17 Reasons You Should Shop Second-Hand At Charity Shops
Do you like the thrill of the hunt? Finding unique and vintage treasures for cheap? You can help the environment and contribute to your community while saving money on your home decor or clothing. There are many benefits to shopping in second-hand charity shops, and today we are going to explore all the reasons why resale shopping is good for everyone.
Resale shopping has exploded since Covid-19, and there are no signs of slowing down. While major retailers are lowering prices to remain competitive, many higher-end retailers are experiencing declining sales. Resale shops are expected to reach $53 Billion in 2023, according to this article.
Due to this increase in ethical shopping for second-hand merchandise, several retail companies are jumping on the bandwagon.
LuluLemon has introduced a “Like New” program on an experimental basis. Also, IKEA is trying a “Buy Back & Resale Program”.
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What are the benefits to You When Shopping Second-Hand?
First, you save money on clothing and home decor.
In most second-hand shops, the prices are a fraction of the original retail price.
This haul from a thrift store in Wilmington was less than $40.00, and the brass sailboat was only $7.00. I recently saw the same boat for $179.00 here online.
In addition, the copper pitcher was only $8.00, and most I’ve seen begin around 60.00. This copper pitcher isn’t nearly as unique.
Second, if you are a vintage lover, you can find many vintage decor items at resale shops.
These 24 pieces of vintage SPODE dishes were only $12.50 at our local Christian United Outreach Center thrift store, compared to a set of 4 dessert plates on Etsy for $59.00.
You can see more about thrift store shopping for tableware on my Ultimate Guide to Creative Tablescapes.
Third, if you love a unique and curated decor style, many one-of-a-kind items can be found at second-hand stores and vintage shops.
What are the overall benefits of Shopping Second-Hand?
- Helps to reduce landfill waste
- Environmentally beneficial by reducing the need for new production
- Helps to Support Charities
- Ethical Shopping
Why Support Charity Second-Hand Shops?
Today, I’m going to focus on the benefits of shopping at non-profit charitable resale stores. I frequent many thrift stores, consignment, and vintage shops that I love, and more are popping up all the time.
However, today, I’m talking more about shopping for a cause.
Most charity non-profit second-hand shops use proceeds to benefit those in need. Here is a breakdown of a few national Charity Resale Shops that you will find throughout the US and beyond.
National Charity Resale Shopping
Habitat for Humanity Restore for Furniture, Home Goods, Building Materials, and Appliances Second Hand Shopping
This is one of my favorite second-hand shops because of the quality of its merchandise and its cause. I find their prices to be exceptionally low in most areas where I’ve shopped.
Each ReStore is independently owned, and sales help Habitat for Humanity Partner with local families to build, rehabilitate, and repair safe & affordable homes in your community and around the world.
You can read more about the history and ongoing contributions to our communities attributed to this non-profit organization here.
Here are a few of my ReStore purchases.
For only $35.00 and a little chalk paint, this piece looks brand new. See more about updating vintage furniture with Chalk Paint here.
I picked up these cute botanical dishes for just 50 Cents each, and they were perfect on this Galentine’s Brunch Table Setting
One of my favorite recent ReStore finds was this lamp for $1.00, which I transformed for pennies with this napkin decoupage technique.
And this cute FREE chandelier that I use in the DIY Greenhouse came from our local ReStore.
Conclusion:
Habitat for Humanity is great for finding second-hand furniture, tableware, and lamps. They have great prices in my area, and their goal is to move the donated item rather than wait for a buyer who will pay a higher price. There isn’t much negative publicity surrounding this non-profit organization. They keep their paid staff to a minimum.
Salvation Army Family Thrift Stores, Disaster Relief, Homeless Shelters, Veteran Services
“95% of the time, all proceeds from Salvation Army Thrift Stores go to support local Salvation Army addiction rehabilitation programs, after-school programs, or food pantries”.
However, the organization as a whole serves 131 countries, helping people in need without discrimination.
To learn more about your local Family Thrift Stores and their proceeds allocations, visit here and search your city and state.
Our local store has many great second-hand items at very reasonable prices.
All of these vintage dishes were purchased at the Salvation Army Family Thrift Store for 25 to 50 cents each.
The Conclusion:
Great prices, but I rarely find larger pieces here. My local store is always busy, and you have to be there at the right time to get the best merchandise.
No one can dispute their help to communities in need once disaster strikes. However, some do question where all the proceeds are used.
