80 Random And Unhinged Charity Shop Finds That Prove Shopping Secondhand Can Be Wild

by admin March 19, 2023

We think there are a lot of things to love about secondhand shopping. It’s easy on the wallet, great for the environment, and you never know when you could stumble upon something truly unique at a random thrift store or garage sale. However, ‘unique’ doesn’t necessarily mean aesthetic or awesome! Sometimes, the stuff you come across is beyond bizarre and makes you do a double-take.

That’s where the popular ‘[Stuff] You Find in Charity Shops’ Facebook group comes in. This is _the original_ charity shop group that’s been “ripped off rotten by others” since being founded in 2013. Its members share pics of weird secondhand finds and enjoy poking fun at them. We’ve collected some of the strangest pics they’ve ever shared so you can see just how odd things can get, Pandas. Don’t forget to upvote your fave pics and join the group if you love their content.

The founder of the group, Roland Saunders, was kind enough to answer Bored Panda's questions about the community. Read on for our full interview with him.

#1 Sue Ryder, Kingswood. It’s A Torch!

Image credits: Anita To

#2 Best Thing I Have Ever Found. A Brain Snow (Ash?) Globe. Red Hill Salvo’s, Queensland

Image credits: Louise McGowan

#3 Found This Creepy Tracksuit At Age UK In Hale. I've Left It There For You Because I Don’t Want It

Image credits: Gemma Louise

Saunders, the founder of the Facebook group, shone the spotlight on the history of the community and what's expected of the members.

"The group started in 2013 trying to make lyrics for a song which did get written and performed," he told Bored Panda.

"Many other groups appeared afterwards so I really took the group seriously and worked on it daily," Saunders said that the group inspired many other similar communities to form.

"Folks love commenting and posting odd stuff," he explained why weird secondhand goods appeal to so many people as a topic in itself. The founder added that there were actually 5 charity shops near where he lived.

#4 Sad Little Paper Mache Feather - For 20c It Came Home With Me. Lifeline Fairfield, Brisbane Au

Image credits: Tijana OCeallaigh

#5 You Can Snap This Up For A Mere £2 In The Hospice Shop In Wisbech, Cambs

Image credits: Holly Cranfield

#6 The Hot Line. Mind In Christchurch. Dorset

Image credits: Karen Dickens

Saunders shared a bit more about the team running the group, as well as the challenges that they regularly face.

"We have a team of moderators now who share the burden of the enquiries/posts. The volunteers aren't paid and members talk to them and expect a service. Facebook, eh?" he told Bored Panda.

Charity shopping, according to Saunders, "is an exciting thing to do because you never know what you're going to find."

"You can't go into the shop and expect to find something because, more often than not, you'll find something that you weren't looking for. Then, of course, you find some highly inappropriate things like used sex toys they don't realize are actually sex toys, overly revealing leotards, or mini erotic statues. Members take a pic pretending that they are taking it for a friend and post it on the group," he shared.

#7 Do I Know What It Is? No. Its Purpose? No. Was It £26? Yes It Was

Did I buy it from the joint account and tell my husband that I’d saved him the hassle of arranging a Mother’s Day gift for me? Yes I did. I even hid it in my son’s room so that I can forget about it for the next week and a half. (I told him where though) Come Mother’s Day, I will mostly be drinking G&T from this vessel. Come Easter, if there’s an egg that fits neatly into it, I may have a taste. After that…. errrrm

Image credits: Sarah Rodrigues

#8 Barnados Milton Keynes

Image credits: Adele Green

#9 £1.50 At Forces Support In Brierley Hill. It Was Love At First Sight & He’s Now Home With Me

Image credits: Linda Evans

The founder of ‘[Stuff] You Find in Charity Shops’ shared that he'd been working in comedy "way before Facebook tightened up its standards," so he'd already set out a "baseline set of rules about not victim-shaming or bullying."

"We don't allow tribal objects for example because although they might be funny, they encourage people to comment on inappropriate jokes. When you look at our roles, they have been carefully honed over time." Saunders revealed that they have to deal with a lot of people who are trying to post adverts or extremely inappropriate or illegal content.

"Most members are from the UK and Australia, however, we actually reach many countries," the founder told Bored Panda that they have a global audience, but Brits and Australians make up the majority. Not everyone in the world might have charity shops, however, everyone can still enjoy looking at and commenting on the weird things found there.

The founder of the group also revealed a very interesting (but rather expensive) tradition the community used to have before. "We used to give a mug away every month for the best post and most active member." However, since the Facebook group isn't monetized, the costs of sending these prizes quickly added up, so Saunders had to stop.

#10 Found The Most Epic Little Dude In The Ymca In Norwich Today. He Had No Price Tag But I Cant Stop Thinking About Him

Image credits: Sophie Whitmore

#11 Cancer Research Shop In Hythe, Kent, UK. Both Very “Cute”, But Didn’t Come Home With Me! £3.99 Each

Image credits: Elaine Dobson

#12 Inflatable Jesus. Children's Society Wickford

Image credits: Rich Secker

The ‘[Stuff] You Find in Charity Shops’ Facebook group has been up and running for an entire decade! In that time, the group has grown into a very active and dedicated online community that absolutely loves good humor and having a laugh. At the time of writing, the group had over 315.6k members.

