Selfsufficientish.com

A charity organisation (I think it might be Oxfam) have just opened up their first designer boutique .. .they have experts grabbing all of the vintage stuff, and designers keeping an eye open for great fabrics but in an 'aunt twacky' style, which they then re-cut into something fab (just like Mrs Flibble does )... then it gets sold for a good whack.

Charity shops do seem to be stuck in the 1950's though. I think Ebay has hit them hard as folks now sell things they might otherwise have taken to the charity shop, but instead of coming up with a strategy for current times, they put their prices up.

I went into an Oxfam in a market town to look for some books, nothing special, just stuff to add to my library and they were half of the original price!! Sorry, but I'm not paying £4 for a second hand paperback! Espcially as I could go to a car boot sale and get a boxfull for that.

[quote="Lady Willow"]

Charity shops do seem to be stuck in the 1950's though.

Whats wrong with the 1950 styles? all my clothes are from that time. Ah, those were the days, Winkle Pickers, Drain Pipes Trousers, mind you feel a right prat at the satuday nite disco dressed like that wiv me walking stick, and find it quite hard to pull a bird now a days

The charity shops which used to have very good clothes and inexpensive prices are now selling trendy, cheap things at prices almost as high as the dep't store sales. It really takes looking and patience. It's also very difficult to find modest clothing.

There is the same problem here with too many donations. Much is sold to Canada and Mexico, and to eastern Europe, and I've heard, also to China.

There are so many right here who need clothes for all endeavors. It's bizarre to that thousands of pounds of clothes are shipped around the world.

I wish we could just have swaps, everyone has something s/he doesn't want anymore that someone else does. Wouldn't even have to exchange any money, just trade things.

LBR wrote:The charity shops which used to have very good clothes and inexpensive prices are now selling trendy, cheap things at prices almost as high as the dep't store sales. It really takes looking and patience. It's also very difficult to find modest clothing.

There is the same problem here with too many donations. Much is sold to Canada and Mexico, and to eastern Europe, and I've heard, also to China.

There are so many right here who need clothes for all endeavors. It's bizarre to that thousands of pounds of clothes are shipped around the world.

I wish we could just have swaps, everyone has something s/he doesn't want anymore that someone else does. Wouldn't even have to exchange any money, just trade things.

I live in Canada, and that's the first I've heard of charity shop clothing being sent here. Contrary to popular opinion, we're not a 3rd world country yet.

Saying that I remember from my time in the UK (40 years, left in 2003) that Oxfam was always more expensive. I used to spend saturdays doing a charity shop crawl, visiting all the charity shops between Clapham Junction and Richmond (Travelling by Bus as well )

Jerry

zigspider wrote:

LBR wrote:The charity shops which used to have very good clothes and inexpensive prices are now selling trendy, cheap things at prices almost as high as the dep't store sales. It really takes looking and patience. It's also very difficult to find modest clothing.

There is the same problem here with too many donations. Much is sold to Canada and Mexico, and to eastern Europe, and I've heard, also to China.

There are so many right here who need clothes for all endeavors. It's bizarre to that thousands of pounds of clothes are shipped around the world.

I wish we could just have swaps, everyone has something s/he doesn't want anymore that someone else does. Wouldn't even have to exchange any money, just trade things.

I live in Canada, and that's the first I've heard of charity shop clothing being sent here. Contrary to popular opinion, we're not a 3rd world country yet.
....
Jerry

I think large quantities are sold to 'thrift' stores... There are/ were shops in Glasgow (Scotland) who sold cool second hand stuff from America (lots of army/ navy/ police/ postal/ truck driver uniforms), I think stuff is seen as more funky and kitsch if it is from another country.

Annpan wrote:

zigspider wrote:

LBR wrote:The charity shops which used to have very good clothes and inexpensive prices are now selling trendy, cheap things at prices almost as high as the dep't store sales. It really takes looking and patience. It's also very difficult to find modest clothing.

There is the same problem here with too many donations. Much is sold to Canada and Mexico, and to eastern Europe, and I've heard, also to China.

There are so many right here who need clothes for all endeavors. It's bizarre to that thousands of pounds of clothes are shipped around the world.

I wish we could just have swaps, everyone has something s/he doesn't want anymore that someone else does. Wouldn't even have to exchange any money, just trade things.

I live in Canada, and that's the first I've heard of charity shop clothing being sent here. Contrary to popular opinion, we're not a 3rd world country yet.
....
Jerry

I think large quantities are sold to 'thrift' stores... There are/ were shops in Glasgow (Scotland) who sold cool second hand stuff from America (lots of army/ navy/ police/ postal/ truck driver uniforms), I think stuff is seen as more funky and kitsch if it is from another country.

Thanks for that.

Sadly I live in small town Canada (population 3000) and we don't have thrift stores, which is a shame. We have a consignment store which is similar, but only really selling clothes, very few of which are worth even looking at (You'd be amazed at the fashion sense of most of the inhabitants locally. Reminds me of Billericay some days )

Jerry

Yes, I do remember someone saying that the army/navy surplus stuff and the very trendy stuff was what was sold to thrift stores in Canada. It was some mega-corporation-type thrift store set-up, such as Goodwill and Salvation Army are here.

Too bad we don't get things in our thrift shops from other places. I'd love to find Pringles cardigans and such.

That would be good! I love imported stuff. Styles and fabrics are so different depending on where you are.

I went to a charity shop the other day selling books for £2 each!! £2 for paperback!

I really think that a lot of the charity shops need to have a good shake... I donated loads of books, and videos and clothing to a shop a couple of weeks ago, during their refit, and i've still not seen any of it on the shelves. I sorta regret giving them the stuff now, because i have the feeling that it was either thrown away, or sent elsewhere.

LBR wrote: Too bad we don't get things in our thrift shops from other places. I'd love to find Pringles cardigans and such.

Where are you? I have a Pringles jumper from a charity shop.

Too many people think that recycling old clothes means going to the charity shop with trashed gear that some poor yoof with no clothes will appeciate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm not sure how many people are "local" enough to appreciate & be able to use this but as I'm going to be in London the final weekend I'm going to try to dig out some stuff and make use of this - http://www.visaswap.com/whenwhere.html

Flo wrote:Too many people think that recycling old clothes means going to the charity shop with trashed gear that some poor yoof with no clothes will appeciate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I disagree.

Recycling your old clothes also meand refitting them, using them to make new ones, and using them as rags. Many Ishers do that.

The general feeling throughout the 'normal' people is that charity shops are the best way to recycle clothing.

Its got nothing to do with giving them to people with no clothes either!! I dont know where you're from, but charity shops sell donated items and give the proceeds to charity.

And quite frankly, if someone has no clothing and is desperate for some, they should be grateful for anything they're given.