Ever wondered what happens to your pre-loved clothes after you donate them? Let’s take a peek behind the scenes and follow the life of a donated outfit—from your closet to someone else’s.

Step 1: It all starts with your donation

You’ve done your closet cleanse and decided to part ways with those jeans that don’t spark joy anymore. We'd love to request that anything you're going to donate is clean and in good condition - the golden rule is that if you would hand it to a friend, then it’s good to donate. Give your pieces a quick wash and dry, then pack them up and take them to the Vinnies Finds warehouse at our Stanmore Stop & Drop, or take them to your local Vinnies shop during opening hours. Easy peasy!

Step 2: Sorting it all out

The Vinnies Finds warehouse in Stanmore acts as a distribution hub for a large number of Sydney’s Vinnies shops. Our team of volunteers and staff get to work sorting items by hand. Yup, we’re checking for quality and deciding where each piece should go next.

Step 3: To the online shop

If your donation is a total gem, it might be selected to go straight into the Vinnies Finds online store. We have racks on racks with tens of thousands of items, all of which have been photographed and digitally categorised before being stored away. They then get uploaded to our website to be displayed in the product range that you will see online.

Step 4: Sent to your door

Once an item is listed in the Vinnies Finds online shop, it’s ready for its next adventure. Hopefully, it finds a new owner pretty quickly, but if not, it might get re-evaluated and given another chance at finding a home.

When you make a purchase with Vinnies online, our warehouse staff and volunteers will retrieve it from the storage racks and carefully package it up for delivery straight to your door.

But what about Vinnies shops?

Any surplus stock that comes through our warehouse is evaluated for sale in Vinnies shops. Additional items are sorted into categories like dresses, shirts and jackets. The keepers are boxed up and stored, ready for their next stop. But what about the ones that aren’t quite shop-ready? They’re either recycled into textiles or repurposed as rags. We’re all about keeping things out of landfill.

When our physical shops need more stock, they put in an order to our warehouse. The boxes of categorised items are sent over, where they’re unpacked, the items priced based on brand and condition, and then placed on the racks for sale.

Making a Difference

Every sale that comes through the Vinnies online shop supports our programs and services in the community. So, when you snag that cute vintage sweater, you’re not just upgrading your wardrobe—you’re helping fund initiatives that make a real impact in people’s lives.

Your pre-loved clothes get a second chance, shoppers score unique finds, and the community benefits. It’s a win-win-win. So next time you’re wondering what to do with those clothes that you no longer need, remember: donating isn’t just good for the planet, it’s good for people, too!