EDINBURGH'S PERMANENT LIFEBOAT SHOP, WHICH HAS NOW BEEN 'IN BUSINESS' FOR TEN YEARS by Joyce Dunford MANY ARE THE WAYS of raising money for the RNLI, but one of the most unusual is the Edinburgh shop, rightly named 'The Lucky Dip', which proudly sailed past a £50,000 profit mark recently after ten years of increasingly prosperous existence as a full time money spinner. In its first year it made over £2,000 and by last year climbed to around £9,000. How is it possible to set up a shop like this and, in a city where there are many similar ventures for other charities, run it with such enormous success? The ladies' guild in Edinburgh is responsible for the operation and Mrs Pauline Hodge, its honorary secretary, took me to meet Mrs Agnes Braithwaite, the shop convenor, at the tiny premises the guild rents in a not very prosperous part of the city. It is an excellent choice, however, since it is within a mile's radius of the heart of Edinburgh's Princes Street, and includes houses where all ages and income groups live.

It is impossible to sort out from which brackets the givers and the buyers come—quite often they are the same people who give and buy.

Mrs Hodge and Mrs Braithwaite, both great enthusiasts, were happy to give guide lines for others who might consider setting up similar shops in their areas. 'You must have enthusiasm for the job and a good keen staff,'' is Mrs Braithwaite's first maxim. Of her 30 helpers, half have been with her since the shop was opened in December 1967, which says a lot for her as well as for them. Most are in the fifties and sixties age group, housewives with more spare time than they once had, or retired business women. 'We are said to be a nation of small shopkeepers' she says, 'and certainly people seem to adore coming here to help." Helpers work on a two and a half to three hour shift in teams of three, one team for the morning and another in the afternoon. The shop is open every day except Sundays—though Mrs Braithwaite and four helpers often go in on Sundays as well as one day during the week to sort out stock which has accumulated during that time.

Where does the stock all come from ? 'Through word of mouth mostly. We have never advertised—only to put in a note in the newspapers at Christmas to thank everyone for their help during the year. But the news that we need things to sell gets round among RNLI members, and our customers and passers-by. What we really love is a house to clear! We hear of someone who is moving, or has a relative who has died, and a mass of articles of all kinds—clothing and bric-abrac and kitchen things—can come to us this way.' Kitchen needs, they find, are particularly good sellers; articles like old refrigerators, gas stoves, vacuum cleaners, and pots and pans sell extremely well. Strangely, children's clothes are sometimes difficult to move but there is a lOp rail 'where anything which has hung around too long is put How about pricing ? Mrs Braithwaite does this with a team of five others when they sort out the clothing after shop opening hours, grading it according to condition, fashion and cleanliness.

Until it became too costly, they sent the clothes to be cleaned but now they find that customers prefer to buy an article cheaper and have it cleaned themselves if they wish. For bric-a-brac they have the services of a few people who have special knowledge and can give—free of charge!—advice as to how much an article might fetch.

Which led us to talk of 'the thrill of the find'. There have been several finds at 'The Lucky Dip'. One well-remembered find is a round brooch which looked as if it might sell for a few pence, but, on closer inspection, might be of some value. This was taken to an Edinburgh jeweller who gives his services, and by an extraordinary coincidence he found that it was one he had made himself. He gave £40 for it.

Another time a charm bracelet was handed in with a very dirty bundle of clothes, and it was found that every charm was of 9 carat gold! Silver teaspoons often turn up and are sent to local auction rooms. So it is necessary to be on the watch for special articles of this kind.

Mrs Braithwaite does not like to make too many rules for her teams of volunteers, as it is essential to keep a happy spirit going. One rule is that no reductions should be made over the counter, but even that has been bent a little sometimes. 'There is a healthy competitive spirit between rotas. One likes to feel it does better than another, and ways of selling have to be left a little to the individual.'' Another useful hint is to look for particular markets. Handmade lace is sometimes handed in but not much in demand, so the helpers looked for someone to whom it might be useful and discovered a shop where individual clothes were made. They sold some to the owner for £25. Where clothes are virtually unsaleable, buttons and zips are removed and sold separately, woollens going to dealers to be sold by the pound.

Now for some of the technical details of setting up shop. When the shop was started, the office bearers of the guild signed a deed of covenant to donate the entire profits to the RNLI, so that income tax, which has to be paid at the current rate in Edinburgh, can be reclaimed in full by the RNLI at Poole.

The shop also has a 50 per cent reduction in rates, as being run for charity. The landlords are 'generous and understanding people who, when our lease is renewed every three years, give us very favourable increased terms'. The expenses are confined to rent, rates, electricity and insurance.

Mrs Braithwaite lists the values of the shop as at least five-fold. It makes money for the RNLI—witness the £50,000 profit. It provides a place for people to unload their unwanted articles. On the Jack Spratt basis, people can buy things for themselves which they otherwise would not be able to afford. Those helping in the shop enjoy doing so, and know that they are wanted. Finally, it spreads the name of the RNLI and its work.

No wonder they are proud of their venture, and only too glad if anyone else would like to give them that best form of flattery—imitation..