spending countless hours separating out and carefully packing the contents. My mission has been to distribute as many of these items as possible so that other individuals can enjoy them.

I've been donating to a number of various organizations, but upon the suggestion of a local merchant, I decided to donate the nicer items to Interfaith Social Services to sell at their boutique thrift store, Bureau Drawer. The gentleman who recommended Interfaith told me that they accept vintage items, recycle textiles and the proceeds go directly to their wonderful programs. Their website confirms the same (“We…sell…china, antiques, collectibles, vintage items and MUCH MORE!"). Upon this recommendation and after reviewing their website, my daughter and I decided that Bureau Drawer was the place for those special items. Over the past few months, I have donated four different times to Bureau Drawer.

Recently, I donated one last time to Bureau Drawer. I made an appointment in advance as required, and when asked, gave my name and phone number and told them I had eight medium-sized boxes of donations. I dropped off my donation on the date and time scheduled.

The next day, I went back to Bureau Drawer to speak with a staff member about vintage clothing. On the way back to my car, I saw what looked like a piece of broken china in the parking lot. I picked it up to toss it into the dumpster on the premises so someone wouldn’t run over it. To my horror, when I lifted the lid, I saw many of the items that I had donated the day before in the trash, mixed in with lots of discarded food from their pantry and clothing (I thought they recycled textiles?). I saw my grandmother's antique dishes strewn everywhere in pieces; knick-knacks and figurines; new coffee mugs, glass baking dishes, child’s ceramic dish set; vintage etched glass Pyrex teapot; crystal wine glasses; Irish Belleek creamer; etched glass grated cheese bowl with sterling silver lid; vintage vases and bowls and many, many more perfectly good and usable items, broken and scattered everywhere. Some things weren't even unwrapped from my packing paper. I could not believe what I was seeing. My best guess is that at least two-thirds of my total donation was in that dumpster - trashed only one day after I had dropped it off. The items weren't even given a chance to be sold. I left a phone message with Bureau Drawer but never received a call back.

My daughter and I are devastated and so very saddened. We are appalled at Interfaith’s wastefulness. We entrusted Interfaith with these special possessions, followed their website guidelines, and are left feeling violated and misled. I cringe when I think of the items I donated to Interfaith in the past, which may very well have been trashed also.

I realize that once donations are released to a thrift store, they own and have complete control of the items. I also know that some donated items must be discarded. A few of the items I donated were not perfect, and I understand that they may have needed to be discarded. For the most part, however, the items were in excellent condition and completely usable. If Interfaith couldn't handle the volume of my donation, why didn't they tell me in advance when I called to make the appointment and told them I had eight boxes to give? They also had my name and phone number, so a courtesy call would've been nice before tossing everything into the dumpster with such blatant disregard and disrespect. Certainly, there was a more creative solution.

If informing others who consider donating to Bureau Drawer can give me some kind of closure, I will be very grateful, and the purpose of this review will be served. Needless to say, I will never support Interfaith Social...

If you are looking for thrift prices this is not the place for you, EVERYTHING is marked up! They do have some really nice things but you are going to pay as much here as u are on eBay and eBay will deliver it to your door! They should really take "Thrift" out of the name it's deceiving, it's more like a 2nd hand boutique but as long as you know that it's fine, I only shopped there sale items the few times I've been. Prices alone were not my main reason for this review (although I do believe people need to know this is not going to be a "thrifty" bargain), but my major problem was with the way I was made to feel while I was there yesterday. The woman who runs the place is rude and obviously has never had to know what it's like to not be able to afford even a 2nd hand item, I had to pass on an item I didn't see a tag on and she had a couple comments about how they are "only" x amt. in a very mean and harsh way!! And then just moments later she was super angry because I got a dress for $8 that apparently someone marked wrong and made me feel really bad about it! Even my 13 y/o son who had gone with me asked me why was she being so mean? And told me she made him feel embarrassed! I will NEVER go back...

We waited outside as usual like everyone else, including an elderly and a toddler. In the middle of shopping, the elderly and the toddler got kicked out because the workers there told me “ only paying adults stay” , which means I would pay I could stay. As every other customer, we waited in the cloudy humid hot weather for 20min only to support the charity through buying stuff here. We were so mistreated today. If a charity store does its job by mistreating minorities, what’s the meaning by saying “ good heart” ?!

SO DISAPPOINTING! Will never go there again. If you wanna do charity, choose somewhere else. This is not the...