More Charity Shop Bargains for 2018 & beyond!

tessie_bear · 1 March 2018 at 2:37PM

just to say I hope everyone is keeping warm and safe xx

Wizzbang · 1 March 2018 at 3:25PM

VfM4meplse wrote: »

Glad you are having fun in your search! Chaz-ing is addictive, I tell you.

The prices are more than I would have paid - but then I am in a different position. Firstly, I don't actually need anything, so anything I get is very much a want and not a necessity, hence my default position is "do not buy". Secondly, I have had years of cruising the chazzers, and there are items that come up all the time, and then there are some very unusual finds that I just know I shan't see again soon, if at all. Lastly, I have had some amazing bargains over this time and know how much something is worth to me, hence my benchmark pricing is set much lower than yours. I guess we all start out by paying over the odds.

Today I bought a beautiful maroon leather handbag, v smart and new looking with stud feet. At first glance I thought the price tag said £20 - but it was in fact just £2 . I've image searched on Google and can't find the exact item, its a very unusual design but large enough for everyday use, so its time to decant from my usual handbag.

Just came across this thread. I've been a charity shop devotee my whole life. I blame a double dose of the gene responsible from my Grandparents. I am reading through the thread with interest, but most notably seems to be the pricing difference between North and South, or perhaps even different areas. I find it quite rude of you to suggest that someone is 'paying over the odds' and implying that 'they will learn'.

Not even 20 years ago could I have bought charity shop items at the prices you are quoting here. I think you need to accept that you know the prices where you frequent, but this does not apply nationally. I couldn't even buy jumble sale items at the prices you quote. Round here it's at least £4 for a skirt, £6 for a dress and prices go up according to brand. Perhaps it's just that the charity shops are becoming more aware of the brands they are selling. But you won't get a Phase Eight dress for less than £15, for example. Similar prices for Seasalt and those upmarket brands.

Prices are even worse in certain towns, and certain charity shops - generally the kind you describe with the posh volunteers who set prices as they fancy. My personal experience is that it's becoming harder and harder to find genuine bargains in the charity shops and I can often buy the same thing for less, brand new, in the sales.

Nevertheless I look forward to joining in this thread with my good finds. I do leave a lot behind these days though, due to overpriced items, in poor condition.

Pollycat · 1 March 2018 at 3:58PM

Wizzbang wrote: »

Just came across this thread. I've been a charity shop devotee my whole life. I blame a double dose of the gene responsible from my Grandparents. I am reading through the thread with interest, but most notably seems to be the pricing difference between North and South, or perhaps even different areas. I find it quite rude of you to suggest that someone is 'paying over the odds' and implying that 'they will learn'.

Not even 20 years ago could I have bought charity shop items at the prices you are quoting here. I think you need to accept that you know the prices where you frequent, but this does not apply nationally. I couldn't even buy jumble sale items at the prices you quote. Round here it's at least £4 for a skirt, £6 for a dress and prices go up according to brand. Perhaps it's just that the charity shops are becoming more aware of the brands they are selling. But you won't get a Phase Eight dress for less than £15, for example. Similar prices for Seasalt and those upmarket brands.

Prices are even worse in certain towns, and certain charity shops - generally the kind you describe with the posh volunteers who set prices as they fancy. My personal experience is that it's becoming harder and harder to find genuine bargains in the charity shops and I can often buy the same thing for less, brand new, in the sales.

Nevertheless I look forward to joining in this thread with my good finds. I do leave a lot behind these days though, due to overpriced items, in poor condition.

Welcome to the thread. :hello:

Other than the 90% sale in M&S where I bought lots of pairs of fancy leggings - some Per Una velour, some patterned and thicker than the usual leggings, 2 pair glittery Christmas ones - for mostly less than a couple of quid, I don't find I can buy the same thing for less money than I'd pay in some charity shops.

Charity shops seem to be more aware of brands like Phase Eight and Coast but not so much about brands like Kew/Jigsaw and Sandwich, but I guess they'll learn.

For me, I'm happy to pay what I pay for something that I deem to be a bargain, although I'm becoming more and more picky now as my wardrobe is full to bursting (which is what I think VFM means).

Re pricing - this subject comes up regularly.
I find the national chains are generally pricey.
We have 3 hospice shops in 3 villages that I visit regularly.
I think pricing must be at the manager's discretion because my nearest one is pretty cheap, one is reasonable and the other is now expensive (to the extent that I often mutter 'you're having a laugh' when I'm browsing the rails).
I rejected these at £7.50 in the expensive shop then found them in the reasonable one:

Pollycat wrote: »

Next leggings in black & white pattern, great fabric, much thicker than usual leggings.
£3.00 Hospice shop

I know they move stuff around as I've seen some stuff I've donated locally turn up in the other 2 shops.

We have a clearance Air Ambulance shop where everything is £1.00, they ship unsold items in from the other AA shops. Most of my bargains come from there.

Re poor condition items, see my post re what I check before I decide to buy. :rotfl:

osbornbiscuit · 1 March 2018 at 4:07PM

Just a quick note as I know there are some pyrex collectors out there. In our shop today we had donated 4 x pyrex dishes that are cockle shell shaped. Any idea what they are for?

