Have you got a good eye if you pick up things from charity shops?

[Niftythrifter]

I think in general I do have a good eye for quality items. Today I purchased another Whistles silk blouse which I also did a few weeks back ( same style I think and same price) and have picked up other Whistles pieces and good labels like Levi’s.

wow, what a find @Niftythrifter !

I was at Tunbridge Wells earlier today and decided to pop in at Mind charity shop. In my size I found 2 x Joseph items and several Jigsaw pieces. All under £10 too. Was tempted but decided not to buy any of them. Jeans offerings were poor.

However, I did buy a rather funky Zara sequin skirt at £7, very pleased with my find!

Excellent find @Niftythrifter . I went in our charity shop in the village this morning and got a Phase Eight dress in navy and white for £5. Cool and loose and great for wearing now with boots and also with flats or trainers in the summer.

@NeedWineNow @UglyModernWindows thank you! There was two other pairs as well, one was the traditional wedges however they were too high for me! They are from S/S20 so maybe they were destined for holiday shoes and well lockdown happened.

I forgot to say in my post that last year I got a beautiful lace dress by Self Portrait in a charity shop for..... £3!

It would have cost £300-£400 new and it's gorgeous!

What towns are these charity shops in??? My local one is full of ornaments and BooHoo.

@RubbishAtEverything 👏👏👏

@EachandEveryone , they're in downmarket towns where the charity shops get things that didn't sell in more well-to-do areas.

If you are visiting a nice village or small town, you may well get something there, because the residents will be fairly affluent, and the donations will be better. Dress agencies are worth checking out

The nice towns tend to stock high street stuff for about a third or half the price it first sold at. The brands will generally be better.

Probably generalising a bit.

Had a free afternoon today and picked up some great charity shop finds. A Next denim jumpsuit, which I just LOVE; a vintage M&S collarless linen shirt in a lovely pale blue, which will be great for warmer weather; a black silk Gap dress, and a brightly coloured Oliver Bonas summer dress. Spent less than £50 in total.

I like to think so. I've been a regular charity shopper for years and even more so since I retired last year which means I can drop into the local ones regularly rather than just leaving it until the weekends.

Recent finds include:

Vintage (1940's/50's) Corde evening bag - £5.00
M&S widelegged jersey trousers - £5.50
M&S 100% cotton jumper - £2.00
Wallis fur gilet - £6.00
New with tags Primark gym leggings - £2.00
Sheer Roman Originals top and matching cami, again new with tags - £3.50

I have found some great things in charity shops over the years. Some of the best were:

two trenches - a longer taupe one (originally Debenhams) and a short black one (originally M&S - that one must have been with me for about 12 years now and is still a favourite) - both about £10-12 I think

three Boden cashmere cardigans in as new condition for £10 each

Very simple black faux wrap dress with the label missing, probably the most versatile dress I own, can't remember exact price but under £10

Long brown Fly boots for £5

Fitted black leather jacket - I think about £8

White Stuff khaki combats - maybe £12 (that was a more upmarket "boutique" charity shop)

when my kids were little - a pair of new looking Kickers boots (can't remember how much but certainly under £10) and an as new yellow Gap hoodie (about £5 I think)

I don't really consider it to be having a good eye though, just the luck of the draw - sometimes I don't find anything very nice in charity shops for anything up to a year. It doesn't stop me enjoying the chase though!

It's largely down to luck in my experience. I love spending a Saturday afternoon browsing in them but obviously the stock doesn't change much so it really depends on getting in there when there's been a good drop! Some are better than others. My best buy was a grey real wool Calvin Klein coat, perfect condition £30.
In general coats and jackets can be good quality, jeans too.
Everything else is very variable.
I've never been to one of the 'buy the kilo' events but am planning to.

I have always been impressed with @Shannith charity shop finds and have even benefited from one of her shopping sprees personally after she picked me up a lovely Whistles top for a song.

@EllaPaella I have been to two Kilo sales. One for a local charity that has shops in my area the other was more ‘cultivated’ and played to the whole vintage/ 90s thing and more expensive per kilo. I preferred the charity version where you had to rummage for bargains.

Perhaps they mistaken it with Anthropology?

We've got a Kilo sale in our village hall tomorrow. I may drop in after Zumba 😉

Just tried on the Oliver Bonas dress (no fitting room in the shop) and it's too big so will have to go back. A shame as I loved the colours and pattern.

Still happy with the rest of my finds though!

It is getting harder to find good items and I think far more is going via re-sale sites and being picked up at sorting and it takes a great many visits to many different charity shops to find a gem now. My favourites and in my wardrobe currently, a Burberrys (before they dropped the s) mac, with full wool detachable lining, never worn for £10, some Boden items from their quality production days including a coat that really has paid back the £15 it cost, a Planet dress that is very unlike the later days of its existence and is a very unusual double layered black / bottle green tunic dress for £2, which is one of the most flattering items I have ever bought, Jobis jackets (again from their original ownership period) alongside a few pairs of brand new shoes from R&B, with one pair being £10 and still in the shops now for £175 and another pair, again from R&B being £20 brand new, still in box and a red version of a pair bought by me for far more, eek! Latest buys this year, both found in the same shop were a £7.50 M&S made in England cashmere polo neck in red and for £20, an Autograph three quarter length black very plain / no collar leather coat, very on trend and it fits perfectly. I tend to go for quality of past production eras on my searches, alongside items that are timeless. Oh, I am a size 18, so bigger sizes can be found too.

I bought a lovely Modcloth summer dress in navy with an embroidered yoke recently ($6.99), as well as a pair of Eileen Fisher felted wool boots ($9.99), an American Eagle corduroy jacket ($7.99), a Loft blazer in black ($6.99), and a lavender-grey pashmina scarf ($4.99). Also a pair of Levi's boyfriend straight leg jeans in white with tapered legs ($7.99).

Straight-tapered leg, not boot cut - they look more tapered when the hem is rolled up..

Nope. If I do find anything I like, which is rare as I can't be bothered rummaging, it inevitably doesn't fit me. So I don't bother any more. My friend on the other hand finds all sorts of stuff, and has bought me some amazing things for my house that she knows I will like.

I always like to check the shops out, especially when we are away from home because the country ones are amazing. I just bought a nice little silver watch today, still going and it has a good black leather strap. Six dollars- don't know what that is in pounds, probably 3 or 4. I don't buy clothes because I have too many and am busy culling and sending them off to charity shops myself.