Charity shops - do you or don't you?

[Floss]

As some may already know, I am an avid charity shopper :p but I've been wondering about all the other folks out there.....

Do you feel the urge to rummage when you spot a charity shop?
Do you admit to your bargains or keep the info to yourself?
Do you run a mile when anyone says the words?
Or are you a self-confessed, charity-shopaholic?

And do you have any recommendations for your local areas?

The Lancashire coastal resort wher I spend most of my time has more than it's fair share of shops within a 10 mile radius....I find the BHF shops in the "retirement" and slightly posher places are pretty good, also there is an independent shop in the posher area along the coast which is quite good too. When I lived in the leafy Cheshire suburbs I used to frequent the local hospice shops, and Help the Aged in the more upmarket bit of the town...

[ellawood]

used to run a mile rather than go in but now call all the time in my area the shops in town can be expensive so I like going other areas which are cheaper on the whole.
It can take time to look though but I do like a bargain and I never tell if its for me to wear but for dd2 she has some really pretty dresses that cost no more than 1.50 but look really expensive I did tell one friend and she said she would go looking as they were really good and also I do like to feel that its helping the charity to I sometimes say keep the change and things like that :o

[prowla]

The problem is that you don't tend to find bargains in charity shops any more; Oxfam have turned it into a business (and apparently a lot of the money you pay goes to staffing & overheads rather than the deserving cause).

[Mandles]

The problem is that you don't tend to find bargains in charity shops any more; Oxfam have turned it into a business (and apparently a lot of the money you pay goes to staffing & overheads rather than the deserving cause).
I know, it puts me off when charity shops get like that. Sadly i rarely go into the cancer research shop anymore as i have even seen secondhand stuff priced the same price that i know the item was when it was new!!:eek: A lot of the prices are quite expensive for secondhand i think....i'd rather go to a car boot.

[goanmad]

As some may already know, I am an avid charity shopper :p but I've been wondering about all the other folks out there.....

Do you feel the urge to rummage when you spot a charity shop?
Do you admit to your bargains or keep the info to yourself?
Do you run a mile when anyone says the words?
Or are you a self-confessed, charity-shopaholic?

And do you have any recommendations for your local areas?



1. Yes!
2. Always!
3. Are you mad?
4. Yes!!!!!!

I was brought up to shop in Charity Shops and jumble sales.

Although comparatively comfortably-off my parents have always been thrifty. My mum always told me that it was better to dress differently than to blend in with the crowd and despite a lot of teasing I when I was younger about my crazy wardrobe I love my individuality now. I can't stand high-street shopping, it's so soulless and dull (and expensive).

My friends and I have a chazza day once a month, visiting a different town, exploring the charity shops and having lunch in a Wetherspoons.

I can't really recommend certain areas as everyone looks for different things. I love a shop which puts everything out, scraps of fabric, make-up, old magazines, etc., whilst others prefer designer or high street labels

[busiscoming2]

I have always looked and bought some items in charity shops, but have to say there seems to be less bargains to be had more recently. I wonder if they sort them and sell some on ebay and the likes.
Something I have noticed: Why do some charity shops have that horrible 'old' clothes smell, whilst others don't?

[DianneB]

Love charity shops, can't walk past one but I don't really buy that much from them!! got a nice skirt for me this month £1.99 only a Tu one but very summery. Buy ALL of my OH work shirts in CS get far nicer ones than I would buy new for about £4. I just wash and iron them and hang them in the wardrobe after many years he has only just cottoned on to this as a brought him a casual shirt when he was with me (Blazer £2 brand new)! He only has two more years at work so I will keep it up!

[robin banks]

I sit here in an Abercrombie and Fitch shirt and Gap jeans both bought from charity shops for the total of £10.00.

I also have a Ralph Lauren, Marc Jacobs, 2 Lacoste shirts and a pair of Stone Island jeans.

Mrs B has a pair of citizens of humanity (uber expensive) jeans amongst other things.

Most of our kids stuff is also charity shop bought. Though as they get older i.e. 3+ this will get harder.

[david39]

I don't understand the argument of I won't go into XXX charity shops because they have large numbers of staff and high overheads.

Surely, the object of a charity shop is to raise money for the charity and, if they can raise more money by having attractive shops and by staffing them well, then they are fulfilling their objective.

Maybe a larger proportion of the money you hand over the counter does go towards covering those costs, but the total money raised through the shop and reaching the charity will be higher than if they had dowdy premises, staffed by people who did not know how to run a business.

Now, the argument about not using a charity shop because of what the charity does with the money after it is raised is a completely different subject ........

[~*Plushroom*~]

Do you feel the urge to rummage when you spot a charity shop?
YES!

