I had been thinking a lot recently about charity shops. Charity starts at home, doing your bit, giving something back and all that. It got me to thinking how much charity shops have changed over the years.
Gone are the days when scouring Oxfam shelves drew up nothing more than a stale old coffee pot complete with eight year old Kenco coffee granules, or a forage in the bargain scarf, hat and glove bin saw you withdrawing clutching a mothball eaten nylon BHS neckerchief.
No, these days you can shop successfully for an entire occasion – 0n a budget. And you get to go home with an over smiley sense of worth having done your bit, and given something back. Actually, you feel quite chic and ahead of the times being so Samaritan-savvy and Red Cross-cool.
Baby shower to go to? No problem, don’t just take one gift – for the price of a Mamas and Papas Lotty Ladybird play mat and gym you could festoon your expectant friend with a buggy, a play gym, romper suits, nursery rhyme books…who’s laughing now Mrs ‘I bought the most expensive thing at Babies R Us, ha!
Likewise, need to cater for a children’s party on a budget? Have you seen the toy and game section in your local Age Concern shop recently?! Pristine and shiny jigsaw puzzles; not a piece missing, Twister – used once because rain stopped play, Buckaroo – now who can say no to Buckaroo?! Need I say more, get down there mum, keep the little sweeties entertained for hours – a magician – at least £25 an hour – second hand selection of games – no more than 50p an hour – pinky swear.
Finally, we can’t leave out two more ultimately important shopping occasions. The starter home – while a trip to IKEA can be very satisfying for the bank balance, we can’t rate charity shops for kitchen get up highly enough. (Note – IKEA trip is always recommended with girl companion, not husband or boyfriend – as soon as he drops and smashes a crate of 24 x 8p tea light holders as a result of being barged by someone overheating at the prospect of so many bargains, there are going to be tears). If you want to be über cool, then deck out your culinary corner with super stylish tumblers decorated with orange flowers, a set of Babycham glasses complete with fawn, a soda siphon, oh and of course the obligatory Charles and Diana place mats and coasters. You WILL be the envy of all of your friends.
Last but not least, the fancy dress party! Save the best for last – bash to go to as a gangster? no problem! Dark glasses, cheap black suit and accessorising water pistol coming right up. 60’s, 70’s or 80’s do – easy, all catered for. Personal favourites of mine (all executed perfectly over the years) – the cleaner, the hill billy and the hippy. Voila.
Anyway, the reason I was prompted to write this blog (and potentially let my local Oxfam, Red Cross, Sue Ryder and Cancer Research shops know that I can help them treble footfall), was because of an article in The Times Magazine this weekend. I’ve rambled on enough, so read and digest at your leisure.
http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/fashion/article5918235.ece
And remember, you don’t even need to leave the comfort of the sofa+wine+salt and vinegar chipssticks. Oxfam has an online store, AND sells on Ebay. If you need more reasons to go and shop a la bargains, then go back to Primark, I give in!
http://www.oxfam.org.uk/shop/
Not convinced by the sole opinion of little old me? Read up on the thoughts of highly rated fashion blogger Style Bubble. http://stylebubble.typepad.com/style_bubble/2008/08/show-some-chari.html
Admittedly the charity shop offering in London will see you much more likely to stumble upon a vintage Chanel handbag hidden under a pile of Stickle Brix, but it just means we need to search a little higher and lower, the rewards are there, honestly.
Gone are the days when scouring Oxfam shelves drew up nothing more than a stale old coffee pot complete with eight year old Kenco coffee granules, or a forage in the bargain scarf, hat and glove bin saw you withdrawing clutching a mothball eaten nylon BHS neckerchief.
No, these days you can shop successfully for an entire occasion – 0n a budget. And you get to go home with an over smiley sense of worth having done your bit, and given something back. Actually, you feel quite chic and ahead of the times being so Samaritan-savvy and Red Cross-cool.
Baby shower to go to? No problem, don’t just take one gift – for the price of a Mamas and Papas Lotty Ladybird play mat and gym you could festoon your expectant friend with a buggy, a play gym, romper suits, nursery rhyme books…who’s laughing now Mrs ‘I bought the most expensive thing at Babies R Us, ha!
Likewise, need to cater for a children’s party on a budget? Have you seen the toy and game section in your local Age Concern shop recently?! Pristine and shiny jigsaw puzzles; not a piece missing, Twister – used once because rain stopped play, Buckaroo – now who can say no to Buckaroo?! Need I say more, get down there mum, keep the little sweeties entertained for hours – a magician – at least £25 an hour – second hand selection of games – no more than 50p an hour – pinky swear.
Finally, we can’t leave out two more ultimately important shopping occasions. The starter home – while a trip to IKEA can be very satisfying for the bank balance, we can’t rate charity shops for kitchen get up highly enough. (Note – IKEA trip is always recommended with girl companion, not husband or boyfriend – as soon as he drops and smashes a crate of 24 x 8p tea light holders as a result of being barged by someone overheating at the prospect of so many bargains, there are going to be tears). If you want to be über cool, then deck out your culinary corner with super stylish tumblers decorated with orange flowers, a set of Babycham glasses complete with fawn, a soda siphon, oh and of course the obligatory Charles and Diana place mats and coasters. You WILL be the envy of all of your friends.
Last but not least, the fancy dress party! Save the best for last – bash to go to as a gangster? no problem! Dark glasses, cheap black suit and accessorising water pistol coming right up. 60’s, 70’s or 80’s do – easy, all catered for. Personal favourites of mine (all executed perfectly over the years) – the cleaner, the hill billy and the hippy. Voila.
Anyway, the reason I was prompted to write this blog (and potentially let my local Oxfam, Red Cross, Sue Ryder and Cancer Research shops know that I can help them treble footfall), was because of an article in The Times Magazine this weekend. I’ve rambled on enough, so read and digest at your leisure.
http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/fashion/article5918235.ece
And remember, you don’t even need to leave the comfort of the sofa+wine+salt and vinegar chipssticks. Oxfam has an online store, AND sells on Ebay. If you need more reasons to go and shop a la bargains, then go back to Primark, I give in!
http://www.oxfam.org.uk/shop/
Not convinced by the sole opinion of little old me? Read up on the thoughts of highly rated fashion blogger Style Bubble. http://stylebubble.typepad.com/style_bubble/2008/08/show-some-chari.html
Admittedly the charity shop offering in London will see you much more likely to stumble upon a vintage Chanel handbag hidden under a pile of Stickle Brix, but it just means we need to search a little higher and lower, the rewards are there, honestly.
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