What is your charity shop bargain of the week?

BitterAndTwisted

lizzyb1812 wrote: »

Happybutterfly - the shop I donate to has a washing machine, ironing facilities and a steamer and would never put out dirty stuff. I may be lucky but the shops round here don't smell - if they did there are plenty of others.

All the charity shops around here smell of the same thing: Febreeze. All of them have those steam-cleaner things as well. Still, the first thing I do when I get home with a CS clothing-find is to pop it in the washing-machine with some Zoflora in the final rinse. I'm not afraid of germs, but I just don't want my clothes to smell of someone else. Or Febreeze.

A couple of days ago I found a lovely dark purple linen top/jacket thingy for £2.99. It's washed up really nicely and I've just given it a press. All I need is some decent weather now so I can wear it. Not this coming week by the weather forecast. I wonder if I buy a kagoule and some wellies it'll turn hot and sunny?

KitKat00

The smell does get to me, I agree. I also have to put it in the wash when I get home (I did once spray something liberally with body spray once when I just bought it and wanted to wear it that evening) but generally in the wash it goes

Out,_Vile_Jelly

I volunteered in a charity shop several years ago. The pockets of clothes are always checked (for money!) and everything is steamcleaned before going on display. Dirty or ragged items are not put out for sale- who on earth is going to buy them? Same for broken toys- people do donate an awful lot of useless junk.

I haven't been in one that smells for ages; I think they tend to be ones with tiny stockrooms and poor ventilation. Most tend to have bright laminate floor rather than dingy old carpets now.

Happybutterfly, If you go to ones near an affluent part of town I'm sure you'll be pleasantly surprised at the selection of branded items available.

floss2

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

.... I wonder if I buy a kagoule and some wellies it'll turn hot and sunny?

Please would you try your theory out?! :rotfl:

fozziebeartoo

thehappybutterfly wrote: »

You do make it sound appealing! I suppose I should look at it in another way - I would never put anything to the CS that I wouldn't buy myself so I'd like to think that most folk would think like that and only hand in decent clobber. Hmmm. Perhaps a foray into my high street next Saturday is in order. I wouldn't think twice about household items - it's just clothes that worry me. But judging by the bargains some of you have had, I need to get over myself. I didn't accummulate £32k of debt by trawling for bargans!

My neighbour works in the Salvation Army shop and they accept ALL clothes, because anything too tatty can be sold elsewhere by the sackful......same with manky old shoes, specialist companies buy them by weight no matter how awful.

But none of the CS shops here (and there are many and getting more each week) would put manky clothes in the shop to sell.

They would definitely go in the rag bag BUT that still raises money for the relevant charity, so any donations can help raise funds.

rubytuesday

Today I am wearing an IZ top that I bought for two quid last week - never heard of them but it looks really nice like Boden.

Poundshoplover

Hope you dont mind me joining in but am sooooooo pleased with my bargain today I had to share with someone! I've been looking for vision saucepans on e-ay for ages but they are really expensive and postage is horrendous. I went on a bit of a trawl of CSs today and found 3 with lids for £8.50 and all in very good condition. Also found a really nice Wal*is top in my size for £1.00!!! Am very happy!

SusanP_2

I love Cs shopping, recently been looking for a glass or china pedestal cake stand as I am making a 60th birthday cake for MIL, thought presentation on a stand might make up for the fact I've never iced a cake from scratch myself before(!), but could not find one anywhere, despite going fairly far afield from my home town to search!! I think certain things are really popular and go really quickly.

A few months ago I was really lucky to find a Lloyd Loom style ottoman for £3.49, lick of paint (already in shed) and off cut of material...gorgeous think it would have cost me £50 from one of those places where they buy bargains and do them up, plus I had the pleasure of doing it myself....

Still hunting for cake stand...fingers crossed!!

kitschkitty

Hope you find your cake stand, I picked up a nice glass one for about a quid at a Christmas fete, but haven't seen any in the charity shops as cheap!

wondercollie

Once you buy one, there will be a glut of them. I wanted a tiered cake plate, got a Royal Albert one for $9 and the next week they were in every thrift store in town.