Charity shops provide a service, good value and the occasional find, writes Sorcha Hamilton. And there are more of them than ever before.
Root for long enough, and you'll always come across something particularly odd, such as a second-hand electric breast pump for €1. Or a set of shark's teeth . . . There's no telling what you might find among the boxes of belts and shoes, or the rails of colour-coded shirts, jackets and full-length pleated skirts. For €2 you'll get anything from a JFK mug, to Bros tapes, a framed photo of the Pope, a Jilly Cooper novel, or a baby's car seat. If you're lucky, you might spot an old Fendi handbag or a designer suit. Charity shops are jammed with the paraphernalia of Irish life - and you just can't beat them for a good bargain.
Discovering a classy set of pearls, or a sequined purse at the bottom of a box marked €3 gives shopping on a shoestring a whole new meaning. Trend-setters - especially those seeking the vintage chic look - are big fans of charity shops, which offers an alternative to high street prices and styles. And you can rest assured that you won't see anyone in else in the same jacket or shoes that you buy there.
Business is booming for charity shops. Oxfam raised more than €4 million over the past year from its 42 shops in Ireland. Retail activity contributes around 35 per cent of funds raised in the National Council for the Blind, and 11 per cent in Barnardos. The average outlet receives up to 150 bags of donations a week. Most charity shops can barely sort through donations fast enough, even if most of these - such as the bag of grass cuttings left at one Barnardos shop - can't be used. On designated days when window display items go on sale, customers queue for hours waiting for the shop to open.
STYLE ON A SHOESTRING
"Charity shops are perfect for adding a little originality to your look," says stylist Lisa O'Riordan (pictured right). If you're shopping on a budget but don't want your style to suffer, you can get a plain, cheap top and liven it up with a unique second-hand scarf, for example. "More people are mixing and matching in this way," says O'Riordan, who regularly picks up unusual accessories in charity shops. Blending old and new is also part of Leone Amon's style (pictured left). "This is the way fashion is going," says stylist Amon, who is producing her own clothing line. People are beginning to realise that you don't need to spend a fortune to look good, she says. You just need to have one garment - such as a vintage bag or funky 1970s boots - to make an outfit that bit more stylish. "I always have a wander around charity shops. I once got a vintage Dolce & Gabbana suit for €150."
WHO BUYS IN CHARITY SHOPS?
"There used to be a time when charity shops were just for the poor - but now that's not the case," says Amanda Moloney, district retail manager with Oxfam. You get a huge mix of customers, she says.
Some estimates suggest about 50 per cent of charity shop customers are shopping out of necessity, but this depends on location. "Often you might see a father come in and buy five pairs of children's shoes," says Colette Corkery, shop manager for Concern in Cork city.
The Society of St Vincent de Paul often refers families to their shops. "We frequently deal with people in marginal areas, and try to offer items at the lowest possible cost. First and foremost we're there to provide a service, then to raise funds for the organisation," says Dermot McGilloway of the Society, which has 140 shops in Ireland.
"The cost of living is so high now. I know a lot of families who depend on shops like these - especially for kid's clothes or uniforms," says one mother-of-three at a charity shop in Limerick. But there's no average-type customer, says Sheila Brady, of the Cheeverstown charity shops: "We get anyone from landlords, to first-time home buyers needing furniture, and students or professionals looking for that something different."
CLOTHING DOWN SALES
Women's clothing is by far the most common donation. It is also the most frequently sold item, bric-a-brac coming in second. A bag of women's clothing, especially if it contains High Street labels, will raise up to €200.
"When you think about High Street prices, charity shops are really good value," says Claire Quinlan, a self-professed charity shop fanatic. "I've found beautiful accessories, such as gloves, bags, even pearls - I just love the idea that things are being re-used."
Some Barnardos shops also stock new clothing, donated by wholesalers, and even the second-hand things can be unworn, or very lightly worn. "In the past few years, we've been getting better stuff - we get a lot of items that are as good as new. Women and young girls especially, tend to wear something once then give it away," says Fidelma Simms, who has been working in the Oxfam shop in Rathmines, Dublin for 22 years.
BRIGHT, UNCLUTTERED, INVITING
It's hard to imagine a charity shop without that smell of must, often mixed with air freshener, coming to mind. But that's all set to change. "The days of rooting through boxes on street corners are over," says McGilloway, of the Society of St Vincent de Paul. "We wanted to make our shops brighter, less cluttered and more inviting to customers," he says. Martin Kenny, of the Irish Charity Shop Association, says the image of charity shops has changed over the past few years. "We're bringing charity shops into the modern age," he says.
A GOOD ROOT
For some customers, rummaging through dusty boxes is all part of the charity shop experience: "There's a surprise element of shopping in a charity shop that makes it more interesting than in a normal shop," says Mary Kelly, who is a frequent visitor to her local charity shops in Dún Laoghaire. "I love having a good root around them," she adds.
Artist Linda Quinlan, who often uses antique items in her installations, prefers the more cluttered charity shops. "Sometimes I think there isn't enough junk in charity shops now," she says. "Irish charity shops still need to catch up with the likes of Berlin or San Francisco, where the second-hand stuff is just fantastic."
RECYCLING
Waste is a major problem for charity shops. The Irish Charity Shop Association (ICSA) collects around 180 tonnes of clothing a week for recycling from the various shops owned by its 16 members. Items are sent to rag merchants and made into anything from industrial wipes to carpets. Charity shops receive around €200 for each tonne of clothing recycled, but there are costs associated with transportation and sorting.
"Refuse collection is definitely becoming a big problem for all charity shops - we recycle clothes and shoes, but we couldn't do everything," says Colette Millar, shops development manager with Barnardos. There are also fears that the introduction of bin charges will increase the amount of rubbish donations being left at charity shops.
"Rising costs, such as rent, are also major challenges," adds Millar. While some councils offer reduced rates, most charity shops pay the full market rate. "We can't expect to be given favouritism," says Kenny of the ICSA.
WHO WORKS THERE?
Charity shops were once exclusively associated with retired women, but not anymore. Most aim to have a more varied range of staff, including school students on voluntary service. Colette Corkery, from Concern, Cork, reckons that clusters of different charity shops in one area are good for business: "People are more likely to do a round of all the charity shops on one street, rather than trek to a particular location to get to one."
WHAT SELLS WHERE?
Different charity shops are associated with different goods: Oxfam specialises in books and fair trade goods. Barnardos runs a bridal shop with high-quality new dresses. The Cheeverstown shops stock excellent furniture, and the Simon Community outlets are good for men's clothing. But all charity shops have one thing in common, says Kenny of the ICSA - they are totally indebted to their voluntary workforce. "We wouldn't raise any money if it wasn't for the volunteers - they're the lifeblood of the charity shops."
GOING HIGH-END
Last year actress Emma Thompson donated a gown - designed by New York designer Alicia Mugetti and worn by Thompson at the premiere of Primary Colours in Cannes - to Barnardo's Q designer store on Belfast's Lisburn Road. The shop chose to auction the dress, its second "celebrity auction" of designer clothing. It had previously sold an outfit donated by the charity's president, Cherie Booth.
CHARITY SHOP DOS AND DON'TS
Donating:
* Don't donate socks and underwear
* Think before you donate - don't give away junk
* Double check with shops if you want to donate electrical goods or furniture
* Make sure clothes and items are clean
* Let the shop know if you're donating something of particular financial value
Shopping:
* Try not to bargain
* Go early - on busy days all the good stuff will be snapped up in hours
* Items in window displays usually go on sale on a particular day each month (check with shop)