brissybee

Great for my wallet and the environment, I love a bargain from an op shop... and really like the way many Australian thrift shops are now selling clothes for $5a bag. (So I can afford to make mistakes! )

I know the UK is famous for its jumble sales (well hopefully it still is) but I'm wondering, does anyone know if op shops in the UK also sell clothes in a "fill a bag for $5" way?

Pomster

I have never seen that in UK.
Our local high street had about 40pct charity shops (16!) and we thought they were scarily priced. They were more expensive than standard shops

brissybee

Yes, that was happening around here with over-pricing at some places... then some good ones had a big turnaround and are now doing the "fill a bag" deal.

And thanks for answering Pomster.

Looks like I'll have to buy up big at my local thrift shops before I go back.

chris955

Not something I have heard of to be honest, there arent too many charity shops around here though so not really sure.

brissybee

Thanks Chris. Isn't that interesting?... some areas have loads of charity shops and others, seemingly hardly any.

I wonder why that is?

I dread to think how many clothes must end up in landfill if they're not recycled in some way.

Bud the Wiser

Not sure what an 'Op shop" is. However at the end of the day at a car boot sale, I've seen people go around to stalls selling clothes and offering £'x' for what clothes the trader had left on the stall. This was very often accepted and you'd find the buyer repackaging the stuff and selling it on their stall the following week.

Selling our stuff at a car boot sale before emigrating was soul destroying.

aries

Op shop = Opportunity Shop, otherwise a Charity Shop

Stormer999

Yes the charity shops rely on traders to keep them going. A lot of 'buyers' go round all of the shops buying bargain lots and selling the items on ebay for big profit. Some of them even serve part time in the shops so that they can pick up quicker snips.

Snap Shot

That's why I won't do it. A few people have had a clear out of unwanted items. Gone along to a car boot sale and come home with a bit of money and been pleased with their efforts. Good on them.

I don't want to host a garage sale either. I'm sceptical of the honesty of people who attend. It probably goes both ways. OK, it varies from person to person, neighbourhood to neighbourhood. Just to much temptation for a dishonest person who's just out for what they can get. Doesn't just happen at Garage Sales either I know.

We gave away our unwanted items. I got more feelgood factor from helping people via freecycle than haggling over the price of a picnic table etc.

I'm not criticising you Bud.

BTW, people buying 'stock' from other stallholders and on-selling it has been going on for ages.

brissybee

My last garage sale was many years ago when a woman haggled over the price of a $2 sleeping bag. FFS. Call me a landfiller but I threw it out rather than sell it to her.

I have got some really beautiful clothes second hand though. Recently, a cashmere jacket and a mans sports coat (both in vogue) for peanuts.

TheEmperorIsNaked

I have to admit, I'm an op shop junkie! [Had to give it up now though!]

My favourite one though, started to price itself at retail; they got a lot of 'end of line' new stuff donated and that started the upward trend.

I can think of no other 'win win' setup as good as them.
A throwaway society that wants 'new' constantly [that's handy for designer stuff]/ a charity that needs funds/ a buyer who gets...got a bargain.

pixiewink

Totally agree....

pixiewink

I do hope they are alive and well....I will be very disappointed if they are not!

Snap Shot

I love all the op shops (charity shops) in nz. Whether they are a mainstream charity or a 'one off'. We've got a 'Save Mart' in this town. Second hand clothes sold by a business rather than a charity. I still love to go rummaging around there.

'The City Furniture Exchange' in Wanganui is a good place for second hand furniture, antiques etc. I purchased a two seater sofa from them for about 120 bucks and got free delivery. Sweet.

There's an auction house that sells house clearance items on a Thursday at 6pm. You can view the auction items all day Thursday. I got a record cabinet for five bucks. I asked nicely if I could buy it prior to the auction as I didn't want to go back in the evening as I would be watching t.v. then ! That was the day where I saw an operating table for sale. Yes, really ! Someone purchased it as I saw it being loaded onto a van later that day.

I usually buy clothes, however I've got my thirty five dollar leaf blower bargain - Stihl brand. I got this just before the sale of electrical goods was banned by the NZ government. They may well have backed down from this now.

Oh yeah, I've bought a second hand artificial Christmas tree for five bucks and some garden chairs for five dollars each. Both purchased on the same day, I smiled at the irony and thought to myself, 'only in NZ.'

I spent twenty dollars odd on a brand new zip up bag long enough to put the Christmas tree in !

quoll

Not seen the bag for a fiver deal around here but, then, most of my visits to Op Shops have been to give them stuff - and as long as they get some benefit then I don't care how they use my donation!probably should patronise someone else, the British Heart Foundation has done well out of me this past couple of years!