Charity Shops..

juno

I got a new Homer Simpson t shirt for 99p!

dorry_2

hi all, :wave:

i got a social work text book from a charity shop and sold it £50! they are a gold mine if you know what you are looking for!

i bought i brand new lemon mohair wrap over jumper still tagged for £2.50, it absolutely lovely!!

love dorry xxxx

lellie

I've always gone to charity shops.. I'm 20, but I used to check every one in my home town every time I went.

moggins

I've had too many bargains to list, todays haul was 3 pairs of shorts, 2 beautiful t-shirts and the best was a brown leather Rosetti handbag with matching purse, make up bag, glasses case and umbrella for £5.99.

me4bargains

Is it me but all my local charity shops are pretty pricey. I've seen stuff in there go for more than it costs brand new.
On Saturday I saw a pair of Primark Pyjamas priced at £6 - there were £5 brand new and I actually got them for £2 reduced.
I never find genuine bargains because they most have some kinda label know how who prices the clothes according to where they are from.
Last week I bought a pair of sandals priced at £12 :eek:
They were from New Look, leather and looked like they have been 'gently' worn so not exactly the bargain of the year.
But they were just what I was after and fitted like a dream.
Can anyone recommend a decent charity shop in the nw London, Harrow area?

The_Old_Bag

Agree with all the above posts.
I love charity shops. Come on, if you are an MSEr, you love a bargin, so charity shops are just right for you.
But is very true that you have to know your stuff, and your prices, as in the last few yrs 'Retro/Vintage' clothing has actually become in vogue, and you certainly can pay more s/hand, than the original price.
Again agree with advice about shopping around. Different town, diff shop, diff prices. One shop has all bags say at £1.95, next town ( bit more up-market) have them all at £3.95 - whether their designer, high street, or market stall originally.
Charity shops are there to make money, and therefore try to get the highest price they can. I know for a fact that most of the larger 'chains' (Oxfam, Age Concern.etc) get specialists in to value things - like furniture, jewelry, ornaments etc which they will actually label as spode, wedgewood, doulton etc. Equally I've overheard 'professionals' in asking for the paperwork, packaging, source of items - and bragging of picking up say a teddy bear before from said shop, and selling it for THOUSANDS later.....so is it any wonder they make sure they get a realisitic price in the first place.
Down side is, it is getting harden to get a genuine bargin. No 1 daughter frequents charity shops at uni ( inherited trait ?!) and seems to spend a fortune buying "cheap and chearful" stuff for rag-raids etc.
Also have "charity" shops locally which sell 95% new items - I mean obviously commissioned by the charity. Not just cards, also furniture, lamp shades, nick-nacks, cushions. It seems to do well, but not as much fun.:cool:
My best bargins have just been simple charity shop buys which I have goen on to use, and wear and enjoy. Not into selling on e-bay (yet), just get an extra thrill when someone compliments me on something I'm wearing, and I know it cost only 95p, but THEY would never go into the shop if I told them where to get one just like it!:D
My attitude to embarrasment about going in charity shops is...its all very well donating old stuff to them yourself, but if no-one goes in to BUY the stuff, the charity won't make the money....so basically your shopping is making a charitable donation!!! ( think we can claim it as a tax write-off ??):D

KatieKins

I don't get a chance to go shopping that much cos of work but when I do I always pop into some. I must admit I did used to get a bit paranoid that someone was gonna see me but now I really couldn't care less at all! You can pick up some amazing stuff! I bought 2 fabulous 80's clutch bags from there and everyone aways asks me where I got them from! They were only 50p each!

One of my friends would literally collapse from shock if I tried to take her into a charity shop, but she is the type of person who would spend £100 on a bag and think nothing of it, and the funny thing is, she asked to borrow one of my clutches for a night out!

Definitely don't think twice about going in one, get in there and dig out some good stuff!!!!

Contains_Mild_Peril

The Shelter shop in my town has gone all posh, and now sells mostly new goods. I preferred it when it was a "proper" charity shop with mostly cheap secondhand stuff.
My favourite charity shop is my local Red Cross shop, where most clothes (all trousers, skirts, shirts, blouses etc) are priced at £2, regardless of brand or even whether they're new - I've bought a blouse with its original £35 M&S price tag still attached for £2, and a gorgeous Jaeger evening skirt, also £2. Suits, jackets and dresses are priced individually at anything up to a fiver, but they're always good value for money. Last time I looked they had a Karen Millen dress (sadly not my size) on their bargain rail, reduced from £3 to £1.50.
I have also come across charity shops selling cheap brand clothes for more than they cost new, but I can still find plenty of bargains.

cmjohnson_86

Still trying to find the courage to walk into one, Think it would be easier if I lived in a little village, with no young people living there lol. Will evebntually pluck up the courage to go in though, Ill try get my nan to come so I can make it look like its her that wants to go in

needmoney

cmjohnson_86 wrote:

Still trying to find the courage to walk into one, Think it would be easier if I lived in a little village, with no young people living there lol. Will evebntually pluck up the courage to go in though, Ill try get my nan to come so I can make it look like its her that wants to go in

:rotfl: If I lived near you could borrow me:rotfl:

Whenever I go I see lots of trendy young people there and I hardly see anyone scruffily dressed whatever age and I often wonder if what they have on came from the charity shops.