Do you admit to your bargains or keep the info to yourself?
YES! Because that will encourage more people to use them and thus to donate to them instead of throwing things away.

Do you run a mile when anyone says the words?
NO!

Or are you a self-confessed, charity-shopaholic?
YES!!

I love charity chops and always have, that and car boot sales (I LOVE the one at Amwell in Essex/Herts). I have bought so many great things at charity shops - especially clothing. I have a thing for vintage and quirky stuff being rather goth, so it is an excellent and low cost place to look.

I'd much rather pay the lower prices at my charity shop and know the money is going to something good than in a regular store. Of course you can't get everything you want and it is dependant on being at the right place at the right time, but it's worth it. I've gotten a lovely Parker 51 pen there for 50p (I had been looking at them on eBay and it was closer to £50+ for one), lots of dvds, a gorgeous print of the original movie poster for Casablanca, and a lovely fushcia silk dress that still had the tags on for £5 (It was originally £55).

I've also converted my American OH to charity shopping, he'd never seen places like this before and now he'll rummage too!

[tara747]

I adore charity shops and live in a posh area so the quality of clothes is amazing! I get Benetton, Hobbs, Gap etc clothes with the tags still on sometimes, woo hoo..... :D

[Pee]

I love charity shops for books, but find hunting through clothes for something my size is usually unsuccessful and agree there seems to have been a def increase in prices recently.

They probably needed to put prices up a bit, I often used to overpay as they were charging 20p for books I would happily pay £2.50 for and so losing that potential income.

The Oxfam near me has a very bossy woman telling other staff what to do and to be honest she irritates me so I avoid that one, think it's tenofus that have really nice friendily staff, and the Cat's protection, you think you'll never get out of there!!!

[glowgirl]

Charity shops are great, I would nearly always choose second hand designer over new cheap, they are a goldmine if you know your labels(knowledge is power) and can get to a posh area, car boots are great as well.

[tmlibrary]

As some may already know, I am an avid charity shopper :p but I've been wondering about all the other folks out there.....

Do you feel the urge to rummage when you spot a charity shop?
Do you admit to your bargains or keep the info to yourself?
Do you run a mile when anyone says the words?
Or are you a self-confessed, charity-shopaholic?




Yes I always have to rummage when I sopt a charity shop, can't walk passed one without going in. I usually find something to buy, we even have days out and spend it charity shop bargain hunting. I spent a lovely day in Brighton a few months ago and found loads of bargains

I sometimes admit to my bargains

My best bargain was a Alexander McQueen dress from the Heart Foundation shop in Oxford for £4.99. I feel in love with it, but sadly it doesn't fit (so I will eventually put it on ebay) or I could try and lose some weight to get it on! :D

[FelinePrincess]

I must admit I only ever go into charity shops to donate my old clothes. Where I live the standard of clothes they have is quite poor, it always seems to be old people clothes or really cheap brands. Also I hate it when clothes are all jumbled up- I can't be bothered looking the sales racks in any shops.

I'm happy to wear second hand clothes - growing up all I ever had was second hand I just wish we had some charity shops locally that sold nice brands all arranged tidy!

Feline Princess

[frugallass]

I get all my books from charity shops - PDSA are the cheapest by far and Cancer Research are the most expensive (in my area anyway).

I rarely buy clothes but I do look on the rails and occasionally see something I like.

I have bought some nice silk scarves and hubby has bought a few jackets etc.

There are 6 charity shops in our relatively small town and another one due to open soon.

[Pennylane]

I've shopped in charity shops for years and still do. I like quite "individual" stuff and often find great bargains.

My clothes/shoes budget is probably quite different to most peoples. I hate cheap shoes and most cheap clothes. I LOVE shoes/boots and will spend a fortune on these and always buy brand new. Likewise bags I will spend plenty on, if I really love them. I have bags and shoes which I've had for years and they have been worth every penny.

I look for expensive labels in charity shops and have had trousers/jeans for a few quid which would have cost £75+ new. Basler, Gardeur and Gerry Weber are so well cut and seem to suit me.

I have had some very nice "evening" stuff and because I don't go out to that many posh "dos" I would not buy brand new, so charity shops fit the bill.

[Pennylane]

I also buy nearly all my books from charity shops, knitting wool (although this is getting harder to find because so many people are trying it now), I like beautiful old linen and cloths and the odd ornament.

[verynewmoneysaver]

I do buy a lot from charity shops, and can rarely pass one without going in for a look! Have got some really nice clothes from them, and some that I've sent back after wearing a few times. I nearly always get my handbags from them as they often have nice leather ones. I think charity shops are very popular nowadays as ours are often crowded so you have to be lucky to find nice stuff. My sister however refuses even to look in them and can't understand my addiction!

