Charity shop worker floored after receiving unusual donation 'worth thousands'

Charity shops are a great place to find bargains, and lots of thrifty shoppers love to share their hauls on social media. However, volunteers in the industry also like to show off some of the incredible donations they receive.

One charity shop worker, Bella, was left gobsmacked by the size and value of a generous contribution from a member of the public. Unable to hide her shock, the volunteer admitted on TikTok: "This father and son just walked into my work and donated their grandma's whole Barbie collection since she passed away." Bella revealed that her video didn't show "even half" of the dolls the shop received.

"She had her own collectors' encyclopaedia which was marked up with tabs of which ones she had," Bella added of the huge collection.

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Recording footage in the shop, Bella began by offering a glimpse of dozens of vintage boxed Barbie dolls, many of which appeared to be still sealed. From a Coca Cola edition of Soda Fountain Sweetheart Barbie from 1996 to the Sentimental Valentine Barbie from the same year, each item was in pristine condition, complete with accessories.

A third 1996 edition followed in the form of Barbie at Bloomindales, as well as a Graduation Barbie from the year after.

Next, Bella revealed an Avon exclusive collaboration with Mattel in the form of Winter Rhapsody Barbie (also 1996) as well as a number of other Special Occasion dolls from the same decade.

Collaborations with American retailers Target and Chuck E. Cheese were documented next, along with earlier 1990s editions of Enchanted Evening Barbie and Got Milk Barbie.

Bella was far from finished, however, providing her followers with a peek of countless more Barbie dolls - notably Holiday Memories Barbie, Barbie as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, Oreo Fun Barbie and Baywatch Barbie.

The video viral, amassing more than 1.1million views at the time of writing and leaving some Barbie fans in awe - while others pointed out a rather tragic observation. "This collection was supposed to be handed down to a granddaughter or daughter, this is so wrong," expressed one TikTok user.

A second concurred: "As time passes and their grief settles, I’m sure they’ll regret doing that."

A third person vented: "This makes me so sad. It feels like these were a reflection of all the women she could have been if she hadn’t been stuck raising an ungrateful family."

Meanwhile a fourth TikTok user aptly pointed out: "This is exactly the message the Barbie Movie was trying to get across. They’re just Ken’s, they don’t understand!"

Responding more positively, meanwhile, one individual remarked: "How nice that they donated these though, and didn’t just throw them away. My guess is that they didn’t have anyone in their family to appreciate them as much as your charity does."

And another pondered: "Donated? Instead of selling them? They are good people." Whilst a third noted: "That collection looks priceless - I bet Mattel would be interested in it. That should be in a museum or a school where kids can play with them. That collection was meant for someone."