What is your charity-shop weakness?

rubytuesday

scrabbles wrote: »

OMG I love charity shops and spend far too much in them. I'm having to educate myself that just because it was ten times cheaper doesn't mean you can spend ten times more! But because I am in my locals all the time they know me well and let me have first refusal on the good stuff

HANDBAGS are my number one weakness. Every handbag I own apart from a few I handmade are from charity shops. And I have LOTS of them. Most are designer labels, the rest are 'quality' high street, and none was more than a fiver. I even have a Radley bag I got for £3.50 and a Radley purse for 50p (it was in the kids section). In fact, just before Christmas last year my Dad called me and warned me that he'd got Radley bags and purses for all the other women in my family except me. He said he was certain I'd rather 'treasure hunt' twenty second hand ones, but wanted to make sure. He was right - whenever I see a nice designer bag I either assume it's a fake, else mentally calculate the going charity shop rate vs the retail! And the best thing is, when I get bored or have a clearout, most of the bags go back to the charity shop for someone else to fall in love with

I'm also a sucker for shoes, books (esp. old housekeeping ones), board games, old maps, pretty crockery... I don't buy clothes anywhere else any more either. I've had some great bargains over the years, and lots of friends are always saying I should buy to Ebay, but I think that's unethical. Not so much because of the charity element, but because it seems unfair to fellow treasure hunters!

I feel like that too.

My weakness is clothes, books and bric a brac particularly willow plates and old tea services although I eventually lose the cups and am left with loads of saucers and side plates.

However I'm trying to do the no spending challenge but am allowing myself a tenner a month for the charity shops or it's just too hard!

lissadenton

jersey dresses-and nice skirts. I got a lovely dress from East-for a few pounds that I would not have paid full price for.
Lots of other lovely bargains from quality stores too. I'm very fussy about my jersey-some is just rubbish.
I got a lovely skirt from Monsoon-it was a size 20-so I lopped it down to size.

Can't resist clothes.

Xhale_2

Old China objects

lissadenton

EndlessStruggle wrote: »

I buy clothes, handbags etc for me and clothes and toys for nephew. I also can't help but buy childrens videos, books and toys from my childhood of the 80s of all the classics I used to watch when I was a child. Sometimes I buy things on impulse and on decluttering missions they go back to CS, to friends or eBay.

I've also volunteered in a high street charity shop, we had a fantastic manager who hated the Head Office set Price Guide, she used to put stuff out for 50p in a box and hide them in a cupboard when the regional manager came in as we weren't allowed them. Anything that was destined for the bin was offered around first for a donation, usually 20p or something. I rescued so much from the bin, we all did!

I find some of the charity shops pricing policy really annoying-they go on labels rather than on how new or worn a garment is.

It's not right -at the end of the day-they get the stuff for free.

People who need to shop there rather than choose to are having to pay way over the odds. In fact there's a certain chain I will not take anything to- as I feel they are a faux charity and self serving.

I take my stuff to the hospice shop now

snowleopard61

angelavdavis wrote: »

Hiya, its a great idea - I saw one done with two candle-holders too.

Now that really is a great idea. It would look more professional and graceful. Will look for those!

Turkishdreamer

lissadenton wrote: »

I find some of the charity shops pricing policy really annoying-they go on labels rather than on how new or worn a garment is.

It's not right -at the end of the day-they get the stuff for free.

People who need to shop there rather than choose to are having to pay way over the odds. In fact there's a certain chain I will not take anything to- as I feel they are a faux charity and self serving.

I take my stuff to the hospice shop now

Although I work in a Charity Shop, I have to agree with you. Most of the Charities have a pricing structure and in most cases it is fair.

People who donate to CS's expect them to raise money from the items, so we cannot give away the goods. However, many people who need to shop in CS's can shop around and get better deals. Therefore, many of the Charities are pricing themselves out of the market.

There are 2 or 3 CS's that are charging excessive prices and pricing themselves out.

I am not a handbag collector, books are my downfall, prices vary so much and sometimes it is as cheap to buy new!

Absinthe_2

I always head for the books first. I've discovered some great reading material that way.

I like looking at some of the 'retro' coats/jackets in some of the better ones. I have a thing for coats (I have loads), and sometimes, although not often these days, there have been some quirky, unusual garments.

sairy2010

I help out in a charity shop two afternoons a week. The pricing policies are different for each chain of shops I think. But although the stuff is given there are still rents, rates, electicity and water to pay, this isnt free. Also most shops have a manager and an assistant manager. Our shop is open 7 days a week, no one is going to do those sort of hours for nothing. We are a very small charity but we still have an area manager also. Some one has to make sure every thing is running smoothly.
We have targets to meet every month as we are trying to make as much money as possible for a much needed charity.
I think our pricing is very fair, in fact some times it is too low in my opinion. I sold a dress on Ebay recently for £27 which was in the shop for £9.50. So use them or lose them, even charity shops are closing down in my area.

Rummer

Non-fiction and photo frames are my weakness as well as anything crafty

geoff1947

WARNING regarding JOULES CLOTHING so-called warehouse sales. These are advertised as money saving events and you are asked to sign away your rights to exchanges, etc. However, when you get home and find you could have saved considerably by buying on-line and you complain, your e-mails are ignored. When eventually you get through on the phone, having been given an out of date 'Customer Service' number by one of their stores, you are told 'bad luck as you signed to say you were satisfied with your purchases'. BUYER BEWARE!