What is your charity shop bargain of the week?

Pollycat

I took 2 shopping trolley loads up to my local Hospice last week.

I like VFM's idea that buying in charity shops can be like hiring items.
Buy them, wear them and re-donate them when you're ready for a change.

Bought an Indigo (M&S) denim skirt for £1 from Air Ambulance when I popped in this morning to return a couple of jigsaws.
Knee-length so will be great with thick tights & flat ankle boots.

foxyloxy11

Good outing yesterday...
Navy top with nice beading round the neckline 99p, cream and black spot shirt with blk collar £1.50, tube skirt nice print brand new £1 and New Looksy kaftan style thing for 99p for DD to take on hols.
I don't think the 2 tops had been worn either. Love bargains.

Hobsons_Choice

A few weeks ago I took a large bag to a local animal charity. They wouldn't accept it because they were full, I took it to the Hospice Shop next door. Yesterday I took an even larger bag to a local Charity Shop. They wouldn't take it because they were short staffed and hadn't got anyone to sort/price goods.
Took it to the local Hospice Shop again.

ilovetea

Primrose wrote: »

I visit my local charity shops fairly regularly and have occasionally wondered why I've never seen some of the nicer items I've donated on sale. Either they've been sold quickly, or .......dare I ask this question..... do the volunteers serving in the shop get first offer on any donated items?

I ask this, not because I mind if volunteers get first offers, but I would be very upset if they weren't paying the same price for them that they would be pricing them up for members of the general public.


Can anybody who's ever volunteered in a charity shop share what the policy is on this?

The shop I work we pay the same price as the public. We are entitled to 10% discount,but we don't bother claiming it.

ilovetea xx

Valli

Pollycat wrote: »

I like VFM's idea that buying in charity shops can be like hiring items.
Buy them, wear them and re-donate them when you're ready for a change.

As I am dieting atm I will be doing just that, as I filter down through the sizes.
I currently have a huge bag of too-big stuff to donate, including a dress I wore 3 times.
I just need to work out which CS's to visit. Could do with someone local to point me in the right direction;)

(I have a feeling the British Heart Foundation shop, in the precinct, might not be a good start, but I might well try the hospice shop if I am over that end of town)

CathA

I got an amazing pirate ship (possibly a Playmobil one) for 99p. It's quite big, in good nick now it's had a clean up and my grandson loves it! My daughter thinks it would be about £20-£30 new!

Floss

CathA wrote: »

I got an amazing pirate ship (possibly a Playmobil one) for 99p. It's quite big, in good nick now it's had a clean up and my grandson loves it! My daughter thinks it would be about £20-£30 new!

Quite possibly a bit more than that!

I gave away my kids' Play Mobil when they got to their teens and am severely tempted to buy a couple of bits to go with their old Brio trainset in the attic

Potternerd

ilovetea wrote: »

The shop I work we pay the same price as the public. We are entitled to 10% discount,but we don't bother claiming it.

ilovetea xx

I volunteer in a nationwide charity shop and am entitled to 20% discount. Probably if it's good stuff it shifts quickly or perhaps goes to another branch. Stock is date coded and if it's been on the shop floor for 3 weeks it's sent on to a different branch. TBH as a volunteer Im too busy to be selecting stuff for myself. I tend to donate stuff to local hospice shop and have seen it in a different branch to where I donated it.

Pollycat

Hobsons_Choice wrote: »

A few weeks ago I took a large bag to a local animal charity. They wouldn't accept it because they were full, I took it to the Hospice Shop next door. Yesterday I took an even larger bag to a local Charity Shop. They wouldn't take it because they were short staffed and hadn't got anyone to sort/price goods.
Took it to the local Hospice Shop again.

I'd cut out the middle man and take your stuff direct to the hospice shop.

Valli wrote: »

As I am dieting atm I will be doing just that, as I filter down through the sizes.
I currently have a huge bag of too-big stuff to donate, including a dress I wore 3 times.
I just need to work out which CS's to visit. Could do with someone local to point me in the right direction;)

(I have a feeling the British Heart Foundation shop, in the precinct, might not be a good start, but I might well try the hospice shop if I am over that end of town)

I take all my donations to our local hospice shop, there's one in my village.
Have sent you a pm.

My 'bargain' yesterday was the most beautiful Wallis jersey maxi dress (yes, yes, I know I don't need another one :cool:) but this is worth outing one (or more) of my current stock of maxi dresses to make room for it.
Perfect fit, doesn't need shortening, lovely detailing round the armholes, flattering front and in a very unusual pattern. Sort of a smokey grey background with kaleidoscope-like patterns in bright colours or a bit like stained glass windows.

I did think twice at £7.99 from Age UK but it really is gorgeous.
Was chatting to one of the volunteers I know and she told me that Ted Baker were donating some of their stuff to sell.
They had a few items out, but mainly in small sizes.

oldhaggis

Potternerd wrote: »

I volunteer in a nationwide charity shop and am entitled to 20% discount. Probably if it's good stuff it shifts quickly or perhaps goes to another branch. Stock is date coded and if it's been on the shop floor for 3 weeks it's sent on to a different branch. TBH as a volunteer Im too busy to be selecting stuff for myself. I tend to donate stuff to local hospice shop and have seen it in a different branch to where I donated it.

I was a volunteer at a nationwide charity for many years and we did not get any staff discount. I now volunteer at a smaller hospice charity and we do not get any discount either. Along with most CS volunteers on this forum, I have never expected to get a discount.

Like Potternerd's charity, both the charities for which I have volunteered date code their items and move them to another branch if they have been out on the shop floor for 3 weeks.

To anyone reading who is new to the charity shop scene - CS are always very grateful for bubble wrap, tissue paper and newspapers as well as good donations. A lot of CS also take clean rag eg worn out clothing, sheets, towels, curtains etc. Please check first that the shop accepts it and then bag it up and label it as rag to help the volunteers who sort the donations.