Sustainable Shopping: How to Bag that Charity Shop Bargain
My 12-Step Action Plan
Introduction to Charity Shopping
I’ve been frequenting charity shops for years. They can be wonderful treasure troves, often offering up some great bargains for clothing basics and essentials, and in some cases, they can be a pathway into a bygone era. If like me, you’re also a bit of a bookworm, then they can be the next best thing to those wonderful second hand bookshops you often find at National Trust sites.
Factor in the world of social media, and I have had many an opportunity to share some of my recent charity shop bargains of late. I’m often taken aback by how many people actually reply that ‘they are never lucky and never find anything,’ or that ‘the shops near them are no good.’ Some people believe affluent areas might offer up more opportunity, whereas in reality this might actually inflate the price of the items. All that aside, the reality is, you can find good items, regardless of where you shop.
Popular retailers and also some of the more high-end fashion houses send items to charity shops too - you’ll often spot these as their labels are sometimes cut out. They may be samples or slight seconds, or goods that didn’t sell in the sale. I go to many places and different shops, all of which over some point in time have had something to offer. I’ve seen items from labels such as Barbour, Joules, Dior, DKNY, Jaeger, Alexon, Ralph Lauren, Betty Barclay, Jasper Conran, Armani, even a mini Louis Vuitton (yes it was genuine - I checked for the date codes) and more - I have them all, I only buy quality items.
Charity shops have become a little more popular in recent times for other reasons too. Many people are re-selling on platforms like ebay and Vinted, hence are searching the charity shops, car boot sales and the like, for their finds to sell on for a profit. I have met many of these people on my travels, so, there’s competition now, meaning you have to be consistent in your searching and if you see something - you need to act quick! Because while, like me, you might be looking for personal items, it’s business to someone else.
Why Explore the Charity Shops?
Here are a few pointers as to why it might make sense to explore charity shops in a bit more depth.
1. Sustainability and Mindful Consumption
Long gone is that stigma that was once attached to purchasing second hand goods. In recent times it’s actually become quite fashionable. Buying second hand is a good way to extend the life of an item, potentially saving it from landfill, it beats contributing to the whole ‘fast fashion’ thing, i.e. cheap, poor quality (and therefore throwaway) goods, reducing the need for imports, it assists a good cause, you get to save money, explore individuality and creativity with your personal styling, and if you’re very lucky, you can get expensive, or even designer items at extremely knock down prices. What is not to like?
2. Fusing Creativity with Individuality
If you’re a fan of vintage vibes and like to add a bit of retro into your look, and not least, inject a bit of unique individuality, then a charity shop is not a bad place to start. You can pick up some genuine vintage items. Think in moments from the past - old black and white movies, delicate perfume dispensers, a string of pearls. There are so many triggers that can literally transport us back through time, letting us explore potential stories and really feel that nostalgia. If you’re inspired by this type of thing then please check out my related blog here:
3. Support to the Local Economy and Affordability
I’m old fashioned in my habits, so naturally I like supporting the high street. I don’t really buy from ebay or Vinted. Yes, its true you can get a bargain on those platforms too, but in some cases you also have to navigate online scammers, and guaranteed, the items are still going to be more expensive than traditional charity shops, even if some stores are now increasing their prices. I’ll give you a couple of examples. My vintage BB Equestrian waistcoat cost me £15 in the charity shop and the same item was priced at £70 on ebay. Another example is my Miss Sixty velvet jacket priced £8 in the charity shop with the same Y2K vintage piece appearing on ebay for £150. That’s a big difference. The original price would have been even more of course.
The good thing about shopping the high street for me is that you can easily try the item on, and if you can’t try on in-store, you can return it quite easily if you need to. If you’re a technophobe like me, you don’t need to bother with all that online uncertainty that can sometimes arise, and you’re supporting your local economy by shopping local and supporting towns. I’m not saying I’d never buy clothing from online platforms, but as yet, its not something I’ve explored. The huge variation in sizing alone these days makes it difficult to shop second hand online, especially if it’s a no return. In that instance it can be false economy if you then have the added hassle of trying to sell the item on.