[Nordictat2]

My Mom used to love charity shops and after a while the ladies there would hold stuff for her because they knew the stuff she liked and she always spent alot of money in there..bless her. I visit from time to time but I'm to the point where I should be donating rather than buying hehe..or so my husband says :P

[katieclampet]

I love a good rummage, but sadly the cs where I live arent very good, although they used to be. I dont know if its because more people are selling their stuff rather than donating it, or more pople are shopping in cs, or maybe a bit of both.
The books in our local oxfam are very expensive, and some of the shops do have that "old clothes, musty" smell. If I am visiting different towns I always have a look. I seem to get much better bargains at carboot sales.


katiex

[violetta]

A couple of times I have seen something lovely in the shops but felt I could not justify the expense, only to see the exact same thing in my size in a charity shop some weeks later - that I feel is karma, and the item meant for me!

The last time I was in our local charity shop, I saw a Primark vest that I had bought new for £2, on their rail at £2.50, and that did make me smile rather!

[Nordictat2]

Well...I have seen some of the S. Army shops sell their stuff on online auctions so maybe they are holding back what they consider the good stuff to sell on ebay for example?

[Pennylane]

Nordictat - most of the charity shops do this. I helped in a charity shop for many years and they were doing it back then.

Lets say it was something antique, which our Manager had been told might be worth a bit. She used to say that if she put it in the window priced at say £30 people would get all sniffy about it being a charity shop. If she put it on an auction site, far more people would see it and if it was something they collected, they would keep bidding until they got it.

[Savvy_Sue]

and a lovely fushcia silk dress that still had the tags on for £5 (It was originally £55).I WANT ONE! :rotfl: I love silk, went to a wedding last year in a silk charity shop number but it was shades of grey and purple rather than my favourite pink.

Wearing a silk charity shop shirt as I type (although I should stop now and go to bed!)

[goanmad]

A couple of times I have seen something lovely in the shops but felt I could not justify the expense, only to see the exact same thing in my size in a charity shop some weeks later - that I feel is karma, and the item meant for me!

The last time I was in our local charity shop, I saw a Primark vest that I had bought new for £2, on their rail at £2.50, and that did make me smile rather!

That's so true, Violetta. I also occasionally get a strong feeling to go into certain local charity shops which I don't usually bother with (the ones where everything is really sorted, neat and tidy and mostly fuddy-duddy stuff) and pick up a really unique item. :j

[Bitsy Beans]

I don't have time to rummage too much with 2 small kids in tow but I'd like to do more. Having said that when I have gone in the clothes don't appear to be the bargains they once were. And it would appear that the stock is a bit hit and miss in my area.

[~*Plushroom*~]

I WANT ONE! :rotfl: I love silk, went to a wedding last year in a silk charity shop number but it was shades of grey and purple rather than my favourite pink.

Wearing a silk charity shop shirt as I type (although I should stop now and go to bed!)

I was so chuffed when I found it, my charity shop is about 80% older women's clothes and 20% younger so to find something like that in a small town with one charity shop was amazing :D Never had anything made of silk before that, feel so posh in it!

[FairyShazza]

I go into charity shops and occasionally look at the clothes they have on offer however I very rarely find anything that I like in there. Unfortunately most of the charity shops in Milton Keynes are in the shall we say less posh areas of the town and therefore the quality of items isn’t that great. I am more likely to buy books or accessories from a charity shop than clothes.

I do however buy items from the local car boot sales as I seem to find a lot more suitable items there and I buy a lot of clothes from Ebay too.

Every six months I have a big clear out of stuff and what I don’t Ebay but is of good enough quality I do send to my local charity shop as I would never just chuck something away – not unless it was in such a state that I absolutely had to. The stuff that isn’t up to going to the charity shop goes in the textiles bank at the council household waste/recycling centre instead.

I should really stop being so honest about my bargains. When people ask me “where did you get that?” I always fess up and tell them I bought it from the car boot or from Ebay then afterwards I think damn I should’ve just said I got it from a little shop out of town or something :lol:

[newlywed]

Do you feel the urge to rummage when you spot a charity shop?
Do you admit to your bargains or keep the info to yourself?
Do you run a mile when anyone says the words?
Or are you a self-confessed, charity-shopaholic?


Yes.
Admit it always - it either makes them green or makes them suddenly go quiet :p
No
Definitely a charity-shopaholic!!

Can't remember the last thing I paid full price for clothes wise. In fact probably 80% of my wardrobe comes from charity shops, including the ball gown, evening skirt, shoes etc. Most of the rest is from ebay :D

I just feel sick at how much I used to waste on clothes pre-mse. In fact me and my sis decided we missed the whole going shopping and coming back with bags of stuff... so we blitzed the charity shops in a nearby town and came back with tons - and I only spent £20 :D

I like BHF and Scope as well as Help the Aged.

