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Strangest item you've seen in a charity shop

MSE_James
MSE_James Posts: 1,702 Community Admin
1,000 Posts Fourth Anniversary Cashback Cashier Newshound!
in Old style MoneySaving
Many of us love a charity shop bargain - or just the thrill of poking around for something unusual or eye-catching - as the enduring popularity of the Shop Charity Store in 24 thread shows.

I was in a charity shop on Saturday that had a selection of unopened squeezy bottles of condiments, including Lidl tomato ketchup, being sold at twice the price of the Lidl store 200 yards away.

My experience this weekend led me to wonder - what's the oddest item (or most ambitious pricing) you've found in a charity shop?


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Comments

  • TravellingAbuela
    TravellingAbuela Posts: 7,267 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic
    Last year there was a bedpan for sale in my local Sue Ryder charity shop! 
    "If you dream alone it will remain just a dream. But if we all dream together it will become reality"
  • ouraggie
    ouraggie Posts: 342 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Combo Breaker I've been Money Tipped!
    once saw a copy of “The Joy of Sex” in amongst all the cookery books! 
  • Nelliegrace
    Nelliegrace Posts: 1,133 Forumite
    Seventh Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    A tatty WW2 gas mask in its case. Extremely dangerous blue asbestos and any chemicals the owner might have come across in gas mask practice.  
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0 Newbie
    100 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    A mounted stuff rat in full jocky outfit riding on a small lizard.
    About 5 years ago in a British  heart  foundation  shop in Cardiff.
  • ShinyStarlight1
    ShinyStarlight1 Posts: 178 Forumite
    Third Anniversary 100 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    edited 31 October 2024 at 1:46PM
    [Deleted User] said:
    A mounted stuff rat in full jocky outfit riding on a small lizard.
    About 5 years ago in a British  heart  foundation  shop in Cardiff.
    This made me laugh out loud!!!
  • DullGreyGuy
    DullGreyGuy Posts: 18,613 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Second Anniversary Name Dropper
    edited 31 October 2024 at 1:46PM
    [Deleted User] said:
    A mounted stuff rat in full jocky outfit riding on a small lizard.
    About 5 years ago in a British  heart  foundation  shop in Cardiff.
    I used to sit next to this in an old job:

    Untitled

    Don't know how much that particular one was bought for but the artist (Polly Morgan) works typically sell for several thousands. We also had another of her's elsewhere in the office that was a taxidermy version of the "Duckrabbit". 

    Who knows what a rat jockey could be worth if the right person did it. 
  • EssexHebridean
    EssexHebridean Posts: 24,656 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    I spotted an unopened box of Tampax tampons in one of our local CS's a couple of years ago - a bit of googling revealed the box dated back to the early 90's IIRC. I may still have a photo of it somewhere... 
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  • Eldi_Dos
    Eldi_Dos Posts: 2,327 Forumite
    Fifth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    ouraggie said:
    once saw a copy of “The Joy of Sex” in amongst all the cookery books! 
    That could have been quite sad to see, maybe the owners had got to the stage were they were downsizing.
  • annieb64
    annieb64 Posts: 694 Forumite
    Fifth Anniversary 500 Posts Name Dropper
    Not an item but I once saw a charity shop where the books were arranged by "female authors" and "male authors" . I did look to see if there were any George Eliots as was wondering where they would put her novels.
  • Katiehound
    Katiehound Posts: 8,131 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    annieb64 said:
    Not an item but I once saw a charity shop where the books were arranged by "female authors" and "male authors" . I did look to see if there were any George Eliots as was wondering where they would put her novels.
    or indeed Acton, Currer or Ellis Bell- but then, they would be worth a fortune. or George Sand .....
    Being polite and pleasant doesn't cost anything!
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