4. Satisfaction and Feel Good Vibes
Make no mistake, there is something incredibly satisfying when you do actually unearth your star find. It’s a bit like experiencing a release of those feel good hormones everyone talks about. It becomes addictive in that you gain confidence in ‘your eye’ and can really start to enjoy the thrill of the search, taking a step back and enjoying the process - no rush. There is nothing better than knowing that you actually shopped smart, saved money and have come away with an incredibly high quality and often unique item. It’s worth remembering that no-one has to pay the earth to dress well, and actually, you can’t buy style, right? Granted, there are some lovely, rather expensive clothes out there, which many of us love (and I’m by no means saying don’t have them), but personal style never depends on how much you’re prepared to spend.
All of the above considered, without further ado, I thought I’d share some of my top tips for a successful charity shop haul!
My 12-Step Plan to Thrifting
1. Never assume that your local charity shop won’t have anything decent
Some people see a shop and assume, particularly if it’s in a not so affluent shopping area, that the charity shop couldn’t possibly have anything decent in stock, and that it mainly houses junk. It might not look appealing. The shopping area might be looking a little run down (we all know how the high street is struggling these days). Whatever.
It’s worth bearing in mind, however, that some retailers give new stock to charity shops. I picked up a marked up ‘brand new’ Zara white shirt, and also a Jermyn Street shirt marked up new, from two different shops, but both significantly discounted -the original new price still attached. Also, very recently I was talking to a member of staff after the shop had appeared to have just had a ‘haul’ in - yes, Jimmy Choo’s boxed, Dior, Coach, DKNY, Tommy Hilfiger. The reason it had all just come in was because another branch in a much more affluent area had sent unsold stock up to our branch! Apparently they do that. The pricing was low. My Tommy jacket was just £5. This leads me to point no. 2
2. Never believe that nobody donates their good stuff
Do people really give good stuff away? Yes! Not everyone can be bothered with the whole online selling thing, or has the time, and if it’s designer stuff, the dress agencies take a huge commission, sometimes as much as 60%. Some people just want minimum fuss when it comes to disposing of their old items. I have never got into selling online, so I tend to donate items too, with the satisfaction of knowing I’m helping a good cause. There are still a lot of people who will gladly donate their items. I know of a lady who has in the past left designer children’s clothes at the top of her drive, offered on a first come first served basis - those people do exist!
3. Go shopping with a plan
Before venturing out, make a plan (and budget). Consider the universal law that where attention goes energy flows! If you go shopping with a vision in your mind of what you’re actually looking for, then those similar items will jump out at you if they are there. They will be more obvious to you due to your subconscious thoughts. This approach will also stop you buying other items purely for the sake of it. Make a plan and stick to it. Don’t get sidetracked. Possibly do some research online for the type of item you’re looking for and what the designers have out there - who are they? etc. Once you know what you want, keep looking, even if it means going back on a different day, or multiple visits over a period of time.
4. Consider timing
Try different times of the week and try to gauge when you might be more successful in your searching. The beginning of the week can be a good time, following weekend clear outs and/or early am midweek when there are less people shopping.
5. Don’t be put off by the look and feel of the shop
Not all charity shops are created equal, least certainly not always in look and feel anyway. I have a lovely shop that I visit where great effort has gone into creating a vintage and antique feel. It’s like stepping back in time. It’s a very unique experience. Some stores go to the trouble of creating more attractive window displays, playing with colour co-ordination. Other stores, however, literally look like junk shops and I also visit one such store. There’s a lot of rubbish and bric a brac in there and a really cheap rail of rather tired looking clothes sits outside on the pavement. I’ve had some amazing finds in that store though. A lovely Italian made cashmere and wool coat (I’ll get to this in a moment), a Laura Ashley leather Blazer and my Y2K Miss Sixty vintage velvet blazer.
It’s probably one of the scruffiest looking shops that I visit and it sits on a rather unappealing carpark nestled between a Home Bargains store and an Iceland store, plus some fast food joints. Although presentation isn’t their strong point, they score highly on my list for quality finds. If you find yourself in such a store, try to picture any finds in another setting or context. Sometimes, you really need to use the power of your imagination (see point 11).
6. Never pay attention to sizing mark-up
Sounds crazy, right? Even if the items are not organised in any particular order, they are nearly always organised as per their sizing at least. And, you’d be forgiven for drifting past those items that are nowhere near your own size - who’d blame you? But…. make sure you check everything out that looks remotely appealing, regardless.
