Second hand shopping has in the past been one of my favourite hobbies and, as well as being a more sustainable way to shop, I love the thrill that comes with stumbling across a good bargain.
However, there was one major drawback: the unmanageable mountain of clothes I managed to accumulate. With a bargain here and a designer steal there, I was soon drowning in unworn clothing, and let’s not even speak of the dreaded Vinted pile. So I’ve been cutting back and trying to only shop when I spot a truly good find.
Luckily (or unluckily for me), there is a row of excellent second hand shops on Aigburth Road boasting lots of great bargains. With previous shopping habits in mind, I took a stroll to the road’s three second hand shops, this time with a strict £10 budget and a discerning eye.
Second Home had a £1 clothes rail (Image: Liverpool ECHO )
I started at Second Home at the northernmost of the road – usually my last stop having added a quick thrift to the end of a morning spent on Lark Lane.
This was the cheapest of the three and almost all clothing in here was £1 on the day I visited, with some men’s clothing at the front for £3. In the past I’ve even nabbed 50p finds. Outside there were 20p plastic buckets of bric-a-brac and even free CDs.
Forensically scanning each rail, there were a lot of uninteresting finds plus plenty that I put back on account of needing to be selective.
What did end up coming home with me was a Tommy Hilfiger men’s rugby shirt, a pair of Adidas yellow and black three-stripe shorts, and a small willow pattern plate from the 20p box. The grand total: £2.
The next stop was Second Chance, a green-painted corner unit on Aigburth Road filled with clothing, accessories, toys, puzzles and books.
Second Chance, Aigburth Road(Image: Liverpool ECHO )
This was close competition price-wise and outside, all handbags were £1. Nothing appealed or felt resalable (a few leather bags but nothing of real value). Inside though I found a £2 retro Kickers-style shirt (for my boyfriend as he’d been looking for one similar) and a £5 fluffy brown jacket which was so nice I hastily bought it without trying it on. It was sadly too big, but a friend will love it.
My final stop was St Joseph’s Hospice. This shop is far more curated than the rest and their window display had vintage tea jars and glassware. The staff here are clearly clued up about second-hand goods, which is great for the shop but a little less fun for thrift obsessives looking to bag something for an outrageous price.
However, there was lots of beautiful clothing and lots new with tags, with brands like Boden, Principles and Whistles. I even overheard staff say a woman had just left delighted with a new DKNY top.
I was impressed with my £9 haul which also included a shirt (not pictured)(Image: Liverpool ECHO )
At the end of the trip and for a grand total of £9, I had a new coat, a shirt, a pretty (if invaluable) plate for trinkets, a designer top and some summer shorts. With a pound left over to bump my sales on Vinted, this wasn’t a bad haul at all.