What is your charity shop bargain of the week?

Jane2112

Enjoying this thread.
I am lucky in that I wear a uniform for work and am not too much of a 'clothes horse' out of uniform.

I also like old children's classics and am always on look out for hardback "william" books - but they are collectors items really.
As for bargains, recently I have had M&S jeans for £2 at Help the Aged.
I find BHS and Cancer Research very expensive and often have the "how much" moment - esp when you know the item has come from Primary.
We are lucky in that we have a Salvation Army charity shop in town and their prices are reasonable. I never have a problem telling people where I have got my clothes from when asked or complimented. I do try and stick with well known brands / names

I once set a challenge at work - for everyone to get their outfit for the Christmas Do from a chaser. Needless to say - only I did - the rest where amazed that the whole outfit including handbag and shoes was £11 !! Even when you explain that the money saved could go against a mortgage or loan - it still never goes in. Ah well, more bargains for us.:j

Hobsons_Choice

I tend to buy labels I couldn't afford new (or couldn't justify)!
Sometimes it's a "need" thing. If I need something I'll always trawl the charity shops first rather than spend my hard-earned pension in a store.
And sometimes it's a "oooh I lurve that" kinda day.
Books: I can read a novel within a couple of days, so buying (and returning) one from the charity shop makes sense if I can't get it from the library.
Agree on some of the prices though: BHF paperbacks are usually expensive for me, unless it's something I've been looking out for for ages and as for the Primark pricing.... sheesh!

VfM4meplse

My purchases tend to be unexpected, and very much wants rather than needs. It is mostly books though.

Hobsons_Choice wrote: »

IAgree on some of the prices though: BHF paperbacks are usually expensive for me, unless it's something I've been looking out for for ages

Be warned, BHF don't refund on books. I learned the hard way, I inadvertently bought a Bill Bryson (Short History of Nearly Everything?) that I already had on my shelf, and was refused a refund or exchange on another book, so I just donated it back. Ironically I still haven't read it

My sister has done a complete 180 degree turnaround in the space of a month. I asked her if she was going to Sainsburys to buy any baby stuff from Tu this week, and her response was "To be honest, now I don't like buying from anywhere but the chazzer"!

misfire

I found a whole set of Miffy books in the charity shop yesterday - My daughter loves these books, they were 50p each so I bought 4 - wish I had had more cash on me. We paid quite a bit for the Miffy goes to school off ebay when she was starting school, so although I normally pay 25p for my books they were still a bargain.

I saw loads of smellie gift sets in there - including 4 Bayliss and Harding ones - made me think of this thread and have a chuckle.

VfM4meplse

VfM4meplse wrote: »

My sister has done a complete 180 degree turnaround in the space of a month. I asked her if she was going to Sainsburys to buy any baby stuff from Tu this week, and her response was "To be honest, now I don't like buying from anywhere but the chazzer"!

More evidence of a Saul-on-the-road-to-Damascus conversion has emerged:

VfM4meplse wrote: »

I bought a sheer blouse in large, which I thought would be fine for work, and a cerise Espirit cardigan in medium for £3.99 each. Now I have had a chance to try them on, the blouse is way too big so hangs without shape, as for the cardigan I can't even get my arm in it. I'm a tall size 12

[STRIKE]Both will have to go back.[/STRIKE]

Swiped in a trice by my sister who stands 5'2" with skinny arms

got-it-spend-it

I have been reading this thread enviously recently as my chazza opportunities have been limited recently, but I was over the moon today when I discovered a local Cancer Research shop was doing any two items for £1! I picked up two tops, a cardi and a jumper for me, then discovered children's clothes were 3 for £1 so got a Planes top for DS2 as well as two pairs of trousers for 'spares' at the nursery I work in!

kboss2010

theoretica wrote: »

This thread has made me wonder, how do you decide what is a great charity shop bargain for you?

Money saved that you would have spent? (I wanted a new coat and found one in a charity shop rather than buying new off the high street)

Increase in quality? (I needed a new sweater and got a brand XX instead of cheapo new)

Something you would never have bought otherwise? (Another coat, a very random gadget...)

Or of course a profit for resale.

For me it's a mix.

Work clothes - I look for better quality/brands than I would be willing to pay for new (£20 for a blouse to wear under a lab coat all day is abhorrent to me!)

Leisure clothes - I look for really good quality staples that will last in brands I couldn't afford/justify new (Joules/Fat Face/Boden/Hobbs/White Stuff etc.)

Homewares - a mix of wants and needs.
For the needs I just buy whatever functional item is the cheapest to do the job (e.g. A banana hanger - it's just a hook on a stand I needed to stop my bananas making my fruit go off in the fruit bowl, a plain metal black wine rack for £1, it just sits on my fridge and I needed one to store bottles we're given as gifts but never drink but wasn't willing to part with £15 to buy a new one).
For the wants I buy the more expensive frivolous stuff that I definitely couldn't justify new (e.g. A £20 sturdy, Lakeland-quality metal egg basket for £3)

OH's clothes - work shirts with high st designer labels (e.g. TM Lewin, Pink, Charles Tyrwhitt, Saville Row etc.) - he goes through them at a rate of knots so I grab them when I see them at between £1-3 whether he needs them right then or not. Same for his work trousers, his favourite pair were £5 from a chazzer and he ended up tracking them down to their source so he could get another pair when they eventually wore out lol!

Miró

Not much to report lately....just as well as my TalkTalk service has been kaput for the last couple of weeks anyhoo

But...today I had a T-shirt-fest:-

Bottle green v neck with long sleeves
Bright blue scoopy neck with elbow length sleeves
Brick red polo neck with long sleeves

All M & S, as new and £1 each

As for deciding what is a charity shop bargain...for me, I look for good quality, good condition, good price and sometimes I just buy something as a 'treat'

bobsa1

Well I'm kicking myself today as I went to a local cs today and they had a wooden box smaller than a trunk but about the size of hand luggage I looked at it but couldn't see what I could do with it. It was £5 I walked away and when I got home it hit me that I could have used it as a sewing box as I'm just learning to sew. I'm going to go back tomorrow and fingers crossed its still there. I also got a lace top. I wanted to do some lace spray painting of a cabinet I've got and I thought for £1.25 it was worth a try.
Dh has just transformed our hallway by hanging the £6.99 cs Interlined curtain I got a couple of weeks ago. He hung an old mirror on the wall and put up a picture and it's suddenly looks 200 times better. I've added a hammered silver bowl I got from the cs for a couple of quid, to put keys in and it looks quite designer!

EssexGirl

For me I got a White company t-shirt for £2.50 and a pair of brand new Boden casual trousers for £4.99. I also got a lovely Joules fleece for my little one for £1.99. Can't argue with that