AIBU to think charity shops shouldn't be a dirty little secret?

[LunaLoveg00d]

I volunteer in a charity shop not far from where I live. It's a fairly affluent area and we get very good quality donations. Last week I sorted a whole bag of brand new, still with the tag on Joules/Boden/SeaSalt type things.

It's a busy wee shop and there is a constant stream of people dropping stuff off, and buying too. One lady was buying a fabulous hat to wear to a relative's wedding, she showed me the outfit it was to go with and we agreed it was perfect, and that she'd look amazing. I rang it through the till and said "And don't forget to tell them you got it here if anyone asks!"

She gave me the most evil stare I've had in a long time and said "As if I'd admit shopping in a charity shop!"

Why is it something to be ashamed of?? All of my friends love a good charity shop, we could all afford to buy new but there's nothing like knowing you've got a bargain. Our shop regularly has vintage clothing in which you just couldn't get in the shops anyway.

DS's FC Barcelona Messi top was £3 from our hospice shop. Believe me I've bragged about it , over my dead body would I spend thirty quid on a footie strip.

I just got a sleeveless shirt dress for a fiver from a local charity shop - summery, boob access for DS and since it was only a fiver, it doesn't bother me too much if it gets puked all over. Dead pleased with it, would happily tell people where I got it. I fully intend to keep popping into the local ones when I'm passing, no point in buying loads of brand new clothes when I'm still a dress size up from normal, on SMP and being regularly upchucked on

I happily admit to going to charity shops but I have one special one that I keep secret. I bought my (brand new!) Irregular Choice shoes and some gorgeous embroidered Monsoon shawls in there. I keep it a secret because I don't want anyone else buying up my goodies! I sometimes overpay because it's a treasure trove!

I would struggle to pay full price for anything for myself ever again - Love an Ebay/Chazzer bargain! Allows me to buy DD new stuff/save money/stick money in DD's ISA when on paper I am brassic. I also love the super cheap books (read then return and if it's crap, don't feel guilty about discarding part way through) and the friendly lovely staff. Could quite happily while away a day adding to my top end (at rock bottom prices) wardrobe. More fool the snobs of this world!

What on earth?? My view is, if you can find it in a thrift/charity shop in good condition, grab it! It's nothing to be ashamed of, on the contrary I take pride in being able to get bargains where I can (with the caveat that low price isn't the only condition for a bargain; like I said, good condition matters) and see it as being a good steward of our budget. What a snotty moo that woman was.

Almost my whole maternity wardrobe was charity shop - Isabelle Oliver, Seraphine and JoJo. I can't afford that stuff new, so was made up, and would tell anyone who asked where they were from!

They've all been laundered and given back now, to spread the love for the next skint preggo.

That's interesting, Tiggy, as I've never seen a maternity rail at a charity shop. Was desperate for mat clothes when having DD, our town only had Gap and I seemed to be the wrong shape.

Barnardos have a children-specific store by me Jules, and the maternity clothes are from there - I've never seen maternity stuff in a normal charity shop either. It surprises me, because there's not many other times in life that you suddenly don't require your entire wardrobe any more!

PM me if you want know where the charity shop is.

I had a charity shop moment earlier today. 2 skirts and 4 tops came home with me.

I found a deep green, embroidered velvet Monsoon Twilight jacket in one a few weeks ago and I'm itching to wear it, but it's a bit much for the school run . I've lost 2 stone since Xmas and I can't afford to replace my wardrobe any other way (and have been taking in donations of my clothing... I'm not going to put it back on).

I let my DDs buy inexpensive ornaments (up to £1) which they break a few days later. It's taking longer to break things each time and one day, soon, I will be able to get my nice things out again.

I'm happy to admit where I'm shopping. There's no shame in it. I recycle everything I can, so why not benefit from someone else's recycling?

I think people are keen to be know they check out charity shops these days - especially in so called "posh/nice" areas!

I don't live in the UK, here in Cyprus there aren't many charity shops at all, and they are usually British-owned and run. It is a bit of a stigma here to shop at them, but I appear to lack the social skills to care - you can find some lovely stuff!

