Charity shop bargain; I’m surrounded by family & friends who don’t appreciate 😆

[OutofDepth1000]

I think these are an absolute find. Barely worn and £20! Always wanted a pair of ‘nice’ flats but never thought they’d be designer. What do you think?

Any other charity shop bargain stories to share?

My wedding dress - a local and very very fancy wedding dress store gave unused and unsold stock to a charity shop. It was £100 and had been several times that in the shop. Fitted like a glove. Was exactly what I wanted. They sold out in a few hours

This happened to my sister. I sat with her in a coffee shop debating spending £1500 on the dress of her dreams. She struggled to feel ok about spending that on a dress to wear once but after much debate she finally set her heart on doing it. We walked home a different way from usual to get the toddler to sleep in the buggy, and passed The Dress in a charity shop window.

It was the same sample she had tried on in the bridal shop, her size, no alterations required, and had been put in the window 5 minutes earlier. £99. We were like crazed shrieking hyenas on the street, we were so excited 😀

I also got my bridesmaid dress for her wedding in the same shop for £8, BNWT. It was beautiful.

I’ve never found decent clothes, even in ‘posh’ areas, as pp said, I suspect they’re filtered before they reach the shop floor. Best things I have found are; an original My Little Pony for DN for 50p, a book my DB wanted for £2 (retailed at about £18) and there used to be a charity bookshop not too far away that did 3 books for £2.50, closed now sadly.

Love love love the shoes OP!

DD bought a dress for £7.50 for a special event. She looked online and it would have cost about £300. She looked fabulous in it.

Not charity shop but after being lectured by DS about buying vintage not new, I went on Ebay and got a teal cashmere sweater for £7.50. I'd been about to spend £100 on a new one.

I bought myself Yahtzee for £1 today!
Not as glamorous perhaps……

I found my wedding dress a few weeks back in a charity shop. Brand new with tags , €20 euro and it fits like a glove ☺☺ a local boutique closed down and donated the left over stock.

I LOVE charity shops!! My best hauls:

-a magimix (really old one but worked beautifully and had all the accessories with it) mixer/chopper/food processor thing for £5.
-Anya Hindmarsh cashmere jumper for about £3.
-a brand new Biasia leather handbag £2.

Years ago, I saw a full dinner/plate set for 6 by Denby. It was £35. I was skint at the time but really wish I'd bought it.

They are very nice - I don't even like flats because I just can't wear them.

I bought new looking, huge crocheted granny square blanket in beautiful colours of pink, turquoise, yellow and white. Similar ones on ebay were selling for about £70 at the time and they let me have it for £3. I use it a lot and I always think about what a bargain it was.

I think that there are two sorts of people - charity shop whisperers, who find wonderful bargains (like your shoes, @OutofDepth1000 ) wherever they go, and the rest of us, who almost never get lucky.

Completely agree @SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius I've been lucky with some lovely home wares/decorative items but not so lucky with clothes! (sobs)

Best bargain was 10p for an apricot dress that was £35 in Newlook. Random local charity shop.

some charity shops are charging way too much now though. I donated some clothes to one , they were charging double compared to what I originally paid!

I am veryi mpressed with the €20 Jimmy Choos. Congratulations! I have never had such a find.

I was trying on jumpers in Jigsaw and was fully prepared to buy (c£65) but they didn’t have it in my size. I went and had a coffee and about an hour later was noodling around in the chazza directly opposite - exactly the jumper, my size, £10!!

I was once round a mum friend's house so our reception-age kids could have a play date. She'd recently had her 2nd baby and I said that she probably didn't need to buy much for dc2 as she'd still have dc1's stuff. Oh no, she said, as soon as anything was outgrown she threw the clothes and toys in the bin and had bought new everything for dc2.

I asked her why she didn't donate them to a charity shop instead of chucking stuff in the bin and she looked disgusted by the very idea. I told her I'd found some nice things in our local one for my dc, and she said, totally horrified, that she would never dream of buying anything second-hand. Awkward. That was the last day she ever spoke to me, and she avoided me like the plague after that.

Well... they say a fool and his money are soon parted.

This Waterford crystal lamp. My friend rewired it for me. £5

Random charity shop highlights include Timberland boots for dh for a fiver, several pairs of immaculate and immensely comfy Converse for me ranging from £5 to £8 a pop, Gant winter boots for £8 and numerous £50 shirts for up to a fiver.

I also invest in bags full of DVD's at three for a quid to watch while I'm using my torture implements exercise machines and books at 50p a pop which get donated back when read.

I reckon I've spent saved a fortune over the years and I don't regret a penny of it.

@Mycatsgoldtooth I'm not far from Battersea, I don't suppose I could PM you and ask you where this magical charity shop is please? 😄

I got a Whistles wool cardigan for £6. It's currently on their website for £109. I'm well chuffed.

I got a tiara for my wedding in a chazzer for £15. Turned out to be by Andrew Prince (who did all the jewellery for Downton Abbey) and was worth about £350!

I bought an almost new 100% cashmere cardi from Pure in a charity shop for £6.50. A shame that I immediately put on weight and have never been able to get into it.

@InstantUserNameJustAddWater - you could look at the shop in CLapham Old Town - not that cheap but not bad designer stuff for not unreasonable prices - £30 for something that would have been £500+new

I bought a pure wool with silk lining coat from a charity shop. It was £10 and looked brand new, pockets still stitched. I googled the designer and it was current stock and £350. I've had it several years now and still love it.

Someone nearly got a bargain in a charity shop I used to manage. I spotted a pair of Louboutin high heels that had been priced at a fiver! Soon took them off the shelf and sold them to a friend for £250. Everyone's a winner😁

On an average week I probably visit between 10 and 20 charity shops for example this morning I had a client meeting in a coffee shop - then visited 3 charity shops close by in under 30 minutes before return to office
Other people ask me how I find so many ‘finds’ it’s putting in the legwork!
I love your shoes - I don’t often find real designer items but often high end clothing and shoes
today I bought some hush suede trainers for £4 and some Skechers go walks BNWT for £8
having small feet helps