We love shopping online here at Nothing to Wear – BUT – we also love a good rummage in a charity shop. If you’re new to charity shopping or want to make the best of your hauls – read on for our top tips for charity shop shopping!
Ten super tips to charity shop until you drop
- Go posh! It’s a cliche, but go to the smart parts of town and check out the charity shops there. Some of the bigger charity shops distribute stock across a number of stores, but if it’s a smaller shop they will likely sell the stock dropped off there. See what designer goodies you can find.
- Location location location. Yes, in smarter parts of town you might find more expensive items – but if you are looking for a specific garment – let’s say a wetsuit or walking boots – then visit a charity shop in an area where people are likely to donate them.
- Don’t just visit on the weekend! People drop off clothes every day of the week, so pop in on a weekday too and beat the masses to the bargains.
- Look out for missing labels. If you see a label cut out of a garment – don’t dismiss it. Lots of stores donate their surplus stock, samples or returns to charities to sell – but remove the labels so sneaky customers don’t try and return them at full price. So keep an eye out for cut labels and you could well be getting a brand new item for a snip of the price.
- Try before you buy. Most charity shops have a changing room – so to make sure you aren’t wasting your money, try those pieces on before taking them with you.
- Know what you like! We’ve all got pieces in our wardrobe that we turn to time and time again. Keep those in mind when browsing a charity shop. If you know you suit a shirt dress – look out for those. Or if a black slash neck is your go to – hunt for those. When we go in a high street store or look online, all styles are neatly displayed to help us shop more easily- so it’s good to know what you’re looking for in rows of different clothes in a charity shop.
- Patience is a virtue! Those rows of clothes need a few minutes to look through. You won’t walk in and spot the shining dress of your dreams. (well you might but you’re lucky if that happens!) So make sure you’ve got a few minutes to take your time, look through the clothes and browse at lesiure.
- Be nice. Surely a given, but get to know the staff at your local shop. Tell them how much you like shopping there and the kind of things you like. You never know what they might put aside for you.
- Vintage Baby! Some things never go out of style – so don’t worry if you can’t find the current fashions, why not be bold with a vintage piece. And if you never wear it, well that moves us on nicely to our final tip….
- Add to the collection! Charity shops rely on donations, so when you’re having your next clear out, be sure to take it to your local shop. And if you’ve followed tip no 8, your new friends will surely remember your generosity when that next perfect piece comes in.
Happy shopping Nothing to Wear readers. We hope our tips for charity shop shopping have started you on your second hand shopping journey x