We are happy to accept goods, and services, to sell on Missy Mia’s Emporium (WLCA’s thrift store), or our online auctions. All goods must be in new, or nearly-new condition. Vintage items must be in excellent condition. Please remember, this endeavour is not a garage sale.

• All donations must be clean (appliances should be meticulously washed; clothing should not be stained).
• Electronics must be in good working order and be safe to use (e.g. free of recalls).
• Clothing should be free of pilling, stains, holes and wear spots.
• Shoes must have an appropriate amount of sole/lift left, no scuffs and clean insoles).
• Books must have no tears, missing pages or stains.
• Home improvement items and tools must be clean and in good, usable condition.
• Plants must not be poisonous to cats.
• Gift certificates/cards must have at least six months of redemption left.
• Services must be made available to book up to a year ahead and come with a warranty.
• Sports/exercise equipment must be in nearly new condition (e.g. baseball gloves, balls, weights, tread mills, bicycles)
• Personal care items must be new.
• Small, hard-surface furniture items must be free from excessive scratches, fading and water marks.
• Bedding must be new.
• Cat beds must be new.
• Art must not be torn, faded, stained or otherwise damaged.
• Items must not be dented, scratched excessively or made of unacceptable/hazardous materials.
• Musical instruments must be of good quality and in like-new condition.

• Used personal care items
• Large furniture
• Used bedding/pillows
• Large area rugs
• Used cat trees
• Used litterboxes
• Items that require a mover unless the donor is willing to pay to have it moved to the purchaser’s home.
• Precious jewelry

We also reserve the right to decline donations for any reason, including: suspicion that the goods are stolen, lack of popularity, too many of the same item in stock, or any other reason not listed.

When we receive your request to submit donations via our Contact Us form, we will respond via email and ask for photos of the item(s) we are interested in. Nearly-new, and vintage, items that are tentatively approved will require visual inspection at our drop-off location, to ensure they meet our criteria. You will arrange a drop-off/inspection with the receiving volunteer. Any items that are not accepted will go back with you. We do not want to be throwing goods in the trash, nor do we want to saddle volunteers with being a courier to other second-hand organizations. The idea here is to select high-quality goods for donation that adhere to our policies.

Our phones are a really easy way to take good photos, but not everyone knows how to frame an item or how to ensure lighting is optimal. We recommend making sure the item is on a neutral background, centered on the screen, and close enough to the camera to get some detail, without being cut off at the borders. The light source should be behind you, or to the side, so you don’t cast a shadow on the item. Ensure your phone is able to take high-quality photos (results in a large file of 1-2 Mb). Choose the “most compatible” and “high-quality” options when sending photos via email. Depending on how many photos you have, you may need to send a few emails.

Samsung has some simple tips and tricks to help you take photos.