‘Curious’ Salvation Army Online Shop Celebrates 1st birthday

The Salvation Army’s online eBay shop celebrates its first birthday with a new look and campaign. Launched by Salvation Army Trading Company Ltd (SATCoL), The Collectables and Curiosity Shop is home to a treasure trove of collectable, niche, vintage and quirky items.

Melanie Eastwood, eCommerce Manager for SATCoL, said: “We receive so many wonderful donations, from vintage cameras and toys to rare books and antiques. Donors will often express the desire for us to maximise the value of their donation to raise funds for our charity. The eBay shop was an ideal way for us to do this and, by its nature, offers a really unique online shop for everyone.”

In the first year of trading, The Collectables and Curiosity shop on eBay has sold over 1,500 items, attracted over 1,000 followers, and raised thousands of pounds for the charity.

Melanie continues: “We are all about affordability, so we are careful to ensure we set a fair starting price for our donations. We have been gifted such unique items that many of our listings will generate lots of interest and bids, which means we are able to raise more for the charity.”

Some of these unique items include an original Broons Family Album Annual which received 31 bids and sold for an amazing £686. Another item, a vintage Tudor Rose Watch, achieved £362.

Melanie said: “We are often surprised by how much some of the listings make. We recently sold ‘A Compendium of British Cups book’ for £60. My personal favourite was an Alan Fletcher Melamine Clam Dish that sold for £77.”

The eBay shop is managed by several ‘dedicated eBay Salvation Army stores’ dotted around the country, and helped by eBay volunteers who love the thrill of finding items and posting on the charity’s eBay store.

Mat Hunter has been volunteering at The Salvation Army’s Edinburgh Piershill donation centre for over 5 years. Mat sorts through the games and toys donated and has come across some real hidden gems.

“Volunteering here is one of the best things I've ever done with my time. While I love putting affordable prices on the incredible donations we receive, discovering again the toys of my childhood was a joy I didn’t expect; not just finding the few I owned, but those I only knew and dreamt about. When the opportunity arose to assist with the identifying and listing products for online selling on eBay, I jumped at the chance to list items from my little department at Piershill. It was here that the real fun began. I discovered that the toys which I'd previously known and loved had now become vintage, collectable, rare and popular.”

It was Mat’s enthusiasm that inspired the new campaign for The Collectables & Curiosity Shop which has the message ‘For the love of…’

Melanie said: “The idea of the campaign ‘For the love of…’ invites people to fill in the gap. If you love vintage and quirky items, visit our eBay shop. You just never know what you will find. If you love volunteering, photography and giving something back, we always welcome volunteers.”

You can visit The Salvation Army’s Collectables and Curiosity Shop here: Salvation Army Trading Co Ltd | eBay Stores

To find out more about coming an eBay volunteer contact your local Salvation Army store: Find Us - Salvation Army (salvationarmytrading.org.uk)