Then I started looking for something to wear with it and shock horror ! I started looking in the mainstream clothes shops, and I found some of the prices were almost as low as the charity shops. Now this may be that the charity shops are putting their prices up. At one time you could guarantee that their prices were rock bottom, but now you have to search the sale rails for any bargains.
I went back for a second look at the British Heart Foundation shop, they were busy earlier because they have just had a refit and everyone was crowding in to see their brand spanking new shop. Just as I was browsing the rails it struck me that they have spent a lot of money, everything looked perfect, even down to all the coathangers being the same good quality wooden ones. The press arrived from the local paper, and I stood earwigging as they interviewed a very smartly dressed young chappie, obviously from the regional or even national headquarters, you never see someone like him helping out on a day to day basis. Of course he was singing the praises of his shop. I suddenly became reluctant to buy anything, for a start it looked like a proper shop, the prices were slightly higher than you would expect, probably to pay for the refit, and it lacked the homely, friendly, thrown together feeling. It's far too posh for me.
Now my quandry, should I stick to my principles of buying as much second hand as I can, or should I say sod it, I might as well buy new and cheap if the charity shops are going to spend all my money on expensive refits? Don't know what to do now!
This is a quandary I suffer from a lot! I like old clothes (second hand and very old) for several reasons including... if they are very old and still look good they were obviously quality expensive items when new, there is a romance about where was it worn, what event was it bought for and of course... the money goes to a good cause. BUT I also buy things from Primark who have to be exploiting someone in order to be able to sell clothes at the prices they do. I mean, £1 for a T shirt - which did me two summers by the way. The Primarks of this world want you to buy their stuff, wear it for a season or even less and then bin it and buy some more... I disagree with this approach. It is wasteful to throw things away without thinking about how to re-use them. Doesn't help your quandary does it? Well ... I love the top you bought and I think it would look great with trousers or skirt and you should think about what will look the best on you... and check out all the shops until you find the best deal irregardless of which/what shop it is. :-) that's what I'd do anyway.
ReplyDeleteOur British Heart Foundation shop has recently had a refit as well, and prices have gone up. I won't shop there any more. If they've got money for posh refits, and want to sell me a Primark shirt for a similar price to what I would pay for it at Primark, that is not what 'charity' is all about to me. I give it a wide berth and go to 'proper' charity shops - there's plenty of them around.
ReplyDeleteI'm shocked Caroline, has British Heart Foundation gone completely bonkers? I am so mad about this that I have re-jigged my above post and sent it to our local paper, lets see if they print it. I would like to wipe that smarmy look off the face of that whiz kid of a manager.
ReplyDeleteIf it doesn't have really cheery old ladies behind the counter and the shop doesn't smell fusty (pronounced foosty) it's not a proper charity shop and should be avoided at all costs
ReplyDeleteGood for you, Ilona, do let me know if it gets published. In our area there's definitely 2 types of charity shop: the ones like the Heart Foundation, with paid managers and asst managers, high prices and posh interiors; and then there's the ones like Animals in Distress, run completely by volunteers, a bit higgledy-piggledy and run-down, good for a bargain and a rummage.
ReplyDeleteTo me, it isn't difficult to see which of these needs our money more - if the Heart Foundation can afford to do up their shops like the 'big boy' retailers, then either they have more money than they need, or they're spending their profits on the wrong things.
The larger charities are often have their shops "managed". I do sometimes boggle at their pricing policies. Often you find Primark tops in there for the same you would pay at Primark - and then they'll sell a rare, out of print, book for 20p...
ReplyDeleteI do try to stick with charity shops for a lot of my clothes. Men's clothes are a bit different. Hubby is a big bloke and can rarely find much that fits him so we recently went to TJ Hughes and found some jeans for £4 a pair.
Yes, I do worry about where it comes from but there is no guarantee that a £40 (which is beyond our budget) pair are made in a fairer system. I did search for some fair trade jeans £70 a pair and didn't do hubby's size anyway. *sighs*
here where I live in Texas, USA, there are 2 charity shops that have outpriced their customers. One because they moved to a much nicer place and have spiffed up and the second because they now have someone running it that it into antiques and prices accordingly. Funny because that shop is fusty and does not have that much really cool stuff, they just priced everything higher. Why should I pay $5 for a cook pan that is worn when I can buy a new one at Walmart for the same? Don't know where these people get the idea they are helping anyone this way. Hope they print your article .
ReplyDeleteHave done some time in two different Charity shops.... The pricing policy had no attachment to reality....
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