What is your charity-shop weakness?

Gleek · 28 January 2012 at 3:01PM

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

no handbags for £3.50, they charge over a tenner for a Primark plastic thing that was six pounds brand new - before someone split their hot chocolate inside it.

That's what really annoys me about the BHF. I can't say I've seen a bag in there for under £3.99 which includes the tiny piddling ones like clutches etc.

We have three BHFs that we visit, 2 are very near us (one in the 2nd main shopping area of town and the other just outside the town's only shopping precinct.) and one is in Cleethorpes.

I find the Cleethorpes one much cheaper (prob because of all the tourists) and the 2 Grimsby ones to be ridiculously priced. There was one gorgeous overnight bag that was infact a primark one. I'd seen it in Primark before Christmas but at that time I couldn't justify the £8.99 for it (one of those too much month in the money months) and when I got chance it'd gone. BHF wanted FIFTEEN POUNDS for it :eek:

We're close to my brothers in laws so we end up in S!!!!horpe pretty regularly and much prefer their charity shops. Good prices, good items, more prepared to do a deal (if you ignore the lady last week who took off the 99p sticker off an item I'd bought and left the £1.99 one (that wasn't even from their shop :rotfl: ) and tried to fob me off saying it was £1.99 when it clearly wasn't. Again, BHF :rotfl: )

Their Scope shop is a discount one so you get some serious bargains in it.

skintmum2012 · 28 January 2012 at 3:07PM

thriftwizard wrote: »

Skintmum2012, I make these with old jeans - for some reason people seem to find them very amusing! I also make larger & more practical spinning & arty/crafty aprons from the legs - denim's a good tough fabric that'll take a good hammering or splattering & continue to protect your clothes. But I make lots of other things too - ATM I'm making notebooks out of reclaimed materials so am scouring the CSs and the local market stalls for interesting & tatty old maps & music to make the covers from; I won't destroy good stuff.
"Junk" jewellery is another thing I often hunt for - there's a lot of good beads in a cheap necklace, which'd cost a lot more if I bought them new in a tube! And broken metal alarm clocks yield lots of useful bits for steampunk-style items - but the last two I've picked up turned out to be working after all, so they'll be sold on intact, or used.

What an awsome idea I love the fact your using old stuff and giving it a new lease of life good for you

scrabbles_2 · 28 January 2012 at 3:13PM

Gleek wrote: »

We're close to my brothers in laws so we end up in S!!!!horpe pretty regularly and much prefer their charity shops.

Poor old Scunny getting bleeped :rotfl:

black_cat · 28 January 2012 at 8:19PM

Always on the look-out for green and white china. I don't find it very often but it's great when I do. I look at all the household stuff first, then textiles, scarves and jewellery. Haven't had much luck with clothes for a while, but I keep looking.

marisAna · 28 January 2012 at 8:27PM

Hardup_Hester wrote: »

I used to buy books from the CS, but I now have a Kindle & can't see to read much, but as I still can't resist the shops I have recently invested in a capsual wardrobe, I started with what I already owned, mainly black skirt & trousers & a random assortment of tops, I then made a list of what I needed to get to the 24 items (as advised by Gok) I shopped at 2 local CS's I checked the labels & bought mainly M&S, some is per una (well I am 60), & I bought a beautiful East jacket, a suit by Fink & some Edinborough Wools cardigans. I'm now up to 16 items & everything goes with everything else.
Hester

Seems like a great idea to plan and match things to build up your wardrobe from charity shops. I love the ones in Brighton when I visit as they seem to have such an interesting mix of items.

Rosanna79 · 28 January 2012 at 8:39PM

Gleek
Hi You're just up the road from me.. Do you just go to the charity shops in Scunny town centre or have you tried Ashby High street which is worth a look? There are several including the local hospice. The rather tatty looking one next to Sew Easie can be quite good - and the ladies in there are helpful. Got a load of stuff for my craft work only a couple of days ago. Happy hunting

rachbc · 28 January 2012 at 8:53PM

anything and everything!! Clothes, china, kitchen bits, books, toys....

today I got 2 books for £1 (a beautiful cookbook and a novel for my son), a silk blouse fro me, dress and top for dd. Then one better than that - I went to show my MIL my haul and she gave me a worn once cashmere jumper!!

charlies-aunt · 28 January 2012 at 9:57PM

I love a good CS rummage - the ones off the beaten track tend to have better quality, lower priced items.

I love OS crockery & kitchenalia - such great quality, stylish and made to last :T Nothing I use matches but I love the prettiness & quirkiness of the mix and match

I buy most of my clothes, shoes, bags and accessories from CS. Being a lady of a certain age and fairly skilled at adapting and altering, I can buy classic styles cheaply and be fairly well kitted out on a shoe string.

Tigsteroonie · 28 January 2012 at 10:05PM

Our CS weakness is toys for the littl'un. We are keen to try any and every toy with him to see if he can hear it and whether it might stimulate his development, but can't afford to buy the whole of the ELC stock list, so many of his toys come from charity shops & car boot stalls.

Ada_Doom · 28 January 2012 at 10:07PM

Hmm, books, especially kids books. Do not understand why anyone would buy a new Harry Potter as the CS are always full of them. I also love the china, and textiles. Best recent buy was a mini-Boden duffle coat for my boy for a fiver. Think they are about £50 new, and it is such beautiful quality. Oh, also plastic 60's style bead necklaces, which make the Pandora obsessed women in my office hoot with laughter. But they cost 50p each, not £50 so they can laugh away frankly....