What is your charity shop bargain of the week?

Spooz

There's a new Barnardo's near where I live. I went in for the first time last week and came out with a spotless Pure Collection silk wrap dress for £12.99! Could easily have cost ten times that much new and it's absolutely gorgeous, and just my size. I'd been looking for a new dress for a while - must have been fate!

BitterAndTwisted

My trawl at the weekend was fun. I resisted the charms of many beautiful things I don't really need and bought a couple of other things which I also didn't need but wanted, wanted, wanted. A "Typhoon" stainless-steel oil-drizzler thingy for £3, a tin-plate piggy-shaped hook for 50 pence, a lovely pink linen shirt for £1 and a bright red cotton and linen cushion-cover for my sister for £2. And a dinky little sauce-pan which I did sort of need for £1.50

I'm in the process of doing a well overdue clear-out of things to either list on ebay so I can maybe have a penny or two for some more lovely CS treasures or to donate. That linen-cupboard of mine is full to bursting. I have only two double-beds in this flat and I must have at least a dozen duvet-covers. I think that could be a tiny bit excessive any way you look at it.

lauroar

A beautiful Reiss coat in perfect condition for £8. I couldn't believe it!! And an 80s style Pringle jumper for £2.50 - I couldn't resist at that price but I'm unsure whether to keep it or not as it's a bit big and they're selling on ebay for >£10...

If you sell a charity shop find for significantly more than you bought it what do you do with the money? I think I would give it back to the charity in this case, less what I paid for the item in the first place.

Nicepeach

Well done everyone, some lovely bargains. Hope you enjoy them. x

Regarding your question lauroar, I have only ever bought things for personal use. I don't do e-bay - buying or selling - sometimes have a look on there but the whole internet shopping environment is just tooooo easy for me so I stay out of temptation's way! But I would say do whatever you are comfortable with. You have already donated to the charity from which you bought the item but if you do sell the item for a profit & would like to make another donation that's entirely your prerogative.

Whilst browsing in our local Hospice shop a while ago, I overheard some of the assistants talking about a man who had been browsing & had just left after trying to get some very nice men's shoes for a much lower price. They were discussing how the man ALWAYS tried to barter the price of good quality items down & then promptly put them onto e-bay for a profit. When I asked the ladies about it they showed me the shoes - they were absolutely gorgeous, top quality, hand stitched & looked like they'd only been worn once, the soles were barely marked. They were so posh each shoe had it's own little bag to live in! They were asking £25 for them. The man had told them this was too expensive, they'd never get that for them & he would give them £15 but no more.The ladies had refused (as previously instructed by the shop manager who had informed all staff that this man must not receive any discounts on any items).

Anyway, the shoes were my son's size & I bought them for him. I wasn't sure if he would like them but the staff said if I kept my receipt I could have a refund. My son didn't like them, but my brother absolutely loved them! So he got a very swanky pair of shoes as an early birthday present which I would never have been able to afford to have bought him otherwise. He looked up the name on the internet & the shoes retailed at approx. £200 in a Jermyn Street men's outfitters in London. He wears them a lot to work & gets lots of compliments every time he wears them.

I saw in the local press recently that the same Hospice Shop were advertising for internet savvy staff to work in a new shop they are opening soon. An e-bay shop. Not quite sure how this will work but apparently they have acquired yet another shop premises according to the advert so I'll be keeping an eye on that venture!

Thanks to all posters for sharing their finds. x

BitterAndTwisted

Talking about people ruthlessly trying to barter in charity shops: there was a woman in one recently who tried to beat them down over a pair of shoes which she claimed were not both the same shade (black) and the heels were worn. The assistant very politely declined this customer's request so she asked to speak to the manager. Speak to the manager about a five pound pair of shoes! The manager also declined to reduce them, making the very valid point that there was nothing particularly wrong with the shoes and that they had been keenly priced already.

I interfered and was slightly more forthright with her than perhaps I should have been. The words "cheapskate", "charity", "greedy" and "bloody insulting" passed my lips. And I wasn't sorry, either. And neither were the other customers who gave me a round of applause. The bint paid the price asked and scuttled off. In deep shame, I hope.

Nicepeach

I have done, & would do again, almost exactly the same thing as that B&T. I think it's shocking that some people try & get things for a lower price in a Charity shop.

I find the staff pretty switched on in most cases & have only "chipped in" to support the staff when it's been just one person behind the counter & the potential buyer has been persistent.

People who really can't afford to pay the full price don't seem to make a fuss like the cheeky burgers who can, but won't, pay. I have often witnessed staff being very kind & quietly telling someone they can have it for "x price" when asked the price of something. Seen this a few times in the local Hospice/Salvation Army/Independent CS when local homeless/really needy people have been asking. If I'm able to I put some money in the collection tin or ask the staff to put it in the till to make up the difference.

prepareathome

I picked up a lovely metal bookstand today - I spend a lot of time in bed and cannot always hold a book and this stand, brand new is perfect to sit on my over bed table, cost £2, and it takes books from large to small. Also picked up create your own easter bonnet set -the hat had been removed but whoever handed it in had added a box containing 30 mini easter chicks, 4 mini easter bunnies, lots of crepe paper, lots of sheets of different coloured felt, drawing paper, stentils of easter bunny, chick and egg. All the rest of the hat decorating items that originally were in the pack are still in it - so going to use it with youngest grandchildren at weekend ( 2 and 6) and we can make hats with the crepe paper and decorate them and there will be plenty left over for other projects with them and all for £2.50, only thing I need to add is glue and that I have. So very happy with my few but wonderful purchases today.

Edited as I forgot the book I bought - , bought a basic sewing machine last year and no zilch about sewing so been looking at some forums and on quite few The Sewing Book by Allison Smith had been mentioned as a good bible, and today found a perfect copy of it, as if brand new also in Charity shop for £2, Amazon are still selling it for £16.75 and that is the reason I had not bought it till now, sheer luck I spotted it, as it had fallen down under some curtains and I was looking at them and spotted it and grabbed it.

BJV

My sister sent my hubby a fab birthday present. It was an amazing never used picnic hamper. ( cups, plates, knives forks, all very fancy. Very very good brand. Really never used still had the shop tags on it. I called to say thanks as I was convinced it must have cost a small fortune. ( No she got it from the local charity shop for £3.25.) In fact she said that the postage had cost more than the present.

I am now a fan and can not wait until the weekend!

thriftwizard

I don't normally get to browse the charity shops, but DD1 (19) does, and today she steered me into one after work to pick up a pure new British wool men's jumper in a sort of heathery knit for £1, and an astonishingly capacious cape/coat in a classic 70s brown & orange weave, also £1. But I'm not upping my total for the clothing challenge; both items are going to be made into something else. The jumper's going to be felted & embellished & turned into a cushion for an Olympic athlete, and the coat will become several cushions for my "vintage" stall. Have to say, I truly doubt anyone would ever actually want to wear it again, even if the lining were still intact!

charlies-aunt

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

I interfered and was slightly more forthright with her than perhaps I should have been. The words "cheapskate", "charity", "greedy" and "bloody insulting" passed my lips. And I wasn't sorry, either. And neither were the other customers who gave me a round of applause. The bint paid the price asked and scuttled off. In deep shame, I hope.

:T :T Bravo! Well Done B&T :T :T

I was in our local hospice shop at the weekend and a young man was looking through the DVDs - he found a nice 'collectors set' still its wrapper and just brazenly walked out with them without paying - the lovely little ladies who man the shop daren't try to stop him as he looked a bit of a rough customer - absolutely shameful .