These genius hacks will get you the best bargains in charity shops (Image: Getty)
Knowing exactly how to snag the best bargains and find hidden treasures in a charity shop is almost like an extreme sport — there are rules to the game, which if followed, will bring you unprecedented glory. Stray too far, and you will most definitely experience defeat.
So, what’s the secret sauce to conquering these wonderful mazes of pre-loved treasures? Three extremely simple things apparently.
Money Saving Expert has shared a few genius hacks on how to get the best bargains and make the most out of your charity shopping experience — and the tips couldn’t be easier to implement.
These simple and ingenious hacks will ensure you’re acing the charity shop game and give you ample dividends and unmatched rewards — so the next time you walk into a room donning your stylish charity shop haul, people will come to you and ask for expert tips.
Make connections with the manager to bag a bargain
Charity shops are wonderful mazes of pre-loved treasures (Image: Getty)
One of MSE’s most important and high-impact tips is to get to know the manager at your local charity shop or whichever ones you like to frequent.
Doing so has the potential to help you snag a fantastic bargain and be in the loop when it comes to the charity shop’s most important update.
MSE writer Jenny Holliday, who has been shopping in charity stores for 30 years, explains how she recently befriended the manager of the Helen and Douglas House shop near where she lives. She shared the manager is a ‘true fashionista with an eye for designer labels’ and often curates a designer rail for the shop.
For Jenny, knowing the manager gives her a special edge when she shops — for example, she may mention that she’s looking for items from the 80s for her vintage themed hen do, and in turn, the manager would mention an item that’s perfect for her needs that Jenny would’ve otherwise missed.
Jenny even suggests messaging the manager on Instagram if you’re friendly with them. Sharing another personal anecdote, the money saving expert detailed how she recently messaged a charity shop manager friend about a Laura Ashley suit she had seen at the shop for £20 but didn’t initially purchase.
After trying, and failing, to get it out of her mind, Jenny messaged her manager friend on Instagram and she was kind enough to put it aside for her. A good practice is to post about your purchase on social media and tag the shop to help them grab even more eyeballs, especially if you have a substantial following.
Finding hidden treasures and bagging the best bargains in a charity shop has never been easier (Image: Getty)
Figure out when they sort the stock
Once you have built some sort of connection with the charity shop’s manager, you can ask them which days they sort their stock, so you can be one of the first people to get your hands on the freshest bargains.
This expert tip was vouched for by MSE Forumite annieb64, who shared: “I think it all depends on the shop. In the shop where I worked, the book sorters were in on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturdays. There were no clothes sorters on Tuesday or Thursday, and Monday was probably the best day for bric-a-brac.
“We usually received more donations just after Christmas and in the school holidays, but things like the weather could also affect the supply of donations — nobody wants to carry boxes of books in the rain etc.”
Follow these tips to find fantastic bargains and hidden treasures (Image: Getty)
Find a charity shop in a ‘posh’ area
It only makes sense that charity shops in ‘posh’ areas will have better quality clothing, as the locals are probably shopping expensive designer items at a frequent rate — and discarding their older wares much faster than the middle-income girlie who’s on her 8th year of her favourite denim pants.
An ardent MSE follower, Hillary Cooper, backed the genius tip and shared her own experience: “My tip as a shopper is that charity shops in posher areas are better because the locals buy quality products and get bored with them sooner than poorer people.”
MSE writer Jenny agreed with the hack, sharing her own experience shopping at Reigate in Surrey during her student days. The fairly ‘posh’ town supplied her with pre-loved treasures galore, and she still frequents the charity shops in the area when she goes back to visit her mum.
I can confirm my own positive experience with this hack, having frequented a couple of charity shops in London’s ‘posh’ Marylebone area and coming out with a few pre-loved treasures that are some of my most cherished items of clothing to date (shout out Blue Skirt).
Charity shops are a wonderful treasure trove of stylish and affordable fashion, and the fact you’re helping the environment and practicing sustainability are the cherry on top of an already delicious cake.