Charity Shop Bargains

[emmer_moans]

I went to Birmingham City centre last week to do some shopping somewhere new, for a change. I could only find 2 charity shops!! I was gutted! Maybe I’ve been spolit in my home town because there are lots near me. I just wanted to try somewhere new

 

[Morleybbz]

This was about 10 years ago, but brand new Dr Martens for £8!

 

[Lord Voldemort]

This was about 10 years ago, but brand new Dr Martens for £8!

Bargain!
But were they your size?

 

[Morleybbz]

Bargain!
But were they your size?

Yes and they're still going to this day!

 

[Millie2023]

I went to Birmingham City centre last week to do some shopping somewhere new, for a change. I could only find 2 charity shops!! I was gutted! Maybe I’ve been spolit in my home town because there are lots near me. I just wanted to try somewhere new

Yes, only 2 in the centre, loads in the suburbs

I’ve had so many bargains over the years, mostly children’s clothes. That said, I used to go charity shop shopping a lot! Less so nowadays, as I’m so busy with work, but I still find the odd gem!

I remember once when I was out of work and skint and happened across a “5 items for £1” bin, with a load of Frugi stuff in!! All amazing quality too.

DD has had a Hatley coat for a couple of £, Jojo maman, joules and Boden stuff. Maybe the best bargain was a Paul Smith wax jacket for her that cost £4- I forget the RRP, but it was a lot

DD also had a decathlon ski jacket that was part of the 5 for £1 deal in another charity and that was subsequently worn by my friend’s 2 girls, then passed on. Not sure I’ve ever known such a good use of 20p

DD’s Christmas Day dress was monsoon, BNWOT, I paid £2.50! Once outgrown, we’ll pass it on

I regularly donate to charity shops too

 

[Some People!]

I regularly donate to charity shops too

I think this is important, obviously socially and for the charities & shops themselves, but mainlg as some kind of karmic offering/ gifts to the charity shop gods? To ensure that they [continue to] bless you with chazzy bargains?

Does anyone else check to see how many/ which charity shops are in areas you're visiting? We go away in the UK a couple of times a year plus loads of day trips and I do always have a little research to see if they're worth a visit.
My very favourite shops are small local charities - they're cheaper, have more interesting stuff, and it's nice to support them.

 

[emm]

Where I live in London there used to be a really nice shop with lampshades/cushions etc with these prints on they designed themselves. I go tsome lampshades as a gift from there for my hallway that I know were pretty pricey , about £40 each but I do love them. Found another design from there in a charity shop for a bedside lamp (with the ikea lamp base included) for £4! Wasn't even looking for one but had to buy it! also matches perfectly with my room. Absolustely love charity shops.

Agree about donating to charity shops too, I don't get how (unless you really need the money) selling old clothes etc online for a few pounds is worth it when you can just give them to a local charity shop

 

[Millie2023]

I check destinations for charity shops too!

 

[Poddular]

I agree re donating unwanted stuff to charity shops . Always have and always will .
The best ones imo for bargains now are the local community ones and the local hospice shops. I've had so many bargains from the pound rails.
My husband just came back from one of those big furniture and household ones on the edge of a town with 5 books for a pound, 4 brand new stripey storage jars 50p each, brand new sheet and pillow cases set 2.99 and a beautiful Portmeirion half teapot,half mug with saucer and boxed for 3 pounds. Perfect for tisanes.
Just remembered my recent best buys. I went into a seaside community one last summer with a 2 pound coin, looking for a book. They had a " all trousers £1" rail and a 50p box. I got a navy pair of ALL saints cargo trousers, a good as new white linen Per Una top and a navy,white and green huge scarf , a quality complete outfit for my £2.00. Lol.

 

[stardust1]

I got a 3 seater 2 seater and an arm chair for £225 with delivery. It was like new and still on DFS website for 3.5k without the arm chair

 

[Some People!]

So I got myself in the mood for a spot of charity shopping after reading/ posting this morning so decided to get the messages and return some library books in my 2nd favourite chazzing town. I got a really nice Per Una tweed jacket for £5, a back skinnyrib grandad shirt typa thing for £4.00 (paid over the odds for that one tbh, but it'll be really useful), a CD to test the player in my 'new' car (Murmur by REM, love that album), and kid got a beautiful handmade jumper (£4.00).
All from a either a local-charity-charity shop (the kind that is pretty cheap, a little dingy, none of the hangers match, and you really have to rummage), or the regional hospice shop (not that cheap, matching hangers, and laminate flooring).
A successful sesh!

 

[slmapg]

I love having a rummage, but i find my local ones are getting a bit crazy with the pricing. I was on the hunt for a black little vest top to go under something. Found a primark vest top, not sure how much it would be in primark as haven’t been in a long time but I’d guess £4 at the most? Charity shop wanted £6!! Their soft toys were all around the £3/£4 mark, surely they get overloaded with teddies and marking them up around £1 would shift them quicker? I get it’s for charity I do but shoppers also like a bargain and I assume more likely to spend more the more reasonable it’s priced?

 

[emmer_moans]

I love having a rummage, but i find my local ones are getting a bit crazy with the pricing. I was on the hunt for a black little vest top to go under something. Found a primark vest top, not sure how much it would be in primark as haven’t been in a long time but I’d guess £4 at the most? Charity shop wanted £6!! Their soft toys were all around the £3/£4 mark, surely they get overloaded with teddies and marking them up around £1 would shift them quicker? I get it’s for charity I do but shoppers also like a bargain and I assume more likely to spend more the more reasonable it’s priced?

