What is your charity shop bargain of the week?

YorksLass

Took 2 bags of assorted items to cs this morning with the full intention of not coming back with anything. You know how it goes, don't you? You have to look just in case ... and as there are now 5 near me, all within 200yds, it took somewhat longer than expected.

From Hospice shop:
A s/s BHS top in chocolate brown, with a cream Cornelli-type trim around the neck (for me, fits perfectly) £1.99
From Cancer Research:
Pack of 5 terry tea towels, decent size, brand new £3.99 (to replace some very holey ones that are now destined to become dishcloths)
A child's paint-your-own eggcup kit - cute rabbit attached to eggcup, palette of paints, brush, boxed and new £1.50 (for DGS next Easter)
A large coffee mug 50p (for DS for Xmas, will add some sachets of coffee to it)
Pair of rich purple flock patterned cushion covers, new £2.50 (for DS & DDiL for Xmas - I have the cushion pads already)
:):):)

Lucy5781

As my DH says, Men just wear things to death and then they're not fit for the charity shop. Or they hoard things like he does.... Geeky T-shirts in particular. Jeans and trousers he wears to death though.

Hermia

Mir! wrote: »

Good luck with the Ecco shoes....I bought a pair, brand new, for about £8 from a charity shop a few years ago and the soles completely disintegrated and fell to bits after a couple of wears, (quite a common thing with this brand along with Hotter & Clarks it seems from the online reports. There is even a thread on MSE about it.) As I couldn't provide the original sales receipt Ecco just did not want to know. I do hope you are more fortunate with your bargain buy

With all three of those brands it is best to only buy them when you are intending to start wearing them straight away. I bought some Ecco walking sandals in the sales just before winter. I stored them in a cool dark cupboard ready for this summer. I went to get them out last week. As I picked one up the sole just crumbled into about 20 pieces.

Pollycat

Re the disintegration of Ecco, Hotter & Clarks footwear - I've had it happen to at least 4 pairs of my shoes. 2 pair of Clarks, 1 pair I bought from New york (can't remember the make) and a pair of Dunlops.

However, I've had other pairs of Ecco, Clarks and Dunlop which are perfectly fine.
I think it's the sole composition.

Re bargains:
I bought a lovely fuchsia short cardigan (River Island) for £3.49 from PDSA.
And a BNWT M&S cardigan in neutral with fancy buttons and contrasting navy neckline for £3.00 from Cancer Research.

And 3 books for £1:
Lee Child Personal
Robert Harris Conclave
John Connelly The Unquiet

The sign I saw said "4 books for £1" but I couldn't see a 4th book I wanted.
At the counter, the woman said £1.50 please'.
I said 'the sign said 4 for £1'.
'Yes but it's 50p each and you've got 3'.
'Hang on a minute'. I went back, picked up the first book I laid my hands on, came back and gave her £1.
Then I took the 4th book and put it back on the counter and said 'you can put this back, I don't want it'.

I'm not sure that she actually understood my point about their silly pricing.
Or is it me?

Miró

TravellingAbuela wrote: »

MIRO a similar happened with a pair of Clarks Mr TA had stored in the wardrobe for a considerable time. (He got them supplied at work and stocked up before he retired, hence the time span in the wardrobe!) He went out in a pair and the soles just parted company from the shoes!! I thought it was hilarious that he had to return home in just the uppers but he wasn't amused!!

I hope the same doesn't happen to me with my Ecco's!!

A few years ago I went on holiday to Madeira with 3 pairs of shoes, one pair of Hotter walking shoes, one pair of Ecco walking sandals and a pair of high heels for evenings. The walking shoes that I wore to travel in had disintegrated on arrival in Madeira. The walking sandals fell apart the next day and we were staying in the middle of nowhere. I had to get a taxi to the nearest town the next day in order to buy some wearable walking shoes....I was not a happy bunny at the time!!

(Sorry folks for taking the thread off topic )

2childmum

I bought a very pretty short sleeved per una t-shirt in grey and greens for £3.99. I thought about it for a bit as I couldn't think of anything I have which it will go with, but decided it looked so nice on I would buy it anyway - it will always go with jeans!

i also bought a battleships game and 20 plastic cups in 2 colours.- I have just taken on a junior sea cadet group at rather short notice, so i am trying to find quick and easy things to do with them whilst I get my head around their badge scheme and plan some proper sessions. They are a lovely group, but need lots of activities to keep them going, but there are not enough of them for many group games. I have found a load of 'minute to win it' games on the internet, which involve plastic cups, so when I found this box full of cups I grabbed them!

Floss

I don't look in many chazzers now, but my local BHF has recently moved from off-high-street to a new position opposite M&S and has had much better stock (and sales) ever since. I've had 3 BNWT Italian linen sleeveless dresses (same style different colours), 3 Phase Eight dresses, a Hollister cotton sweater, a cream Berghaus fleece, a pair of BNWT Converse, 4 Next tops and a Monsoon shrug (perfect match to one of the Phase Eight dresses). Total spend over several weeks has been around £54. The Italian dresses alone are at least £15 and the Phase Eight dresses are around £25+ each on that well-known auction site

C_J

I'm just back from another mooch around Nettlebed, the monthly outdoor charity sale run by Sye Ryder at one of their hospices.

