Charity shops in your area? Good or bad?

[Lovemusic33]

This morning I had a look around a few local charity shops in a near by small town (quite a posh area). I was shocked at what was in there compared to another local town which is usually full of primark clothes and old peoples coats. A lot of really good brands, lots of Boden, sea salt, white stuff, whistles and mistral clothing. Prices are high but reasonable considering the price to buy a new Boden dress (charity shop price £7.50 for a dress, around £4-£5 for a top, trousers or skirt).

I was just wondering what other areas are like for charity shops? What kind of labels do you find in yours?

Ours are so awful I’ve given up looking. I did once get a phase Eight dress for £12 but usually it’s faded primark tops for £5 or supermarket clothes with an occasional item from next.

The two in our town are awful. Others, where i work/lived previously had better stuff. Reflective of the demographic donating really

I guess it depends what clothes shops are in the area and what people live there. I guess there quite a lot of middle class people here compared to working class. If I go to the other town it’s pretty much rubbish and primark clothes 😬. We have more charity shops than we do actual clothes shops.

I live in central London so there’s a really wide choice. The most local one is very reasonable, but a couple are just silly money (Oxfam, Westbourne Grove I’m looking at you.) Traid is great, especially the sales when all the prices go down every few days- eventually to £1 a piece on the last day.

ours are pretty terrible, books aside.
I quite like the vintage/retro homeware look, so always have a little browse, but have never found anything. Very jealous of people who pick up lovely tea sets and dinner services.

I saw several tea and dinner sets today, a really nice retro one in the window of the children’s hospice shop. Generally the brick a brac section here isn’t that great, I’m always in Tahoe look out for something quirky and I love old board games. Shoes are never great, probably because of the older population so it’s mainly flat granny shoes, I did buy a pair of Birkenstock’s a few years ago for £5 that looked new.

Half and half here to be honest, there's some great ones full of Mint Velvet, Whistles, jigsaw, Hobbs etc.. with really nice Bric a Brac.. but then some others are awful and prices wayyy out of line.

I always find Oxfam pricing really high compared to smaller charities, Cancer Research too sell bobbly Primark for £5.

I'd love to go on a day trip to a good charity shop town in the summer.

The ones near me are great. You need to rummage but on a good day, you'll find decent brands usually for less than £3. Nearby posher town has less tat, but the decent brands are more expensive.

OP where were the nice shops? Asking for a friend 😉

Round here they're either a bit crap or woefully overpriced (looking at you, Oxfam) but I went to a naice town nearby last week and got some lovely Toast things for about a fiver each which I was very happy about...

Walking local to me they are a bit shit, I'm not spending £3 on a used primark T-shirt.

I can jump in the car for 15 minutes and get some amazing bargains.

I stay away from oxfam, most the shops here just sell books and handmade items (rugs, bags etc..).

The best ones seem to be children’s hospice or animal charity shops, British heart foundation and cancer research seems to be priced slightly higher but I have still found good stuff in them.

I didn’t actually buy anything today but I wish I had, I saw a lovely fat face dress for £7, Boden dress £7.50 and white stuff midi skirt for £5.

I often have a day out with a friend just hitting the charity shops, there’s a few small towns a bit further away that often have more exciting things.

It's a mix in my area. Some sell faded and bobbly primark or supermarket clothes and it's really a room full of tat, but others seem to think they're a boutique and charge the earth for everything.

Like others, Oxfam is the worst offender in my area for hugely overinflated prices.

I agree that the hospice and animal trust type shops in well-heeled areas are often the best for finds.

Shops like those in well-to do small towns and villages are usually good. I once got a Burberry trench coat in excellent condition for £25 in a dress agency.

Round here they're mostly mediocre but, if you enjoy the hunt (and I do) they're occasionally inspired. There's one good stretch, not in the very poshest neighbourhood but on a road with free parking which I think makes them handy for donors. I used to round them once a week but not got back in the swing of it yet and at the moment most seem to be full of discarded workwear. I still prefer them to Ebay though.

I agree hospice shops are often the best bet. We also have a very good dress agency - higher prices but less tat.

