Friends and family have bought beautiful new clothes and toys for our baby, for which we are very grateful, but all of the toys and clothes we have bought for her have come from charity shops. We are lucky enough to live in an area with several great charity shops, all on the same street, and we have had some amazing buys. We've bought loads of gorgeous little outfits, most of which were either new with tags or barely worn, and none of which cost more than £1. One of the charity shops near us offers five children's books for £1 so I've been stocking up on all the classics, of which they have a fantastic and constantly replenishing supply. Our seven-month-old is a bit young for most of them yet, though she does enjoy looking at some books, but I figured it's worth stocking up now for later! With that in mind, I also picked up a brand new pair of Clark's first walking shoes and wellington boots, £1 a pair, yesterday and a pink Scuttle Bug toddler tricycle, brand new and sealed in its box for £5, to put away for Christmas. Buying this stuff new seems both wasteful and unnecessary since she's growing so fast she might only get a wear or two out of an outfit, then we can donate it back to the charity shop. I dont think our baby seems to mind having pre-loved toys and clothes. We always clean them thoroughly when we get them home, even though most of them look as good as new anyway.
Just wanted to share my appreciation for our local shops and hear your similar experiences of great charity shop finds!