Does anyone else mainly buy clothing at Charity Shops and via Ebay?

[EvaporatedHour]

I can afford to buy things at retail price these days but I just can't bring myself to when I get so many amazing things for such low prices at charity shops and on Ebay. I recently bought a Topshop blouse in a BHF shop. The blouse was new with tags and the original tag said £29, whilst I paid £2.50! Such a bargain!

Other great things I've bought recently have been a Maxmara white shirt for £3, Current Elliott jeans with a leather stripe down the side for £2.50, Seven for all Mankind jeans for £3, and brand new UGG boots for £15! I've been on Ebay today and just won a few Topshop items for 99p each.

Does anyone else mainly buy secondhand and what have been your best buys?

I absolutely love buying from Ebay and charity shops. The amount of things that I bought are incredble. I also love freecycle and have been given so brand new items for example a brand new kingsize bed and mattress that had been slept in for a month. A designer bag free of charge and when I googled it I found it was worth £300. Rather than ebay my old clothes and shoes I put them in the local clothes bank. All my household items like cots and buggys etc now go on freecycle.

Buying exclusively second hand is great in theory but reality is that I often buy something because it seems like a great deal or a good price tag rather than because I really like it and then I end up hardly ever wearing it.
The charity shops near me aren't that great. I have organised clothes swaps before which are really good - and I used to buy a fair bit on eBay but can never find anything much on there now, I think a lot of people must have moved to selling on depop.

Yes. I love a bargain!!

@MikeUniformMike Totally agree ! We have 8 charity shops in my tiny little town so they can afford to sell things for as much as they can.
I've still managed to get a few bargains though 😬

Please try buying and selling clothes on shpock... I sell my clothes and DC for things like 50p/£1/free, often don't get many takers though!
Would love to see local clothes selling thrive!

I've been shielding because of my dh so have been shopping online only since March. But previously most of my purchases of clothes in the past few years have come from charity shops .

We have a few in my town and they are all cheap, most things £3 or less.Neighbouring towns have nicer things but much more expensive.

Admittedly, you need to rummage.

My lovely boots looked like nothing and were on a high shelf. I've had so many bargains.

I sometimes find things that are brilliant but not in my size, and I've bought the one in my size from ebay, and sometimes the brand will be one I've never heard of, like with the boots.

My local charity shops are comparable prices to ‘cheap’ clothing lines like Primark, Poundland, George etc and I’ve never found anything particularly nice in them!
I do buy a lot of my clothes from EBay

I have found that I don't really pay much attention to brands when shopping this way. If I'm looking for clothes I'll search 'straight leg 14' or 'denim shirt 14' etc. This brings up all kinds of labels that I wouldn't necessarily have paid much attention to if I was shopping on the High Street.

Yes! I rarely buy retail any more. I like Whistles, J Crew, Mint Velvet, Boden, Hush etc... Pre covid I would find amazing things in my local charity shops, but now they have hardly anything. I tend to buy from Vinted (sellers sometimes offer good deals on bundles) & Depop . Ebay not so much anymore, but I do sell a lot on there, as well as on instagram, as I recycle my clothing a lot. I also try to only spend what I make in sales, so I'm literally getting new stuff for nothing. Have done this for years :)

If I buy something on ebay and it's not what I wanted I relist it, but after charges, it's not brilliant.
The charity shop mistakes go back as a donation, not necessarily to the same shop.

Yes. 90% of my buying is now in CS or eBay. I hate fast fashion and don't want to contribute to landfill and I love a bargain!
Got some new dune leather Chelsea boots for £3 from the salvation army recently. French connection shorts and vest brand new with tags £5 from the hospice shop.
Nike and river island for less than £5 on eBay.
Love. It!

I buy all my jeans from EBay - I like Not Your Daughter’s Jeans, and can’t justify the price new. It mostly works out very well. I also buy my work suits on there and have had some great bargains- Armani in perfect condition for £50.

I used to shop lots in charity shops, but don’t have the time now.

Most of my clothes come from the chazzer. Today, I wore a pair of Firetrap skinny jeans (£1) and a longline fluffy black Next jumper (£2) with M&S grey leather Chelsea boots (£4, still tagged) and a Wallis fake grey leather biker jacket (£3). There's a lot of choice where I live though and I wash a bag of clothes for the cat rescue shop every week so am allowed first pick of the back room when I go in. That's my advice for rich pickings, make friends with the staff and take them your old carrier bags/hangers if they use them. Independents are always better than chains although those new type of Sue Ryder shops, the ones on retail parks often have great sales - all skirts £2, that sort of thing.

I use eBay for years and have had some great bargains...always search for specific brands etc... charity shops near me are pricey and stock is generally tatty and rarely anything special turns up !

I'm a charity shop addict! Can't remember the last item of clothing I bought that wasn't from one, to be honest. So much more sustainable, cheap and fun

I haven't got the time to search for clothes in charity shops, especially as our local ones are mainly full of Primark stuff and you really have to trawl through the dross for any gems. However, I love ebay and depop.

I've found the key is being really honest with yourself and knowing what styles, brands and colours etc suit you and then not getting swayed by any amazing bargains that you won't wear. I set up and save very specific searches on ebay and that way I can guarantee I'll find exactly what I'm looking for.

Me! I am exactly the same.

For example I just bought a Lands End squall coat for £30. I'd never have afforded new. Well I could have but when I can get nearby new for much less I really don't want to.

I look at the price of things in the shops and just do to want to spend so much money on new.

I often see something I like but not my size in a charity shop then look forward it on EBay, then save the search. I've found a few things like that.

I know what brand jeans fit so again, have a saved search.

I love a good charity shop hunt, especially when away in a new place.

Love reading about people's finds too 🙂 Over the last few weeks I've bought a pair of Vince boots for £15 (retail at £3-400 😱), a Kate Spade bag for £20, a Mint Velvet rain jacket for £4, J crew jeans for 6, Boden trainers for a tenner...and loads more as I get parcels often 🙈🤣 These were all from Depop or Vinted.
I think the retail markup on a lot of high street stuff is insane.

I get a reasonable amount from charity shops - got a really nice superdry cotton top this summer for £4, have got an immaculate precis petite trouser suit for £10.

There's a lot of dross though, agree a lot of searching required and very few giveaways as per upthread as most of the chazzers will charge more for high end brands.

About 75% of my wardrobe is second hand. Love a good rummage at a charity shop, car boot sale or jumble sale. Ocasionally buy the odd bit off FB selling pages.
Recently bought a vintage 1949 acquascutum wool lined trench for 10.00 & a boden canvas trench for 6.00. Last week I picked up a white stuff shirt for 3.00, a next linen shirt for 1.00 & an M&S cashmere jumper with embellished skull for 2.00.
I'm doing my bit for the environment by recycling & I'm also leaving more money to spend or save on other things.

As the shops near me are pretty poor, i have been to Surbiton and got some really nice things...one shop had racks of H and M clothes, new with tags at low prices....i think its worth a day trip to some areas to find items !

I really resent paying new prices now. I get almost everything on ebay and rarely pay more than £10. Last winter I got into sheepskin coats which are ridiculously cheap on ebay. I bought a practically new flying jacket for £40. I like Phase Eight stuff and I've just bought a Phase Eight camel coat for £9.99! It helps that you can search by size too.