Charity shops

queenpig

mioliere wrote: »

I agree totally. Practically everything I own has come from a charity shop - clothes (loads and loads!), shoes and boots (loads and loads!), kitchen gadgets, books, records, CDs, toys, pictures, jewellery, handbags - I could go on! I love the fact that it's a brilliant form of recycling and it supports so many good causes! If people want to wear something they've paid good money for for just a couple of occasions then donate it, I'm more than happy to pay pennies for it! Long live charity shops, their donors, their staff and their customers!

Yep love being a charity shop donor and as you said i have got loads and at the end of the day once its wahed its like its yours anyway...if that makes sence, just sitting here looking at my DD and she has a M&S jumper on and a fancy pair of jeans from Tesco , i bought them at the same time as she stomped in a puddle and got soaked >>>>>>>£2.59 from the charity shop lol

lindadykes

I love charity shops and can rarely pass one by without popping in to see if there are any bargains. I agree some are overpriced, but I think they lose out in the end because then people just don't buy.

I have bought quite a few Next tops for work for under £3 each, and am never ashamed to tell anyone where I got them -it's recycling and I hate waste. I recently got an excellent river island jacket that looked like new in the MS shop in the next village for £3.

I think my best bargain was a silver celtic scottish Quaich. I had wanted one for ages but they retail at over £25 each. I saw one in a charity shop and although it looked badly tarnished I bought it for £1.50. A bit of a polish and it came up like new.

I also got some demijohns in a charity shop when I decided to have a go at home brew, these were only 50p each.

Oh almost forgot - just after Christmas this year picked up one of those Jamie Oliver Flavour Shakers - brand new still in box for £1.75!

emmie1234

I've only just "got into" charity shops. My mom loves them and goes into every single one we pass and has a good rummage. When I was a teenager I used to hate going shopping with her as we always ended up in the charity shops so she could have a good look, I was scared at the time that a kid from school would spot me in the charity shop with my mom and I would never be able to live it down:eek: Hubby is out of work at the moment and things are a bit tight to say the least, so I decided to check out the charity shops for some new clothes. I was after a couple of pairs of trousers, a few tops and a new bag. My mom always looks stunning and buys everything from charity shop so I thought what the heck!!!!

I went into the salvation army shop and bought a pair of next trousers (brand new with tags still on - originally priced for £39.99 ) for 5.99
I got a grey marl vest type top for the summer for 1.50 and I also got a nice chiffon type floral top to go with the trousers for 1.95.

A few days later I went into the heart foundation shop and bought a pair of black trousers for 2.50 and a black top for 1.50 and a new handbag for 1.99.

I was soo chuffed. Hubby was really impressed too and had a good rummage himself :j

There is another heart foundation shop a bit further away from us that specializes in just furniture and electrical goods. The stuff in there is amazing and reasonably priced too and the shop is huge so theres always a lot on offer. Our three peice is on it's way out and I will definately go there first to see what they have available. Our LO is always spilling stuff and jumping around so I refuse to pay for brand new, what's the point!!!


Charity shops forever lol!!!!!!!!!!!!

dolly_day_dream

I can remember when my children were little and I would shop in charity shops for their clothes. The assistants in there would 'hide' my purchases under something else in my bag in case anyone saw that I had been shopping in a charity shop.:o They obviously thought it was far more shameful than I did!

I know that attitudes are changing but I use my position as a teacher to spread the word. Every child I teach knows that I shop in charity shops. They know that I consider it to be the right thing to do to help save the environment. They now come up to me and tell me what they bought from charity shops. However this did not stop one little girl in my class squirming with embarrassment when we ended up in the same shop when her mother was shopping for clothes for her.

jo101_2

Hi

Normally I find my local charity shops too expensive and to be honest the ones in my town dont usually have a great deal in them, BUT this week I went to a nearby and very affluent town and got some next trousers for £6 (which was great as I had just spent £17 on a similar pair which I have now taken back) and another really nice pair for £3.99. I think going to 'posh' towns is a good option!

