How to be a Charity Shopper

Oh, look, it's me doing what I do best; charity shopping! (Seriously, I'm working that coat which will feature in an upcoming post).

Charity shopping is second nature to me, my mum and my sister because we've done it for years and have honed our bargain finding skills to perfection. We were visiting family this weekend and despite being excited to see them all, the thing we couldn't wait to do was go raiding all the charity shops in their hometown.

I get a lot of compliments on the things I manage to find, and a lot of people can't believe I've found so many of my nicer brands and items from a charity shop. I've got two brand new 'Monsoon' dresses, 'Phase Eight' and 'Office' shoes, and an abundancy of high street brands in excellent condition. I've heard people drone the phrase "that looks like it came from a charity shop" as an insult and it insults me. I mean, you've all seen my pictures.

I'm an absolute queen.

So, the first rule of charity shopping is get rid of the "that looks like it came from a charity shop" attitude. If you've got that point of view then just get off my section of this blog right now.

The second thing is you need to familiarise yourself with different charity shops. For example, some are more expensive than others because they have better quality items and can therefore justify the few extra pounds. Cheaper charity shops such as outlets, clearance shops and donation centres are trying to get rid of poorer quality items that couldn't be sold at other shops. You'll get clothes for dirt cheap but they'll be plain, old, unflattering or bobbly and frayed. Don't go to these outlets if you want something nice or you'll just be disappointed. Barnardos, Sue Ryder, British Heart Foundation, Marie Curie and Oxfam have good quality items in most of their shops because they send all the poorer items to their clearance sites.

Thirdly; understand how stock is supposed to work. Charity shops date the items as they put them out so they can rotate their stock, ideally every two weeks. Therefore, if you want to take up charity shopping you should leave a couple of weeks between visits. Sometimes, sadly, if the charity shops aren't getting decent donations or stock sent in then the stock rotation is going to slow down. C.A.S.E and Transplant UK are particularly bad for this because they don't get the stock donated or sent in. I've seen the same pair of green pumps in my local C.A.S.E shop for two months now, and the same handful of tops and skirts because they just don't have the stock. I usually leave a good month or so before going into these shops because I know they won't have a lot of new items in for me to look at. This is why it's so important to donate, so these shops don't suffer.

Fourth piece of information I am passing onto you, reader, is about quailty. Know what you are paying for. If something is stained or ripped it should never have been out on the shop floor in the first place. All charity shops have guidelines as to what can be put onto the floor and stains are a huge no-no. Rips on the inside lining or a button missing are acceptable as long as it's noted on the price tag, but a huge, noticeable rip is not to be sold.

Shops can charge more for items donated in with tags as they have never been worn and are worth more. Big brands like 'Monsoon', 'Planet', 'COS' can also be charged at a higher price because of their brand name but you'll still be getting it for ridiculously cheap which is great. High street brands should be cheaper but again, with tags on can be priced higher.

Before you think about doing this ever, do not ask if a price can be changed. There are guidelines and charts that determine what can be charged for items and the rule in most charity shops is that prices are not negotiable. It's extremely rude to ask for a price to be lowered, it's not a market for bartering in. It's a shop trying to raise money for a cause. Take your

stingyness somewhere else.

And finally, take a friend. Honestly, it's so much more fun with a friend and it's great to get a second opinion on items you might pick up. Not all charity shops have the space for changing rooms, (so make sure you check their refund policy before you leave), and you can't always be sure you're making the right choice when you find that retro 90s jumper. (Please don't buy a retro 90s jumper, ever). It's also a much cheaper, more ethical way to go on a shopping trip and you can get really good clothes and shoes if you have the patience to rumage. Seriously, rumage. Take the time to peel through the rails and don't be shy about looking into other sizes as well. Look for things for you and your friend at the same time and it makes the whole experience a lot more worthwhile. My pet peeve is charity shops that don't put clothes in size order, it gives me no pleasure to shift through the mass of clothes to find my sizes, but, when I've got a friend I can do it because I might see something great for them.

Always take a friend. Friends are good.

Donate, browse and buy with your new knowledge,

Red

#red #sueryder #barnardos #oxfam #mariecurie #bhf #charity #charityshopping #thrifting #thrifty