Can I just say how much I LOVE charity shops

[BillyJoe111]

So I wanted to get dd one of those activity center things shaped like a car for her first birthday a couple of weeks ago. Only they are about £80, which we can’t afford. I was a bit gutted, dd didn’t care one bit and was over the moon with a box of wooden blocks.

Walking past a charity shop this morning, guess what was in the window?

Yep, the car activity centre, for £3.50

All lights and music working perfectly, good as new. Only thing missing was the shapes to put in the shape sorter thing the car door, but, they had a shape sorter for sale for £1 and the shapes are the perfect size

Dd has now been sat in it for 45 mins pressing buttons, and laughing.

So, so happy!

I’m a massive fan of charity shops, especially for baby things, and I always donate when my children have grown out of things and this made my day.

@Daisy829

My good charity shops are in Surrey but the best ones I’ve found are around SW London - although not the smartest areas.

I’m a size 16 and the smarter the area the less likely I am to find clothes in my size. It does speed up the process for me though and I’m not short of clothes.

@Ktay they must have missed a decimal point somewhere. I wouldn’t pay 30p

I buy all my books,CDs and DVDs from charity shops. Had some nice clothes to although agree with other posters that prices have gone up. On our summer holiday I spent a lovely day going round the charity shops and my three kids have also now got the bug!

@vestastilly

Can anybody tell me though where all the plus sizes clothes that get donated go to? Most of our local stores only have clothes up to a size 18 but I’m sure lots of people must donate larger stuff? I am off on a charity shop trawl on Saturday for my a/W wardrobe!

I've noticed this myself. DH comes back with loads of clothes and I've usually got a scarf or book as there were no clothes my size

Love, love, love a charity shop!

My town isn't particularly affluent - it's not good for clothes for me but great for kids toys & clothes. We have two specialist kids ones about 10mins away. The next town over has a fabulous stock of good quality clothes! 90% of my clothes are from charity shops.

My most recent bargain is a 10p white company babygrow. I didn't know if I was having a boy or a girl and it was pink and floral but I couldn't resist! DD now looking cute as a button in it!

I think you need to eye to pick out the best stuff - skim past the Primark and find the better brands.

Also love a jumble sale - eagerly anticipating the local village jumble sale restarting - all the stuff is fab quality, in particular the bakeware & homeware.

Love a charity shop but ours are getting more & more expensive. I’m buying a lot for DD from Vinted now as it’s cheaper than local charity shops. I still do buy from them but our local shops aren’t the kind where you get anything for 50p or £1

We have a cash for clothes one nearby, they pay per kg when you donate and then sell the clothes for £1 and the toys/books/bric a brac are free.
They then help out local charities.

I've had some lovely things from there, people seem to donate decent stuff at that one instead of the "named" charity shops because they get a few pounds back for it.

I've recently had 4 beautiful Next and Monsoon dresses for dd from there all for a quid.

I furnished half my flat from charity shops, & I never pass one without popping in to check their bookshelves.

@BillyJoe111, thanks for the tip about Worcester. I'm about 40 mins away too but only normally bother with Worcester for the Victorian Christmas Market.....I feel a charity shop binge coming on!

A friend volunteers in one and it’s just magic. I asked her recently for any useless (to them) kitchen kit for my daughter’s nursery garden. A week later and we were in colanders and mixing spoons for miles. I love buying from them too, love finding a bargain.

I dress myself almost exclusively from my local charity shop, and I've found lots of kitchen and household items there too, plus many books and several jigsaw puzzles.

My best finds were a Tory Burch dress for $6.99 and my current 'good' winter coat, a cashmere and wool blend, for $9.99.

Also some Coach and other good quality bags, and two very nice belts.

I love charity shops. It's win win - cheaper , reduces waste, and money goes to a good cause. I buy about 80% of our clothes, books and furniture from charity shops and always have. Then when we are finished with them we donate them again!

Me and OH love charity shops and our 2 daughters have followed in our footsteps. I'm always disappointed if I have to buy anything new other than underwear!

@Ktay

On subject of unrealistic pricing, I spotted this in a local charity shop the other day. At a loss to understand how it warrants a £300 price tag, can anyone enlighten me?!

Portal to Narnia?

I love a damn good rummage and have turned up some amazing bargains over the years. My current obsession is DVD's to take my mind off the torture of the crosstrainer. I won't pay the £1 some shops are still asking but I've watched all sorts of dross random films at the five for £1 level. They go back afterwards so other film buffs can marvel at those who optimistcally commission the straight to... format too

@mathanxiety

I used to live in US, and never experienced charity shops in US. What are they like? Are they similar to UK ones?

I'm not British, and I think charity shops in UK is something I have never seen in my native country, but think the best thing I found in England.

I love charity shops. Loads of good books and I recently found a pair of Gap jeans for my son for £1:25. Perfect condition too.

@Fieldsoftripe9

I used to love them but finding them far too expensive now. Some of the prices are ridiculous. Little miss book collection brand new is £32 amazon, its £22 in my local charity shop with a few books missing!

Even cheaper from The Works, one of my favourites for children’s books and notebooks ☺️

@illuyankas

The US have thrift stores not charity shops…. They’re fantastic. The ones I’ve been in are big enough to push a trolley around. I’ve no idea where the profits go though.

OP this thread has made my day!

@Divebar2021 That sounds great!

I love a good chazzie shop, as did my late mum. Would have been her birthday today and our favourite thing used to be a lovely mooch around the affluent market towns where lurk the marvellous bargains.

We love charity shops, always have - holidays aren't complete without a trip to the nearest town and a rummage through their charity shops, it's quite surprising how donations vary across the country! DH is recovering from surgery and for his first trip out (in 18 months) he wanted to go to our local Barnardos DS is autistic and gets through loads of toys, we find toys in charity shops that we've never seen in regular shops around here, he doesn't care that they are preloved. In the future I'm planning to replace all my cheap supermarket wine glasses and tumblers with crystal from the charity shops.

We do give discarded toys and outgrown clothes in return

Years ago, my Mum & Dad were in Jones The Bootmaker and Mum fell in love with some sandals. She couldn't afford them so left them behind (if I'd been there, I'd have bought them for her) On way back to car they walked past a charity shop and what was in the window? Those exact sandals she'd seen, in her size and still had Jones tag on! She was over the moon 👡 (She never buys herself anything. Ever!)

How lovely - I love them too. Only this week I found a ELC Happyland submarine with both toy sailor figures for £2 rather than the £20+ it is on eBay. One happy DS!