Latest news with #thrifting
The Sun
6 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
I'm a car boot sale pro and found a £600 gem for just a tenner – I even managed to haggle seller down more
CAR boot sales can be a treasure trove for bargain hunters, if you know what to look for. Among the mountains of used toys, mismatched mugs, and bric-a-brac, there are hidden gems that are worth serious cash. 5 5 And nobody knows that better than thrifty Mary Hagan, from North Lanarkshire, Scotland. She picked up her love for car boot sales from her parents, visiting Paddy's Market in Glasgow every week as a family before it was closed down by the city council in 2009. She said: "I loved it and was very sad to see it close, as were loads of others. "It was a big talking point in Glasgow years ago and families and friends would meet to show their bargains off. "I even got my prom dress there for high school. It was a £5 bargain but I felt amazing in it. "Times were hard then and although my mum worked, my dad didn't due to his health but it didn't stop us ever looking good." Now, the 48-year-old loves nothing more than scouring car boot sales and charity shops in her local area. "I've had loads of bargains over the years", she told Fabulous. "I hardly ever buy anything new. But I love it as it saves things going to the landfill, and it's better for your pocket. "Also, with the way things are going, you need every penny you can get to survive." I made £271 in a day of selling at a car boot sale & my mate did £130 - I left with half a car's worth of new bits too If she's at her caravan holiday home, Mary ventures through to the Silloth boot sale in Cumbria - which she hails as a "money town where you're guaranteed the best". And it's here that she bagged a £600 designer gem for just £8. The tan Mulberry Alexa satchel was wrapped in a dust bag when Mary stumbled across it towards the end of the day. After sharing her find on TikTok (@mazzah77), she said: "I asked if I could have a look. The seller said 'of course' and I knew instantly I was onto a winner. "I could tell it was genuine right away. It's real leather, and the insides, the emblems, and condition are all spot on. 5 5 5 "I asked how much and the seller had said because it was the end of day £10. "Inside I was like 'wow I'm definitely taking it anyway' but the Glaswegian in me knew to haggle. I mean, who goes to a car boot and doesn't haggle? It's part of the excitement. "So we agreed on £8. I was delighted and walked away Googling it straight away to realise a pre-loved Mulberry bag the exact same was fetching £600. "I don't know if I will resell or keep it, it's not my usual style so who knows - if the price is right!" She adds: "It's always worthwhile going to car boots and charity shops as you just never know what you will find. "Just remember to rummage and haggle." The nine best items to find at car boot sales Self-professed 'Car Boot Queen' Ellie Macsymons, from NetVoucherCodes, has revealed the nine items you should hunt out at car boot sales that could sell for hundreds of pounds: Ellie says: "Car boot sales are the perfect place to spot a deal. Often sellers don't know what kind of treasure they have right under their nose, and often sell luxury items for a fraction of their price. "If you know what you're looking for, you could resell some of these items for hundreds of pounds, giving you an extra boost coming into summer."
The Guardian
25-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Savers is a thrift store - and we're in a cost-of-living crisis. So why is the US chain dividing Australian shoppers?
Thrifting was made for times like these. A prolonged period of high living costs and consumer pushback against the excesses of fast fashion has led to soaring interest in buying secondhand clothes and pre-owned homewares. Big business is tapping into the trend, drawing mixed reactions from thrifters accustomed to spending their money at charitable op shops. Late last year, the private equity-backed Savers, a firm listed in the US, opened a store on Oxford Street, one of Sydney's primary shopping precincts. Months earlier, it had unveiled a sprawling superstore in the city's west. In the next few months, it plans to open stores in Sydney's inner west on the bustling Parramatta Road, and in the city's outskirts in Marsden Park. The Sydney expansion builds on the outlet's long-term presence in Melbourne and Adelaide. Savers, the biggest for-profit thrift retailer in North America, has found financial favour in Australia, with quarterly sales jumping to US$30.7m in the March quarter, up almost 12% from a year earlier. