Have you ever found exactly what you were looking for in a charity shop?

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On Monday I listened to a Radio play of The Woman In White and it reminded me of how much I love that book and that I needed to get a copy. The copy I wanted was The Penguin English Library Classics version.

The next day I went into a small local(ish) charity shop and the exact book that I wanted was sitting there so I got it, for only £1:50 so I bought it.

It was a very nice coincidence that made my week so I wondered if anyone else has been looking for a specific thing in a charity shop, jumble sale or similar and found it?

Yes but it took a few months. It was a specific shape flower vase as most have necks too narrow for two small bunches but the base is huge.

Also specific non coloured, non patterned and very small saucers for our very fussy cat. Again, took a few months then they appeared in every charity shop 😆

Yes, a winter parka style coat for DC aged 18month. I sent DP to look and he got one, which is double the miracle. I loved that coat and have donated it back now too.

Yes. The day I was due to move in to my new home (I had lived with parents for a couple of years due to fleeing an abusive relationship) , I found a pair of lined floor to ceiling-sized curtains in a charity shop for £10.

I had been worried about affording these huge curtains for my new balcony windows , so I was incredibly pleased. I've only just replaced those curtains 13 years on.

On the day before the first lockdown I needed to find a desk for WFH that cost no more than £10

Yes, novelty duck slippers when my DS went to school dressed as a duck.

Fancy dress day obviously. It wasn't part of the uniform 😂

Yes I started to read Memoirs of A Geisha in the library but couldn't take it out because I had a massive fine. I walked up to the charity shop and found it in there for 30p! I was so chuffed

Oh how annoying my post split in half

on the day before the first lockdown I needed to find a desk for WFH - no more than £10 - and needed to be able to carry it home with a toddle at my knee. I found a perfect green felt card table that lasted me the year until I was given a beautiful desk that Christmas - fond memories of the little desk though.

p.s. If you are reading Woman In White you may be interested to join the readalong we are doing this year over here www.mumsnet.com/talk/what_were_reading/4562778-womaninwhitealong-readalong-20223?page=5&reply=119742610

I've found things that are just right a few times, but not sure that I was necessarily looking for them. Floor length navy curtains with silver stars for £10 were a lovely find as DS's space themed nursery had floral curtains up to that point😊

Another favourite were the unworn £6 converse in my style and size. Love a good charity shop find!

Yep! Just moved house and I’d been looking for some lampshades in a particular colour with zero luck. Popped into a local charity shop and they had three in the exact style I wanted.

Yes, my husband recently found a pair of Hugo Boss jeans and I bought a beautiful Antler hand luggage size suitcase for £9.

Same here - was delighted to find some unworn converse. I have big feet and never normally find unworn shoes in my size at all.

No but the Aldi gods of the central aisle often provide.

eg booked canal holiday. Thought “ must get dog a life jacket “ …..

next Aldi visit - single red life jacket in small in the central aisle. Perfect !

see also walking djj on en street with adult son. Idly chatting. He says “ I guess my new flat needs and ironing board , you haven’t a spare have you ?” Nope - but we are just across from Aldi - let’s have a look 😂 / and there it was - ironing board week 🤣

Yup. Couple of years ago, before the lockdown which kept schools open but closed non essential shops - went into my small local one needing a coat for playground duty or else I’d freeze and they had a great one in my size right in front of me almost new. Was literally the night before they’d be shut (for what we thought was a month but turned into longer)

We were kindly gifted a case of vintage wine that needed decanting before serving so I was looking at wine decanters online and about to buy a beautiful LSA one from John Lewis. I got distracted before I hit buy and we popped into town, where I found that exact decanter, brand new, in a charity shop for £8 instead of the £80 it was online! I was SO chuffed!

Local charity shops are great for books. I've got the complete set of Terry Pratchett Discworld, Jilly Cooper, and nearly the complete set of Stephen King, mostly in hardback. I'd never be able to afford them new.

Yes, I once wanted a small plain white China teapot. The first charity shop I went into had exactly what I wanted for a bargain price of 75p.
When my eldest was a baby and getting too big for the pram and needed a pushchair, I found an almost new mcclaren dreamer buggy ( they were all the rage back then ) complete with rain cover and cosy toes for an absolute bargain price of £4.
It lasted my kids and several other kids before giving up.

With books - yes all the time.
Well except now in those charity shops that have decided to arrange the books by colour of the spine 🙄
Man that is so fricking annoying.
If I want to see if they have a copy of the latest Anthony Horowitz or whatever I want to be able to go straight to 'H' on the shelf. Not have to spend ages looking along the shelves at every single spine.
Grrrr. Really annoying.
(Don't mind a bit of separation between crime/romance/sci-fi fiction because proper bookshops do that too)
Stop it charity shops. Stop it.

Not a charity shop but Vinted. Dd2 ripped her favourite trousers from FatFace. I managed to find the exact pair in her size, very lightly worn for £6! Couldn’t believe my luck.

Yes. I was doing a play and I wanted ‘The ‘changeling boy’ to be a puppet. In my head I wanted a boy sized puppet which had, minimal features and dressed in a certain ‘style’ that I was using for the play. I had zero idea how/where to get this because it only existed in my head.

I was visiting my friend in a town and arrived early so decided to go visit some charity shops. And lo and behold was the puppet from my mind for £15. 🤯

Yes - I was in need of some summer skirts during an unexpected heat wave. Couldn't find any 100% cotton ones easily in the shops until I was into the charity shop round the corner from me - two in my size!! Still wearing one of them, the other has finally become too shabby. Absolute bargain at £3 each. Still getting compliments when wearing the skirt this year (5 years later). Sadly that particular charity shop is long gone.

Oh how lovely!!

I love Wilkie Collins. The Woman in White is amazing.

I suppose I have found what I have wanted before. DS1 has sensory issues and so I often go to the charity shop to find super soft and well worn trousers for him.

Once I had a vague thought in my head that I wanted a trench coat and a few days later found a genuine Burberry with tags in a charity shop (for £50!). It's slightly too small for me though, but as long as I keep it open it's okay.

Last weekend! I needed a specific colour top to complete a wedding outfit as one I ordered hadn't arrived. Two charity shops in the tiny town and I found something perfect in the first one for £2. It was very, very satisfying.

Yes a tea plate to match one I had broken. Problem was they wouldn't sell me one tea plate for £1 I had to buy the whole blooming lot, not a full 6 piece of everything either. It cost me £3. So now I have multiple plates and bowls of M&S Harvest which I've stopped using and are now in the shed.

Yes, the Comoran Strike books in the right order, when I want to read them (well the first three, see what happens with number four)

Oh! (I forgot). In the second lockdown when homeschooling I would break up our family day by having afternoon tea with a little scone or cake and indeed some tea. I said to DH that I would really love a proper vintage teapot. I have a favourite online blogger and she had a spode woodland teapot. I said i would love a spode teapot.

About a week later I found a perfect Spode teapot in my charity shop. Not woodland, but a Spode blue Italian. I use it if not every day at least 5 times a week. I love and adore it. I clean it myself by hand and give it a little pat when I put it back on our side board.