Second hand clothes + charity shops

I have been visiting the Costa Del Sol now for years & unlike the UK there seems to be no culture of buying second hand clothing etc.

I spend a joyful eternity in the UK visiting charity shops & browsing the second hand markets for clothes etc. It has become second nature & in my view is a great way to recycle unwanted items & saving money, and in the case of charity shops, helping some excellent causes.. Not to mention finding lovely unique items.

I would truly appreciate if the more experienced forum members could shed any light on this topic for me.

Does Spain have a culture of second hand goods and/or charity shops? If not, any ideas why?

Thanks in advance - any feedback would be greatly appreciated. My husband & I may be moving to Spain within the next couple of years & this is one aspect  of English culture that I wold truly miss.

Kind Regards

Mrs H.


This message was last edited by dosjamons on 2/7/2008.

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HI Mrs H,  Yes I know what you are saying we have a few charity shops here that support cancer, hospice, children and they are really good charity shops I always take my unwanted clothes and books their, in UK.     But I must admit I have not seen any  where we are in Spain.    They do have auctions which we have been to.     Someone else might be able to help you on the Costa del Sol.       Pat 

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Dosjamons:

There has been no culture of that in Spain so far, but new generations, if those shops are run proffessionally will join and enjoy... it is an area to be discovered.... specially with baby and child clothes as we spaniards spend lots of money in this and this clothes remain new after being used.

Maria

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Dosmajohns - I haven't visited the Costa Del Sol since I gave up my search for a property there 5 years ago, so my information maybe out of date.  On a Saturday there was a car-boot sale where the market in Fuengarola Tuesday market is.

I would imagine there would also be a charity shop in this area of Spain, probably Age Concern or something similar.

Pat - The same would apply in the Costa Blanca, there's a small second hand shop in Torrevieja (not Tony Ellis) haven't been in it so maybe it's just furniture that it sells.  My neighbour is a collection point for Age Concern, she receives donations from other people and they are then collected to either go into the shop in town or to be sold at a car boot sale.

Another neighbour has also bought clothes from the shop so I can always ask her for directions if you want me to.

I recycle everything I can and also volunteer in a local charity shop.

It's an experience, even though the clothes are really cheap we get people walking in,leaving their old jackets there and walking out in the new one.

The concept is good but whether they would take off in Spain remains to be seen, I would have thought that Car Boot Sales would be more realistic.  When my niece became pregnant 10 years after her last pregnancy we got all the baby clothes, pram etc from a boot sale. 

If it's your first child then understandably you'd want new items but any mother knows they are in the clothes for such a short time that it makes sense to buy them 2nd hand.  Also toys, as long as everything, clothes toys etc can be washed/cleaned then it makes sense. 

 

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Hi Semi, hope you're good today also Pat. Loved your name for dosjamons  (Dosmajohns ?? )

I loved Fuengirola market too. Does seem odd that Spain doesn't have second hand shops. Down our high streets in our village & town it seems every 6th shop is a charity shop. I bought a M&S jug & bowl set for the bathroom around 20 years ago from M&S & the neighbour's cat jumped up onto the window ledge last year & knocked the set off, breaking both.  I managed to replace the jug almost immediately with same one from The Mind shop in our village. The following week I found the bowl to match, someone had obviously given the set to the shop but the shop had managed to split set up.

BTW Semi, I've just been into our village £1 shop & found tall frosted glass tumblers with battery operated flickering candles inside for £1 so I bought three for Spain.  You got 2 x AAA batteries already fitted too, how good is that ? They'll look great on our patio table after dark.

This message was last edited by morerosado on 2/8/2008.

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Ouch, how embarrassing, Dosjamons please forgive my senior moment

I very rarely put the mouse into this laptop and it's difficult to scroll down without it.

Quite often I type away and hit the wrong key and everything disappears, which is quite handy as when I return to post it's a lot shorter.  Saves everyone getting bored.

Recently found some nifty candle holders in the 99p shop, it's a metal spike which has a space at the top to put a tea light and then a lantern goes on top of that.  Just need to find some citronella tea lights.

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What would our pound shops here do without you & me, Semi ?

Wonder how dosjamons came by the site name 2 hams

A mad moment maybe, same as Morerosado & Semijubilada.

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Hi All!

Yes dosjamons does cause some intrigue n confusion, especially in the UK

It is a little play on me n my husbands surname.

Amusing for us as we're also both vegetarians

Thanks for the replies - funnily enough just found a charity shop in Nerja so I'll be in there searching for bargains before long.

Lisa

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There are 3 charity shops in Estepona, there are 3 secondhand shops and one charity shop in Marbella, that I know of, and of course there are the regular boot sales.

I buy and sell ladies clothes for a living and whenever I visit our property in Estepona, I make sure I buy some stock to offset the cost of the break. I know there are many more, but it's a question of, Am I on holiday or am I working?.......so I try to curb my enthusiasm!