Out,_Vile_Jelly · 1 March 2018 at 4:37PM

Based on our ongoing threads; local hospice shops seem to be consistently low-priced, high-turnover with friendly volunteers. Worth seeking out where your nearest is.

VfM4meplse · 1 March 2018 at 4:38PM

Wizzbang wrote: »

I am reading through the thread with interest, but most notably seems to be the pricing difference between North and South, or perhaps even different areas. I find it quite rude of you to suggest that someone is 'paying over the odds' and implying that 'they will learn'.

When you see the same item you bought with excitement elsewhere for a fraction of the price, you learn fast. And once. It works the other way too - I once bought an amazing Per Una dress in Inverness for just £2, original RRP would have been around £45 I imagine. I found the exact same dress, the same size and length in an Edinburgh chazzer for £9.99 just a few days later. So that gave me post-purchase validation

I live in the south (recently moved out of London) and there are plenty of unrealistically priced items in chazzers everywhere. As with everything, purposeful practice makes a difference. If any of the stuff I bought was a need rather than a mere fancy, I would probably paid a higher price.

Laredouter · 1 March 2018 at 6:02PM

VFM and Pollycat are right. I have been rebuilding my wardrobe from scratch so I am more than happy to pay the £3 for the blouses, £6 for the knitwear etc. at the moment for quality items that I know will last. When I have everything that I need, the £3, £6 or higher won't be justifiable anymore and I can afford to be picky :money: . I wish that I knew of any cheaper charity shops near me; the Phyllis Tuckwell shops in Guildford are the cheapest charity shops that I have been in that still have high quality items

.

Wizzbang · 1 March 2018 at 6:07PM

Bogof_Babe wrote: »

In an RSPCA shop yesterday I spotted a pair of Hotter blue velcro-fastened summer shoes. They were somewhat scruffy on the sides and top, although strangely the soles didn't seem to have much wear. I asked if the £23 price label was the shop's or from a previous life - yes it was theirs, because "they are Hotter you know". I wasn't even tempted, you don't go into a charity shop to spend that sort of money on second hand shoes, Hotter or not! Bet they are still there when I next go back.

They are routinely priced like that round here, although usually in better condition than that (though not always!) I will pay up to £10 for a pair, but only if they look brand new all over. I suppose the people in these charity shops assume that they have originally been purchased at full price? I suppose it is a bargain if you're looking at it that way - I mean they're at least £70 new. But I never pay full price for anything if I can help it, it's my personal motto. I'm also not a hobby-shopper in the charity shops, I shop there out of necessity, but I think a lot are and that's who the charity shops are hoping to lure with this pricing. I think eventually they get knocked down if they don't sell - though I've seen the same stock sat for literally years in some of the 'boutiquey' type local hospice shops around here.

Wizzbang · 1 March 2018 at 6:31PM

Out,_Vile_Jelly wrote: »

Based on our ongoing threads; local hospice shops seem to be consistently low-priced, high-turnover with friendly volunteers. Worth seeking out where your nearest is.

The hospice shops in Dorset (where I am) are all horrendous. Certain upmarket towns in the countryside are the worst, but often have the best donations. But as I know I would buy the items for less in the sale, I just laugh at their pricing (and volunteers!) and move on. I had the misfortune of living in one of those towns for 18 months - the kind where the toffs push (who they consider to be) the riff raff off the pavements because they think they have more right to be there, or push in front of you in the supermarket queue because they believe they have more right to be served! Yes, seriously and you could never, ever persuade me to live there, ever again.

You can find the odd bargain/ clearance shop in one of the big towns, but they are generally in the really nasty areas and basically full of tat. Even the run of the mill, normally priced ones are expensive and I see an awful lot of cheap, nasty brands like Primark, Peacocks etc for what you could buy it new for, or more. There are quite a few big warehouse type shops and they are the same middle of the road pricing as the rest, the nice thing is that as they are hospice shops, they often get corporate donations from local companies. So you can buy brand new for less.

I get a lot less in charity shops now, as in the sales at 70% or greater discount, I can buy brand new from a wide selection of brands at a fraction of the cost of the charity shops around here. I think people are also tending to sell the good stuff themselves on eBay or Facebook etc, so you are less likely to find the good stuff. That's good if you want to be specific, but less fun to browse.

Pollycat · 1 March 2018 at 6:37PM

Wizzbang wrote: »

They are routinely priced like that round here, although usually in better condition than that (though not always!) I will pay up to £10 for a pair, but only if they look brand new all over. I suppose the people in these charity shops assume that they have originally been purchased at full price? I suppose it is a bargain if you're looking at it that way - I mean they're at least £70 new. But I never pay full price for anything if I can help it, it's my personal motto. I'm also not a hobby-shopper in the charity shops, I shop there out of necessity, but I think a lot are and that's who the charity shops are hoping to lure with this pricing. I think eventually they get knocked down if they don't sell - though I've seen the same stock sat for literally years in some of the 'boutiquey' type local hospice shops around here.

I guess I'm a 'hobby shopper' (although that's a new term for me) as I can afford to shop new.
It's something I've been doing for years.
But charity shops don't lure me with their pricing.
I have price limits in my mind and it's very rare that I'll pay more.
I do sometimes find something that I'll pay a little bit more for but that's rare.

TBH, I'm not sure I understand about boutiquey charity shops, someone mentioned this a few days ago. :huh:

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