Gransnet forums

Chat

My charity shop bargain, I’m loving it! What are you chuffed with?

(94 Posts)
Sago Thu 04-Dec-25 09:40:29

I have a little quiet corner in our home where I can read and look at the garden, I usually have a vase of flowers on the little table but not a single one of the vases from our old house looks right on that piece of furniture.

I have trawled the internet, TKMaxx, Dunelm, interiors shops etc for the right vase and nothing.

There it was in a charity shop window for £3.00!
I feel like I have won the lottery, it is exactly what I wanted.

It’s giving me so much pleasure, far more than if I had paid what I was prepared to for the right thing!

What charity shop bargain or any recent purchase is giving you pleasure right now?

Skydancer Thu 04-Dec-25 09:52:34

It’s great when you find something you love and at a bargain price. Always makes me feel really smug. Your little corner looks lovely.

Witzend Thu 04-Dec-25 10:24:59

It’s lovely!

I’m hoping to find a charity shop vase for Gdd1, since for Christmas I’ve bought her a Lego ‘flower bouquet’, so she’ll need something to put it in once finished.

Best charity shop buy ever was a pink Disney Princess castle for Gdd1 to play with here, when she was 2.
They played with it for years, Gdd1 is now 10. And Gdd2 (5) still does.
It cost me £8, and the original batteries ran out only a year or so ago.

hollysteers Thu 04-Dec-25 10:30:45

Years ago I bought a woollen coat from our local charity shop.
It has a hood and sleeves trimmed with (fake fur). Just the right length and so warm, it comes out every winter, even though other coats have been bought new since then.

PaperMonster2 Thu 04-Dec-25 10:33:21

I love your table! And the vase looks great on it!

Bukkie Thu 04-Dec-25 10:33:43

I too got a vase in a charity shop near me for £1.50. It's tall and elegant and looks very expensive. It was still boxed and unused so I presume an unwanted gift for someone.

petra Thu 04-Dec-25 10:36:28

As most of my home is second hand / charity shop buys i can’t pick a favourite. But I think this is the latest buy and I love it.
Not the white one ( from chatsworth house) the tall lady.

Astitchintime Thu 04-Dec-25 10:40:57

Not me, but dear mum used to love charity shop bargains and her favourite was ‘cut glass ‘vases of all sizes. I was gifted several over the years and she admitted where they were from but that didn’t matter to me one iota! She’s long gone now but the comfort I get from using those vases is overwhelming, knowing she chose them for their practical beauty just fills me with joy.

ronib Thu 04-Dec-25 10:41:39

DH is very happy with two cut crystal brandy glasses! £7.50
I enjoy a signed art piece vase for £25 bought 3 years ago but very special.
I love your quiet corner Sago

Grandmadinosaur Thu 04-Dec-25 10:42:16

Earlier this year I got a Joe Browns coat in a charity shop. It was £10 but it was worth every penny and have had many comments. I love it.

My other bargain was this cheeky elf that I got in the summer for £1. The grandchildren love it too.

ROMILO Thu 04-Dec-25 11:25:13

You can't find proper sherry/port glasses anywhere except in charity shops. smile

midgey Thu 04-Dec-25 11:52:39

My daughter’s Christmas present this year is to be a beautiful crystal bowl I bought for £4. It must have been so expensive when originally purchased.

Gardenersdelight2 Thu 04-Dec-25 12:03:58

Too many purchases to pick one except maybe OHs wedding suit for daughters wedding in 22 got from BHF a brand new Charles Twyrtt suit and shirt for £80 with rrp starting at about £300
A bonus of covid as they had donated loads of brand new stock to charity

Jaxjacky Thu 04-Dec-25 12:30:35

Christmas jumper for MrJ, £4.

kittylester Thu 04-Dec-25 12:39:52

Mine wasn't from a Charity shop but we have been looking for a lampshade for ages. I found just the right one in Sainsbury's.

Doodledog Thu 04-Dec-25 13:26:57

I have two contenders. A pair of pottery jugs from Oxfam. I use the tiny one for milk when there are only one or two takers, and the larger one for custard for two. Both go in the microwave and the dishwasher, and I have had lots of people asking where I got them.

The other is an old fashioned cut glass trifle bowl from a charity shop on holiday. It is Waterford crystal and cost me £2.

FriedGreenTomatoes2 Thu 04-Dec-25 13:32:54

Our youngest daughter bought me a MAC blusher last month. When I close the flip lid it gives a very satisfying ‘click’. Makes me smile every time I use it.
Small pleasures!

Aldom Thu 04-Dec-25 13:44:46

My favourite charity shop buy is this large Royal Worcester bowl. It was £7
a couple of years ago. I love it.

Allira Thu 04-Dec-25 13:53:14

An Aynsley ginger jar. DD thought it was an inheritance but, no, it was from the charity shop. I probably paid the proper price though, not exactly a bargain but I like it.

Sago Thu 04-Dec-25 14:02:42

It’s incredible looking at Aldom’s bowl and hearing about the crystal picked up in charity shops.
These things would have been on 1980’s wedding lists all expensive items back in the day.

Primrose53 Thu 04-Dec-25 14:35:27

Aldom

My favourite charity shop buy is this large Royal Worcester bowl. It was £7
a couple of years ago. I love it.

Lovely! A couple of years ago I bought a couple of lidded casserole dishes in this pattern. When I was still at school I worked weekends and holidays in a posh gift shop. We stocked the whole range of this and it was really popular in the early 70s. We had huge crates delivered and I had to carefully unpack it all, price it and then display it. It was expensive so I never bought any back then but can’t resist it now.

Aldom Thu 04-Dec-25 14:39:25

Sago when I bought the beautiful RW bowl a huge collection of RW china was being unpacked. It must have been someone's treasured dinner, tea etc. services in days gone by. So many people must, like me, have had wonderful bargains. I was so fortunate to be passing the charity shop and noticed as the bowl was being placed in the window. I doubt it would have been there for much longer. There are always lovely or useful things to be had. I know because I've given charity shops so many valuable items which I no longer need.

flump Thu 04-Dec-25 15:00:35

My best bargain was a perfectly good blue and white TG Green Cornishware jug from the local recycling centre. It had be put in a skip and the employee there said I could have it for free. Just checked the price if I wanted to replace it and a similar size would be £38!

Davida1968 Thu 04-Dec-25 15:34:49

So many charity shop bargains, over the years! When DGC were little I bought lots of clothes & toys for them. (They're now grown-up & buy their own charity shop bargains.) For myself recently I bought a long-sleeved cotton nightie for £1 (I think it had never been worn) and a gorgeous scarf for £4. DH has two excellent coats from charity shops - one is a Rohan. I could go on.....

lixy Thu 04-Dec-25 15:42:46

Jugs, can never resist them. I have bought some beautiful ones over the years and use them for everything from flowers to table water to custard and cream.
In this house they are in a kitchen cupboard rather than on display so getting one out is a special treat.

I am looking for ‘the’ platter to serve the Christmas meal…