Since Ingrid and I started this blog people talk to us more than ever about charity shopping. They still say to us “I don’t know how you do it”. So we thought we’d put together some dos and don’ts, some rules of charity shopping, if you like.
Here are mine:
DO have plenty of time to shop, you can only find stuff if you really look.
DO go with an open mind as to what you want. If you’re looking for something specific you’re unlikely to find it.
DON’T buy shoes.
DON’T buy jeans. It’s difficult enough to find ones that suit in a real shop.
DO look at clothes that aren’t your size. Sizes are less reliable when clothes are second hand. People often donate clothes they’ve shrunk in the wash and volunteers aren’t always wise to things like American sizing.
DO try clothes on. Garments can look completely different on from off, and to check it fits, of course.
Or so I would have thought. However, you may have noticed that my Halloween article alone breaks most of these rules. I went looking for something specific, bought shoes, and even though I did try the dress on it didn’t fit. And just last week I had ten minutes to kill before a children’s group, went into Age UK and came out with a pair of jeans, two more rules broken.
So, I guess this means that there are no rules to charity shopping, and the dos and don’ts are just some things to bear in mind, perhaps. Luck does play a large part in the success of charity shopping, just happening to be in the right charity shop at the right time. So I’ve now revised my dos and don’ts to just two dos
DO go regularly. As a lot of charity shopping is down to luck, this increases your chances of finding a bargain.
DO check the armpits of clothes. There’s pre-loved and there’s just plain manky.
Sophie x
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