Do You Buy from Charity Shops?
Other
Are you a keen frequent visitor of charity shops? Or does the mere idea of handling second hand and unwanted goods disgust you?
Absolutely. I probably donate more than I actually buy, but I always pop by to see if there are any books of interest. You can save a fortune. After Christmas is the best time as often people recycle unwanted gifts or have had time to finish a book.
Yes, indeed. I tend to pop in after the end of summer as well, as a lot of nearby shops donate unsold goods to charity shops, so lots of brand new bargains to be had
Charity shops can be brilliant! We have plenty in Plymouth City Centre, many of them all on the same street so every couple of months I go on a shirt buying spree! I work in a hot office so shirts never last that long so I resent paying new prices. I get some decent quality shirts for £2-£5 each. Apart from the 'smalls' I dont think I have purchased any new clothes for myself for the last five years at least. I just wish there was more choice for mens clothes - you go in any charity shop and its wall to wall ladies clothing, with just a rack or two of mens clothes hidden at the back!
I agree, there’s definitely lots more women’s items available. But then I guess women do shop more, and perhaps more likely to buy things they never wear, so they end up donating.
Yes, I use them a lot. It's no different to using Ebay or Depop! The ones in the Cotswolds have some really good stuff! Designer clothes and shoes, much cheaper than online sites.
Thanks for the tip - I’ll make sure I pop into the charity shops when I’m next there
I love to go to charity shops. You can get some lovely things from them. I get books, pictures, China, but like lizzie95xx said they are getting very dear. I all so like a good boot sale.
I’ve not been to a boot sale in years. The ones near me in London are no good. Have heard I need to go further afield to nab the bargains
when i used to leave the house (agrophobic now) I loved a good rummage through the charity shops found lots of desinger wear both for myself and kids .. but son wouldnt wear if he knew lol x When he was in his teens i found a brand spanking pair of hugo boss jeans and i went into the hugo boss store n bought a pair of socks n asked for a bigger bag n then gave to son and he thought id paid 78pound for a pair of HB jeans in sale lmao ... still never told him ... he would never forgive me but he wore them til they had holes in ... mind u thats the fashion now haha x he hated throwing them away who would of thought 4.50 n the 8 quid i paid for the socks yes 8 quid ... would of brought so much joy 
x
Lol sneaky - love it! teens would be disgusted with the idea of getting stuff from charity shops - always want to have flashy things to show off to their fiend. he probably thought you were the best mum ever 
hspexy he did kept saying mum can u really afford these .. i i said no but ur worth it lol haha x
I love a charity shop. I’ve had some decent items from them. I also donate to them too. Helps people less fortunate, I know they have helped me in the past. I also volunteer in one when I was unable to work, lovely environment 
Yes it is - I did work experience in one as a teen, and back in those days, things were so cheap. We used to try to salvage damaged goods by repairing them, or making alteractions for garments to be resold. It was fun, as well as a good cause
All the time. I had great charity shops where I used to live but here they aren't up to much! Good job I am moving again......sooooon I hope (I am almost bald with the wait)
I used to get some stuff from charity shops, mostly books. I donated a lot, like books, sport equipment, music equipment, furniture... It seemed liked a great idea until my friend started to work in one of them and described it as a ,,regular business". It's a great idea for people who wants to get something cheaper but I would like to know if those money spent really go for charity
Tbh i doubt the actual charity itself gets much from the money. A lot of it goes to the admin costs, promotions and the brand itself, and then don’t forget the stuff that happens under the table. I’m sure there are a lot of good people out there, but it seems like there are just as many, if not more, that want to take advantage of the situation
hspexy I think we all expect the money they make to go to their cause, but in reality we all know that, as you say, a lot goes on other things BUT ultimately we still use them because the clothes are much cheaper than normal shops and these days we are all on a limited budget.
tumblespots yes, I believe that’s the case. And I guess it’s the case for those who like shopping in primark - even if they claim that no one is exploited in the making of their clothing, when items are that cheap, they’re considered disposable, so definitely not good for the environment
Love a charity shop! They are brilliant for picking up a bargain or two! Whenever my mother in law visits she always goes to the charity shops on our high street as she says they are much better than hers and she has picked up a number of fabulous items! I plan to go into my local ones and look for baby items. I donate stuff to the charity shops too.
ah yes you do get loads of baby and kids things in charity shops. I know a lot of people that get given so many things for their newborn that they simply can’t go through everything, so off they go to the charity shops 
I have never find cheap things in Charity Shops, all of the item cost like the brand new ones in other stores.
I donate my unwanted clothes, shoes, dvd, books.
Oh that’s a shame. It can be very hit and miss. I know my first experiences weren’t so great. But once I found the areas that have the charity shops with the good stuff, I always go back!
hspexy Where I live the charity shops are very expensive for clothes. The furniture is great and cheap from them, we got 2 sofas before and when we did not needed them anymore we give them back.
AgnesFaludi that’s good - furniture is expensive. I know a lot of people tend to throw away perfectly good furniture just because it no longer fits their decor. They’ve obviously got money to spare!
It's worth looking in them because some items are unwanted presents and are new with tags and in sealed boxes.
Join for free to get genuine deals, money saving advice and help from our friendly community
Chief Bargain Hunter
