More Charity Shop Bargains for 2018 & beyond!

beautiful_ravens

I only usually read this thread but today I snagged a bargain. Was out with my mum who was looking for fabric for patchworking, and we found these blue curtains with sheep on.
After an inspection, they turned out to be very good quality, with a blackout lining, and barely used. Only £7.50 ! I had to have them. Im repainting my bedroom a similar blue when it warms up, so they are perfect.

Ive found the fabric, its 'BAA BAA' by iLiv, and seems curtains are made to measure, not off the shelf, so double bargain!

Pollycat

But only 10% to 20% of donated clothes are actually sold through charity shops like Oxfam's.

The rest are sold to distributors who then sort the clothes and send them on to countries like Pakistan or Malaysia where they are sold in second-hand clothes markets or recycled to make products like fleece.

I wonder if they put stuff out on display in their shops first and then if it doesn't sell, they sell to the distributors.

Looking at the price in some Oxfam shops, my observation is that they would probably sell more stuff if they didn't price so ridiculously high.

Potternerd

A f and f denim dungaree dress ( just below the knee rather than the very short or very long ones you usually see) £3, a principles velvet military jacket for 99p and aBNWT Paperchase bag with a map of the Underground for £1 (original price £9.75)

osbornbiscuit

In our shop donations go on display as soon as they received and then after a month they are culled and sent to another shop to be sold. Sometimes they will go to our vintage shop or the pound shop depending on the item. We receive other shops cull to supplement our stock because contrary to what people believe some of the donations are only worth ragging. We have had ripped dresses, mens trousers with stains under the crotch (and other things that were totally disgusting).
I must admit I do find Oxfam expensive with BHF not far behind. A new shop opened near to me and thought that £2.00 was acceptable for tatty paperbacks. Needless to say I won't be shopping there.

Miró

Another small find today in the BHF shop in Otley....a red clunky statement plastic bracelet for £1! Perfect to go with my M & S, Managers Sale dress which cost me £4.25 and has a dark red fitted skirt with a paler red short sleeved top. (Cor, seems strange buying something from a 'proper' shop )

tessie_bear

began the search for a case for ds to take on a school trip in nov don't want to send one of ours as he is a bit heavy handed hope we track one down

dolly84

Floss wrote: »

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42777804

Hopefully that is ok...

Thanks for that Floss. I passionately hate fast fashion, it is second only to the oil industry in the damage it is doing to our one and only planet - our home.

When I buy new I buy from sustainable/ethical retailers but new is kept to the minimum. It doesn't matter if an item of clothing is expensive and made to last or cheap and worn once the resources going into that product are the same.

VfM4meplse

dolly84 wrote: »

Thanks for that Floss. I passionately hate fast fashion, it is second only to the oil industry in the damage it is doing to our one and only planet - our home.

When I buy new I buy from sustainable/ethical retailers but new is kept to the minimum. It doesn't matter if an item of clothing is expensive and made to last or cheap and worn once the resources going into that product are the same.

I agree, this is a very thought-provoking article Floss. Perhaps we have reached international saturation point? International need these days is different - its a lack of education and connectivity, not a case of having inadequate clothing to wear.

This quote from the article is so telling. Developing countries really don't stand a chance in growing their own economies with this attitude:

Last June, Rwanda's president Paul Kagame said: "We have to grow and establish our industries."

The consequences for clothes-selling countries were swift.

The United States - which is the world's biggest exporter of worn clothing - said over the summer it would review its trade relationship with Rwanda, as well as Uganda and Tanzania, in the wake of the proposed bans.

In a statement, it said the bans "impos[ed] significant economic hardship on the US used clothing industry."

Rwanda has transformed itself from a war-ravaged nation to the "Switzerland of Africa", I doubt the nation is going to let The Donald beat it.

Political grandstanding over. And breathe...

GreenBitterfly

A few DVD charity shop bargains lately, over the past couple of weeks, I've bought Spectre on DVD for £1 from the local hospice charity shop, and Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit and Skyfall on DVD from the local(ish) Cancer Research shop, both for £1.

I was taking some DVDs myself to the Cancer Research shop after finally persuading my mum and dad to have a sort through of their DVD collection. The volunteers got my items out on the shop counter to have a look at, so I'm glad my donations were of good quality.

DigForVictory

That man of mine has brought home a fascinating puzzle.
Looks like a Denby Manor Green thing at a distance. Up close, the shape is familiar but Langley not Denby - a Casino coffeepot. Basestamp just "Made in England" and an impressed O - so possibly neither, but the colour & the shape both sing even if some rat fink counterfeiter produced it. (Which *was* a problem & if this is an example thereof, I can quite see why they pulled the Casino range rather than compete!)
All for £2, which I regard as expensive but for the conundrum, worth it!