Jo

mummysdragon

I love going to charity shops and car boots.
I can remember when my brother and I used to stand outside a chairty shop when mum went in refusing to go in shouting, it smells in there lol!!! She used to buy us both a sherbet dip dab to shut us up!!!
Who would have thought years later I would be doing the same thing, and yes my daughter refuses to go in, she said she would die if a friend of hers saw her in one and could I wear a paper bag over my head on entering and leaving just in case any of her friends saw me too!!!!
Anyway I have bought many good items, 2 in particular were ornaments that I collect that are rare and fetch at least £50 each, and these were £1.50 boxed mint etc
I recently went to a car boot and found a nice mirror, but the seller wanted too much so I didnt bother, although regretted it saying I shouldn't be so tight, anyway 2 days later off I am in a charity shop and yep it was there, so the seller obviously didn't sell it and took it there instead. I managed to get it for £2.50...he wanted £7!!!

tiff

I once bought an old blue and white cornish ware jug, that fetches a fortune on Ebay. Sadly the charity shop knew it's worth, but I still had to have it at £35!

emmie1234

my husband tells me that when he was younger he remembers his mom seeing a lovely jumper in a charity shop window for 50p and she ummed and ahhed whether to buy it or not!!! She decided that if it was still there the next day she would go in and buy it. Well when she went the next day it was still there and they had put it up to 60p so she said I'm not paying that and stormed off lol - she swore they had overheard her saying she would come back the following day and put the price up on purpose. The whole family has a giggle over this now and then !!!!

SkyBlue_2

My three adult children are at University now.

When they were children/teenagers they'd refuse to go into Pound Shops or Charity shops with me - or the cheaper supermarkets like QwikSave, in case their friends saw them! (They were into 'labels' at the time...about six or seven years ago.) No way would they ever take trainers/swimming kit to school in a Morrisons or Kwiksave bag

Now, they shop in charity shops because they are hard up and I have to smile. Daughter showed me a trendy belt she'd found for 50p, a handbag she'd dug out for 75p and son recently stocked up from a charity shop on glassware for parties in his student house! He also buys his novels from charity shops now. I KNEW they'd understand me one day! :j

My OH...a real 'quality" snob, bless him, always pays well over the odds for things like polo shirts and jeans etc. (I am training him to shop smart - for excellent quality, but not designer labels!) We retain our own houses. He recently furnished his lovely big conservatory with beautiful dark wood Morrocan styled furniture. We were visiting relatives recently, down south, when we had an hour or two to spare, so browsed round the town centre. I dragged him into a charity shop (he was reluctant) where I spied some unusual ornate brass vases and oriental-looking tea pots...(shiny brass too) with elegant long spouts and high handles....We got a job lot for two pounds...and visited other charity shops on the high street where we picked up other unusual items for 50p or so. (Who wants to clean brass today?) Now his high conservatory window ledge displays these items to great effect! Many visitors have admired his collection of African/Oriental artefacts. If only they knew.....OH is very pleased and is now quite keen to browse charity shops with me!

I am at my heaviest weight ever...(through illness and an array of drugs) and feel quite despondent about clothes shopping. I have a tight budget too as I retired from work on health grounds 18 months ago. I can't afford a new summer jacket, and really don't want to amass 'big' clothes as I hope to slim down again......but I DO need clothes. I am depressed because I have to buy big sizes and I feel nothing looks good on me any more....so at least paying a small amount for something which I will wear /be useful this smmer, is some comfort.

Now I must work on donating clothes which no longer fit me. I am finding it hard to part with them...but I must.

PS: I agree...Oxfam is pricing itself out of business!

tinselfairy

We have lots of charity shops within a short walking distance from us which we donate to each time we have a declutter and we buy from them a fair bit too.
My bargains have been in the last year a waterproof jacket for DS in the next size up for him for £1 and a very smart three quarter length red mac for me for £1, a George skirt for 50p and flower embroidered demin jacket for £1.
My sister and I have struck a deal that all our birthday presetns and Christmas presents to each other this year have to either come from a charity shop or a jumble or a car boot. The budget is £5 for the birthday, £10 for Christmas.