The charity shops near me are shite. I live in a poor area so that's probably why.
DSIS has a fantastic children's one where she lives, loads of bargains.

There's nothing like knowing you've got something amazing for a fraction of the price and then telling everyone what a bargain you've had!!

I adore charity shops. When I first moved out with DS I was on a fucking tight budget (exP wasn't paying maintenance, I didn't know I was eligible for CTC), and would go out once a week with £1 to the local run of charity shops and see what we could buy with it. It would take us four hours normally, and he still enjoys the excitement of hunting out bargains in a stream of charity shops.

I'm always very boastful honest about charity shop finds.

I've not found any of the bargains mentioned on MN but I've picked the odd bit up here and there. Shopping in a charity shop doesn't bother me though and I love a bargain so will gladly tell someone when I've saved money!

I have a friend who is the exact opposite, she got a large household item in one shop but it was almost double in another so she went round bragging to everyone (she's that bad I was actually surprised she didn't really buy the more expensive one!) about her new item from posh shop and how expensive it was - bonkers!

Best thing I had recently - from a different shop to where I help - was a Tommy HIlfiger shirt for my 13 year old. It's lovely quality cotton, thin blue and white stripe, fits him beautifully and is so smart, probably cost around £40 new. Cost me £2.50 as they were having a clear out.

Will have to keep my eyes peeled for bargains as I could do with some more summer tops - my daughter pointed out that half of my wardrobe is "boring plain white cotton short sleeved tops". We are allowed to pick up a few bits while we're sorting, but the rule is that you never price your own stuff, the manager or the most experienced volunteer does it. If something's already on the shop floor, you pay ticket price.

I'm not ashamed of charity shops, most of my clothes and all of DDs come from charity shops. I love a bargain

I love my local charity shops, I pop in most weeks - I got a gorgeous Rocha John Rocha dress still with tags on for DD last week, £6 :o

I shout from the rooftops if I find a charity shop bargain! Maybe 50% of my wardrobe comes from charity shops - they are on fire at the moment. I live in a naice MC area, so lots of choice stuff.

Looking down at my current outfit, my Zara trousers and Fatface cardi are both ex-Cancer Research.

The young'uns haven't caught on, though. My teen DDs wouldn't be seen dead in second hand (fools).

Most of my clothes as a teenager (around 15-17) were from charity chops as I was going through my hippy phase and they were the only place to get such clothes.

Dd picked up some lovely Levi's skinny jeans a while back for a fiver, she was thrilled as I'd normally not pay for Levi's!
I don't think she'd go in there voluntarily with her friends but is happy to come in with me for a rummage.

I have some lovely bits and pieces, it's a shame the shops in our town have put all their prices up. I really don't want to pay £8 for a Primark dress that was probably cheaper in the sale.

I think it depends on the shop. My mum's wardrobe is 90% charity shop. But she lives in Devon and goes to the charity shops in Topsham near Exeter which are a cut above.

Your local BHF shop or whatever is unlikely to have anything decent. The one-off charity shops tend to be better in my view. Going back to Devon, the last time I was in Totnes I got some decent books in a shop which was for a local charity, not for a large national one. The national ones can get rather greedy, the local ones just want a fast turnover so price accordingly. Also they don't smell like charity shops. Another problem for me is the way the clothes are generally laid out, you can't find anything.

And why doesn't maternity wear find its way into charity shops? I'd have thought it was the ideal thing. Or do people just give it all to friends? Or sell it?

If you are sorting brand new Boden and Joules items then residents must be loaded. Those items are basically equivalent to cash, they could be returned or sold on eBay if not current stock very easily.

But if there are people who can afford to just charity shop hundreds of pounds worth of new stuff and this woman lives among them and has significantly less money she must feel unhappy about it.

YANBU!

We go for days out in further out towns to scrat round.

Day before yesterday we got an unopened version of Risk for £2. A picnic blanket with plastic backing and carry straps for £2. And a load of lovely children's book for £4.

The Risk alone would have been out of our budget if it were new.