Best Car Boot, Charity Shop and Jumble Sale Bargains - New Thread 4/10/09

JesaRose

I bought a gorgeous 1950s necklace for £4 yesterday - would have cost lots more if I had bought it in an antiques shop or online

Two Lyle & Scott polo shirts for £4 each and a pair of of Havaianas for £2 for MrJesa

Fred Perry pumps for me £1 - same as these but red http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Genuine-FRED-PERRY-canvas-pumps-black-white-5-38-MOD-/180710629150?pt=UK_Women_s_Shoes&hash=item2a13315f1e

A nice pale denim shirt dress from Monsoon for £1 which will be nice for work

Two brand new Lancome Juicy Tubes lip glosses for 75p each - last time I bought one of these they were £13 each!

Lots more which is all in the wash so I can't remember what else

tiff

Crestfallen wrote: »

Except that it doesn't all go to a good cause, does it? A lot of it gets funelled into the pockets of those working in the 'charity sector', including the chuggers who get in your face as you try to walk down the highstreet. Landlords also get a chunk, which would be fair enough if the shops were situated in low-rent areas, but they are now spreading over prime shopping areas where they can't possibly get enough donations to fill the shops because they're too far away from anwhere that donators can park in order to struggle in with bags of donations.

The majority of charity shops I go into sanitize their stock, they dispose of anything they deem not valuable/saleable enough without even trying to sell it, they dispose of stock in bulk to traders for a pittance rather than lower the prices of items which do not sell. Perhaps to maintain their 'brand'? I then buy the same items from the traders for a fraction of the price the charity shop was charging, meaning the charity has received even less for it in order to make it profitable stock for the trader.

I don't donate stock I can't do anything with, or household items, to our local charity shop anymore. I have to go a few villages away to one which doesn't sanitize. Last time I donated to the local I found a load of books I'd given to them in a box marked 'bin' under their shelving, along with several other books which I then bought. This was three days after I donated them. Signs in the window pleaded "STOCK URGENTLY NEEDED". Guess their bins must need something in them to stop them blowing away.

I don't begrudge paying reasonable prices for items, least of all from charity shops which I have enriched from donations and purchases all my life, and will continue to do so. I do begrudge wastefulness and silly prices which will put many off buying anything.

One of these days the road so many charities have taken with regards to their charity shops is going to come under a spotlight, and their problems in receiving enough stock to mess around with are going to get a lot bigger, unless they refocus on distributing the stock they're given locally at affordable prices and keeping their costs down.

TBH I volunteer in a shop and there are several things that frustrate me, so I agree with this post. Too much stuff is ragged, rather than get a few pounds for it. Just because its not fashionable, or the manager doesnt like a particular item doesnt mean it wont sell. Lots of people want to buy things in charity shops that they can adapt, they like to buy curtains/clothing to make into something else so they buy them for the fabric. If curtains are marked or ripped, make a note on the tag so people can buy as is and make their own decision. Thats one example, I just dont think they value their donations enough.

Kel_3

Managed to get a few bits on Sunday:

Wooden cot for the playhouse £1.50
Dolls buggy £1
As new crocs for ds1 75p
Shorts for DD 75p

misfire

kel - crocs what a bargain! we love crocs here but have never found any at a booty.

We went to a fab boot sale today - it was packed so much that some rows I could hardly get the buggy through when there were ppl browsing. I spent far too much but got fab bargains!

Maclaren daytripper buggy £5 - for my mums house.
Graco travel cot £6 :j- same as the one I am borowing from work (which I have to return in september) but newer! so I am REALLY pleased with this.
Baby clothes - 20p - 50p all amazing quality and all top name brands
8 pack of wool (all new wool and its still in the shop display bag) £2 - this is fab as it will be sent of to Lisas Stars a charity that knit clothes for premature babies who are too small to survive.

The only thing I wanted that I couldn't find was a jewellery box - so will have to go back next month to have a look for one:rotfl: and I won't buy anything else while I do :D:D

hayc5990

For a while I have been looking for the complete set of Harry Potter books - went on a car-boot and found them for £2.50 in perfect condition too - 2 of them were hardbacks

I have also bought 2 board games - Operation and Kerplunk for £1.00 and 50p

Also I bought 5 Horrid Henry books for my little sister for £2.00

I bought Sims 2 DS game for £2.50 (was £3 but I got it cheaper)

And I think that's it. Next time I go, I will look closer at clothes. I saw a nice Dorothy Perkins floaty top thing. That was £2.00 but by that time I ran out of money! Haha.

I'm getting a propper car-boot addict and I'm only 17!

Deru

Summer Wars / Girl Who Leapt Through Time Blu-Ray boxset
Castle of Cagliostro DVD
My Neighbor Totoro DVD
Eureka 7 Movie DVD
Porco Rosso DVD
Kiki's Delivery Service DVD

All the above for £5 (all new and sealed).

Server 2003 Small Business Server Premium licenses and discs - £17.50 (I sold it on eBay for £250). Normally costs £500+

Various DVD's i.e. Shallow Hal, Forest Gump and some others for £1 each.

Love car boots!

^!£$&

Returned from my 4 weeks holiday and got to the my first bootfair of the month,
got peruna jeans 50p
next jeggings 50p
warehouse shirt £1
debenhams clutch £1
bob builder toy for dn £1

lightisfading

tiff wrote: »

Lots of people want to buy things in charity shops that they can adapt, they like to buy curtains/clothing to make into something else so they buy them for the fabric. If curtains are marked or ripped, make a note on the tag so people can buy as is and make their own decision. .

That's true - I always have a browse through for old bedding etc that I could re-use the fabric from. Other half does historical re-enactment and old 100% wool blankets are very useful to him (they can be dyed and used as fabric - thick wool fabric is very expensive), but whenever he asks get told that they just get binned.

tiff

I know that our local PDSA shop keep wool blankets for dog bedding, I used to go in and ask and they were out the back and charged £1.

becky_sleaf

I've had some fantastic finds over the last few weeks - I love All Saints clothing but don't care for the prices that go with them! I have picked up three beautiful All Saints tops. The first is grey & beautifully beaded & cost me £5. The second has all sequin detailing & is new with tags £3 (Priced at £65!) & the third is like a tie dye with beaded/sequin birds on it. Again this one is new...No price label but had the spare sequins & beads attached to the tag. This one was £4. I'm pretty sure that these three would have cost £250-£300 for the lot when purchased originally. £12 for the three...I need a night out now so I can wear one of them!

I've also picked up seven M&S items this weekend for £5 - All new with tags. Labelled between £15 & £40 each!

Then the usual things,baby clothes,toys,dvds,perfumes etc. I love a good car boot!