A charity shop is the UK’s version of a second-hand store, usually dedicated to raising money for a specific cause. There are almost 10,000 charity shops in the UK, and 74% of Britons think that they help reduce waste within their communities. But that doesn’t mean that every item you find there is a winner.
Second-hand shops in general can be very hit-or-miss, but you can’t deny that they often have items you’d probably never find anywhere else. Bored Panda has made a compilation of submissions from the group “Charity Shop [Stuff]”, where over 300k people share the ridiculous, amazing, and one-of-a-kind second-hand items.
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#1 British Heart Foundation – Hemel Hempstead
Image source: Lionel Morgendorffer
#2 Fashion At Its Best Dove House Hessle Road Hull
Image source: Julie Atkin
#3 Today’s Find At The Amazing Mill Markets In Geelong
Image source: Meg Stewart-Snoad
We often talk about how many people thrift, how much stuff ends up in thrift stores, and how much our throwing away of clothes, trinkets, and other items contributes to the global waste epidemic. This time, let’s focus on how many donations charity shops get, how much they’re worth on average, and how high-value items are not as rare as we may think.
Back when we were less waste-conscious as a society, we’d just throw out unnecessary clothes, utensils, tools, and even home decor items. Nowadays, we look for ways to give them a new life. In 2024, the UK homelessness charity Shelter found that eight in 10 Britons regularly donate to charity shops. 20% said they do it every three months, another 20% claim to donate twice a year. Only 15% donated once a month or more frequently.
#4 I Nearly Bought This Old Lady With Cats Knitting From Sight On Portobello Road, But Thought It Was A Bit Tacky,yours For £3.50!
Image source: John Aitken
#5 What A Beauty! Essex & Herts Air Ambulance, Hitchin
Image source: Sally Scovell
#6 Send Help I’m Scared And Confused Alabaré Charity Shop, Salisbury
Image source: Grace Mackintosh
Although Gen Z is the biggest part of the population who shop in charity shops and thrift stores worldwide, older adults are more likely to donate. Shelter found that the most frequent donors were aged 55 and up, and that younger folks were much more likely to get rid of their unwanted or unused items through online reselling platforms like Vinted, eBay, Depop and Facebook Marketplace.
Nevertheless, brick-and-mortar charity shops are not going extinct any time soon, as only four in 10 Britons say they prefer thrifting online. Many also see charity shops as the easier route: they prefer to go to their local one and get rid of unwanted items all at once. Others are motivated by the cause to which a particular shop is dedicated and how closely it aligns with their values.
#7 Grandma?
Image source: Moll Cutpurse
#8 Wasn’t Tempted. The A World. Skelmersdale
Image source: Simon Ryley
#9 Freddie Meercat Bhf, Romsey, Hampshire
Image source: Holls McClure
When we think of one-of-a-kind items in charity shops, we often think about bizarre, odd and hilarious trinkets. However, some charity shops have seen some really exclusive items over the years. For example, in 2023, one of the British Heart Foundation shops in Sutton Coldfield got a rare pressing of The Beatles’ The White Album. Only 10,000 copies of the vinyl exist in the entire world since it was a rare misprint, and although the shop originally priced it at £999, it was ultimately sold for £2,350.
#10 Real Donny Darko Vibes At The Sue Ryder Shop, Sunderland. If You Like Your Money Boxes To Look Terrifying And Have £20 To Spend This Is The One For You
Image source: Sonia Scothern
#11 Are There Any Manchester Utd Fans Who Would Like A Framed Picture Of A Weird Lazy Town Type Creature With Hands Down Their Shorts? What A Christmas Gift That Could Be! Barnado’s Northampton
Image source: Nicola Anderson
#12 Never Underestimate A Woman Who Listens To Cliff Richard… St Michael’s Hospice Shop, Harrogate
Image source: Debbie Dilasser
Spokespeople for the BHF said that high-value donated items like these really help charity shops stay afloat and show that second-hand shops often have treasures people might not expect, including jewelry, designer clothing, rare books and records. In fact, a BHF charity shop in Hounslow, London, once received a £10,000-worth Cartier watch. The charity placed it on eBay after they checked its authenticity, and then sold it for £9,766.66.
#13 Scary Clowns In Headway, Cheadle. 1 Messing With A Rabbit, Another Pulling Teeth. I Didn’t Bother Looking Too Closely At The Rest. And £10 Each!!
Image source: Liz Howard
#14 Complete And Utter Tat! So Naturally, They Came Home With Me… Children’s Air Ambulance, Stony Stratford
Image source: Laura Kat
#15 Can’t Decide Is This A Treasure Or Trash… Dove Hospice, Newlands Avenue, Hull
Image source: Edyta Turner
More common items like clothes are, of course, priced more modestly. Womenswear usually costs an average of £5.21, and men’s — £6. And when a person walks into a charity shop, they usually spend around £7.51. So, while you may come upon a high-value treasure from time to time, you’re probably much more likely to find some one-of-a-kind trinket that doesn’t cost a fortune.
