Find of the week.

My find of the week is this black and white geometric skirt, purchased from Sue Ryder in Sale.
Sale is such a dangerous place for me to work as the high street there is basically just becoming charity shops only and I have to walk past every single one of them on my way from the tram station to the office!

The Sue Ryder shop there only opened quite recently and it is a bit of a shop/jumble sale as the majority of the clothes are just piled together in size order in wooden compartments. There's a few dresses and coats on hangers but the majority of clothing is just in piles you need to rummage through.
All the clothing, shoes and accessories in the shop are a set price of £1. In a way, it's a typical discount shop (much like those that Barnardo's run) in that some stock is in such a condition that most charity shops would rag it but look around and you can find some real gems, like this skirt which was unworn and still with the original tags from boohoo.com. I've gotten quite good at just standing back and looking at fabrics and colours rather than trying to separate every single garment which would take forever!

I probably go into this Sue Ryder three times a week as the stock turnover is super quick. I think what's happening is the shop is selling all the stock which has been through pass-on in the local area and not sold. Many of the items have tags from other Sue Ryder shops with standard charity shop pricing just crossed through in marker pen. I rarely get back through the door without a purchase.

I always think to myself whether this model is the future of charity shops. No doubt it's a good way to make more money than the clothing would in rag but it's also a really low maintenance and cost set up. There's no getting away from the fact that it can look messy and it's difficult to know how long any piece of clothing has been out on the shop floor for but I think it really appeals to those of us who like a good rummage and feel charity shops have lost that.

Have you ever been to a shop like this? What did you think of it?

Char x

What I wore today (Jan 14th).

Another of my New Year's resolutions, along with blogging at least once a week, is planning my outfits the night before. I'm terrible for trying to scrape something together ten minutes before I have to leave for work and then feeling rubbish about it all day because the item I really wanted to wear was inevitably in the wash! 

Due to being out late last night at ice skating (another of my resolutions!), I failed on planning Thursday's outfit on Wednesday but stumbled on some inspiration this morning and created what's below from some of my most recent charity shop finds.

The dress is originally from Topshop but I picked it up in the British Heart Foundation shop in Bury on Sunday for £5.50. It's actually from the tall range, something I am certainly not, but I like that it's come up quite long on me. I've never rated Bury for charity shops and was having another horrendous experience there until I went into BHF! I also picked up two denim dresses from Topshop and New Look.
The green necklace is the one featured on my last blog which I got from the British Red Cross Encore range in the Eccles shop - it was £2.

 

I put this floral black and cream jacket over the top of the dress as my office is ABSOLUTELY FREEZING at the moment! Originally from the G21 range at George, I got it from Scope in Sale for £2.99 last week on my lunch hour.

And here I am modelling the whole thing.

What do you think of the prices of these items?

Char x

Like H&M? Love Encore!

 

The Encore range at British Red Cross shops is something that's been on my radar for a while now. As I understand it, these are brand new clothes donated by high street stores. The items are either imperfect or end of line stock which can't be re-sold. There's hardly any information online about the range which really surprises me as I'd've thought the charity would use it as a selling point. I'd be interested to find out how many charity shop lovers know about it?

From my experience, the range is mainly H&M clothing, usually from recent seasons. There seems to be Encore items in most British Red Cross shops - my personal favourites are Droylsden and Hyde in Manchester and the Renshaw Street shop in Liverpool city centre, where a member of staff told me deliveries come every couple of weeks. Recent finds include a Cos ring and four H&M necklaces for £4!

So I was delighted yesterday to stumble across a British Red Cross shop that I'd never been in before (charity shops I've not been in in the Greater Manchester area are few and far between now)! The shop is in Eccles, a small town just west of Salford and just down the tram line from Media City. I feel as if Eccles is one of those places which has really suffered as a result of improved transport links into Manchester and its cause can't be helped as it's in walking distance of the Trafford Centre. Many of the shops have closed or been boarded up and it hardly seems like a hive of activity at first glance.

Despite that, I can honestly say that this shop is hands down one of the best charity shops I have ever been in! All the stock is beautifully presented in colour blocks, the staff and volunteers are lovely, the customers all seemed to be regulars and they sell books for 50p - hallelujah! What more could you ask for?

