I guess that charity shops (UK) and thrift stores (US) are more or less the same? In the US, are thrift stores affiliated with organisations? In the UK, Sweden, and South Africa, a charity shop is usually part of a charity organisation. For example City Missions, Red Cross, Cancer Society, Animal Welfare, Salvation Army. Second-hand shops on the other hand are owned by private people.
I made a wonderful find at the Red Cross charity shop near me a week or so ago.
I have a gold coloured necklace that I love to wear. It is made of gold-plated brass and has lasted well over the past years. I have always worn it when I travel to South Africa because I don't want to wear real gold jewellery (I've been mugged for my jewellery before), and when I go through stages of loving costume jewellery. It has faded over the years and has started looking a little shabby. I have thought about having it replated but it would cost more to replate than it did to buy.
The other day I popped into the charity shop and found a brand new one on the cheap jewellery shelf - for $2! I pounced on it! You can see below that it is much brighter than my older one. I am thrilled!
A great tip for these types of shops is to visit them often and scratch around.
When I first started my charity shop hunts, there were loads of bargains, mis-priced items, hidden gems, particularly in the jewellery section. Nowadays, bargains are few and far between, and many items are actually overpriced. Who wants to buy an H&M top for more than it sold for in-store? The saddest part is that many items are priced out of reach for people who need them, even in shops that support those persons' cause? Often the nicest things are sold by the charity online, because they can get more money for them. But if you do hunt and shop regularly, you can find some bargains. I always try to buy something, just to support the charity.
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