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Overall, the company generated US$1.54bn in sales in 2024 through its network of more than 350 stores, mainly located in the US and Canada. Caitie Pridmore, a longtime op shopping enthusiast, says she is more inclined to shop at charity-run op shops than Savers, but any arguments against for-profit thrift stores should be nuanced. 'It comes down to … the intention as the consumer, and then the intention as the retailer of the op shop,' she says. 'With Savers, it's an interesting one. I feel less compelled to shop there.' Pridmore says while there is a charitable element to the way Savers operates, she prefers to spend her money in op shops where she knows her contributions are going to have 'more of an impact on the community'. For-profit thrift retailers tend to do well in markets where customers are conscious about their spending, but not under so much financial pressure that they stop buying altogether. This is representative of conditions in Australia, where households are grappling with cost-of-living pressures, but most people have a job, with unemployment at a low level of 4.1%. Michael Fisher, the managing director at Savers Australia, said in a statement that secondhand shopping served as a meaningful and sustainable way for consumers to stretch their dollars in the current economic climate. 'We are competitively positioned in the retail sector with a hyperlocal model, an average price per item of less than $10, and a fresh assortment that provides exceptional value to consumers,' Fisher said. The Savers model relies on donations of clothes and small household items to its charitable partners, including Red Nose, Wounds Australia and Diabetes Victoria, which are either collected by the not-for-profits or through donation centres attached to the stores. Savers then pays the charities for those goods. The Wounds Australia chief executive, Jeff Antcliff, said the organisation had been 'thrilled with the exposure' the partnership had brought and that the relationship provided revenue to support the organisation's work in advocating for those living with chronic wounds. Savers' charitable partners, including Wounds Australia, said the rates paid by Savers were confidential. In the US, Savers has faced questions over the transparency of its relationships with nonprofit partners, and the rates it pays. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion The office of the Washington attorney general said in 2017 that Savers' parent company was paying one of its charitable partners as little as four pennies for every pound of clothing. Other goods, like housewares, earned the charities 2 US cents per pound. Savers did not respond to questions about the per-kilo rate it pays in Australia. Fisher said the company had paid its Australian not-for-profit partners about $20m for secondhand goods over the last five years. 'Last year alone, we found a reuse for over 9.1 million kilograms of secondhand items,' Fisher said in a statement. One of Savers' partners, Diabetes Victoria, disclosed in financial accounts that about 4.8m kgs of clothes and other products went to Savers in 2024, and that the charity had earned $2.98m from its collections business. While this would imply a rate of about 62c per kilo, the calculation could be complicated by donations of different types of goods attracting different rates. The Diabetes Victoria chief executive, Glen Noonan, said the Savers partnership had 'played a vital role in advancing our efforts to raise funds for much needed diabetes programs, advocacy and world-leading diabetes research'. The thrifting sector has changed significantly from the days of being almost exclusively run by charities. Another for-profit model, consignment stores, allows people to sell unwanted clothes for lower-than-retail prices if they don't want to give them away for free. Bec Brewin, a keen op-shopper who creates thrifting content for social media, says e-commerce platforms like Depop facilitate a more sustainable economy, even though 'you're not donating to a charity, you're donating to somebody's wallet'. 'As long as you're aware of the fact that you're shopping at a for-profit thrift shop or op shop, it's fine. You're still making a more sustainable choice,' she says. Vicky Weatherlake, who runs an online thrifting community I Love To Op Shop which includes a Facebook group with more than 122,000 members, says she supports the Savers business model. 'I'm not wasting time criticising Savers for not being not-for-profit when we have [fast fashion platforms] doing huge environmental damage,' she says, referring to mass market retailers selling ultra cheap clothing. 'Is [Savers] competitive with op shops? Yes, certainly – but from my personal point of view, it's more environmentally friendly.' 'We've got far bigger fish to fry than pulling Savers up on being a for-profit business, when it actually gets through so much goods that people are just not wanting any more,' she says.