£30 worth of Encore clothing, if you're me...

£30 in a charity shop in one transaction takes some doing...here's what I bought...

Interesting olive green statement necklace, £2.

 

Black and white patterned jumper, £3.50. This has a lovely zip-back detail which extends from the neckline to the waist.

 The photos of this high-necked, ribbed mini dress don't really do it justice. I can remember seeing this in store, loving it and not purchasing because it was pretty pricey so to get it, unworn, for £4.50 was nice!

 This photo doesn't do this gorgeous navy blue mixed textured jumper any favours either but it's super soft and feels such good quality for the £3 I paid.

 Black skirt with gold zip detailing, £3.

 Super pretty cream lace blouse, £4.

 

 Casual cream slouchy tshirt, £2.50.

Bizarre fluffy black jacket, £4.

Black skinny trousers with faux-leather detailing, £3.50.

Considering those prices are on a par with normal donated good prices, I'd say the Encore range provides excellent value for money and is an inspired path for the British Red Cross to have gone down.

Have you ever bought anything from the range? How do you feel about British Red Cross shops in general? I, for one, certainly wish there were more!

Char x

Is there still a stigma to buying your clothes in a charity shop?

When I was in high school, my mum would sometimes drag me into Aldi. I'd argue to stay in the car while she picked up the shopping for the week but on the occasions when those arguments proved futile, I'd wander around the store with my eyes firmly fixed to the floor for fear of seeing anyone I knew. Being seen in that store or turning up to school with an Aldi carrier bag made kids an easy target for the bullies in my school playground. Looking back on that, it's amazing to consider how the reputation of the chain has changed and developed over the past decade - discount food stores have undergone a complete re-branding.

For my final blog post of 2015, I wanted to consider whether the same has happened with charity shops so I took to Instagram this morning to ask...as we approach 2016, do you think there's still a stigma around buying clothes in charity shops?

Unanimously, you said there is but attitudes are changing.

scarletlady13 puts this down to 'the popularity of 'vintage' getting younger people involved in charity shopping' in addition to 'the standards in stores...getting better and better' and suggests that 'the high street look of stores will only encourage more people'.
Vintage, I wholeheartedly agree with. Vintage shops have become wise to their appeal to the mass market, particularly students with new loan installments burning a hole in their pockets! With that awareness came price hikes and I think shopping for vintage in charity shops became a good way to achieve an individual look without paying over the odds for it. I think when vintage sections are done well, they can really add value to a charity shop and give it a new market. Once you've got the customers through the door, it becomes easier to sell the idea of second hand which isn't vintage!
I also agree that across the board, standards in shops are generally improving. I can remember going into shops a few years ago and the majority of the stuff would look tired with discolouration or other damage. Charities have definitely become wise to the quality customers want and I rarely see anything with even the slightest hint of bobbling anymore. Charities have to compete directly with low-cost fast-fashion retailers and the only way to win that is to give people who rosecottage says 'would rather buy cheap and nasty (but new)' excellent quality in their second hand.
For me, the jury is still out on how far new layouts, shop fittings and store presentation can go in overturning stigma. Cancer Research may share the same hangers and rails as Topshop but we all know it's not Topshop! I think that for some people, the reputation of the humble charity shop is set and no amount of glitzy displays or posh shop fittings is going to overturn that. I'd be interested to know if anyone was drawn in by the new look charity shops and was converted?

2ndhandstylequeen puts the change in attitudes down to charity shops having developed over the years into 'vibrant income generators and in many cases really attractive go-to destinations'.
I have to say, I think Mary Portas did a lot for the reputation of the charity shop in her television programme documenting the overhaul of a Save the Children shop in Orpington and her continued collaboration with the charity has created some beautiful spaces and I'd argue that she really led the way for the types of rebranding scarletlady13 was referring to.
In addition to that, charities have been making better use of the Internet and social media. Shopping online is so popular these days and people have become accustomed to being able to purchase whatever they want at the click of a button. Instagram allows charities to showcase their wares to thousands of people in an instant and even if we can't all dash into that store and pick up that item, it gives people a good idea as to the types of stock the charity has. The amount of bloggers documenting their charity shop purchases has also increased and blogs like The Thrift from Barnardo's make really interesting reading.

