I am a woman of champagne taste but beer money, so do look in charity shops quite a bit, and occasionally get a bargain. In fact I am wearing a very good warm knitted jacket , woollen ,with good pockets , which not only is smart and warm, but goes with quite a lot of my other clothes so that I actually look as though I have chosen to wear the outfit , instead of the truth that I have just shoved it on to go out for something from the market.
This great extravagance was bought in a charity shop for £5, I hand wash it carefully, it keeps it shape well and have had it for definitely over 6 years for sure. The only problem with good buys from the charity shop is that they are the sort of prices you are used to and when you see something new in a shop that interests you and you look at the price , you are totally shocked!!
Sago, I dont know if you live in Ripon or just staying there but I live in Northallerton, and would enjoy meeting you for coffee if you might like to meet. Anyway on the shopping front, have you been to Masham where there is a great shop that sells second hand but really good cashmere and silk scarves.? Definitely worth checking out and you might do well there. They are online too but just forget the actual email address but if you put cashmere and masham in to search you should find it.
Of course it is pot luck, and I have been and not found anything in my size in the colour I went one time and then the following time actually got three very good jumpers in different colours and necklines. I have always looked after my cashmere and carefully hand wash them etc. So had had one for a very long time which didnt really fit in with things anymore and was still in very good condition, so took it in and it was accepted and I got money off the next thing I bought. (i can now imagine busloads of gransnetters descending on Masham!)
I dont go out on charity shop trails, my back wouldnt let me go in for doing a lot at once but just keep my eyes open and call in . My absolute best buy ever, was many years ago when my son was about 4. I had gone with my husband to Cheadle Hume , when he had a meeting there and went for a wander. The local WI had done a really clever thing. A company was leaving a shop in the main street and a new person was coming in. so the WI asked if they could have the shop over the weekend and they would leave it swept and clean for the incomer if they could have it free. They then got everyone to bring stuff in and run it and all the money went to their charity.
So I was looking around on trestle tables etc, but didnt have a lot of money, and didnt see much in my size when I suddenly spied this small black very supple leather jacket. It had knitted cuffs one of which looked as though a dog had dragged and ripped it nearly off. My heart was racing and I didnt know if I had enough to pay for it, but when she said £4 I paid with pleasure and rushed out of the shop. It was a lovely supple jacket and I took it round shops to get some material which would match the knitted collar. Found some for 25pence and a friend who is a very good seamstress changed both the cuffs.
It was Pierre Cardin for a 4 year old! My son wore it until he just could not manage to fit in any longer. Then I gave it to a friend who had three little boys, who all wore it in turn. She then passed it on to her sister and no idea where it has ended up but that was definitely my bargain of the century! Ah well dont think I shall ever find another bargain like that.
I am absolutely a bookaholic and try to be good and give books away but of course I then find more books that I want to read. Anyway you feel much better coming out of a charity shop. Either you have found a bargain, given something to them, or supported them in some small way. Coming out of an ordinary clothes shop, I usually feel quite depressed, at the prices, lack of things in my size, or what is meant to be fashionable now which I think makes me look like a sack of potatoes! These days the other thing is that no only do I remember when clothes were last in fashion, but called another name, but can even sometimes remember when they were in fashion on two different occasions which makes me feel my age!!
Happy hunting all.
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