Do you use charity shops?

Adrian_Scope
Adrian_Scope Posts: 11,750 Online Community Programme Lead
in Coffee lounge
When I was younger I remember there was a bit of a stigma surrounding using charity shops, but things have changed and whether it's born out of a love of retro clothing, or a desire to be more eco-friendly, being able to say you buy second-hand at charity shops almost seems like it's a badge of honour.
More young people are turning to charity shops and resale sites for a fashion fix that’s kinder to the planet Ninety-five per cent of Lottie Allen’s wardrobe is pre-loved. “It’s like a dressing up box,” says the 19-year-old pink-haired fashion student, who describes herself as obsessed with vintage clothes. An estimated £30bn worth of unworn clothes sits in UK wardrobes, according to the waste watchdog WRAP, while 300,000 tonnes of discarded garments go into landfill or incinerators every year. On the other hand, WRAP’s 2017 Valuing Your Clothes report estimated that a 10 per cent increase in second-hand sales could save 3 per cent carbon, 4 per cent water and 1 per cent waste per tonne of clothing.

Source: Positive.news
Do you have any unworn clothes? Donate them at your nearest Scope clothing bank.

How often do you buy second-hand? What are some of the best things you've found in a charity shop?

Comments

  • Chloe_Alumni
    Chloe_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 10,506 Championing
    About 30% of my clothes are from a charity shop or second-hand vintage fair. I love finding more one off items that are more vintage in appearance.

    The best thing I have found would have to be an original 1950's tea dress! 

    When I was at uni, they had a charity collection at the end of every semester which was a great chance to easily donate clothes back to charity. :)
  • Jean Eveleigh
    Jean Eveleigh Scope Member Posts: 186 Empowering
    I don't have a Scope charity shop local to me but yes  do use charity shops sometimes for clothes, books and teddies for my dogs and cat
  • zakblood
    zakblood Online Community Member Posts: 415 Empowering
    edited November 2019
    nearly all my clothes are from charity shops, the rest are Primark, for the last 20 years not been able to afford anything else, plain and simple, stigma doesn't come into it, it's a choice of eating and walking around with rags on, or buying something that others have discarded and hardly worn
  • Ails
    Ails Online Community Member Posts: 2,237 Championing
    I love going to charity shops too and often do this with my mum as she shares the passion!  When I was working in offices I did used to buy work some work clothes there sometimes as they were such a bargain and often brand new or hardly been worn.  I now enjoy buying books, CDs and ornaments there and always come back with something from a charity shop.  I like donating old clothes and other items too and think it is such a worthwhile cause.  Pity we don't have any Scope shops in Scotland!  :neutral:
  • April2018mom
    April2018mom Posts: 2,863 Championing
    I love charity shops. This morning I was in one with my son. I bought some Christmas cards and DVDs as well. When I was a teenager, my mom, my dad and I would walk down to the charity shops on a Saturday morning once a month. 

  • Maggie_Pie
    Maggie_Pie Online Community Member Posts: 22 Contributor
    Sadly, charity shops are no longer cheap usually - so much so, one can often buy new cheaper.  Give for Good, a Christian organisation, run several charity shops close to where I live and their stuff is reasonably priced, so I do look in now and then and do take donations to them.   I have enough clothes and household goods, however, so I'm afraid I avoid a lot of the time.
  • pollyanna1052
    pollyanna1052 Online Community Member Posts: 2,015 Championing
    I once fell down the steps in a Scope charity shop! It`s closed down now!
  • M_Anthony
    M_Anthony Online Community Member Posts: 306 Empowering
    I have quite a nice variety of shops on my high street, Scope, BHF, Cancer Research, Oxfam and a few others. I have bought a lot of music CDs, fictional and history books from them. I have also bought jeans, t-shirts and sometimes fair trade coffee and snacks.
  • Ozzy2013
    Ozzy2013 Online Community Member Posts: 18 Contributor
    We love charity shops, it's like a cave of wonders never knowing what you're going to find inside lol... I can't wait till I've moved & got my new powerchair so we can start exploring the local shops where we end up.....

    My partner still visits our local charity shops having a look around & getting things, We've found they are missing out with some of the things they are throwing away never putting up for sale.... broken action figure parts & weapons, these small bits of plastic could be earning these charities £10-£40 sometimes more online to people wishing to restore their vintage toys on facebook groupes & it's going in the bin.... ?
  • Tammyjane33
    Tammyjane33 Online Community Member Posts: 755 Pioneering
    @Adrian_Scope I agree to what you said in your post above about the stigma about going into or buying items from charity shops. I can definitely remember when I was a young child, when my mum and dad used to go into a charity shop I used to wait outside because I was in fear of what other children would say if they saw me go in. My mum and dad have always purchased different items from charity shops and now I do the same. You realise as you get older, it isn't so bad. Famous people donate to shops and by purchasing something from a charity shop you are giving to a good cause.
    I've found very good bargains from charity shops and the goods were in amazing condition. 
  • exdvr
    exdvr Online Community Member Posts: 324 Empowering
    My local big town has several charity shops all selling good quality stuff cheaply.  On the outskirts there is a British Heart Foundation "superstore" where it's possible to fully furnish a house with almost new items, including fully checked electrical equipment.   There is no stigma attached to using charity shops and all money raised goes to worthwhile causes.

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