tildyteacake mentions Oxfam's collaboration with M&S having 'helped some people who might not have ventured into a charity shop to buy clothes before feel more comfortable about doing so'.
Charities have definitely used more well-renowned retailers to further their cause. My favorite example of this has to be the Encore range at British Red Cross which stocks end of the line products from H&M and Cos. Again, it's all about getting people through the door. If customers know they can get a brand new, just out of store Cos ring for a fraction of the cost they might go in the shop, regardless of their preconceived ideas - once they're in, the good quality donations can do the talking.
Another fantastic example of a charity using well known retailers to increase sales (and I can't believe I'm giving all you Manchester lot this tip off again!) is The Lighthouse Charity Shop in Withington which stocks brand new Missguided clothing and shoes. I go there specifically to look at what has been delivered from the mystical Missguided Manchester warehouse and find myself buying a whole host of other bits! There's always a number of young girls shopping in there purely for the Missguided stuff but isn't that what successful retail is about? Giving the customer what they want!
I think these factors have gone some of the way to bringing the charity shop into the modern day and made them meaningful to a younger audience.

However, cissyclogs argues that 'the stigma is alive for sure, with people telling me it is embarrassing to shop second hand' and JennyLou77 saying 'some people physically recoil when I tell them an item is second hand'.
I guess we can't convince them all! And would we want to...there'd be less for us to buy?!
I get it, I really do. I can understand why people are weird about adopting an item of clothing that has been on the body of someone you don't know, perhaps multiple times. Even the most committed of charity shop lovers draw the line somewhere - my mum, who taught me all I know about charity shops, is still reluctant to buy a second hand shoe and if she does, she can be seen cleaning the inside of it with a wet wipe and potentially, a bottle of bleach. Shoes, underwear, bedding - where do you draw the line?
I think it's normal to want something that is just your own. But I would guess that the majority of items in a charity shop have touched less bodies than a dress you try on in Urban Outfitters.

I just wanted to finish with something from faracharityshops. Here's hoping 'more people will cotton on to what a good, if not vital, thing thrifting is in this day and age. It's green, conscientious, benevolent and most of all rewarding for any genuine lover of the unusual'. 

2015 has been a great year in my charity shop life and it's been a real pleasure to share that journey. I hope 2016 yields some incredible bargains for all you second hand lovers. Happy New Year :) x

In fives.

So here I am again apologising for the lack of blog posts of late...November has been chaotic! 

At the beginning of the month, there were a few difficulties at work and some big changes in my personal life running alongside. A couple of weeks were a complete write-off emotionally and I had to take some time off work mid-month. However, luckily for the blog, I feel as if I've spent the last two weeks shopping constantly! I even left my Manchester comfort zone to return to my old haunt of Liverpool and spend an afternoon exploring the charity shops of Allerton Road for the first time in five and a half years! I also spent some time shopping with my charity shop inspiration and original second hand shopper motivation - my mum! Preston city centre was really disappointing but she took me to some of her out-of-town favourites and we both managed to get some bargains. Alongside this, I've been exploring all the usual suspects across Manchester. The result of all this is a never-ending stream of washing and photographing to be done (and a pretty dented bank balance!).

I think the most manageable way to explore all my new bargains is to list them about five at a time and I'm going to start with today!

I had an appointment at the doctor first thing this morning and due to severe laziness, I haven't changed doctor from when I moved house a year ago so I needed to get the bus up to the practice. This gave itself nicely to getting a dayrider and completing an abbreviated version of the charity shop run! 