I’ve noticed a few like this. They get plenty of donations, generally, sometimes more clothes than they can process and put on sale, so really they should be priced in a way that makes some money for charity but is still palatable to the customer who is looking for a bargain and also encourages them to come back to buy more of the stock. It’s the psychology of it too, there’s one Cancer research shop in my town where all clothing is like 2-3 quid, plus a 1 quid rail; in there I often spend more getting a few full outfits than I would if they were all £5 each.

A few shops I’ve noticed are too pricey for the items, like my local Oxfam which closed because stuff was around the £8.99 mark for New Look and Dorothy Perkins type stuff.

My favourite one is in my village, it’s a local hospice one and because it isn’t in a prime location is sells clothes for £2 and therefore very well used by the village.

 

[zetta buttons]

I’ve noticed a few like this. They get plenty of donations, generally, sometimes more clothes than they can process and put on sale, so really they should be priced in a way that makes some money for charity but is still palatable to the customer who is looking for a bargain and also encourages them to come back to buy more of the stock. It’s the psychology of it too, there’s one Cancer research shop in my town where all clothing is like 2-3 quid, plus a 1 quid rail; in there I often spend more getting a few full outfits than I would if they were all £5 each.

A few shops I’ve noticed are too pricey for the items, like my local Oxfam which closed because stuff was around the £8.99 mark for New Look and Dorothy Perkins type stuff.

My favourite one is in my village, it’s a local hospice one and because it isn’t in a prime location is sells clothes for £2 and therefore very well used by the village.

I work /volunteer in a charity shop and this is everything .

 

[slmapg]

I’ve noticed a few like this. They get plenty of donations, generally, sometimes more clothes than they can process and put on sale, so really they should be priced in a way that makes some money for charity but is still palatable to the customer who is looking for a bargain and also encourages them to come back to buy more of the stock. It’s the psychology of it too, there’s one Cancer research shop in my town where all clothing is like 2-3 quid, plus a 1 quid rail; in there I often spend more getting a few full outfits than I would if they were all £5 each.

A few shops I’ve noticed are too pricey for the items, like my local Oxfam which closed because stuff was around the £8.99 mark for New Look and Dorothy Perkins type stuff.

My favourite one is in my village, it’s a local hospice one and because it isn’t in a prime location is sells clothes for £2 and therefore very well used by the village.

I’ve not found any of my locals doing a cheapy rail, those are the best! We had one many years ago now, they would get so many donations, but they would sell stuff ever so cheap, most clothes were never over £2 an item, baby clothes were around 25p an item.

 

[zetta buttons]

We have about 6 in our town. Some are really expensive (I go in to snoop!)- £40 for a Laura Ashley coat, £30 for a Monsoon dress. Others are more reasonably priced (£3 for a Next top/dress).

It’s difficult when you get designer stuff though. We got a load the other day. You have to balance making money (for us a small independent) with actual sales. I have to say though we are doing far better than this time last year. Whether that’s because people are shopping differently (more in our kind of shop ) or because we are getting better donations, it’s hard to say.

 

[Some People!]

I miss jumble sales! They're so hard to come by these days and it's such a shame.
The next village over does one or two a year, but they don't get a lot of donations so I see the same weird unsellable things every time
There's a really good Scouts jumble sale 2x a year that I drive at least half an hour to another county go to which is just like the ones I remember from childhood - heaving great piles of clothes for pennies just separated out into adults & kids, small bric a brac on tables round the edge, a table of books in the middle and bigger items outside. It's chaos, it's cheap, and it's so much fun! People queue for ages to get in (costs 50p for adults) and fill multiple bin liners each - the scouts must make a good chunk of cash. Definitely need sharp elbows for this one!
I've had some fantastic bargains from there (best was 50p linen jumpsuit - I wear that all the time).
I guess there's a lot of effort involved, not to mention the storage space required, so there a fewer now.

Blissfully, I have never seen an obvious trader/reseller at the jumbles - I do see them haggling at bootsales and in charity shops though.

Can you find jumble sales where you are? How do you find out about them?

 

[stardust1]

I love having a rummage, but i find my local ones are getting a bit crazy with the pricing. I was on the hunt for a black little vest top to go under something. Found a primark vest top, not sure how much it would be in primark as haven’t been in a long time but I’d guess £4 at the most? Charity shop wanted £6!! Their soft toys were all around the £3/£4 mark, surely they get overloaded with teddies and marking them up around £1 would shift them quicker? I get it’s for charity I do but shoppers also like a bargain and I assume more likely to spend more the more reasonable it’s priced?

For holiday I got black vests in primark for £2.80, might be worth a trip for you

 

[slmapg]

For holiday I got black vests in primark for £2.80, might be worth a trip for you

Thank you, I don’t have one local, would cost me about £10~£15 fuel just to go to one, wouldn’t have been worth it for just a vest so I only go when I need a lot of bits for the kids.
Can’t believe the charity shop was selling it second hand over double the cost then.

 

[Poddular]

Growing up most of my clothes were from good old jumble sales, handmade or hand me downs until I started working but it didn't mean I grew up in rags. Even when I could buy clothes new for myself I found I preferred the magic and individuality of a charity shop bargain.
Regarding overpricing there is an air,sea,land rescue charity shop in my parents small town. The town is heavily populated with wealthy retirees and gets quality stuff but they keep prices low and the same regardless of label to shift the stock. All tops are £2,trousers £3,dresses £5 etc.When it has been there a certain amount of time without selling they shift it to a 99p stand. It seems to work for them. And for bargain hunters.
My pet hate is basic asda and primark charity clothes priced higher than it would be new.