Daily Mail
24-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Entrepreneur who made £1,200 on Vinted reveals genius 50p trick to increase sales
A Vinted seller has shared the '50p hack' that can increase sales on the fashion and beauty resale app. Zakia Moulaoui Guery has always loved vintage clothing, having spent her childhood scouring thrift shops in France with her mother. Now based in Edinburgh, Zakia, 37, uses the online thrifting app - that gained popularity among Gen Z and millennials during the Covid pandemic - to sell one-of-a-kind pieces from her own closet. Over the past two years, Zakia has earned £1,200 from the app - and picked up handy tricks to close a deal on the app along the way. For instance, if you find something is proving particularly difficult to sell, Zakia recommends reposting it with a price that's 50p lower than your original listing since 'reducing your items regularly works quite well'. This is especially helpful if you want to maintain your 'Frequent Seller' badge, she told The Sun, but don't have enough stock to flog. She explained: 'I always start by knowing what I would absolutely sell it for at a minimum, so that I can reduce the price if needed. Once it's posted online, I just want it to sell. 'So if I'm reposting, I knock off £1 or 50p. Reducing your items regularly works quite well.' The social entrepreneur, who runs a company that organises walking tours by people who have experienced homelessness, also shared some of her other tried-and-tested strategies to maximise earnings on Vinted. She recommended picking a niche so your shop front stands out to Vinted's 16 million users, with Zakia focusing her collection on 'vintage or retro-inspired pieces'. The founder of Invisible Cities also suggested looking through your wardrobe for branded items from labels like Cos or Uniqlo that don't fit your style, since these can go for a pretty penny on Vinted. Finally, she advised that Vinted isn't just for clothes; selling beauty and skincare products - so long as their unopened and still in their original packaging - can 'make a lot of money' as well. It comes after another ace Vinted user revealed the five most common mistakes first-time sellers make. In a clip titled 'How I made over £4k selling on Vinted', Chloe outlined the things you 'shouldn't be doing' if you want to make big bucks on the app. Chloe revealed her very first step is to always check the account that she is selling to or buying from as there are some 'scam accounts' floating around on the app. She said: 'The first thing that you shouldn't be doing on Vinted is not checking accounts. 'I call this 'account vetting' and if I'm buying or selling to somebody, I will go to their account and check their reviews, check their bio, check everything that there is to do with their account. 'If something feels a little bit dodgy, then I just either don't buy from them or I don't sell to them. 'This is so important because so many accounts are made to scam people now, so if they don't have any reviews, if their username looks really weird, if they have nothing in their bio or no picture, stay clear from these sorts of accounts. 'Please, please, please before you buy anything or before you sell to somebody, you need to make sure that it is a genuine account and that it is an actual person rather than a scam account.' Elsewhere Chloe revealed that you don't have to spend money on fancy packaging to send items. She said: 'Please, please, please do not buy the TikTok shop bags to ship your items in - please recycle. 'Ask your family, ask your friends, ask your partner, ask your neighbours, collect old packaging, because this is so much better for the environment and it really, really saves a lot of waste.' Chloe also stressed that it is very important to collect packages quickly and if you will be away get the package delivered to the house. She said: 'The third thing that you shouldn't be doing is leaving your parcels when you should be collecting them. 'Please, please, please, if you are a buyer, collect your parcel. 'I buy and sell on Vinted and if something is delivered to the parcel shop, I try and pick it up straight away, because I know how frustrating it is when you are a seller and you're waiting for somebody to pick up their parcel and they just don't.' She also urged Vinted sellers not to spray the clothes with perfume before they package them up. Finally, Chloe claimed it was very important to ensure that your bio was complete. She explained: 'The fifth and final thing that you should not be doing is leaving your bio blank. 'Fill in your bio, put a nice picture, put in a little bit of information about you.' Chloe said this makes sales 'a little bit more personal' and allows users to identify whether you are a real person or a scam account.
The Sun
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
We went hunting in the charity shop's ‘rag house' and were stunned by our discoveries – we found a £80 bag & £600 shirt