I would like to set up a secondhand business in Spain one day, but it takes a number of years to set up the necessary contacts which I have built up here over the last 25 years.

If anyone is interested in setting up some kind of partnership in that field with me, whilst I still have all my contacts and live here in Blighty, do please get in touch.

joanna

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** EDITED - Commercial post **

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Hi -We have a designer ,vintage and Secondhand shop here in the Old Town of  Marbella   Near the Pesquera and Cafeteria Marbella. See You Soon ! Search  dejavumarbella .See you ! Richard

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Great information. In Spain, there are very few second hand clothes shops and it is a pity sooo many clothes in wardrobes and non being used.

We generally give it to  Caritas ( an association of the Catholic Church) or to an NGO for inmigrants.

Best wishes,

Maria

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Hello

 we are 2 British girls who have seen there is a market for second hand quality clothes in Spain and decided to do something about it!!.

 We have a website ( search google : modaportobello madrid)  and are based in Madrid if anyone would like to view the items we have in person. All clothes are freshly laundered and in good condition and you have the security of paying by Pay Pal . If you dont live in Madrid you can also buy online with optional certified postage.

 We are updating our website and soon you will be able to view the site in English , if you have any question please don´t hesitate to contact us,

 thanks

Rebecca 625 601 711

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Hi Rebecca, welcome.

As many do put your website as your signature & then members will see it each time you post.

http://www.modaportobello.com/ is 100% in Spanish though, many do not understand Spanish so good idea of yours to update it in English too.

This message was last edited by morerosado on 4/26/2009.

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Great idea! Need to do a good " mentality-change" effort and maybe fun advertising as the Spanish mentality is not used to that, but I do hope you will go wonderfully.

Are you also buying-to sell? Are you just online or presential too?

I will attach a simple label to every cloth  with the cleaning procedures  that you have used. I am sure that will help!

Good luck!

 

This message was last edited by mariadecastro on 4/27/2009.

This message was last edited by mariadecastro on 4/27/2009.

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There are quite a few charity shops on the cds but they can be hard to find. Animal charities such as SOS in Coin, Adanda in estepona and who also hold a coffee morning in estepona, and PAD. There is another one just outside of la cala who hold a charity car boot sale on sundays (not everysunday)

Cudeca have a few shops, there is one near the feria ground in Fuengirola and another in Marbella at the Alameda square behind cafe Marbella.

San Pedro has a couple, one is for a childrens charity.

Also there are a few privately owned second hand shops selling designer gear as well as high street at good prices.

The saturday market in Fuengirola has a mix of some new but mainly second hand stuff, private car boot stalls and charities too, so its a case of looking around. Have fun!!

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Correcting an error, below in green:

Great idea! Need to do a good " mentality-change" effort and maybe fun advertising as the Spanish mentality is not used to that, but I do hope you will go wonderfully.

Are you also buying-to sell? Are you just online or presential too?

I (will)  would attach a simple label to every cloth  with the cleaning procedures  that you have used. I am sure that will help!

Good luck!

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**Edited - Spam **

This message was last edited by EOS Team on 06/12/2011.

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I live on the Costa del Sol and am interested in the many comments supporting the need for a mid-market ladies/children   Pre-loved clothes shop or outlet.  I owned such a shop myself in Australia a few years ago and whilst it was not a great money making business, it was lots of fun and certainly more than cut even.  It works on a 50/50 basis.  I accepted good quality, clean garments and sold them for an appropriate price and that price, after tax, was split 50/50 between the shop and the client.  I had well over 200 regular ladies bringing me their clothes and I also bought various bits and pieces whilst traveling overseas.  Since then I have helped at charity clothes shops like Cancer Research in the UK and the Lions in Spain.  I am still considering starting a business near my home, probably in the area of La Cala or Calahonda area but am a little nervous of the Spanish red tape!   I look at my own wardrobe full of unwanted, or no longer fitting, good, hardly worn label garments and shoes and guess many others have the same situation.   I have a friend in the UK who runs her business from home and this works for her having 'open days' twice a month but a shop is obviously more convenient.     Any ideas, advice  or suggestions please?

maggi

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I love these shops, including the so called antique shops, only this week I picked up a hand carved rambler's cane with a hawkshead handle, it cost me all of £5.00. Our son and his partner recently purchased the most fabulous stripped pine extending dining table with 6 chairs along with a large stripped pine Welsh dresser for £1,500 delivered, they must be at least 70 years old but look brand new. Also these shops are not normally situated in town/city centres, so you are able to park nearby, which is handy if your purchasing something clumbersome. I bought a carved wooden box in the shape of a book, with a Moor's head on the front in Majorca in 1975, I've never seen another, I think that it cost circa £15.00 which was a tidy sum in those days.

 

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