Goodwill Non-Profit for Job Training and Placement Services
Did you know that all Goodwill Stores are locally controlled within regions? The money goes toward skills training, career counseling, and classes for disabled individuals who face challenges in the traditional job market.
Prices are also controlled within regions, and I find a wide range when shopping.
However, I have found some great deals, including some of these favorites.
The folding bench was from several years ago, but it’s still a favorite find for only $10.00.
In addition, this great $7.00 lamp. You can see the before at Earthenware Lamp Makeover.
The one that almost got away is this great ironstone planter. I walked right past it and didn’t see it. Thankfully, I made another sweep of the store and grabbed this $5.00 treasure.
See the DIY Greenhouse Summer Tour here.
The Conclusion:
Prices are all over the place at my local Goodwill stores, and I rarely find furniture anymore.
Although I’ve found great deals, I feel they’re harder to find.
Goodwill is a large organization that generates substantial revenue. Therefore, it’s easy to find negative publicity surrounding the allocation of proceeds.
Benefits of Local Non-Profit Charity Second-Hand Shopping
I’m going to share some local charity second-hand shops that I love. You probably have similar resale shops in your area. To locate them, you can easily Google search for those in your city or county.
In my experience, donations received by many of these local charities are of higher quality, and you will find more vintage merchandise.
When someone donates, they like to see where their contributions are being used, and when the charity is local, that is much easier to do.
Christian United Outreach Center – Short-term Crisis Intervention for Randolph County Citizens in Need.
Their services include:
- Food Pantry
- Financial assistance
- Medical Assistance
- Home repairs
- Homeless Assistance
We have all read and seen articles about misappropriation of funds in national organizations, and whether true or not, the citizens of our country can see the money from their donated items being put to good use every day.
One of my favorite shops is because of the wonderful vintage merchandise you can find.
I shared the Spode dishes I found at the beginning of this post.
This sweet vintage tea set is the one I used for our Supper Clubs Vintage Tea Party last month.
This great wooden bowl and the milk glass vase are both CUOC finds. See the full table, decorated with more thrifted finds, here in table settings for Spring Ideas.
One of the best deals was the vintage copper pieces I found on a recent trip. All these pieces were less than $25.00 total.
In addition, these brass shell sconces and the lobster mold cost only $5.00 total.
If you were to purchase the shell sconces at retail, it would be at least $50.00.
This selection of vintage milk glass, baskets, and cross-stitch art was all found at CUOC in one haul. The prices for all these wonderful pieces were hard to beat.
If you like using milk glass in your decor, check out these great articles.
Conclusion:
These are great causes to contribute to. You’ll find excellent quality merchandise at reasonable prices. The longer items remain in the shop, the greater the discount.
More local non-profits
- Legacy Salvage in Wilmington, NC – Benefits Wilmington’s Historical Preservation
- Dogwill-Catwill Store, Asheboro, NC – Major source of funding for SCPA of Randolph County.
- Live to Give Ministries Thrift Store, Asheboro, NC – Founded to Help Others through Christian Scholarships.
In addition, I know there are many other non-profits you can support when you shop second-hand in your area. Please be encouraged to seek them out in your area.
I hope this gives you some insight into the importance and the benefits of second-hand shopping.
Thrifting with the Gals – Shopping Second-Hand
Today’s, post in part of our monthly series, Thrifting with the Gals.
Each month, we share our thrifting and resale shopping adventures with you on our Instagram Stories.
On the third Thursday of each month, we share a blog post with tips on using your thrifted goods, places to shop, and more. You can see last month’s Thrifting In Vintage Thrift Shops Wilmington, NC here.
This month our guest thrifting friend is Cindy from County Road 407. Cindy is also the host of a monthly Pinterest Challenge, which I love to participate in.
In addition, our regular crew will be sharing their fun thrifting adventures from this past month.
- Kristin – White Arrows Home
- Ann – Dabbling and Decorating
- Robyn – Robyn’s French Nest
Be sure to check out the other Thrifting posts today. Next up is our guest blogger this month, Cindy from County Road 407, with her Fun Ideas for Summer Decor Using Vintage Finds.
Be sure to click each link below for more Thrifting and Vintage Ideas.
