Great UK's Top Designer Charity Shops Hunt

[MSE Martin]

What's it about?

Pick the right charity shop and you can profit. The celebs in Hampstead or Belsize Park have been seen dropping of their old Manolo Blahniks into charity shops, and the footballers' wives set in Wilmslow probably do the same.

What to do

This hunt is to find the UK's best charity shops for designer goods and labels, so you can keep up with the Jones', but pay like the Steptoes.

Click reply to let me know where you've found a good designer charity shop. Please post using this format:

Shop name:
Location:
Examples of what you've spotted there:

[outrageous_monkey]

IMO I have found that the 'lower' end of the charity shops, meaning the ones that look like jumble sales

[Sophy]

Yeah, the Primark & Tesco clothes being sold for more than they cost new is a fairly common phemnomenon these days. As is a kind of belief that anything with a label on it is going to be valuable - you see worn, 4 seasons old D&G hoodies for more than they cost (which was not much) new in TK MAXX last autumn. Actually, I wish the charity shops well in getting the money (a thing is only worth what you're willing to pay for it) but these things just don't seem to insipre quick turn over. If only there was a time machine, I could recommend a dozen charity shops that were brilliant 5 years ago, but are fairly dismal now!

[starlite]

The Oxfam originals stores are always really good. Theres a particularly good one near oxford street. They are slightly more expensive than normal Oxfam, but far better quality clothes.

I find british heart foundation really expensive. I once saw a top in there for £8 which I'd bought from Primark just a few weeks before for £2.

[Rad]

I would recomend any of the 8 that are in St Andrews. I was up there earlier in the summer and got a Karen Miller 3 piece suit for £8, my mum got a Wallis dress for £3. There was loads of good stuff but this might have been because all the students had just left for the summer and had donated a load of stuff.

[gooismeid]

Cheadle in Cheshire has five charity shops on the high street (including BHF, PDSA, St. Annes Hospice) and are regularly full of M&S, Next and Wallis stuff among the Primark, Tesco and Bon Marche rejects. I've even spotted a few DKNY and other designer label things in there, and the prices aren't that bad - a fiver or less for an M&S dress. Not exactly designer labels but I usually find something I like - having them all within a half-mile stretch of high street makes it very easy to trawl all of them in my lunch break! The St. Annes Hospice shop also has a special bridal department which admittedly I haven't visited but their window displays look really nice.

[Sophy]

Incidentally, I do wish charity shops would find a method of cleaning clothes other than steam cleaning!! Yes, it's thorough, but that sickly sweet, slightly stale aroma is repellent! Takes about three spins in the machine and an overnight airing (preferably on a rainy, windy night) to get rid of the eau de charity shop smell.

[Annabel]

Perhaps surprisingly, Cancer Research in Hounslow High Street produces some great finds. It's a clearance store and most items are priced at £2 or £3. I have bought a Ralph Lauren jacket and Thomas Pink shirt, both in beautiful condition, for a grand sum of £5!

[Cerenia]

I got a River Island blood red corset, still with the original labels (39.99) on for £2.50 from Hope House in Oswestry.

Also had a Morgan dress for £4, sold on for £18, from same place.

[JennyB]

Has anyone been to the Oxfam on King's Road (SW10 0LR)? I heard it was very good for designer bargains but I haven't been there myself. Looking forward to seeing the results for this hunt as I love good quality clothes but I'm too broke to afford them at the moment!

[maryink]

Chalfont St. Peter! There are 2 or 3 shops on the high street where I've spied Versace black jeans, size zilch naturally, for a tenner, loads of designer and vintage party frocks, and my own favorite oversized polaroid sunspecs from the Netherlands, vintage 1972-ish, dead ringers for the 160 quid Dior pair in the shop next door, which I bought for a pound. (So I can go round thinking I look like Paris Hilton when I really look like Jarvis Cocker - tee hee.)

However my favorite charity shop of all time is the Harlington Hospice on Harlington High Street. Half of what DH & I really wear and love comes from the 50p rail there. And such a good cause...

[evab]

HI,

I've just been to Banardos in Rhyl, and although I haven't seen any designer gear yet but I brought some clothes for my little girl that were Boots Mini Mode and George brand new for £1-£2!

They are donated in kind and are all brand new.

[poshaudrey]

Hello, I am new here but I just had to register to let you know that there is a site that lists charity shops in the UK http://www.charityshops.org.uk !! Whenever I go to a new town like Bath or Bristol (I live in Cardiff) I print off a list so I know where they are. I have now given a big secret away. Darrnnn!!!!

[poorbutrich]

I've been pretty impressed with Shaw Trust shops - not only are their items reasonably priced, but they're the only ones in my town who've said "thank you" for donations, instead of "put it over there".

[TheMoai]

As you'd imagine for that sort of area, the Oxfam at the top of Gloucester Road is full of very nice, recent, exc cond hardbacks, and loads of very expensive-looking shoes and handbags!

[ayla261]

rochester (medway, kent) officially has the most charity shops in one high street, i think its 8 or 9!
I got a bargain in help the aged gravesend at weekend, pair of faith shoes (rrp new £60), obviously only worn once, you could tell they were nearly new, for £3.99

[juno]

Originally Posted by ayla261

rochester (medway, kent) officially has the most charity shops in one high street, i think its 8 or 9!
I got a bargain in help the aged gravesend at weekend, pair of faith shoes (rrp new £60), obviously only worn once, you could tell they were nearly new, for £3.99

If you're in Rochester, go over the Bridge and on the High Street in Strood there's a Shelter charity shop. I got a brand new Ralph Lauren bag still with tags on for £6.99 there! They have lots of new stuff

[JennyB]

Just found this:
telegraph article
by Hilary Alexander discussing the best charity shops for designer bargains!

I'm going shopping this weekend

[angeltoad]

MIND in Camden - 20 Camden road, NW1, just a minute from Camden Town tube stn. It is arranged rather irregularly, but that meaans for those willing to hunt there are some great bargains and it seems to be cheaper that all the other charity shops in the area.
In terms of best town for charity shops, I nominate BARNSLEY. there are enough to keep you occupied for a whole afternoon or more and they are all cheap and have good stuff.

[lola the cat]

I bought a fab cashmire mix winter coat by Calvin Klein for £20 in the middle of the summer from one of the Notting Hill shops (sorry can't remember which) it looks brand new so they were probably just getting rid of out of season stuff.