Things are not always easy to see, what with items being squashed up haphazardly against each other on rails in no particular order, so pull them out and take a good look. I say this because I recently saw the top of something I thought I might like, even though it was marked up as Size 18. I pulled it out and sure enough it was a beautiful long wool coat. It looked incredibly small for a Size 18. I check the interior labels to read ‘8 L’ - (Long). It was actually a Size 8 - marked up wrong. My size! It fitted like a dream. Further investigation of the label told me it was a wool/cashmere mix and was made in Italy. Priced £9.50!
Given this was also a navy blue colour it did indeed have the potential to escape the roaming eye, so always take a good look. Also, if you’re stumbling upon older and vintage items, sizing may well come up different to that you are used to. A size 8 in 1970/80/90 is probably different to a size 8 in 2025. Who knows - only one way to find out! Take a good look, try on.
7. Be patient and consistent in your search
The shops do not put out all their good stuff all at once. So, you have to develop a consistent habit to keep checking in at a schedule that suits you. Perhaps even try different times of day. Be prepared to search through a lot of average items to find something, and if you don’t, don’t think that’s it, visit again later in the week. Stock turn over is always quite high in charity shops, and items get put out each day, which brings me to the next point.
8. Don’t hesitate! Be quick!
If you do spot something you’ll need to be quick. I’ve lost a couple of great tweeds because I dithered and thought they’d be there when I went back the next day, following that moment of changing my mind. They weren’t! As I mentioned earlier, lots of people are checking out the stores to simply re-sell items online. If there is a find in there, they’ll be right behind you! They’ll probably be visiting often too.
9. Accept it’s not all about clothing
Clothing isn’t all there is to consider. My favourite oldy worldy shop often has lovely vintage jewellery on sale, including pearls and watches, and you can always find great accessories such as cuff-links or buttons that you could use to up-cycle other items of clothing. I’ve sourced some lovely vintage kid gloves recently - super soft, for just £1. If you’re interested in books, then there are plenty of titles that are exceptionally cheap, which is great for people like me who get through many reads!
10. Don’t be afraid to consider alterations
If something looks like its definitely the item for you - maybe its the perfect colour, and its something you’ve had in your minds eye for a long while, don’t be put off, if for example, its a little big, needs sprucing up or is perhaps lurking in the mens section.
I spotted my vintage wool waistcoat in the mens section. Although sized small, it was a little big for me, so I took it to the craft shop around the corner and got a great alteration done (great price too). Obviously an alteration adds to the overall cost of the piece, but on this particular item the colour was perfect, it now fits a lot better and it was still a way cheaper than buying off ebay. It’s not quite Holland Cooper, but it is very unique, is superb quality, and its genuine vintage. It’s something you wouldn’t ordinarily see every day because you can’t just buy it off the peg.
When considering potential purchases, you can also consider swapping out the buttons etc, if needs be, or adding a belt.
11. Think in a creative way
As I mentioned earlier, don’t overlook the mens section. There could be lots of opportunities to re-purpose items, such as fashionably oversized blazers and shirts, or waistcoats. Also, as charity shops are not always the most luxurious of settings, try to visualise your potential purchase on the cover of a glossy magazine or styled up with your favourite accessories. One of the most difficult things, I find, is getting past seeing the item in this particular context and re-imagining how it could work.
12. Be open minded
It’s obvious that some people just don’t like the whole charity shop thing and granted, it’s not for everyone. I’ve had all kinds of comments, particularly those relating to ‘smells! Yes really…
That said, more people are opening up to the idea. Like antique furniture, classic cars or vintage guitars, some shops can indeed carry what I call the aroma of time. There’s nothing unusual here and honestly, its not that unbearable.
So, if you are a person who is really hindered by this, try some exercises to reframe your thoughts and outlook. That might include reminding yourself that you’re fostering sustainable shopping habits, or, you might wish to acknowledge to yourself how unpopular fast fashion is right now - and why. Rise to the challenge, and see this as a creative exercise of experimentation (and growth) to see what you could potentially uncover.
If you do happen to find that bargain, have it professionally cleaned or run the steamer over it. If odour really is a long standing problem, try some clothes mist (Marks and Spencer Clothes Freshening Mist is phenomenal). Don’t let niggles stand in the way of a potential high quality purchase!
I hope you find this 12-step plan useful. Now get ready to re-imagine your wardrobe! Happy thrifting!
