Charity shop bargain-hunting tricks

Many high street chains donate surplus stock to charity shops. Charity shops often sell these products de-tagged, to prevent returns to the original store.

So if you spot a brand new item with no label, chances are it could be a big-name donation.

It's rather hush-hush, but Javed Khan, Barnardo's chief executive, told us: "Our shops do receive items from high street and high end, sometimes designer, retailers. This includes fashion and sample homeware items. We de-tag donated items from brands if they request this, and have done this for quite a few large companies. Unfortunately, we do not have permission to name them.

"Some high street brands don't require us to de-tag items, so often there will be high street brands with the labels intact."

M&S has confirmed that it donates some samples and surplus to Oxfam, and said the labels usually stay on. 

Ted Baker confirms on its site that it donates stock to Oxfam, Age UK and NewLife, which sell the stock in their stores. Forumite Miro says:

You can save money on top-notch labels at Mary's Living and Giving shops. Retail expert Mary Portas helps run these higher-end second-hand stores for Save the Children.

There are 28 across England and Scotland, including Bristol, Chiswick, Kew and Windsor – see a full list.

It's not dirt-cheap, as staff are aware of items' values, but you can expect 'statement pieces' and designer donations. More than 400 labels donate to the shops, including Stella McCartney and Ralph Lauren.

You might even get your hands on an A-list cast-off. Victoria Beckham once donated 25 designer outfits from her daughter Harper's wardrobe to its Primrose Hill branch.

If you can't get to one, check out Save the Children's Depop shop, which also sells cast-offs at the fancier end of the scale.

Oxfam's Westbourne Grove boutique in London does a similar thing, selling some of the poshest items. If you're near Oxford, the charity opened a superstore in 2019, which is 12 times bigger than its normal shops.

For swish bargains, head to charity shops in swanky areas, such as Chelsea in London, known for its wealthy residents. According to MoneySavers, hot spots include Bath, Brighton, Edinburgh, Oxford, Tring and St Andrews.

Forumite carriedoesn'tlivehere says Alderley Edge is a paradise for WAGs' cast-offs:

It pays to pop in regularly. The good stuff gets snapped up almost as it's brought out, but that same faded Atmosphere T-shirt stays on the rack for an eternity.

Weekdays are slower than weekends, so you've more chance of bagging treasure then. Popping in first thing in the morning can yield bargains too.

These days lots of big name charities offer their wares via online outlets. Oxfam's online shop is a treasure trove of clothes, books, toys, homeware and more. You can search for your favourite brands.

Delivery is £3.95 (or more for some bulky items). It does seem to have wised up to items' values though, so true bargains may be harder to spot – but, of course, it's all for a good cause.

Many organisations now sell on eBay too, including British Red Cross, British Heart Foundation and Cancer Research. See eBay's charity shop page for more. Items can usually be delivered.

The downside for buyers is bidding wars break out over many auctions thanks to eBay's size. Most items are auctioned, but you can occasionally pick up a buy-it-now bargain – and it's all going to charity.

One of the perks of volunteering in charity shops can be first dibs on the best donations. Of course, we're not generally talking about paying less than customers, just getting to choose from the widest range of stuff. But in some cases you may get a fixed staff discount too, eg, 10% or 20%.

Establish a rapport with your local charity shop volunteers. Ask them which days they put out new items and when seasonal stock will hit the shelves, for example. Are they getting any big donations from manufacturers?

If you're looking for something specific, such as a toy, it's always worth asking if they've got any out the back.

Found something in a charity shop with a barcode on it and want to know what it's worth? If it's in original packaging or just has the barcode printed on it, there's an easy trick to see what identical items have fetched previously.

Download the free eBay app, open it up and tap the search bar followed by the barcode symbol. Your mobile now becomes a barcode scanner, via its camera.

Point your phone's camera at the code and you'll see it on screen – the app will scan the code and then list identical items for sale. To see what items have fetched in the past, select the 'sold items' filter.