I spent slightly more than I usually do - this time it was about £25 - but for that I got:

Parasene greenhouse heater (the eagle eyed amongst you will have spotted that I have bought a greenhouse heater before, quite recently, but I have three greenhouses .....)

'Antler' brand wheeled overnight/cabin bag in a pretty raspberry red colour which matches my existing luggage beautifully. It comes with a small padlock and key too.

An automatic telescopic umbrella - not any particular make, but it was really pretty.

A bright pink/stripy multicolour woven straw beach bag with leather handles, perfect for next week's hols.

A Girl Called Jack, Jack Monroe's cookery book

Hardback "Kitchenaid" cookery book, it has some lovely recipes in it

Hardback Hugh F-W "Fruit Everyday" cookery book. I have his Veg Everday one and use it quite a lot - this fruit one looks equally as inspiring.

A book of alphabet iron-on transfers, for embroidery or craft stuff

Two 100% wool jumpers in nordic/snowflake/Christmassy designs, which are for a wool-felting project I have in mind

2 oblong Pyrex glass baking dishes, perfect for batch cooking oven to freezer lasagnes etc

2 cute china cat feeding bowls

A pretty blue and cream floral pattern china lemon squeezer, in which the bit you put the lemons on is moulded into the base of a jug. I've not seen one like that before It doesn't have a maker's name on it but it looks very Laura Ashley.

A floor standing flexible neck daylight/craft lamp

6 mini cross skitch kits, mostly Christmas designs

About a metre of dark green felt, for craft stuff

2 pieces of 14 count aida fabric, one black and one cream, for cross stitching onto

A large Tefal nonstick wok. My current one is quite badly scratched after years of use, this new one looks completely unused.

8 dariole moulds

A Maxwell & Williams olive serving set - a small white china bowl on a wooden stand, 8 olive picks, and two small bowls for the stones to go in. I like M&W tableware.

(This is a bit like trying to remember what's on the conveyor belt in the Generation Game!)

Pollycat

C_J wrote: »

I'm just back from another mooch around Nettlebed, the monthly outdoor charity sale run by Sye Ryder at one of their hospices.

I spent slightly more than I usually do - this time it was about £25 - but for that I got:

Parasene greenhouse heater (the eagle eyed amongst you will have spotted that I have bought a greenhouse heater before, quite recently, but I have three greenhouses .....)

'Antler' brand wheeled overnight/cabin bag in a pretty raspberry red colour which matches my existing luggage beautifully. It comes with a small padlock and key too.

An automatic telescopic umbrella - not any particular make, but it was really pretty.

A bright pink/stripy multicolour woven straw beach bag with leather handles, perfect for next week's hols.

A Girl Called Jack, Jack Monroe's cookery book

Hardback "Kitchenaid" cookery book, it has some lovely recipes in it

Hardback Hugh F-W "Fruit Everyday" cookery book. I have his Veg Everday one and use it quite a lot - this fruit one looks equally as inspiring.

A book of alphabet iron-on transfers, for embroidery or craft stuff

Two 100% wool jumpers in nordic/snowflake/Christmassy designs, which are for a wool-felting project I have in mind

2 oblong Pyrex glass baking dishes, perfect for batch cooking oven to freezer lasagnes etc

2 cute china cat feeding bowls

A pretty blue and cream floral pattern china lemon squeezer, in which the bit you put the lemons on is moulded into the base of a jug. I've not seen one like that before It doesn't have a maker's name on it but it looks very Laura Ashley.

A floor standing flexible neck daylight/craft lamp

6 mini cross skitch kits, mostly Christmas designs

About a metre of dark green felt, for craft stuff

2 pieces of 14 count aida fabric, one black and one cream, for cross stitching onto

A large Tefal nonstick wok. My current one is quite badly scratched after years of use, this new one looks completely unused.

8 dariole moulds

A Maxwell & Williams olive serving set - a small white china bowl on a wooden stand, 8 olive picks, and two small bowls for the stones to go in. I like M&W tableware.

(This is a bit like trying to remember what's on the conveyor belt in the Generation Game!)

Jeez!
How did you carry all that?

I have a Tefal wok, it's great.

The Antler case sounds good too.

I'm after a decent hold case for my sister. I've given her a medium Tripp one recently to go with another Tripp one we didn't want but she needs another & I can't lend her one of ours as we're away at the same time.
This is my mission.

I've just taken 2 shopping trolley loads up to our hospice shop. That makes 7 trips in all plus the stuff we took in the car.

rosie51

Really smart skirt £1.50 and 2 pillowcases £1.
Very happy.