What happens to ED cast-offs?

[franglaisia]

Living here since 1985 I have waiting for the influx of loot, and especially of corporate wifeys, to show up as lots of lovely cast offs in the the second hand shops - eg Hobbs, LK Bennett, Avoca, Boden, even, but all I ever see is the same old worn out scruff that got donated 20 years ago. Well worn M&S seems to be the best you can hope for, as one of the shop workers offered helpfully the other week, "you could wear a jacket over that..." Does this tell us just how mean the rich are, or am I hitting the shops at the wrong time?

[kford]

I read that the more organised charity shops cream off the good stuff and sell it on ebay or in their 'flagship' W1 stores. The rest is nabbed by vintage clothing sellers and market traders, who'll be tipped off about anything interesting.

[franglaisia]

I can see why they would put the best stuff on ebay, although that's going to take up quite a lot of staff time, and I have only seen a couple of charities - mainly Oxfam - do this. But I don't understand why they would let vintage clothes traders and market sellers have first pick of the goods, before trying to sell them in the shop, because the traders are then going to get the profit? If they're doing it unofficially it strikes me as wrong...

[kford]

It's a bit unfair, but if the charity shop gets ?8 for a jacket which is sold onto an unsuspecting American tourist in Camden Market for ?45, there's not much they can do.

[franglaisia]

Definitely unfair to me! But still can't see the commercial sense of it in East Dulwich, as there are plenty of people who would pay higher prices for such items from the charity shops themselves, and probably raise the overall spend in the shops while they were there. Look at thread on here about a "retro shop" which reads as tho' started and continued by the shop owner and friends. Oh well. The stuff that does get put out by the ED charity shops to sell to locals is pretty grim though. There are better ones quite nearby where you can pick good stuff up, just puzzles me why the SE22 ones are so grim.

[Asset]

dunno about that frangla, have seen Kenzo, Paul Smith and Agnes B shirts in the Mind shop recently.

[chuff]

Last year when I moved I cleared out a lot of stuff that didn't fit me anymore. Nearly all of it was lovely stuff but knowing that I was never going to fit in a size 8 again decided to part with it all. There were approximately 20 bin bags full, mainly women's work clothes from shops like Karen Millen.

All of the charity shops in the area (including Peckham and Forest Hill) refused to take them because they had too much stock. I ended up stuffing it all in the clothes recycling bins at sainsburys which made me a bit sad.

chuff

[PeckhamRose]

Size EIGHT? What does that mean, exactly? ;)

[Cassius]

chuff Wrote:

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> Last year when I moved I cleared out a lot of

> stuff that didn't fit me anymore. Nearly all of it

> was lovely stuff but knowing that I was never

> going to fit in a size 8 again decided to part

> with it all. There were approximately 20 bin bags

> full, mainly women's work clothes from shops like

> Karen Millen.

Now you tell me.........

[franglaisia]

Meaning of size 8, cerca 1985 - circumference of waist

Meaning of size 8, cerca 2005 - circumference of thigh

[dulwichmum]

Dear Franglaisia,

Why don't you shop on the Boden sale website - they have 70% off at the moment, and Ed/Tomlinsons/the Duwlich Trader currently have similar discounts on Hobss/L K Bennett and Avoca in their sale too!

[franglaisia]

Hm. Shirts.. are you talking bloke apparel? Maybe it's different for boys.

Asset Wrote:

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> dunno about that frangla, have seen Kenzo, Paul

> Smith and Agnes B shirts in the Mind shop

> recently.

[franglaisia]

Thank you for your shopping tips. I didn't know, truth be told, what you could buy new in SE22...there's something about wearing newish swanky clothes for 1/8th of the rrp that endears me to buying second hand and avoiding the shiny shops. Will go see tho' in case there are any actual bargains to be had.

dulwichmum Wrote:

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> Dear Franglaisia,

>

> Why don't you shop on the Boden sale website -

> they have 70% off at the moment, and

> Ed/Tomlinsons/the Duwlich Trader currently have

> similar discounts on Hobss/L K Bennett and Avoca

> in their sale too!

[chuff]

I've seen plenty of size 8 and below girlies wandering around ED.

It's a long long way behind me though boo hoo

chuff

[wee quinnie]

Have you looked in Grace and Favour? They do a lot of ex-Boden and such like in their second hand clothes bit at the back of the store.

[Cassius]

Ah - but do they do size 8?

[wee quinnie]

Possibly - it's a bit pot luck-ish I guess - like it is in the charity shops.

[franglaisia]

>

That's a handy tip thank you, "second hand clothes bit" sounds more like it. The kind of ladies who spend their days wandering round SE22 spending hubby's money on shiny useless things in very silly shops usually turn the clothes over very quickly - including quite a lot they never wear and chuck out a year later to make room for more new stuff.

Must be going somewhere. The other thing is that there's no charity shop in Dulwich proper so you might think some of the SE21 excess might end up here? I might try Herne Hill in case it's going thataway.

[Sue]

chuff Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Last year when I moved I cleared out a lot of

> stuff that didn't fit me anymore. Nearly all of it

> was lovely stuff but knowing that I was never

> going to fit in a size 8 again decided to part

> with it all. There were approximately 20 bin bags

> full, mainly women's work clothes from shops like

> Karen Millen.

xxxxxx

Maybe next time you could advertise it on Freecycle??

I'm sure someone would be delighted to take it.

>

> All of the charity shops in the area (including

> Peckham and Forest Hill) refused to take them

> because they had too much stock. I ended up

> stuffing it all in the clothes recycling bins at

> sainsburys which made me a bit sad.

>

> chuff

[HonaloochieB]

I don't know what anyone else does with their old clothes, but I wear mine.

[Keef]

I'm with you! By the time I'm finally ready to let something go, it means it is unwearable!

[franglaisia]

My dad was still wearing his de-mob trousers when he died but he didn't boast about it.

HonaloochieB Wrote:

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> I don't know what anyone else does with their old

> clothes, but I wear mine.

[HonaloochieB]

franglaisia Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> My dad was still wearing his de-mob trousers when

> he died but he didn't boast about it.

>

>

> HonaloochieB Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > I don't know what anyone else does with their

> old

> > clothes, but I wear mine.

Not a boast franglaisa, more of a confession.

[franglaisia]

Keef Wrote:

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> I'm with you! By the time I'm finally ready to let

> something go, it means it is unwearable!

Ha! So, you must be the person who does donate to the charity shops.

[franglaisia]

wee quinnie Wrote:

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> Have you looked in Grace and Favour? They do a lot

> of ex-Boden and such like in their second hand

> clothes bit at the back of the store.

Thanks for tip - have not been there since last year when they were still selling v lovely but rather expensive new items. Whole clothing stock now second hand and I think you have solved the mystery of where ED cast offs go, this is where!

Lot of Boden, couple of nice Hobbs coats, but oh no, all stuff in very best condition was dreaded size 8. Must be optimist buys.

Prices about the same as ebay but actually a lot of the G&F stuff not in such good condition.

Were also couple of rather nice things in Mind shop. Nicole Farhi grey wool jumper with floaty ruffle, ?10. V posh.

Prices at Mind shop and G&F seem to be identical but again the few things in Mind shop in v good condition. End of cheapshake shopping report.