The only place I really wanted to go was Withington - somewhere I haven't been in ages. For everyone who doesn't live in Manchester, Withington is a small place just down from the student hub Fallowfield and half way to Didsbury. There are a fair few charity shops - big chains like Cancer Research and Oxfam sit alongside local charities like Barnabus Manchester. After a quick lunch in Fuel Cafe and a lunchtime drink (it's obviously payday!), I set off exploring. I had a message on Instagram about two weeks ago kindly letting me know the Lighthouse charity shop had a whole load of Missguided stock which had just come in but I hadn't managed to take a look until today. I wasn't expecting there to be anything left but the shop was full of it! I overheard the lady saying to two girls that she handpicks from a warehouse of it (where is this wonderful place?!) and gets fairly regular deliveries. There were about ten different items I could've happily taken home but I had to hold myself back, given I need money for Christmas and all!

I'm in love with this gorgeous electric blue coat (so much brighter when not in front of the camera) which cost £9.99. I know what you're all thinking - a £10 spend on one item from a girl who crams items into a £2.50 'fill-a-bag' bag like there's no tomorrow?! I think there are some things which are worth a bit more and a coat is one. It's pretty miserable in Manchester most days now and I get pretty unhappy when I'm cold. It's also new. And it's payday.

I also picked up these crazy white shoes. Like the studded, leopard print boots from a few months ago, I can't decide whether these are incredible or super ugly! I do know I shouldn't wear them anywhere which is potentially muddy...they were £4.99 - again, more than I'd normally pay but they're immaculate.

Earlier in the day, I stopped off in Hyde. Usually a charity shop gold favourite, I was a little disappointed and only managed to pick up these Zara mustard coloured skinny trousers for £3 in Cancer Research.

These next two items I picked up on Saturday after finishing work in Sale.

Both were from Scope and cost a grand total of £7.25 (shoes £4 and shirt £3.25).

How has your November been for bargains? Hopefully I can post a bit more regularly now things are back on a more even keel - I know I've got a lot of catching up to do! There's just not enough days in the week to wear all my new things! I can think of worse positions to be in :)

Char x

Selling your charity shop purchases.

Anyone who reads the blog regularly will know I'm always in the Mustard Tree shop in Ancoats. After the success of previous Mondays, I decided to have another walk up the other day and was delighted to find that the 'Fill a Bag for £2.50' sale was still on with restocked rails. Though all was not well...

During my browsing* time, I saw a fair few items of clothing that I knew could be sold on for profit which sent my brain into absolute meltdown regarding the moral implications of such a transaction. Just to be clear, I'm not talking life changing amounts of money here - I think if you have an eye for certain collectables or antiques, there is a substantial profit to be made from buying with the purpose of selling but I'm purely talking about clothing.

I'm sure I'm not the first person to buy something from a charity shop with a view to take it lovingly into my wardrobe and wear it until it falls apart but on getting it home, discover it doesn't fit and rather than donate it back, has put it on eBay (or similar). I don't see a problem with that at all because that's more of an accident (although maybe I should try things on!) - I think what I'm trying to address is the buying specifically with the clear intention to sell on. I think that can raise criticisms. I also want to point out that if you're buying to sell, there are tax implications and you need to let HMRC know as technically, you're operating a business.

In my experience, second hand clothing doesn't sell for all that much on eBay and fees from the site and from PayPal cut into any profits you might make.
However, the medium-sized carriers which Mustard Tree offer for the 'Fill a Bag for £2.50' sale can fit a fair few items in - probably about six or seven pieces of clothing. By my fast-maths calculations, you're paying about 38p an item there. If everything in your bag is good quality, a current season style and from a decent brand, there is undoubtedly a profit to be made.

I opened this up on Instagram and of those people who responded, the majority were in support of selling on. Here are a few of the points:

1) Regardless of the reason for buying an item, the money still ends up in the till.
If the person who buys to sell on doesn't purchase, there's nothing to say anyone else will. After going through pass-on, the item may end up going for rag which would mean a vastly depleted price. It's better for the charity to sell at full price, regardless of who is paying it and what their intentions are for the item.
2) Shops are savvy.
Most shops have clear instructions to volunteers detailing how much different brands can make. The shopper is paying the charity the price they asked for the item which is the best a shop can hope for. In general, shops price according to value and are wise to the worth. With this in mind, you're probably very lucky to find anything to make a profit on.
3) Charity shoppers are a kind bunch.
Casual selling on comes from some real charity shop lovers who also buy for themselves and donate unwanted items too. For many sellers, the money they make goes back into buying more from charity shops - therefore, it's a cycle that helps everyone. Potentially finding something to sell on may also encourage you to shop more and spend more with a charity.

