To think that clothes in charity shops should be, well charity shop prices!!

[peacelily]

Have just come back from a scout round the charity shops in Alderley Edge, now I accept that there might be a bit of a mark up, a lot of the stuff is designer after all (that's why I went!) but in one particular charity shop chain (mentioning no names) the stuff was astronomical £90 and £139 even £18 for something from M&S!!

If you went to Selfridges towards the tail end of the sales you could probably get this designer stuff not second hand for a similar price (the £139 was a DVF dress).

I don't really expect to pay much more than £20 in a charity shop, or am I missing the point?

I've noticed that about a certain charity shop chain. I wonder if it is the same one? I just wouldn't bother going there because of the prices they charge, so it seems counter-productive.

But given that it's a well known name, maybe they can attract the sort of people who can afford those sorts of prices and want to feel smug like they are doing something positive for the world.

It's not the one named after a famous University town which might be what you're thinking of even though they're pretty expensive too.

I just thought the well off people in Alderley Edge (of which there are many) can go up to Manc to pay full whack for new things they're not going to fork out that much on second hand stuff surely.

i think the 'charity' bit isn't really aimed at those buying the stuff.

The charity shops in Alderley Edge are notorious though, it's where the North West WAGS deposit their cast offs. Don't have that problem in my part of town!

All I know is that in my previous life (half the mortgage 10k more a year salary and no childcare) there's no way I would have forked out that much for 2nd hand stuff even on Ebay etc. I would have gone to the sales.

I thought to make money charity shops would have a target market and would price their stuff accordingly.

All the stuff was horrible BTW frumpy, horsey and old ladyish v "Cheshire" will stick to the ones in Manc from now on, they contain a lot cooler stuff and more realistic prices.

The wags must have been eating a lot of cakes in the local tea shops then judging by the size of most of the clothes!

i think charity shops are a bit more sophisticated in their approach now and target a range of markets. they are probably raking it in off the frumpy, horsey cheshire set at that shop.

That does seem a bit steep!

We have a great one in our village, a St Peter's Hospice shop (provides care for cancer sufferers), and they pitch the prices right. Generally no more than a fiver, even for a 'designer' tag.

I don't mind even if they charge more, tbh, because it's such a good cause.

Mostly £5-£6 for decent stuff in South Manc, the DVF dress could be bought, new in Selfridges in the 70% of sales that they have 3x per year. people are stupid if they buy a second hand one for the same price IMO.

lol - you can't compare the charity shops in Alderley Edge with any other charity shop. It's Alderley Edge. Go to Stockport

It was only the one, the other 2 were "normal" price range, think I'll give Stockport a miss thanks, fake Burbery ain't my style.

They are a charity shop so want to maximise the amount they can sell an item for to raise money for the charity. So expensive designer items should be priced up.

I agree they should have a range of prices though, because it could backfire on them if the thrifty bargain hunters and people on low incomes stop coming in because they are overpriced.

Could you haggle if you see something you like but it's too expensive?

Could you haggle if you see something you like but it's too expensive?

It drives me nuts too and they're just doing themselves out of business. I buy new from Primark now and only use 1 charity shop and that's only for books. I don't use them for clothes at all.
The other day one in our town had a Primark top that I know was £4 on their rail for £9!! Even after I told them the correct price they didn't change it.

I work in Chiswick and have noticed the prices are quite high in one of the charity shops, it does always seem busy though.

In one charity shop I went a bowl from Habitat was actually more expensive than it was in Habitat.

Wow! I would be shocked to see anything in our charity shops over a tenner.

Mind you round here the 'label' is likely to be George or Primark