What’s the best day to go to a charity shop? + other thrifting tips!!
hello friends! Today I want to chat about What’s the best day to go to a charity shop? + other thrifting tips!!
As you might already know, I’ve been avidly charity shop shopping for over 20 years now and I’ve found some incredible things over the years! When people tell me they never find anything good in their local charity shops, these are the tips I always give them! Because guess what… there’s still amazing stuff in charity shops and with the cost of living crisis, there’s new been a better time to hit them up! Let’s chat!
what’s the best day to go to a charity shop?!
The best day to visit charity shops is mid-week. This is when they are less busy and less picked-over. The best charity shops are busy on a Saturday so if you go in on a Saturday afternoon, the chances are the best stuff will be gone. Also, mid-week is when there are more volunteers in so that’s when they will be doing most of their sorting and replenishing.
do richer areas have better charity shops?
This is a debatable point. I have found some incredible items in wealthier areas, but I have also been shocked at how highly priced they are. Where as in less wealthy areas you can still find good stuff and it is priced more reasonably. I have also found the less wealthy areas often have less designer labels but they have more incredible vintage gems.
True charity shop shoppers will go to all charity shops, in all areas. Because you never know what you will find and where you will find it!
Which charity shop has the best furniture?
Without a doubt, the best charity shop to find furniture is the British Heart Foundation. Not only do their regular stores often have furniture, but they have dedicated furniture charity shops too. This is because part of their business is doing house clearances, so a lot comes from that, and also they will collect your furniture for donation too. Which is SO good if you are looking to get rid of a bulky item.
Can you haggle in a charity shop?
Technically, of course, you could try and haggle in a charity shop. But I would say to avoid it unless the item is massively overpriced. Generally the person working behind the til is a volunteer and it could be uncomfortable for them, plus the money is going to charity, so generally I would advise you to pay the marked price.
I have heard of people asking for a cheeky discount if they have spotted a mark or a small hole in an item, or if they are buying multiple items. But I think it is always worth remembering that the money will be donated to charity and it’s probably a lot less than an item would be in a vintage shop or new.
How to find good things in charity shops – my ultimate guide
- Visit your local charity shops often. The stock can change day-to-day and the good items often sell fast, so the more you go in, the more chance you have of snapping up the best things!!
- If the charity shop is arranged by size order, don’t just look at the section with your size. Often vintage items will be marked up at the vintage size which isn’t true to modern sizes and sometimes things will be wrongly marked or in the wrong section. So look everywhere, and if you see something amazing, don’t forget you can always get it altered to make it fit
- Don’t ‘think about it and go back for it later’ because it probably won’t be there. I can’t tell you how many things I have missed out on because I didn’t buy them and then the next day it was gone
- Don’t get disappointed if you don’t find anything good, you might have to visit 5 charity shops before you find something you want to buy. That’s normal and it’s worth the wait!
- keep an open mind. Sometimes I go into charity shops looking for dresses and I come out with a set of crockery. You have to keep an open mind and if you see something cool that you have a use for, buy it!
- Charity shops often save their glitzy vintage dresses for Halloween and Christmas, so if that’s your thing, make sure you go to plenty of charity shops around this time
- know you vintage brands! Whilst you might not find a Selkie dress in your local charity shop (it’s too new and niche! No one is donating them yet!) you might find a vintage Laura Ashley dress or Monet necklace instead.
- look in all the sections; books, clothes, bric a brac, jewellery and if you have a child, there’s often incredible children’s wear to be found!
- Look at the window display, often the best items are in the window to lure in customers, however, it’s often the passers-by who spy these gems, because the regulars are busy making a bee-line for the door!
How to find cool furniture in charity shops
- You can find some amazing furniture in charity shops, but I can often be hard to ‘see’ it. If a charity shop is filled with a hotch-potch of furniture, it can be hard to isolate the cool stuff. So take your time and try to image each item isolated and styled up at home.
- look at Anthropologie to see what vintage styles are in fashion and figure out what is your taste. A lot of anthro furniture is vintage inspired and this can be a great way to figure out what pieces you like, for instance, farmhouse or mid venture or 70s ratan.
- remember solid wood can be sanded back and re-waxed. So don’t be afraid to buy scruffy wood furniture to give it a little love and bring it back to life
- look at the shapes of furniture and if you like the shape, consider buying it to paint it.
- go in often! Again! The best things get snapped up fast!
- Don’t forget to check out other places you can get free or cheap furniture in the Uk!
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Ta da! And there we have it! What’s the best day to go to a charity shop? + other thrifting tips!! I hope this post is of help! Let me know if you have any questions!