However, there were some points raised against:

1) If buying to sell happens too often, it proves the charity isn't getting the best price.
Shops need to price competetively but have different avenues for sales now including eBay. If a buyer can generate a profit on an item, the shop should be charging more or listing these items online themselves.
2) Charity shops sometimes hold back items for sellers which means shoppers don't get to see them.
I know a lot of charity shops offer staff and volunteers discount but the rule is normally that the item goes on the shop floor first to give customers a chance to see everything. This could be important to ensure customers have faith in the shop and they may lose customers if they know items are being saved specifically for buyers to sell on.
3) Buying to sell can offend volunteers.
One Shop Manager mentioned that a customer told a volunteer that he would be selling the items and the volunteer was really offended. I think that's really valid - most volunteers volunteer because they support the cause and wouldn't want to think the charity was losing out on money. They also give up their time free and work hard to increase funds gained through retail. Maybe it can seem wasted and unfair that someone should make a quick profit?
4) Considering the purpose of the shops, making a profit from goods is 'distasteful'.
Marc Crosby, writing here addresses the issue that 'Charity shops...are there to help the poor and disadvantaged, so looking to make a profit from items you bought there is distasteful.'

I'm still very much sitting on the fence with this issue. I didn't buy to sell in Mustard Tree even though I knew I could've made a few quid. Even when my £2.50 bag wasn't full and the staff member suggested I could get a few more items in it, I didn't go back and collect what I thought could make money even though I would've paid the same amount to the charity. Maybe that was a bit foolish of me?

The actual reason I didn't was because it was Mustard Tree. The Ancoats shop supports disadvantaged people in the area in which I live and I know the volunteers who work there also shop there. The whole operation seems a lot more personal than a lot of other shops I go into and I don't like to think I'm taking something from someone who might love it.

I'm really sentimental when it comes to clothing; I shop in charity shops partly because I like the thought of giving something a new life after it was unwanted. I also don't care about money. Finding something lovely at such a bargain price might make someone's day and I don't want to take that away from someone because I could make a few quid - I don't think that's a fair trade.

But then am I saying I'd buy to sell somewhere that was more of 'chain' charity? Yes, probably. Is that fair?

I'm still really keen to know what other charity shoppers make of this issue so please comment below if you feel strongly about this!

 Char x

*'browsing' makes me seem quite passive. I'm actually very protective over my bargains as one lady found out when making a beeline for some items I'd temporarily placed at the end of of a rail. 'SORRY I'VE JUST PUT THEM DOWN, I'M 100% BUYING THEM! THANKS' 'Oh goodness, sorry...'

Shopping on a serious budget.

Last week, I had a day working in London which meant getting up at 5am and returning home at 9pm. I was shattered all week and by the time weekend came around, all I wanted to do was sleep! Having finally caught up on rest today and not wanting to waste my entire weekend being unconscious, I decided to have a little local adventure for a couple of hours.  Due to having to renew the tenancy on my flat and various other bills, I'm a little lacking in funds this month so I was in two minds whether to go at all but as a compromise between being able to eat and preserving my sanity, I gave myself a £5 spending limit and stayed close to home.

I'd initially only planned to go to Droylsden and visit a little community charity shops called COTE near Edge Lane tram stop which I used to spend a lot of time in before I moved house last year. On discovering it was the same price for a ticket to Droylsden as it is for a return to Ashton-under-Lyne, I thought I'd extend my journey a little further.

The most sensible idea would surely have been to find one or maybe two things I really loved but I'm a binge shopper by nature and I'd never have been satisfied with that! Fortunately, there were plenty of bargains to be had and I managed to pick up all this for exactly £5.

