What is your charity shop bargain of the week?

thriftmonster

I agree about persevering - I was with my mum recently in a CS (not her thing but she keeps going on about the bargains I get). Within minutes I had found a lovely black embroidered Gerry Weber twinset for evening for £7 - she found nothing. You definitely develop the ability to scan and reject polyester at a hundred paces and to see the things that work for you. But for every successful trip there are several where there is nothing - and my mum can't get her head round that

northern_star

Mixed results for me this week. I bought a pair of black 'jeggings' for £1.50 which look amazing on the hanger but fit me like Nora Batty's cast offs . But then I dropped on a pair of grey combats for £2 and a Next hooded fleece for £3 that fit like gloves

stardust-girl

Thank you for all the comments about persevering. I'm going to start doing a CS trawl whenever I'm in town (they are all near to one another so it's easy) and have a little more patience! Hopefully I will have some luck at some point I will report back if I do!

forgottendreams

i got a tatty looking wooden magazine rack, with small table fitted - similar to this - but tattier looking http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=wooden+magazine+rack+table&hl=en&sa=X&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=5VVLXJp9rpCb5M:&imgrefurl=http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/magazine-racktable-small-quality-dark-wood-excellent-condition-15/97073294&docid=wCpXKzA1sqAUlM&itg=1&imgurl=http://is02.thegumtree.com/image/big/112925474.jpg&w=358&h=268&ei=WVWeT5r3I4eDhQef_JWUDw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=169&vpy=91&dur=63&hovh=194&hovw=260&tx=100&ty=88&sig=115837890134155448447&page=1&tbnh=121&tbnw=161&start=0&ndsp=40&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0,i:67&biw=1619&bih=737

got is for £3 and hoping I can refurbish it to look lovely in my livingroom.

Got a cute little ornamental set of scales - the exact same as these
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Brass-Balance-Scale-Decor-Libra-Enamel-Flowers-/190669101532?_trksid=p4340.m185&_trkparms=algo%3DSIC.NPJS%26its%3DI%252BC%26itu%3DUA%26otn%3D5%26pmod%3D190640163634%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D8081775651234426820

bought that for £1, polished it up and it looks so cute.

my best buy was these (very similar to these)
http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=vintage+glazed+brown+drip+dish+handles&hl=en&tbm=isch&tbnid=ftRoiT89C44j7M:&imgrefurl=http://www.etsy.com/listing/79743190/mccoy-mount-clemens-pottery-brown-drip&docid=i4rw-Qtg_SSMNM&imgurl=http://img3.etsystatic.com/il_fullxfull.263784731.jpg&w=670&h=478&ei=vFieT4CGLIO3hQeRtJ31Dg&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=288&sig=115837890134155448447&page=1&tbnh=125&tbnw=170&start=0&ndsp=32&ved=1t:429,r:31,s:0,i:132&tx=106&ty=80&biw=1619&bih=737

These were £0.50 each, and they are perfect for little HM steak or chicken pies

BitterAndTwisted

I went to a couple of charity shops which aren't on my usual scouring-route last week. I was determined to buy myself some little treat or other. I spent a whopping-great 85 pence. And very pleased with my purchases I was:

Five sweet little cake-forks for ten pence each.
A square glass salt-shaker with a stainless-steel lid for 20 pence.
One of those metal and plastic pouring-spout thingys ideal for my olive oil bottle for 15 pence.

I'm such a cheap date and so very easily pleased. And a big hooray for Marie Curie and the RSPCA.

They did have some really beautiful upholstery fabric very cheaply-priced but I'm no seamstress. I need to look into that because I feel like I'm missing the boat big-time.

princessfufu

Woo hoo just picked up a cath kidston dressing for £1 from local hospice CS. Yesterday got 2 pair of new lined curtains which are perfect for bedroom - all for £2.

Hope everyone is having a good CS day xx

Lurleene

princessfufu wrote: »

Woo hoo just picked up a cath kidston dressing for £1 from local hospice CS. Yesterday got 2 pair of new lined curtains which are perfect for bedroom - all for £2.

Hope everyone is having a good CS day xx

Ooh, I'm jealous of your dressing gown. Well done

BitterAndTwisted

Erm, excuse me, I think I'm at the head of the envy-queue. Definitely envious of those cheap lined curtains. Lucky!

GreyQueen

I was beaming yesterday as I lucked onto a mohair shrug-type thingy, beautifully soft and warm and will pack down to nothing for when I'm travelling or going out in the evening and want a cover-up. It's by "Kew" whoever they may be. I shall handwash it and dry it flat over a towel stretched over the top of the clothes airer. It was £3.90 and seems unworn and I've been after something similar for abut 3 years!

I also got 2 candle holders at 40p each which made me very happy.

Does anyone else find that they consistantly get the good stuff from particular c.s. whereas other ones, sometimes literally yards away, NEVER turn up anything you want despite you looking in them just as frequently?

Nicepeach

Now, now ladies... jealousy & envy are terribly negative, destructive traits...

OK princessfufu - send over the ck dressing gown & no-one gets hurt! :rotfl:

B&T Hope you enjoy your cake forks, I got some recently, very dinky & pretty & makes cake-eating around here a slightly more civilised affair..!

Nothing for me to report but loving the posts, well done everyone.

GQ I agree, I know exactly where to go for "good stuff" & where to avoid the over-priced "tat". Wonder if some of it is just down to what the staff select to put out & if they are restricted by pricing structures/protocols etc? But, as I've said previously, you do kind of develop "an eye" after a while & I'm like a heat seeking missile if there's a smart frock that will fit a leprachaun hiding in any CS!

The description of your shrug thing made me laugh. I'm not a label freak & just go by what I like the look, feel & quality of! A good tip for hand-washing things like that is to gently squeeze as much excess water out after the final rinse then pop the garment flat onto a good sized bath sheet/towel and roll up like a swiss roll. Stand on it a few times to get even more water out, unroll, then dry flat on another dry towel. Really cuts down on drying time & doesn't "ravage" said garment by too much wringing. O dear, I need to get out more if I'm talking about "ravaging" garments...

Well done all, enjoy your bargains. x