IT'S where all the clothes, accessories and sundries go when they aren't sold at the charity shop. But one woman was lucky enough to be allowed to search through her local "rag house" - also known as a textile recycling centre - and was stunned by what she found. 7 7 7 7 Lola Amuah is a thrifting pro, and regularly shares videos of her antics on her social media pages. And in a recent TikTok, Lola posted a clip of herself and her thrifting pal Pete searching through the huge bins of items. Things began well as Lola spotted a Fjällräven Kånken backpack, which would usually retail for around £80. "Needs a bit of a wash but that's decent isn't it?!" a clearly delighted Lola said. Next up, she spotted an "early 2000s" Juicy Couture purse, which even had the monogrammed designer fabric inside. Bags seemed to be the theme of the day, as they then found a Mickey Mouse bag with "Oh Boy" written on the front. She then found a Winnie the Pooh plush backpack, and another backpack which was new with tags from TK Maxx to take home for her daughters. "What, what have you found?" Lola exclaimed, as Pete held up a football shirt with the name of Argentinian footballer Gabriel Batistuta on the back. "Is that real?" she questioned, to which Pete said it was, and admitted it would cost around £600 new. "How did he find a £600 shirt??" Lola captioned her video. I spotted a huge Jellycat bunny in my local charity shop and knew I'd hit the jackpot when I discovered how rare he is "Lots of good finds," one person commented on the clip. "Hoarders paradise in there!" Lola replied. "Omg WHERE is this?! Is it open to the public?" another pleaded. "This sadly isn't open to public," Lola said. "We have a business relationship for my live streams." "This is heaven!" a third gushed. Top charity shop tips for bagging a bargain Ross Dutton has been a manager for Crisis's charity shops for four years and currently runs the charity's Finsbury Park shop in London. Choose your area - As a rule of thumb, the posher the area, the better quality the clothes that are donated. Don't hang around - If you see something you like, buy it, as it'll likely be gone when you come back Look out for cut-off labels - Some of your favourite high street stores will have deals with local charity shops to donate stock that isn't sold during their own sales. Often part of the deal is that they need to cut the labels off the clothes. Stay at home - While some charities have their own site, like Oxfam and Crisis. many also sell from dedicated eBay stores, such as British Heart Foundation and Scope. You won't get the range of bargains that you would get in a physical store, but if you're looking for something specific it may be worth checking online too. "Please tell me you got that juicy purse?" someone else questioned. "I absolutely did! Had to!" Lola said in response. "I love your excitement at everything your find," another praised. "Please THE first bag," someone else gushed. As another added: "OMG I'd love that Batistuta, what a player!" 7 7 7
Cosmopolitan ME
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan ME
No cap, these are the best preloved shops in Dubai
At Cosmo Me HQ, we have always loved thrifting. Like, who doesn't? You get to buy legit cool drips at super affordable prices. Especially since we live in Dubai, where there's often pressure to wear the latest trends and 'update' your closet, preloved shops offer us a better way to save some coin and still look slay-worthy. To help you on your thrifting journey, we curated the ultimate list of the best preloved stores to check out. Reloved There's a new It-girl in town and her name's Reloved. Launched in November 2024, this second-hand marketplace has clearly become the all-in-one place to find your next sustainable purchase. From women's fashion for your man, children, and even home decor! The cutest thing you can buy preloved? It's for your furry friends,too. Check out their website here. Thrift For Good Harnessing the power of thrifted fashion for a good cause, Thrift For Good's donates a portion of proceeds on its all its clothing items to important causes—namely in partnership with Gulf4Good. Located in The Palm, Golden Mile 8, and Times Square Center this thrift store is redefining purposeful fashion. Check out their website here. Garderobe Whether you're on the hunt for Louis Vuitton, Gucci, or Chanel, Garderobe—as one of the first and most popular vintage luxury thrift stores in Dubai—has it all. Garderobe's diverse array of luxury fashion pieces, ranging from accessories to clothing, will have you doing some *serious* retail therapy. Check out their website here. Reem's Closet Founded in 2008, this charming boutique is Dubai's first designer thrift store. The luxury consignment store, located at Jumeira Plaza, offers vintage girlies their favourite authentic designer pieces at a relatively lower price, depending on the item's current condition. Reem's Closet is nothing short of a thrifty, luxury fashion dream. Check out their website here. Endless Born in the UK, but relocated to Dubai, endless sells pre-loved designer wear, and you can even sell your own items on the site where for a 20% commission fee the brand will take care of everything from the listing, to shipping your items (!!) This second-hand store wants women to change their shopping habits, and feel good about what they're wearing. They've got some beaut pieces from Musier Paris, Nanushka, Oh Polly, and more. Check out their e-commerce site here. Les Spot If you haven't heard of Les Spot in Dubai then wyd? This new retail store in Al Wasl has become a hot spot for fashionistas and influencers alike for its curated vintage pre-loved and repurposed fashion products. Homeware, beauty, and some *bomb* fits are what you'll find at this store. Even some of our favourite gals like @ and @raniafawazz shop there! Check out their store at 749 AlWasl Road Villa 35 on Google Maps. Retro Groove Thrift This one is for all the shoe lovers out there because this thrift shop has the best shoe deals from your favourite brands going on constantly. Retro Groove Thrift also has a wide variety of apparel from the top streetwear brands, as well as one-of-a-kind pieces, all at incredibly affordable prices and in great conditions. Make sure to keep an eye out on their Insta to catch all the daily deals. Check out their shop here. Izsa Vintage This cute thrift shop has the trendiest 