My first purchase was from Willow Wood Hospice shop in Droylsden which I absolutely LOVE. The shops support a local hospice in Tameside and are really well priced. The Droylsden shop had a makeover fairly recently and is now the proud owner of some lovely wooden floors which really open the shop out. I picked up a book called 'The Hundred Year Old Man' by Jonas Jonasson. I'd never heard of the title before but I'm still having great trouble finding a novel to engage my interest so hopefully this might remedy that! The paperbacks in the Willow Wood shop are 50p for two and the lovely lady behind the counter tried to give me this for 25p as I couldn't find another I wanted but despite having a constant bee in my bonnet about overpriced second hand books, I didn't accept. What's really lovely about Willow Wood is that you can have a chat with the staff - we were getting into the politics of the march on the Tory party conference today! The volunteers there are so friendly and so interesting, that I actually took a seat to listen to the end of the debate!

Following that, I went into the enormous Barnardo's that Droylsden has. It's half 99p shop, half donation centre and always a hive of activity. I was quite upset to discover they had drastically reduced the amount of clothing on the shop floor to give way to more furniture and household items (although I do understand this raises far more money per space used). I think I'd gone in Barnardo's and Willow Wood in the wrong order because there was a lady scanning the rails clutching tightly onto some amazing dresses and a pair of beautiful lace up ankle boots which looked like my size. She definitely saw the jealously in my eyes...
However, I did manage to pick up the lovely beige jacket in the left of the picture!
Spend so far - £1.49.

Then I went into another of Droylsden's shops. I don't like to say negative things about charity shops so I won't mention the name but I never normally go in this one because it perpetually smells like wet dog and everything is really expensive, which would not be conducive to my £5 cause. However, there was a sign in the window stating there was a half price rail inside. I'm not one to turn down a half price rail at the best of times. When shopping on a tiny budget, I'd say it was a necessity.
There was a pretty green dress on the rail or £3.29 (full price) or (£1.64 half price) but I had to think carefully and realised having not set foot on Ashton turf yet, spending 33% of my budget would not be wise. Ah, to be well off...

I also noted that my old employer has opened a shop in Droylsden...they're getting to be a bit like rats, never more than 6 foot from one. Sorry, that's dreadful - moving swiftly on...

To Ashton. Ahh, I do love East Manchester and it's grittiness. Ashton-under-Lyne truly is a place like no other. I had to be strategic here because there's a fair few shops in Ashton but I only had £3.51. My first stop was Age UK £1 shop, where I had originally planned to spend the majority of my remaining funds...if only I could find something to spend them on... After studying two dresses for quite some time, I decided one was just too leopardy (yes, even for me!) and the other had a smidgen of a bleach stain on the hem. In usual circumstances, I would have bought both but today was thrifting to the extreme!

So I went down the road to the RSPCA shop which used to be a £1 shop and then wasn't and seems to be a £1 shop again and picked up this black River Island jumper with open sleeves.

 

 
£2.51 remains.

So I'd planned to go to COTE on the way back but as the tram pulled into Edge Lane, I could see the lights were out and it was closed. After considering my options in town, I decided I would have to return home with £2.50 burning a hole in my pocket but as I pulled into Holt Town, I remembered MUSTARD TREE! Quick scan of Twitter showed me that they had been having the fill-a-bag for £2.50 sale towards the end of September but I didn't think it'd still be on, surely I couldn't be THAT lucky...

Mustard Tree you are good to me. This sale is unreal although you really have to get in quickly, which I definitely didn't do, coming a week and a half late to the party! However, I did manage to pick up these beauties.

Crazy pattern? Woolly yet machine washable? Sold.

Black and red Missguided cropped jumper

Topshop leopard top 

 Zara skirt

I also managed to squeeze a blue and white striped jumper and a purple skirt into my £2.50 bag of dreams and still had room left!

One penny remains, which has now been placed in my charity shop piggy bank.
Today really restored my faith in the charity shop bargain! I'm so excited to wear (and read) everything I bought today. Furthermore, shopping on such a tight budget really made me think about what I was buying. I definitely have a tendency to just buy in charity shops because I think things are so cheap, it doesn't matter if I can't squeeze myself into it, I'll just donate it back. But while I don't want to discourage donating to charity, that is a waste of money, no matter how little money that may be. I'd like to say today has taught me a lesson or two about spending wisely but no doubt I'll be back on the major hauls again next month!

Char x