Pick'n'Mix - the joy of the chaz in '26!

beanielou

Love the floral laces. You could always use the red ones depending on what you’re wearing @goldfinches.

Rosa_Damascena

I shall be helpful - I like them both! It wouldn't have occurred to me to change the laces but the flowery ones do complement the design on the side.

Magpie100

@goldfinches - yes, I don't know if S&D get a say in how much a charity can sell them on for. It's a pricey charity shop anyway (London; lots of designer donations) so £15 just seems way off when they are over £100 RRP. But there we are!

I like the floral laces; I don't think the red ones work tonally with the flowers.

goldfinches

@Magpie100 - I think you're right about the red ones, they overpower the embroidery I think.

@Rosa_Damascena - I was hoping the flowery ones would be a better match for the embroidery but they were the best I could find for now, I'm going to keep looking.

@beanielou - I may follow your suggestion to swap them around depending on what else I'm wearing so thanks for that.

Anyway, I dropped into my favourite bhf shop at lunchtime after collecting my new reading glasses and this sandwich board was on the pavement outside.

I'm sure it's entirely attributable to the manager and her clever mix of volunteers and paid staff who contrive to make everyone welcome and keep the shelves and rails nicely stocked up at reasonable prices. When I first moved into this flat one of my neighbours recommended the shop to me and said that it was new but very much worth a visit and I've been shopping and donating here ever since. It's nice to know my money has helped them along.

I also had a browse round the bookshelves and picked up all these volumes at £2 or £3 each as well as a Dolly Parton cd for £1.

The book with the Waterstone's 3 for 2 sticker on it is a Persephone (Good Evening Mrs Craven by Mollie Panter Downes) which I nearly didn't spot because they usually have dull silver jackets and spines but this one is a special edition cover. (I still miss the Waterstone's 3 for 2 tables and hope that some day they'll be back.)

The new planner is to help me with the group I volunteer with on Wednesdays because I'm finding I need a notebook !!!!!! diary to keep track now that I'm more involved with the Steering Group.

I'm off to Bath tomorrow for an overnight stay so if anyone has any last minute recommendations for charity shops near Milsom Street or Edgar Buildings do let me know.

Rosa_Damascena

Has anyone else noticed local CRUKs closing down? My nearest one is now in Rayleigh - the Southend and Leigh branches seem to have been wiped off the map! Which is a shame as I like to but the charity pins as they update.

Watty1

Catching up - love the floral laces.

On the idea they could get more for the dresses - yes - but maybe the stock would linger? The village charity shop has a great policy of keeping prices low and as a result they take more money than the more expensive shops in the "posher" areas for the same charity. I was astonished by their annual takings tbh given I have never paid more than £5 for anything in there including a new with tags Roman jacket, a dress that was over £150 new was £3 and so on. The manager told me that for her turnover is key, everything is coded with when it was put out and she frequently does "all clothes £1" just to remove the stock and people turn up and fill bin bags which she feels they probably resell but as she pointed out I pop in regularly because there is a high turnover of stock and the tiny shop is always full but never over stocked.

DigForVictory

There was a charity shop in Accrington that was staffed by a chap I wasn't wholly convinced was numerate, but the trestle tables & bookshelves were heaped & it was as busy as it can be when you can only get another 2 adults & no pushchairs in. Books had been sorted so the ones at floor height were for infants, and so on til my sight height line was young adult & further up novels etc. The lads loved it as they could bag several of their current pop author for 20 pence (or I suspect Any Coin) & I'd mop up the odd murder. I made sure I paid with pound coins, as notes distressed him - "tek it next door!" (to the sister charity shop which had serious pricing but more organisation & a till) I reckoned that shop probably did more business albeit for less money than its sister shop, but stock moved into the hands of those who hadn't got a lot of cash. Of course covid did for it, but sometimes a charity shop with a target of serving the community is a blessing.
When I found a shop that was having a ruthless clearance - "we sell you a bag for a pound, fill it with what you want!", I whistled in the lads and pointed them at the bookcases, whilst I called my expecting-again uni mate & asked if a bag of assorted babyclothing was wanted "Yes, something Different for the photos!" so I stuffed a bag with rompers & tops that had prints (as she'd recommended I buy plain "as you can dye them for another child" for my firstborn.) We were never a designer name household, more a "does it wash" & "does the velcro/zip still work?" one, but with three lads we didn't buy for resale, we bought for durability! (The exception being the Tesco Cath Kidston bags which I'd buy as Christmas giftwrap, & the spares then resell on ebay. Still do buy the odd "name" bag gifting for the use of, decades later.

cbsexec

managed a trip to a nearby town which has charity shops selling stuff for £3 and under. Bought a tu jumper £2. Polo shirt 50p m& s collection trousers 50p and black jeans £1. Very happy with my purchases. As I live in an area with VERY expensive charity shops you will understand my pleasure. I could have/should have bought more but I was on my way to a hospital appointment so couldn’t carry too much!

General_Grant

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81936361#Comment_81936361

There are some word's we can't write - but can include them in photos.

Rosa_Damascena

The local Mencap had a sale when I passed by on Friday - I bought a Coast blouse, a Monsoon dress and a thick hooded anorak for immediate use as I had optimistically (stupidly?) left the house without my usual parka and it started to rain! All in all, £3 well spent.

Looking ahead at the weather forecasy for the nexy fortnight, it appears to be decidedly lukewarm. Wouldn't it be lovely to have a warm Easter?