Charity shop joy...

[FourFriedChickensDryWhiteToast]

Any charity shop fiends here?
You will never guess I got a Calvin Klein women's shirt, as new, fine mauve and blue stripes on white, my size, off the POUND RAIL at a charity shop in my local town today...

Then later I found a little Jorli jacket, OK that was a fiver, its like thick matted cardigan wool, but a jacket, in grey.

Then a pair of brand new black jeans, kind of mum cut, high waist.

I look so smart, and spent £13.

Maybe we should have a charity shop tenner challenge?

There's a charity shop in Westbourne Grove near Notting Hill that charges hundreds. I occasionally go in for a look when I want a laugh.

A lot of my wardrobe is from Whistles.... for approx £5 a piece from random charity shops in the Fulham/Parsons Green/Putney/Barnes area.

My best bargain was a new Barbour jacket for £20 from the Octavia Foundation.

Charity shops are so much more fun than other clothes shops. I love them. Thinking of getting my colours done to really utilise charity shop buying.

But oxfam is too expensive.

I got an entire brownies uniform for £1.98 for DD
An abercrombie jacket 99p worn constantly again DD's
countless games including orchard educational ones for between 50p and £2.
Most of my tops and jumpers are also 99p.

TECTONICPLATES - not a great deal except they only stock seasonal clothes so now its autumn stuff, their stock only is in store for 6 weeks, lots of bags and coats and they only except good (ish) brands in excellent condition, so no primark or tu t shirts!

Also the original owner gets 50% of the achieved sale price.

I used to volunteer in a charity shop and we had a pricing structure. The main / big health ones are too expensive where I live but there are lots of little independent ones that are more reasonable. We also used to spend a great deal.of time bagging up what didnt sell (as too pricey) so it could be shipped out to another shop for them to relabel, rehang, resteam and resale - madness!

Nipped into one today. Prices can vary so much, one charity shop I got a huge bundle of next boys stuff brand new priced 50p each. Another sold items I donated for more than I originally paid

I used to work near to the ones in South Kensington and The Kings road , and they often had designer bits in the showroom windows for hundreds, like really worn Stella McCartney shoes or Manolos for a couple of hundred. It would make my mind boggle too; at those prices one could easily pick up new shoes.

On the other hand I did get a few leather bag steals like The Bridge or Cocinelle shoulder bags for about £6. I love a Shazza anyday.

Yesterday I got the DCs a new with tags fur jacket, a pair of jeans, a top, leggings, two cardis and a Wallis cardigan for myself for the grand sum of 3 great British pounds.

I had no luck whatsoever today; tried 4 different shops too!

Joules jacket for £8. Looked them up on the website and nearly fell for a parka reduced to £70. So glad I didn't because I found an similar parka (albeit F&F) for a tenner two days later

Dh has just done very well in an everything for £1 offer. River Island, Next, Rocha and Paul Smith shirts duly added to his wardrobe

Oooh and dh had a White Stuff denim blazer earlier this year for a tenner. Looks unworn

i help out in a charity shop, and yes, we charge more for designer stuff - or if it's really good, eBay it rather than hope someone walking past is prepaerd to pay a lot. Last summer I opened a dodgy looking bin bag of donations, to find several Prada and Erdem items - at least 2 still had the tags on. Was gutted nothing was in my size! Pretty much all of it went on eBay.

I can't believe sometimes what people are prepared to donate.

Mind you, at the other end, I've opened up a bag and found it full of dirty underwear...

A couple of years ago I lost quite a bit of weight and became desperate for new clothes. I went to a nearby, posh town and spent the day in the many charity shops and got some amazing bargains! Best was a black satin Karen Millen dress for £3.50 but I got Oasis tops for a couple of quid, a boden skirt for £3. I had a fab day!

I had a Hobbs suit for £10 and a Jaeger jacket for £8. Those were good finds.

if it's really good, eBay it
What’s the point of going in charity shops then, if all the bargains and exciting finds have been sifted out and put on EBay?

My recent chazza bargain finds
Karen Millen wool skirt £10
Cashmere sweater £4
All saints dress £1

Today I got 2 cashmere jumpers and a fab leopard print funfur coat. Also a couple of useful cardis, £18 all in. I love a bit of charity shopping. I find that some days I seem to have my eye well in focus and pick up.loads of beauties, other days nothing at all. Keeps me interested.

I find NOTHING if I look at the clothes in charity shops. NOTHING.

Great toys, books, puzzles. But clothes? Never.

What’s the point of going in charity shops then, if all the bargains and exciting finds have been sifted out and put on EBay?
I imagine it's a bit of a balance. If the charity shop is only ever full of rubbish, you'll end up with pretty much no sales. I imagine a wise charity shop manager will keep enough good stock to bring people through the door, but at the same time maximise the price they get for top name designer stock. My guess - and I don't know anything about retail - is that things of good quality but not a particularly desirable label (e.g. a House of Fraser cashmere coat) will be kept in the shop, but a Donna Karan will go on eBay. Just a guess.

There was an AMA thread the other day by a charity shop manager who admitted that they google the labels and put up prices on anything that’s worth having. Spoilsports grin that was me and i explained that they would be a couple of quid more so £7 for a designer dress instead of £5 for a Marks and sparks.

But £150 for a second hand dress in a charity shop that's outrageous.

So where are the best charity shops? 😁
I got a white company cardigan for £3 and a lovely joules dress for a couple of quid

Not for me, but bought for a relative. An LK Bennett cardigan from the 'bargain bin' priced at 50p.
When I got home I looked it up, it was the last seasons design. The same cardigan (slightly different shaping on pocket) retailed at £90.

A ted baker coat for my son £3

I'm a charity shop volunteer and see so much lovely stuff coming through our shop. (As well as some not so lovely stuff).

Pricing is an art. Obviously it depends on the strategy the shop is aiming for but we are so deluged with donations at our shop the mantra is "price to sell". We know our market, we know that in our area pricing an almost new Hobbs dress at £7 isn't unreasonable. We just can't have stuff sitting around for months in the hope someone's got £150 for a designer coat. The charity shop does have an online shop but we generally use that for light, easy to post stuff as by the time you've packaged up a massive coat, schlepped to the Post Office and paid the postage costs, you're no better off than if you'd just sold it for a bit less in the shop.

I have picked up some great bargains when I've been volunteering. Everything we buy is priced by someone else, and is logged in a book to keep it all above board.

Best bargains - pair of unworn Doc Marten "chelsea" style boots with furry lining, paid £25 for them and they were about £120 new.

Brand new spotty Cath Kidston messenger bag for £8.

Endless craft kits, knitting yarn and quirky homewares.

Last week I found a Mint Velvet dress and a Monsoon dress for under a tenner - both still with original tags! I've always shopped in charity shops, out of necessity originally as a broke young parent, but since my finances have improved, it's a bit of fun.