Ours are very hit n miss, but I got a Kenwood Chef with all the accessories for £20 just before lockdown. I’ve also had a velvet White Stuff coat from that shop, and chanced upon a couple of sets of middle school uniform for ds in the summer before he started.

I donate regularly and it goes to the nearest shop. If I am going somewhere by car and I know that I can park easily near a charity shop, I'll drop a load of donations there, and no doubt do my best to buy some things while I'm there.

Sorry op, you asked what labels. I look out mainly for Cos and Toast - I don't find it often, but enough to keep me going back. I find old (as in pre c2010) Jigsaw, Jaeger and Uniqlo can also be good and anything with the M&S St Micheal label is worth a second look. Very occasionally I've found John Smedley, Me and Em or Brora and a couple of times I've snaffled Margaret Howell. I also look for labels I don't recognise and check the vintage rail. But these are the highlights and most of the time I'm rifling through Next, M&S, H&M and Matalan.

Ours are great. I'm a bit of a regular and I've developed what I can only describe as charity shop eyes.

It's all about looking properly and in all the books and crannies. I get a lot of stuff off the £1 rails and my trick, especially with tops not to worry if it's too big - everything can be tucked in.
I am lucky though as I live in an affluent bit of the country so there is a fair amount of boden/jigsaw/M&S.

Red Cross and British Heart Foundation can be good. The best are often ones run by smaller, local charities - not the "chains"

One tip is always feel the bags. I got a beaten up brown shoulder bag for £2 because it was real leather.

Bit of saddle soap and it's lovely. Would have been £300 (it's by The Bridge)

A mixture here which is a very naice middle class area. Last thing I bought last week was a lovely summer linen blazer/jacket from Pure Collection for £9. Looks barely worn and similar ones on website now are £120.

Agree about leather handbags - if you’re willing to give them a polish and look after them you can pick up some quality.

I volunteer with BHF in south West and we get a reasonable amount of Boden, Seasalt, joules, mistral, etc. Sometimes still with the labels on.

In my immediate area, they’re generally a bit rubbish. If you go to some of the naice towns, you can get great pickings: lots of Boden, Toast etc, but often prices to match. I used to visit chazzie shops in parts of the Cotswolds with my lovely mum who was as keen on bargain hunting as I was - we always came home with some treasures. Great fun. It’s not the same now she’s gone.

I found a charity shop that hasn't kept up with the new trend of selling at ridiculous prices... I live in an expensive place, so generally the stock in charity shops is pretty good quality and nicer brands, and most reflect this is their pricing. But my secret little charity shop has a kids basket with John Lewis, Joules kids etc items for.... TWENTY PENCE APIECE!

It's amazing, and means my kids fit in with their wealthy peers at school...!

I don't tell people the location though, as I do fear someone will start emptying them out of all their kids stock to sell on ebay, and that would be sad for those of us who use it to clothe our kids from our small incomes.

The ones near me often sell things at £1 or 50p if desperate to get rid.

I think small children's clothes are 4 for £1, but miniBoden, jack wills etc might be £2 or something.

Agree you need to check the nooks and crannies. I found a gorgeous pair of branded leather chelsea boots elastic banded together on a high shelf. They are my size. £1!

If you can get to central London then the ones on Gloucester Rd are simply the very best. It helps to be a smaller size (when I was size 8-10 in my 20s I got so many bargains but now I'm in my 40s and size 12-14 it's more hit and miss. Having said that, in the last few years I've bought a
good condition Miu Miu wool skirt, dresses from Jaeger, French Conection Maje, Sisely and Hobbs, cashmere sweaters and Coach handbags. Usually pay around £15-20 per item. The Coach handbags were £30 but good as new.

@nickEcave

If you can get to central London then the ones on Gloucester Rd are simply the very best. It helps to be a smaller size (when I was size 8-10 in my 20s I got so many bargains but now I'm in my 40s and size 12-14 it's more hit and miss. Having said that, in the last few years I've bought a good condition Miu Miu wool skirt, dresses from Jaeger, French Conection Maje, Sisely and Hobbs, cashmere sweaters and Coach handbags. Usually pay around £15-20 per item. The Coach handbags were £30 but good as new.

Wow! Love nowhere near but wish I did.