Charity Shops..

Lord_Gardener

I always find them good for wooden toys for the children.

LizD_2

Can anyone recommend the best ones? Christchurch ones are pretty small and full of rubbish! Has anyone found any others nearby that seem to get good things? i.e more up to date stuff, decent CDs and books?

Looking in Dorset. Posted on local moneysaving, but no response! Thought I might find more charity fans here

lynzpower

I bought a 1970s guzzini cruet set brand new in the box for 3.99 sold for £35 plus postage on ebay

Ive bought loads of "vintage" clothes Ive passed onto the ebay crowd, never spend over a pound. I agree about textbooks, some great bargains to be had if you find the right thing and a good resale market.I do know what Im looking for thou and know what sells on ebay etc. Seek and you shall find, there was a load of unworn Paul Smith shirts in my local one the other day, still in the polythene for 2.99. I kicked myself when I got home as I should have bought the lot for ebaying.

Bought myself loads of stainless steel 70s cookware like those canape trays/ modernist toast rack/ smoked glass bowls etc very snazz for my urban city pad :cool: Ive got a wicked coat stand for £2 really modernist from a CS in my folks village, god knows where it came from when I come to part with it, I know Ill make a pretty penny out of that :beer:

Had some cracking CDs over the years- the tip is if they are unheard of then they are cheap. Heard of peanut butter wolf? Neither had the shop assistant- so I got that for a quid, checked it online with HMV when I got back 19.99 on import. Nice. shed loads of maria callas for 4.00 though haha

OH buys loads of cheap vinyl he uses for DJing or selling on, hes had some cracking stuff over the years

He was going on about a film "the castle"- how I HAD to see it ( its a great film too ) we couldnt get it of any of the online renters, joy of joy, found it brand new in the polythene for 99p.

My local one does 6 books for a quid now and then and Ive had some top recipe books and books on gardening, diy etc that Id never pay full wack for, but do kind of need.

Whats in charity shops- stuff people like me have given away. God to think of it, benetton, fcuk jane norman gear with the tags on, worn once top shop trousers you name It Ive passed it on.

lynzpower

Purdy_1 wrote:

I remember how embarassed I used to feel when my mom wanted to go to jumble sales. I would sit outside hoping nobody would recognise me! I would love a good rummage in one now but you dont get them these days. I will make do with charity shops :rolleyes:

Dont get me started on jumble sales! My mate got 2 pairs of brand new with tags Tommy hilfiger jeans for 20p each. I got a pair of ralph lauren stilettoes for 10p that I promptly got a tenner for on ebay :beer:

lynzpower

LizD wrote:

Can anyone recommend the best ones? Christchurch ones are pretty small and full of rubbish! Has anyone found any others nearby that seem to get good things? i.e more up to date stuff, decent CDs and books?

Looking in Dorset. Posted on local moneysaving, but no response! Thought I might find more charity fans here

there seemed to be quite a lot in Parkstone on is it Ashley road? Near the big morrisons?

dolly_day_dream

I have always loved charity shops and jumble sales. I now realise that I am a fabric adict! Since I was about 8 I have bought old fabrics to make into something new. However since becoming more concerned about the environment I make it my business to buy as much as I possibly can in charity shops. It isn't a matter of price - of course that does help!- but a stand against everything else.

When you buy from a charity shop you are helping to save the world!
The reasons are
environmental
For a start you are stopping something from going to landfill.
Then new resources are not needed to create your purchase
You are recycling the items
Political
You are not giving your money to global organisations who exploit workforces around the world.
social
you are supporting a worthwhile charity.

I am a teacher and make a point of letting everyone know where I buy all my clothes and everything else. Saves any embarrassment (on their part) when they meet me in one.
BTW I have never been better dressed than since I started shopping in them!

lamb7994

cmjohnson_86 wrote:

feel free to move if in wrong place..

I've always wanted to take a quick gander around charity shops but seeing as im only 19 i feel a bit young lol. Also there's the embarassement factor, is there any charity websites, where they sell stuff online? Sorry for being stupid Thanks

** Also whats the best bargains you've got in a charity shop? **

You shouldn't be embarresed about shopping in charity shops.

I'm 20 and actually work for a charity in Reading running shops for them and you'd be surprised by the amount of young people who come in dailly shopping and they can pick up good bargains and you can get clothes with labels still attached and also designer labels.

The charity shops are for young and older people you shouldn't feel out of place shopping in there although some young people find it isn't right shopping in their.


James

(edited as requested to remove charity name from my posting.)

Sweet_Pea_2

CMJohnson, if I am in Redditch and I see an embarrasssed looking teenager lurking outside a charity shop - I'll know its you!
Only joking, I have to confess I used to feel exactly the same. Then I read a thread on the Old Style board about the wonders of charity shops and decided to go and have a rummage and see what I was missing out on. I pass through Kings Heath on my journey to and from work and there are loads of charity shops there so thats where I went, (because theoretically Im unlikely to bump into anyone who knows me)
The best one I have found is Barnado's, because it is organized like a proper shop. They group similar colours together and put things on correctly sized hangers, so its easy to see what there is without having to rummage. (I hate rummaging, whatever shop Im in) I have got some good bargains, mostly for my children, clothes, books and videos. I was amazed how many good labels there were, gap, per una, next etc, and some things still with the tags on too. Also everything is freshly washed and smells nice. The shoppers are all ages too!
My advice is to try a town where you are unlikely to meet anyone you know and take some carrier bags of your own if you dont want to display a charity shop carrier. Once you've been in a few you won't care any more.
Also I have to say, recently various people have casually mentioned to me in passing that they have bought things from charity shops, and I was amazed. It seems that I have been a bit slow to cotton on to this new trend!
I would not buy a new book without checking out the charity shops first now.

With regards to the person who mentioned about buying things belonging to someone who had died. It made me chuckle but I dont get it at all? My mum was the same when considering a move into sheltered accomadation, - "what if someone has died in the flat?" If you dont know it can't bother you can it? Maybe charity shops could charge more for "haunted clothing"!

cmjohnson_86

Lol Thanks Sweet Pea. I will pop into one when im in a town that no one will know me first.

Thanks everyone else

callansdad

My best bargain was a blue bag stuffed to the brim of Next clothes from Barnardos. They were for my newborn daughter, i was slightly gutted though, the day before i had ran into Tescos to find her something to wear and spent £70. My Barnardos bag cost me £1 plus i got more stuff.