#16 Pair Of Spooky Dogs, Yours For £5 From Rainbows Charity Shop, Market Harborough
Image source: Philip Swain
#17 Salvation Army Kirkcaldy Yours For Only £2!
Image source: Jason Smith
#18 Auditioning For The New Pepto-Bismol Advert Keech, Hitchin
Image source: Sally Scovell
While physical charity shops seem to be holding their ground against online second-hand platforms, many of them are still closing down. For many of them, the costs are just too high. While many experts blame this on consumers’ changing shopping habits, second-hand seller Som Musleh, aka The Spotted Leopard on Vinted, told the BBC that inequality is the main driver behind charity shops closing.
#19 Woodgreen Animal Shelter St Ives, Cambs. Yours For £7.50
Image source: Gill Harwood
#20 For The Many Wolf’s That Are Within Some Of Us… Mind Charity Shop York City
Image source: Declan Williams
#21 I Was Tempted…£2 At Sct In Roman Market, Bow
Image source: Miriam Post
“We’ve over-consumed on pretty much any measure,” Musleh said. “Pre-loved clothing only makes up about 10% of clothing sold.” According to her, online reselling platforms were not that big of a competition for charity shops and that their prices may simply be too high. She argued that at this point in time, we have enough clothes on the planet to last six generations. “No doubt, Vinted has created some competition. But the thing that’s driving shop closures is inequality,” she believes. “We’re about to have our first trillionaire but the use of food banks is going up.”
#22 Cute Bird Or Cute Fish You Decide I Picked This Up From Woodgreen Daventry And Thought What A Cute Bird, When I Took It To The Counter The Lady Said What A Cute Fish And Since Then I’ve Been Muddled
Image source: Lisa Heaton-Caffin
#23 ‘cos Nothing Says Christmas Like A Rainbow Puking T-Rex And Pizza Flying Cats – Ymca, Ripon
Image source: Carlota C Smith
#24 One For The Vegans! At Mind, Eastbourne
Image source: James Girling
How often do you go second-hand shopping, Pandas? Share your latest charity shop finds with us in the comments! And while you’re here, check out some more interesting finds in our previous publications about cool and interesting antiques and some attempts to scam consumers with these ridiculous thrift store finds.
#25 Christmas Present For A Chorley Fc Fan Extremely Cheap! £15 St Catherines Chorley
Image source: Greg Fisher
#26 Couldn’t Resist This Box Of Old Decks Bury Cancer Research
Image source: Carl Slack
#27 Found In All Aboard Fleet. Ill Let You Have Your Own Opinion
Image source: Mark Northwood
#28 Love Walking? Love Hamburgers? Have Some Spare Shoe Laces Laying Around? Then Pdsa In Eastbourne Has Just What You Need!
Image source: James Girling
#29 For Just 10p You Could Own The Unofficial Jeremy Corbyn Annual From 2018. Recycle/Reuse Shop In Norwich. Edit: A Few With Suspicious Minds Have Pointed Out The White Line On The Front Cover……i Can Confirm It’s The Camera Glare From The Shops Lighting
Image source: Meghan Simpson
#30 “I’m Going To Count To Ten, Then I’m Coming To Hurt You!”
Image source: Des Mills
#31 Something For The Disco Later St Vincent’s In Hove Size 8 £17
Image source: Paul Whitehouse
#32 Where Has He Had That Finger? Wigan And Leigh Hospice, Robin Park, Wigan
Image source: Simon Ryley
#33 Wow. Shame It Wasn’t My Size. Cornwall Animal Hospital Penzance
Image source: Jojo Whitton
#34 This Is Either Really Amazing Or Really Rubbish, I Can’t Decide…. Bhf, Rotherham
Image source: Andrew Roddison
#35 Wild Acres, Cradley Heath Now You Know What They Get Up To When You’re At Work
Image source: Sally Veal
#36 Challenge Accepted, The Pictures Are From A While Ago. Shaw Trust Salisbury
Image source: Phillip Rushton
#37 Why Didn’t It Sell I Wonder????
