Charity Shop Shopping

OrkneyStar

I love charity shops. I agree the smaller 'local' ones are often where the bargains are found.
When I was pregnant with DS (did not know he was a he!) I got lots of baby stuff, Next, Gap etc, some brand new, for 20p, 50p a go. Less stuff now, but I still get him the odd thing for silly cheap prices, depending on item (he's still young but been in the same size clothes for a bit so not needing so much). Where we live there are not many clothes shops to start with, and aside from catalogues, charity shops are useful for getting variety. I got a Next Shirt and a Cherokee shirt for £1 and 50p respectively today, and a Snowsuit for DS for £1.50 (vertbaudet one!). My wardrobe is 50% charity, 20% presents from other people, 30% stuff bought when on holidays/catalogue! I have bought shoes but only brand new ones or those worn a couple of times. I have also got toys for DS too and a gym for him when he was ickle!
x

buxtonrabbitgreen

I buy clothes from my very local charity shop. I often find something nice for my dd. Last week it was a long knitted hooded zip up cardigan for £2.50. She has been wearing it ever since. Also her favourite going out dress cost me a couple of punds from the same shop. I do worry sometimes that the previous owner will spot us in one of thier items. The reason for this is that I gave some of my late mothers clothes to the shop and one of the items was u jumper that I had knitted her on my knitting machine. I then saw a friend of mine wearing it and has to bite my lip. Though I was a bit flattered that someone else liked my handiwork. I have had quite a lot of shirts for my oh. He is a formal sort. All still in the packets for £2 each.

Pennylane

Bought a beautiful dark charcoal grey coat today in a charity shop. :j

Wool and cashmere, mid calf length, fully lined and absolutely pristine condition. Fits perfectly. Wait for this ....... £5!!!!!!!!!:beer: :j

I am dead chuffed. Got loads of scarves, collars, wraps to wear with it so I don't care it if DOES snow this weekend.

Penelope_Penguin

Well done :j I'll add this to the existing thread

Penny. x

juliapenguin

If you're ever in Cheshire, try the charity shops in Knutsford... I'm not very knowledgable about designer names, but when I went with a friend there were brand new clothes (still with tags) which she said would have cost £300+. People must buy them for special occasions, then buy something else, then they can't be bothered to return the first thing..... or they gain or lose weight or get pregnant or something. It's beyond me :rolleyes:

I kitted out my husband for work (they changed to business casual just after he'd got a new suit which he now never wears :mad:) at Oxfam in Berwick-upon-Tweed when we were on holiday. Everything either looked or really was new, and we paid the grand sum of about £30 for about £150+ worth of clothes. And our hard earned cash went to a good cause.

Happy hunting everyone. I won't be shopping anywhere for quite some time because for the first time ever I have realised that I have ENOUGH of everything I need, plus a well-off friend who gives me lovely hand-me-downs - I've even been known to wear her cast-off bras (she is my best friend ) as we're identical in size.

Taffyscot

Menolly wrote: »

I love hunting in charity shops - it doesn't matter to me if a garment has been worn before - if it is still in nice condition it means that:

a) the person who donated it has taken care of it and
b) it is pretty good quality stuff in the first place!

I am wearing a TU Polo neck that I bought from Sainsburys for £8.00 two weeks ago. I have worn it a couple of times and on Thursday I washed it. Knowing that it was "cheap" and that other jumpers from TU have gone hard and nasty on being machine-washed, I hand washed it. I shouldn't have bothered - it now feels stiff, despite "reshaping while damp" it has lost its shape and it has also lost the lovely softness it had when I bought it. Contrast this with a Jaeger jumper that I bought from Imperial Cancer Research - it is also synthetic (can't wear wool) but it is as soft and lovely as the day it left Jaeger. I can't remember how much I paid for it but I've had it for three years (this will be my 4th winter with it), so I guess it doesn't owe me anything - the Tu Polo neck is now relegated to weekend gardening wear (I have to look smart for work and this thing now looks like I've had it since the Flood!).

I agree Mell I would much rather buy some really good quality stuff gently worn to some crap from Primark that falls apart after the first wash. Some of my friends look down their nose at me as I browse charity shops and off they pop to the cheapie shops and buy bags of rubbish. Once I went with them and bought a skirt for £3.00 that was supposed to cost £10. The first day I wore it I was down in Wales and catching a bus and in town all day as I had to visit the hospital in the night. The zip kept coming undone and the skirt kept falling down. Into the local charity and bought a lovely per una for £4 and threw the other skirt in the rubbish.
taffy

wigglebeena

My tip - don't just barge straight in and start rummaging. The volunteers search out the cream (after they've bagged the things they fancy themselves) pretty carefully - and that's what goes in the window displays! If you spot something great there (and in a good chazza it's usually fantastic) they will usually get it out for you to try.

Pennylane

I have noticed some of the charity shops are putting on SILLY prices now. I was in Oxfam the other day and things were so expensive. Knitting wool was nearly the price of new, I saw a book I fancied and it was £9.99 and a top I rather liked was almost shop price and it was well worn.

Another shop I visit regularly is great because you can still get bargains. Last week they had Betty Barclay trousers and another really expensive make for £3.50 a pair and they were like new. They also had cheapo Primark ones for the same price.

Mander

I hardly ever buy anything at Oxfam for that reason--the stuff they sell is usually overpriced for second-hand goods. I presume they are trading on name recognition? More power to them if the items are worth the price, but very often they are not, in my experience. The local hospice and national charity shops (Scope, St. Cuthbert's hospice, British Heart Foundation, Mind, etc.) are usually better deals.

pennypinchingmum

I absolutely adore shopping in charity shops. especially this time of the year. I find that whilst i dont tend to buy the big xmas pressie in charity shops they are great for little extra's all of my childrens stocking fillers are from my local charity shops. Book that are worth £5 are 50p. My mum searches them for jigsaw puzzles. Though i do still find it surprising that many people still have a stigma about charity shops, even in times like these! Baffling.