Charity shop tips for newbie?

Dawning

I live in an area that has a lot of wealthy people (I'm not one of them) and WAGs, and have heard that the local charity shops usually have very good stuff in them. I've never shopped in one but want to start as the stories I've read here about them are quite inspirational.
I'm a dress size 16/18 so I don't think there will be many designer label bargains in my size, if at all, but I'm thinking more for bags and shoes (size 3 feet) and other accessories.

Are there any tips I should know? Do they get stock in every day? And, embarassed to ask, but is it the done thing to just pay the price on the item or do people ever haggle?

Savvy_Sue

well, I'm an 18/20 and I have several lovely charity shop items: Jacques Vert jacket and skirt for example. nearly all my shirts come from CSs, because I love wearing men's silk shirts.

as for how often they put new stock out, it varies but I go in whenever I'm passing. ask them.

tips: don't buy it just because it's a bargain. will you wear it? does it fit? check returns policy. I scan for colour and size: mostly colour on the first scan. work out how they organise their stock: many have a bargain rail! check for stains and damage: you can then ask for a discount but don't hold your breath, just politely point out that it's not in perfect condition. apart from that NO, the price marked is the price you pay, if you don't think it's worth that, walk away!

I love charity shops ...

Hermia

You have to rummage through a LOT of c*** in charity shops to find the odd nugget of gold, but it can be fun and you can find real treasures. You also need to go in regularly to keep an eye out for new stock.

My advice would be to educate yourself about good brands. If you want to pick out the real treasures you also need to educate yourself about things like fabric and how clothes are made. Being able to recognise good quality fabric and a well-made garment can mean that you pick out the expensive dress that everyone else ignored because there is no designer label in it. Just being able to pick out the leather handbag from the pleather one will help!

Barneysmom

I've stopped at the ones at Alderley Edge several times on my way through to Manchester on the A34.
One is just outrageously expensive though.
I remember once on my way through it was starting to rain.
I had £40 in my purse so stopped off thinking I could get a little jacket or coat.

I never had enough money

Also there was a battered handbag that they wanted £100 for.

So I don't go in that one any more.

There are another couple along that stretch though that are quite good.
I got a cashmere coat for £15.

Bronnie

Sometimes the best bargains are from the less flash charity shops. We have a bit of a whiffy Help the Aged Shop not that faqr away, very old-style charity shop and a lot of very ancient stock, M&S anoraks with "St Michael" on the label and ladies acrylic jumpers from Littlewoods with "Keynote" on. If you're old enough, you'll know what I mean!!

However, amongst this I have sourced a few gems too, including a brand new unworn pair of Diesel purple suede high heel court shoes for £3. I love them but would never have spent £80 on a pair of bright purple shoes for occasional wear! I also got an immaculate Coast full length wool and cashmere black coat with buttery-soft leather trim for £14 from Oxfam in a poorer area. Paid a few quid to have it dry-cleaned (just because I had to!!) but it's like a new coat.

My tip would be to keep popping in regularly and like Hermia said, search for quality items. Personally I don't haggle in charity shops. I'm happy to pay the marked price for my bargain, especially as it's going to a good cause. I have seen people successfully haggle though. If I don't like their prices, I'll go elsewhere I'm afraid, there are one or twio shops locally I usually walk out of because I think their pricing is just silly.

Dawning

Barneysmom wrote: »

I've stopped at the ones at Alderley Edge several times on my way through to Manchester on the A34.

.

That would be the exact place I'm talking about

I'll watch out for high prices and certainly wont be paying £100 for a battered handbag. I wouldn't pay that for a brand new one these days!


Thanks also for the advice about checking how well made things are. I'm good with shoes, can tell a carp pair from a decent pair from 100 yards away, but not so good with bags and clothes.

Barneysmom

Thought so
I got a handbag from the nice shop too for £15, an M&S one. When I got home I checked and found they're £60.

I think the nice one is the Cancer Research one.

Desperate_Housewife_2-2

well done op for trying out charity shops. I never haggle with the price because after all it is for less fortunate people and for a good cause but I only buy what I need or can use.
My tips are as follows...

- try out a few as they vary
- get chatting to the people who work there as they are usually friendly and helpful, its amazing what you can learn if you pass the time of day with people...
- once you have got friendly you can let them know the sorts of things you are on the lookout for
- dont forget to take the odd bag of used stuff in if you can to help them out
- try and go on a regular basis, I trawl the shops approx every 2 weeks and usually find what i need
- project your needs over the year, look for stuff before you need it eg if you see a good winter coat in the summer, buy it and put it away for winter
- I have a fave charity shop nearby which has a '3 for £1' rail and I have been kitting us 4 out for years off it! I have had jeans, t shirts shirts blouses, cardis the works and we have lots of clothes now that are very clean and wearable, I like to think we all look nicely turned out and clean.

good luck and I hope you find some good stuff!

Barneysmom

I just had a thought (I know that's not like me :rotfl:)

I might pop into in January as I bet a lot of folk take their unwanted presents after Chjristmas?
Or if people have new clothes/coats etc they might hand their unwanted ones in?

charlie-chan

Another tip is to look at the back of racks as customers tend to hide goodies there .

On a slight digression but I found a trilogy of books in my local charity shop hidden under some other books for £1.75 each when they retail at £6.99 in mainstream bookstores. Bargain!

Thank you for starting this thread OP and for all the tips everyone, I will have to keep an eye out for goodies in charity shops in future.

lessonlearned

Between Christmas and New Year people are off work and often have a sort out, plus of course their unwanted Christmas gifts, so new year will be a good time to start.

If you have something definite in mind, just ask - it might have come in that day and be "out the back" being processed. Sometimes things are kept back to make up special displays i.e partywear at Christmas that kind of thing. Sometimes there just isn't room on the shop floor for everything and some of it has to kept back anyway.

If it's marked, damaged etc ask for a reduction.

Look at the coding system on the price ticket - you should notice a date. This normally refers to the date on which it has to be removed from the shop floor. If its near to that date you might be able to negotiate a bit of discount.

Haggling is often considered "bad form" in charity shops. However, if you feel really strongly .....

If you don't have any cash with you and don't want to use a card or the amount is too small to merit card use (please remember retailers have to pay a fee to the CC companies, to my knowledge charity shops are not exempt but could be wrong on that) you can ask them to save the item for you for a couple of days.

Visit regularly, new stock comes in all the time.

Don't rule out "poor" areas.

Check and double check the size of the garment is actually what it says on the hanger. Ask to try garments on (we have to let customers use our kitchen). Sometimes we forget someone is in there and wander in to make a cup of tea.

Happy charity shopping - its great.