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| Best find: green cotton men's Gap shirt, £4.99 |
South
Northcote Road in Battersea is a great place to go charity shopping, as is nearby Clapham, where you’ll find many a d well-stocked thrift store. Venture further afield for the real gems, however – from Wimbledon’s glorious Oxfam to the richly stocked shops of affluent East Sheen.
Barnardo’s, Brixton
A vast and lively charity shop with an exciting, unpredictable mix of clothes and accessories, stocking all kinds of high-street brands with the odd designer bargain. A Dolce & Gabbana suit was recently snapped up for £50.
Barnardo’s, 414 Brixton Rd, SW9 (020 7274 4165) Brixton tube/rail. Open Mon-Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 10am-5pm.
British Heart Foundation, Balham
This clean (it reeks of Mr Sheen) and brightly lit branch sells a good selection of high-street and mid-range brands at very good prices – £2 for a foxy pencil skirt. The shoes and jeans are well worth a look here. They’re all sold alongside a range of new, cheaply priced accessories, including necklaces, earrings and hairbands from £1.99.
British Heart Foundation, 184 Balham High Rd, SW12 (020 8675 5401) Balham tube/rail. Open Mon-Sat 9.30am-5pm, Sun 10am-3pm.
British Heart Foundation Furniture & Electrical
A great charity shop to know about if you’re after secondhand furniture or electrical appliances. Selling everything from washing-machines and fridges to sofas and dining-room tables, it’s the perfect place to pick up things for the home at bargain prices. The shop works with a company called Remploy to ensure that all electricals are serviced and in proper working order. A washing-machine could set you back £100-£180. Its collection service will also come to your house.
British Heart Foundation Furniture & Electrical, 211-219 Old Kent Rd, SE1 (020 7740 1668) Elephant & Castle tube/rail. Open Mon-Sat 9.30am-5pm.
Marie Curie Cancer Care
A must if you’re after designer labels. At the moment it’s stocking Chloé, Prada and Gucci trousers and Valentino men’s suits. There’s also always a great selection of designer accessories, including Mulberry handbags in near mint condition. Look out for good quality bric-à-brac as well.
Marie Curie Cancer Care, 1 Lichfield Terrace, Richmond (020 8940 1800) Richmond tube/rail. Open Mon-Sat 9.30am-5pm.
PAWS
A down-to-earth favourite among Claphamites with a good mix of clothes, books and ornaments. All proceeds go to the worthy animal charity.
PAWS, 62 Clapham High St, SW4 (020 7720 9962) Clapham North tube. Open Mon-Sat 10.30am-5pm, Sun 12noon-5pm.
Scope
Another good all-rounder, but especially worth checking out for its mix of clothing, including some good-quality designer pieces, and brand new shoes and handbags.
Scope, 69 St Johns Rd, SW11 (020 7801 0746) Clapham Common tube. Open Mon-Sat 9.30am-5.30pm.
Trinity Hospice, Clapham
This charity shop sells a good selection of everything and is a great place to rummage through mountains of bric-à-brac. As for its clothing, it’s a mixture of high street and designer. On our last visit we spotted an Alberta Ferretti suit.
Trinity Hospice, 40 Northcote Rd, SW11 (020 7924 2927) Clapham Common tube. Open daily 10am-5pm.
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14 comments
cld u tell me which charity shop i cld get sewing machine thanks
i think it's a bit unfair to accuse charity shops of greed - if anyone is making money out of it, it's the charity. i've no idea what sort of rent they're paying, but maybe they aren't actually getting special deals and are paying the same as the starbucks next door.
yes i totally agree they're overpriced i've been charity shopping for years and am really into vintage the whole reason i got to the charity shops rather than the vintage shops is that they are meant to be cheaper but now they've all got vintage sections selling sometimes stuff that you wouldnt even find in vintage shops for those ridiculous prices, they think just cos they've put down linoleum flooring they can up the price by 50% its just greed and it seems they've completely lost sight of thier customers needs!!!
try the salvation army thrift shop opposite the william morris gallery in walthamstow, got some good stuff in there.
Are any of the charity shops actually worth visiting then or are they all over priced ?
You should definitely check out the Red Cross shop just off the Kings Road - 69-71 Old Church Street, Kensington, SW3 5BS - famous for selling designer items at low prices.
Visiting london nesxt week and will be staying in the Kensington area,can you let me know of a few charity shops in this area please,
many thanks.
Animal Aid and Advice charity shop on the High Road near the Phoenix Cinema in East Finchley is still one of the cheapest around. Good mix of clothes,shoes, some books,tapes, etc and household, and occasional furniture.
Have you never visited the Cancer Research shop in Putney?I think that that is one of the best in the area.
i totaly agree with the other comments about charity shops out priceing them selves. im disabled and on a low budget and i used to rely on the charity shops. but now its worth going into ordinary shops, as iv found they are cheeper. even when the sales are on orndinary shops are still a lot cheeper. how sad.
Totally agree - I was in Shelter and they were selling a 'medium' branded shirt for £30, when you can buy 3 for that price direct from the store!!! It seems like they will 'shoot the goose that lays the golden egg' I wont go in now, as they are far too pricey - much cheaper at somewhere like TK Max. It's still 'last season' but it's cheaper and unworn!
I used to charity shop for clothes all the time, now I can't afford to anymore and can only get books and bric a brac. I've seen items in the Cancer Research you list in Angel that are priced higher than they would have been in the store new - many of the stores in 'high-end' places with lots of designer donations overcharge. £30 for a basic pair of name brand (but not designer) used jeans on Marylebone High Street?? They're having a laugh. Whatever happened to reasonably priced charity shops?
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cheers for that love thier artcile buying dead men's shoes will check out
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