Cindy – Fun Summer Decor using Vintage Finds / Ann – Vintage Vibe Aesthetics to Treasure
Robyn – 5 Ways to Decorate with Thrifted Baskets / Kristin – Shopping at Junk Bonanza Vintage Market
Thanks so much for stopping by today, and I look forward to sharing my next adventure with you.
Pin It To Remember It
Did you find some great ideas you’d like to save for future reference? To save, hover over the images and pin to your favorite Pinterest Boards when you see the PIN button in the upper left-hand corner.
I love these pretty thrifted finds, Rachel!
Thank you Robyn!
We sure have fun don’t we😂. You found so many things this month. I need to up my game😂
Yes Ann we sure do! Thank you
My sister and I grew up on 2nd hand clothes for the summer. Now we go shopping to find “treasures” and help the environment! Recycle isn’t just for aluminum!
I absolutely agree. Thanks so much for your input.
I love your ideas. Around here the Goodwill has gone “for profit”, the restore looks online for value of items then hikes the price up as well as salvation army. Workers at one Goodwill were heard by my friend, pricing a basket. They said nobody would know it wasn’t a longaburger so let’s mark it at$150. It’s getting to where you can get the clothes cheaper at Walmart. So much for helping people that need help. We do have wonderful Amish and Mennonite stores though where you can afford to shop.
Yes, the prices are all over the place and they have had a lot of negative publicity. I try to lean toward more local charities lately.
What an interesting post. I loved seeing all your treasures and you gave some fantastic advice. And I hadn’t heard about Ikea or Lulu. I need to go back and read those links. Selfishly, I hope thrifting of vintage goodies doesn’t catch on. I want it all for myself! Thanks for letting me join y’all this month. I need to come up with a reason to do more shopping. LOL! pinned
Cindy,
Yes, I can agree. The more popular it becomes the more competitive the shopping experience. I’m already seeing that in my area,
Love everything about this post Rachel. I have an addition to rolling pins, LOL just a little secret about me :)))))
Wendy,
I keep buying them. I can’t resist a great deal. They are fun to collect.
I love everything you bring home, Rachel! One of the biggest things I missed during COVID was not being able to treasure hunt so I’m all kinds of excited we’re all back at it. These are great reasons to shop second-hand and support local charities. Hugs, CoCo
CoCo,
It’s a win win to shop second hand and especially at charity thrift stores.
You’re preaching to the choir, Rachel! 🙂 Thanks for sharing your great post and finds at Vintage Charm!
Cecilia,
Thanks so much.
All great finds there you’ve picked up! And you style them beautifully. I love thrift store shopping. The main one I shop at locally benefits victims of human trafficking. I donate whatever I have and no longer ned or want as well to this store as well as another local store that benefits victims of spousal abuse. I totally remodeled my kitchen with like new solid wood maple cabinets I bought at Habitat for Humanity, 18 pcs for 600.00. I donated back the pieces I didn’t use. It was a dream of 10 years that was brought to life with found cabinets. I was able to splurge on a beautiful stone floor and soapstone counters and farmhouse sink with the $$ I save on the cabinets. So grateful for thrifting♥️
Cheryl,
That is wonderful. I agree that the money you save allows you to afford the occasional splurge. Thank you for sharing.
Great ideas Rachael!!! When I was newly married I filled our home with vintage garage sale finds. Now it’s harder and less conveient to go to garage sales. So I started going to thrift shops. My style has always been vintage-I am less primitive that I used to be. A favorite thrifted item is dishes of course, artwork and I have always collected old books. I recently found and old mantle at a thrift store for $29. WOW!
I am selective in buying and am downsizing somewhat now. Have a great summer 🙂
Susan,
Thank you for sharing. I agree that I’m more selective these days.
I love thrifting…thrill of the hunt! But all thrift stores in my Raleigh area has gotten too pricey. Volunteers don’t have retail shopping experience to know you can buy cheaper at the retail store. I have always been a shopaholic so I know prices.
Nancy,
We have some good shops in Asheboro with reasonable prices. The CUOC, Habitat ReStore are my favoritites. Also, if you are in Wilmington, The Ivy Cottage is a consignment store that we’ve had great luck with. They have three buildings but the last one with the warehouse behind it is my favorite.
@Rachel, thanks Rachel. I have shopped and consigned at Ivey Cottage for years. I use to shop frequently at Collectable Antique Mall and others in Asheboro. The employees knew me well.
Nancy,
Yes, to get good deals you have to go frequently. Let me know if you are ever in Asheboro.