Charity shops

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

The local charity shop where I used to live got Mary Queen of Shops-ed. So there's no point even looking there now, as the stuff is overpriced rubbish. To be absolutely accurate, it's now a branch of Primark but with a two pound markup per item above the Primark price. Everything else is either 'out the back' for staff or waiting for the dealer.

Used to go there for books, clothes and household stuff (little tea plates and the like). The clothes are now all Primark but two pounds dearer than when they were sold originally. The books are only pennies cheaper than new and the household stuff isn't there any more.


Where I live now has a couple of shops - one is a BHF shop and that looks like an industry out the back. Unfortunately, they don't approve of people wanting plus sized clothes, so won't stock them. Apparently the boss said they may as well sell cigarettes and lighters if they are to sell size 22 tops. The other shop just smells really, really bad.

soupdragon10

My local small town is well served with 4 (used to be 5) CS's. I am an inveterate CS trawler, also JS and CB sales in the summer.

Rarely buy new clothes, but am now much more discerning about what I buy in CS as I've noticed a marked increase in prices to a point where Tesco or Asda are on a par, and you get new clothes. You can still pick up bargains, I tend to look for M&S as their stuff tends to wear very well.

At my age I'm in fashion when what I wear happends to coincide with the current trend!

Owain_Moneysaver

Julie67 wrote: »

.... I never look at mens clothes either. I think they are always more worn and poorer quality, no idea why

Men tend to not get bored with something after wearing it once ...

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

Men tend to not get bored with something after wearing it once ...

and they tend to get buried in their best suits....:(

runnerbean17

My Mother swears by our local Salvation Army shop and she loves her CS. Must admit I seem to do much better at car-boot sales myself..

nykied

I'd like to point out that I bought a card of those popper things that you sew onto clothes instead of buttons last week in a CS. They were obviously from the year dot and I paid 10p for them. Imagine how ripped-off I felt when I looked at them and saw '7p' printed on the card

GreyQueen

I love them. I love them lots. The sheer randomness of what you might find. Unless I'm buying food or cruising the poundland-type stores, it's very rare for me to darken the door of a non-CS shop. Prices vary wildly within chains; a blouse for work will cost me £2.30-£2.80 in Sense and something no better be priced at £4.99 + elsewhere. Oxfam is plain ridiculous. Some volunteers are out-of -touch and charging above-new prices for Primark or supermarket brand clothes. Books are crazy, 25p-50p if you know where to look, several pounds apiece in others. Then they get a backlog because most people think "I bet that's in the library" and have to have a Massive Booksale once or twice a year and sell them off at (you guessed it)......50p each.

valk_scot

nykied wrote: »

I'd like to point out that I bought a card of those popper things that you sew onto clothes instead of buttons last week in a CS. They were obviously from the year dot and I paid 10p for them. Imagine how ripped-off I felt when I looked at them and saw '7p' printed on the card

I bought five magazines for £1...they had a cover price of 1/6d! (That's seven and a half pence for these of you that don't remember shillings.) Mind you they've been worth every penny...they're late '60s Family Circle magazines, mostly domestic and food related. I left them out on the coffee table over Christmas and they sparked off hours of amusing discussion and hilarity over the food adverts, mostly.

I am very lucky in that there's dozens of charity shops up in the big city and I sometimes make a point of going to one of the posher areas for a morning's shopping round their CSs. However locally we have a really brilliant one, a real pile it high and sell it cheap place, absolutely vast and which has a furniture hall as well. I've bought my last two sofas there, one a brand new Ikea chesterfield still in its wrapper, the other a huge Habitat one, at £75 each including delivery. I've got kids and cats so I don't want to be paying thousands on sofas that will get marked in their first month. Books, CDs and videos are 5 for £1, DVDs a little more. Kids clothes are a bagful for £1, adult clothes are mostly £1 each or 3 for £2.50. I bought a cashmere coat for £3.

redlady_1

I find that the prices around here in CS are just insane! I have never found any clothes under a fiver and what is in there is very poor quality. I guess it is a bit hit and miss. I think CS are beginning to price themselves out of the market as I have no desire to spend £9.99 on a dress when I can buy new in a supermarket.

MoaningMyrtle

Quick scan of entire shop, then skim through ladies clothes, onto books, skim bags, belts and scarves. Perusal of bric a brac and jewellery. Study the valuables in locked cabinet.