I couldn’t believe some of the things I found
Avid charity shoppers will know that second hand shopping comes with a load of perks. As well as usually being much cheaper than most high street shops, it is far better for the environment and means that the money for your new purchases are going towards a good cause.
What’s more, by spending less than, or the same amount as you would on the high street, you will probably find much better quality clothing too with higher end items easy to find at the same cost as cheaply made fast fashion.
If you’re lucky, you might even stumble across a designer piece or two and some charity shops are full of big names.
On a recent browse of a Barnardo’s charity shop in Kirkby, my attention was grabbed by a huge array of designer names which ranged from Louis Vuitton to Fossil.
As expected these cost a little more than some of the shop’s other stock but I was still shocked by how little they were selling for.
One of the first sections I went to was the hand bag section which is often a good bet for picking up designer brands, or real leather goods, which can be worth a lot more than their retail price.
I found a few genuine leather pieces including a stylish cow print bag. However, the item that caught my eye the most was a gorgeous vibrant green Fossil textured clutch bag.
Considering similar clutch-style purses sell for £99 on the Fossil website, this wasn’t a bad find for £30. It’s important to note however that fake designer items can be on the shelves too and it’s worth researching ways to spot genuine goods.
Carrying on though the shop I spotted more Fossil bags as well as a handbag from Cath Kidston.
As I completed a circle of the store, which was much bigger than most charity shops containing kidswear, toys and books too, I was stopped in my tracks by a glass cabinet full of everything from Louis Vuitton to a Labubu doll.
A pair of retro-looking Louis Vuitton brown monogrammed trainers were £40 with a Prada pair in the case too. They were a little bit worn in, especially the Prada pair but were an impressive find for a charity shop.
Further down on the glass shelves I spotted a pale blue Labubu doll, which are becoming hard to find and have had collectors obsessed this year.
This was placed next to pair of red tartan Dr Marten boots, and an array of watches. There was also a pair of Ugg boots in the case.
Overall, this was a great charity shop for regular shopping but it’s worth a visit for collectors too.
Kirkby Barnardo’s can be found at Unit 1B St Chad’s Dr, Liverpool L32 8RE.