90s-inspired pieces for you to curate one-of-a-kind outfits. They ship nationwide and the best part is that they even have pop-ups at Dubai's Ripe Market so you can shop and see the pieces in person. Check out their shop here. Vintage Vibe At Vintage Vibe, they have the most nostalgic fits at an incredible price, you can find anything from vintage sports team caps to unique graphic tees. Perfect for those fashionistas who like to stock their closets with good collectable items. Check out their shop here. We all remember rocking those fun graphic tees with cute denim skirts any time we went out in the 00s. Well, at you can re-purchase all those nostalgic trendy items and recreate the iconic fits. Everything here is under Dhs40, so there is no need to break the bank to find your next piece. Check out their Instagram here. BYWS What better way to help promote sustainability than by shopping at BYWS. You can find some cute pieces that even 90s Britney Spears will envy, and if you're running on a budget, they do style bundles at an incredibly affordable price, so there is no need to sacrifice style. Check out their shop here. Calling all the graphic tee aficionados, this thrift shop is for you. At you can find a plethora of graphic tees ranging from your favourite classic rock bands to vintage cartoons, whatever your heart desires, they have. Check out their shop here. Riot Riot specializes in curated pre-owned ~luxury ~ fashion. They've got everything from vintage pieces to Louboutin heels! Items sell out fast here, so don't wait too long to check them out. Check out their shop here. Common Faces From Nike to Stussy to Ralph Lauren, the shop with every brand you can think of. CommonFaces is always dropping the newest and trendiest items for you to stay fashionable while on a budget. Check out their Instagram here. ESSII Essii specializes in vintage and reworked pieces for any type of vibe you are going for. Whether it be e-girl vibes, designer from head-to-toe, or a mellow and comfortable vibe, they've got you! Check out their Instagram here. Flamingos Vintage Shop by the kilo at Flamingos Vintage, they ship worldwide and are jam-packed with whatever style, size, or budget you are looking for. Check out their shop here. E-Vintage Here at E-Vintage you can find the cutest vintage pieces with inspo from the 90's. Whether you are looking for designer or just casual pieces, they've got it all to help you spice up your wardrobe! Check out their Instagram here. Rewynd Apparel Stylist and a vintage shop all in one place? At Rewynd Apparel they don't only have the vintage pieces you are looking for, but they show you how to style them as well to create the perfect fit. Here, you know how to shop wisely because you can curate three to four outfits with only buying a few items. Check out their shop here. Yzapparel Looking stylish has never been more affordable than at Yzapparel, they have every trendy item you've always wanted in your wardrobe. Whether it is jewelry, jackets, or a purse, they have it all, and no worries, because everything is fully sanitized before being delivered to your door. Check out their Instagram here. 808 Vintage At 808 Vintage you will get all the old school feels in one place. Everything is below Dhs100, and the packaging is sustainable; where else would be a better place for thrift shopping than here? Check out their shop here. Summernd Bliss Graphic tees, fanny packs, hoodies, boot cut jeans, and more. Summernd Bliss has it all, so there is no need to waste precious time hopping from thrift shop to thrift shop. May we say more? Check out their Instagram here. Bagatelle Boutique Bagatelle boutique is not only the most authentic thrift store to buy pre-owned designer items, but you can also sell to them. The store started as a way of making use of outdated designer items and now, it is the ultimate place to sell your pre-loved items. Everything sold here is guaranteed to be in great condition. Check out their Instagram here. Fashion Re-run Fashion Re-run is based in the UAE and probs has one of the most extensive and best collection of vintage clothes we've ever seen. Check out their website and start shopping from the comfort of your couch, or you can also visit them at the Ripe Market and the Urban Market in Dubai. Check out their shop here. Retold Most of the items at Retold are pre-owned and quite affordable with a great mix of high end designers and street-style. They also have a gorgeous store in Dubai, or you can easily shop online where they are constantly posting new item updates through their Instagram. If you're looking to sell as well as buy, this is the place for you! Check out their website here. Urban Market Concept If you are one who likes to see clothing pieces in person before buying them, no worries because the Urban Market Concept has constant pop-ups all over the UAE. Here you can find some of the most unique vintage and pre-loved pieces to add to your thrifted closet collection. Check out their Instagram for the latest pop-up updates. The Ripe Market The Ripe Market is one of Dubai's best places for all your thrifting needs, they have three locations in the city and there will surely be one near you. They constantly have a rotation of local pop-ups as well, so you will never see the same clothing twice. Check out their Instagram for more updates. Dubai Charity Centre The Dubai Charity Centre is the oldest thrift store in Dubai and they sell everything from books to clothes to household items. Admittedly, it will take some deep searching to find the best pieces here, but clothes are usually under Dhs25 which doesn't sound too bad. Visit the Karama Fish Market or call +9714338246 for more info.
