Chazzers - do you budget?

VfM4meplse

Floss wrote: »

We drove from West London to East London at the weekend, and saw about 8 or 9 shops that were tormenting me from the high streets!

I can tell you from personal experience that West London chazzers do not offer value for money. Conditions improve east of East Ham (I advised CRUK that it's East Ham prices were disproportionately high vs local deprivation some time ago, to deaf ears).

[Deleted User]

Yesterday afternoon while looking in a CS in Alderley Edge my friend and I were smiling at the prices and wondering which WAG the junk was being donated by.There was a black dress at £40.00 which I wouldn't have paid that for if it was new !!!

Apparently 'a designer' one Not only were we wondering about who donated it but who would buy it as the area is quite a small place and if you bought it ,you may run into the original owner whilst drinking your overpriced coffee in one of the swish coffee shops there :):)

I much prefer the jumbled up sort of CS to the posh sort anyway .Tomorrow will be our CS treasure hunt day as we are visiting several small towns in the area where we are ,usually we are looking for books, wool or maybe a toy of two for my friends three year old grandchildren, my DGC are all too grown up for toys now

Towser

I much prefer the jumbled up sort of CS to the posh sort anyway

Yes but do you like them sorted by colour or by size?

(I advised CRUK that it's East Ham prices were disproportionately high vs local deprivation some time ago, to deaf ears).

Did they tell you that they are trying to make as much money as possible for the charity?

BTW how frustrating is it when you are "trapped" in a car, travelling, and pass several interesting looking chazzers, but can't explore them?! We drove from West London to East London at the weekend, and saw about 8 or 9 shops that were tormenting me from the high streets!

Yes and usually in London there is no stopping or carspaces. I'd like to think if I won the lottery I would go from CS to CS by taxi so that I would not have this problem.

I just like the diversity of stuff that's different from what you can buy on the high street.

Yes the high street drives me nuts in terms of quality and choice. In a chazzer you have most things going on in one place. I'd like to think if I won the lottery I would still shop in the chazzer.

Pollycat

Towser wrote: »

Yes the high street drives me nuts in terms of quality and choice. In a chazzer you have most things going on in one place. I'd like to think if I won the lottery I would still shop in the chazzer.

I'm pretty sure I would.

Gem-gem

VfM4meplse wrote: »

This in where the online scrapbook P'interest cones into its own. Just googling and storing an image of a book cover implants it in your brain and primes recognition.

It also works the other way round - I might see an interesting looking fictional work on a chazzer shelf and P'in it to find in my location library. I get less sentimental about fiction and tend to only buy it if I've read it and love it / it's a classic / by an author I have read before and loved.

I don't think twice in the same way about non-fiction.

I was thinking of going to the Library for the Older James Patterson books that I am looking for rather than buy them and then pass them on.

Towser

There are 32 chazzer shops on my usual weekly route. This is in five different high streets. Sometimes less if I have to do something one day. If I could I would do them all weekly sometimes it is stretched to two weekly depending on how much is going on during normal life. Is this too much or Obsessive, what do you think? I don't buy at each one. I am very choosy but have kitted out the family and house.

If I could I'd like to be a charity shop manager, what do you think too?

GreyQueen

Towser wrote: »

There are 32 chazzer shops on my usual weekly route. This is in five different high streets. Sometimes less if I have to do something one day. If I could I would do them all weekly sometimes it is stretched to two weekly depending on how much is going on during normal life. Is this too much or Obsessive, what do you think? I don't buy at each one. I am very choosy but have kitted out the family and house.

If I could I'd like to be a charity shop manager, what do you think too?

I know charity shop managers and have seen the posts advertised. Expect minimum wage or a whisker above it. One pal loves his work for a national charity chain and has achieved wonders, but is being dragged down by a lot of responsibility for poverty pay.

pelirocco

pigpen wrote: »

I've not been in one to shop for years other than to drop off bags and bags and bags of stuff... I used to allow myself £50 a month and fully kitted out the children until about 13/14 years ago when I decided we don't need clothes.. haha.. the stuff in the M&S/Next sales is the same price or cheaper than the CS and the stuff is new so I bought that instead, it then was worn by several children and my 2 y/o is wearing stuff I bought for my 22 y/o years ago. then will go to my grand-daughter then back for my littlest.

TBH, I've not seen a thing worth buying in a CS for years when I have been dragged in by my mother.

Most of the items in the Next "sale" are items specially made for it, so not really a bargain as they are cheaply made ( materials and labour )...i assume most sales in other retailers are the same,it certainly happened at high end department store i had a part time job in 40 years ago

Pollycat

pelirocco wrote: »

Most of the items in the Next "sale" are items specially made for it, so not really a bargain as they are cheaply made ( materials and labour )...i assume most sales in other retailers are the same,it certainly happened at high end department store i had a part time job in 40 years ago

I'm not sure that M&S or Debenhams are the same as Next.

I've seen items in M&S and Debenhams sales that have definitely been full price previously.

I rarely go into Next apart from a big Next Clearance at an Outlet between Christmas and New Year and they have an amazing amount of tat.
Lots of items that have 'NEXT SP' sewn-in labels, 'SP' being 'Special Purchase' which are indeed specially made for the sale.

If I see a Next item in a charity shop with that label, I wouldn't bother with it.

Towser

I was listening to two very old ladies today in a chazzer buying a handbag.

Suddenly £!5 was shouted out in disbelief. We were in a chazzer that sells new items such as handbags and scarves. Maybe the ladies were in the wrong section?

I was going to treat myself to a scarf when I thought I'd best to know the going rate first. They seem to range from £2 to £8. So next time I see one I like, it must be £2 before I buy it.