Image source: Julie Atkin
#38 Treated Myself To A Brand-New Candle Today….sally Army Mansfield
Image source: Cheryl Winfield
#39 Quite Possibly The Scariest Hedgehog I Have Ever Encountered In My Entire Life. Even Badly Drawn Bee Took Flight… Age UK, Dunstable
Image source: Laura Kat
#40 Saw This Cup For £1 In Sue Ryder Charity Shop In Dewsbury Today (24/10/26)
Image source: Jade Lawley
#41 No Idea How You Play This But It Looks Absolutely Terrible! Bargain For A £ Though At St Vincent’s In Colwyn Bay
Image source: Dave Fill
#42 Kettle Or Toaster? I Guess We’ll Never Know! Identity Crises Reflected In Price. Bhf Edinburgh
Image source: Leigh Thomson
#43 Yours For £2 – St Luke’s Sheffield Centre
Image source: Lo Joy
#44 Clog Slippers Size 10-11 At The International Aid Trust, Market Street, Chorley. Had These Been In My Size, I’d Be Wearing Them Now Tbh
Image source: Gary Jenkins
#45 Old Skool Cooking! Farplace Consett
Image source: Nick Morrell
#46 A Very Nice Wig With Nose!! Pdsa. Union Street, Aberdeen. £2.99
Image source: Paul Glashan
#47 Sue Ryder Charity Shop In Sandwich. The Bypass Must Have Been Worth Celebrating!
Image source: Nick Burford
#48 Picked This Up From Dove House, Hull, Last Weekend. I Couldn’t Leave It!
Image source: Mandy Fall
#49 Christmas Jumper In The Salvation Army, Partick, Glasgow
Image source: Irene McIver
#50 Absolute Class. Sue Ryder At Swadlincote Derbyshire
Image source: Nicholas Cox
#51 Empty Bottles – Lucky Buddha Lager £2 Cancer Research, Cardiff
Image source: Andrew Gwilym Robinson
#52 Salvation Army Stanley
Image source: Dave Sherret
#53 Like, Why Would You Like To Have It In Your Pencil Case??? Barnardo’s, Monks Cross Shopping Centre, York
Image source: Edyta Turner
#54 Only 50p, Salvation Army, Coventry
Image source: Billy Williams
#55 “Beautiful” Painting At The Each Charity Shop In Royston. (Vampire Attack?)
Image source: Dominic Cahalin
#56 I Thought He Was A Plumber But Never Mind. Cats Rescue, Camden
Image source: Andy Hill
#57 Oh Goodness Me Sue Ryder In Stroud. Didn’t Flip It Over To Check The Price
Image source: Andrew Worth
#58 Or King… Andy’s Hospice, Newlands Avenue, Hull
Image source: Edyta Turner
#59 A Plate For When You Want To Check The Dates In 1998. Yes It’s Wedgewood…. But It’s Still Bad
Image source: Charlotte Bordewey
#60 With A Stretch Of Imagination, I *think* It’s Cliff Richard. Friends Of The Animals, Isle Of Wight. It Definitely Did Not Come Home With Me
Image source: Tracy Jones
#61 A Lovely Pair Of Fresh Smelling Trainers For Sale In Barnardo’s Huddersfield
Image source: Trixie Pottinger
#62 Someones Dolmio Art Project. International Aid Trust, Chorley
Image source: Simon Ryley
#63 I’m Not Sure I’d Wanna Look ‘That Good’ At Any Time Habitat Restore, Romford
Image source: Louise Jane Burke
#64 Oxfam, Aberdeen
Image source: Paddy Glen
#65 Found In Bhf Camberley. I Didn’t Fancy Picking It Up So Left It There
Image source: Mark Northwood
#66 Barnardos, Aspull, Wigan
Image source: Simon Ryley
#67 “Put It Away Love” Bhf ~ Edinburgh
Image source: Leigh Thomson
#68 Sellotaped Leo Sayer Record Yours For Only 50p At The Ymca In Skelmersdale
Image source: Samantha Greenhalgh
#69 From The Wonderful Pdsa In Falkirk And Yes, I Bought It For £3.99!
Image source: Mary Leen Hagger
#70 Found In The A World In Swinton Precinct! Yours For £2.50!
Image source: Lisa Harrison
#71 AI Cat Tat In Cancer Research, Eltham
Image source: Aiden Boatwright
#72 More From Wombourne Mary Stevens. Teeth Were A Quid
Image source: Mike Bullock
#73 Margaret Thatcher Nutcracker Anyone? Rspca, Spondon, Derby
Image source: Stephen John Daniel Guest
#74 Sorry, Global Paws Leamington Spa
Image source: Nick Wigston
#75 Sue Ryder, Witney
Image source: Howard Mellor
#76 British Heart Foundation, Edmonton Green. Aside From The Bizarre Outfit, I’m Intrigued By What He’s Holding In His Hand. Microphone, Half A Scroll…?? Any Suggestions…?
Image source: Des Terrell
#77 These Two Ladies Made Me Smile At The Salvation Army Thrift Store
Image source: Juliet Coe
#78 If You Like Bit Religious Art All Yours For £3.75 Marry Stevens Stourbridge
Image source: Gerry Yerolemou
#79 Really Wanted To Buy This Today Scope In Leamington Spa
Image source: Katrina Rabbitts
#80 Actual Charity Shop £2, Ahava, Sheffield
Image source: Adrian Nicklin
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