[tara747]

Bronnie, well done you!!!!!!!!! Where is this CS? :D

newlywed, totally agree with this: "I just feel sick at how much I used to waste on clothes pre-mse." Me too! :eek: But now we have been enlightened and will never go back to the dark side. :)

[~*Plushroom*~]

Never bothered much with chazza shops until reading on these threads the fab bargains some people get!

Yesterday, went into my local SR shop and for once I must have been in the right place at the right time and picked up a beautiful and immaculate Oasis ivory three-quarter belted trench mac with lots of detail and lovely light tortoise-shell style big buttons. It is so me, a perfect fit and looked unworn TBH.

Took it home and modelled it for DD, who thought I'd bought it brand new .......then showed her the price tag....£7.50!! :T

Also got a brand new looking River Island black slouchy handbag with a lovely snakeskin-print silky fabric lining for £3.

Get browsing ladies!!

You're doomed now Bron, you'll get addicted and every time you visit somewhere and see a charity shop you'll have a strong urge to go in - just in case you miss something amazing! I know that's how I am now! :rotfl:

[verynewmoneysaver]

I'm the same.I can't pass a charity shop without going in. Have been trying to wean myself off them without much success!

[esmecullen]

Do you feel the urge to rummage when you spot a charity shop? Cant stop myself

Do you admit to your bargains or keep the info to yourself? Yes I do admit

Do you run a mile when anyone says the words? No

Or are you a self-confessed, charity-shopaholic? Not quite but I have got quite a few gems from one charity shop such as my Gucci bag the other week, a cream Jane Norman winter coat and Donna Karen skirt

[flippin36]

I used to love charity shops - I like the quirky, vintagey kind of stuff. But the last few times I felt the urge to have a good look it was pretty much all Primark and Matalan labels. Nothing wrong with that but they are asking as much as what I could have bought it new.

I suppose the problem is that anything with a label now can be sold on Ebay rather than just give it to a Charity shop.

(Also I suppose the quality of charity shop depends on where you live)

[newlywed]

Yeah there is quite a bit of matalan and primark stuff. But I find if I keep looking there's often next, wallis, monsoon, m&s, dotp etc.

[thatsfabulous]

I like going to charity shops in different towns ( posh towns= good items)
however i dont really go ones in my area.

I think sometimes you can find some real gems Ive got Hobbs, Abercrombie, Whistles etc Most of the time i find stuff for my mum not really myself however in the past i got 2 pairs of fantastic stylish vintage boots from there and they were less than £10 each which i thought was a bargin. I didnt mind telling people where i got them from....
As other people have mentioned, I hate it when certain charity shops have Primark and Newlook items for sale at prob the same price that it cost new.

[mizzbiz]

I love Charity Shops and have been buying my clothes in them from being a student. I now live in a more aflfuent area so i'm finding a better quality of clothes now.

It narks me too when they charge more because something's a half decent label - Oxfam being the worst for this. I saw a pair of VB jeans (with the tag saying "not sure if they're authentic or not" for £25!!!! They are going for less than that on Ebay and are definitely genuine. SO that's a shame - had they been £2.99 like everything else I may have bought them.

I mostly find Next, Jigsaw, Linea, Jaeger, Kookia, Karen Millen, Oasis and the occasional designer find round here so you can probably guess at the kind of people that live in my area. There used to be a barnardo's in Newcastle when I was a teen that had loads of designer stuff but it's no longer there.

[tara747]

Oooh yes, I hate overpriced charity shops too! Oxfam are the worst, definitely. But they do have some great stuff inc clothes from Benetton, Hobbs, Gap etc with the tags still on! :beer:

Marie Curie are (imho) the cheapest and the two near me are chock full of great stuff! :D All their books are 50p as well, even the hardback ones and fairly new titles.

I have given up looking in my local Oxfam bookshop, the prices are shocking. £2.50 for a well-thumbed book with an RRP of £5.99! :eek:

[Bronnie]

Not a new scheme, I know, but I've only just learnt about it and it may be useful for people planning a spend at M&S soon (school uniform/winter wardrobes??).

Donate unwanted items to Oxfam and if they include an M&S item of clothing or soft furnishings, receive a £5 M&S Voucher, redeemable on spends of £35 or more.

Full details here

http://plana.marksandspencer.com/about/partnerships/oxfam/stories/10/

[LeeUK]

"What's that new bouquet on the high street?
Barnardos!"

We are snowed under with charity shops round here.

[kimmoss88]

I like BHF and Scope as well as Help the Aged.

Scope's great. I found a gorgeous Marc Jacobs dress once - what sort of crazy people give these sort of things away? :confused:

Cancer Research is always pretty good as well. And my town has 2, thirty seconds away from each other!