The entire point of the community is to post strange and low-quality secondhand finds, as well as to poke fun at the pics that others share. Laughing at bizarre items is encouraged. However, nobody should make fun of their fellow members.

#13 Unfortunately The Guide Didn’t Have Anything In. Myton Hospice, Rugby

Image credits: Caitlin Marwood

#14 Been Waiting To Find Something Worthy Of This Page. So Here It Is…this Delightful Piece. It Is Just Hideous

Image credits: Jo Knighton-Bailey

#15 Just Why. Big Cancer Research Blackburn Big One

Image credits: Daniel Johnson

According to the administrator and moderator team running the whole show, everyone should focus on the comedic side of things. So, for instance, there’s really no room for comments encouraging others to go back and buy all of those weird finds because they might net a neat profit when resold.

Members are encouraged to share the name of the shop as well as what part of the world it’s found in whenever they post a photo. If you feel that the item you’ve seen might offend someone else or be very insensitive, it’s best to err on the side of caution and leave it out.

#16 Who Needs Ashes Of Someone Else’s Problem In Laws? Goodwill, Clearwater Fl

Image credits: Kara DellaSerra

#17 A Cup Sue Ryder Blackburn Definitely C**p

Image credits: Daniel Johnson

#18 "Hilarious"... Cancer Research, Cheshire

Image credits: Helen Hawthorn

There’s also no room for taxidermy items, furs, or animal horns. What’s more, Facebook users are asked not to post pics of shoes or boots because the difference in taste causes a lot of “needless drama” and unkindness between members. Who knew fashion made people so emotional?!

The founders of ‘[Stuff] You Find in Charity Shops’ also have a few other niche Facebook groups, including one for any treasures you stumble upon, creepy dolls, as well as Cliff Richard memorabilia. So there’s a bit of everything for everyone, depending on their taste.

#19 And They Called It Pussy Love

Image credits: Claire Newey

#20 Mencap, Derby... Not Sure Why This Exists!

Image credits: Laura Valentine

#21 I Travelled Halfway Round The World To Find It! Alexandra Tip Shop, Nz

Image credits: Liz Ford

Going to charity shops, garage sales, and secondhand shops can be a lot of fun if you’ve got an adventurous spirit. You never truly know what you’ll find. So if you have some patience and flexibility, you can really come across something incredible—or incredibly dumb-looking! Whatever the case might be, you’re bound to make someone’s day if you share the photo online. There’s nothing quite like making others smile and laugh with dumb stuff.

Aside from the comedic aspect, buying secondhand goods really is a great approach to living in these economically weird times. You can save a lot of money if you’re willing to buy furniture, clothes, and items that aren’t exactly new. That means that you’re cutting costs and leaving yourself some cash for other things that we all love. Like paying rent! And buying food!!

#22 Rainbow Llamas

Image credits: Heather Newton

#23 Found This Gem In Southern Oregon USA!

Image credits: Kamee Lloyd

#24 Oxfam Manchester £2.99

Image credits: Tiffanie Marie

Secondhand shopping is also a fantastic way to reduce your carbon footprint and be more eco-conscious. When you’re using something that would otherwise have been thrown out, it means that you’re voting with your wallet and not paying for the production of new items.

Statista notes that the apparel market amounted to $1.53 trillion in 2022, set to grow to $1.7 trillion. Meanwhile, BBC Future points out that a jaw-dropping 85% of all textiles are thrown away in the United States. This amounted to 13 million tons in 2017 or 37 kilograms (81.6 pounds) of clothes per American.

#25 Couldn't Pass This By. Perfect For Christmas Jumper Day. £6 Bhf, St Ives, Cambs

Image credits: Barry O'Sullivan

#26 I Have Absolutely No Idea. £2 Oxfam Belfast

Image credits: Cheree Rock

#27 Barnardo's Wanstead, London

Image credits: Alice Penman

Meanwhile, Earth.org looked at just how much waste there is when it comes to the fashion industry. It’s responsible for a fifth of all global water pollution and 3% of CO2 emissions around the world.

It takes roughly 20,000 liters (5,283 gallons) of water to produce a single kilogram of cotton. That translates to roughly 2,700 liters (713 gallons) per t-shirt (aka enough for a single person to drink for 900 days).

#28 Very Very Tempting… First Tomato Ive Seen In Weeks ! Princess Alice Hospice, Dorking UK

Image credits: Juliet Lovell

#29 Staring Into My Soul Age UK. Olney

Image credits: Kellie Joanne

#30 Sense, Bradford

Image credits: Tim Worrell

The reality is that only around 12% of the material used for clothing actually ends up being recycled. Many materials used for our clothes simply can’t be recycled, so they’re burned or dumped. Some possible solutions to this would be to change what materials are used, upgrade our recycling technologies, and encourage people to buy and sell secondhand clothing.

#31 £5 For This Role Poly Cat. Lighthouse, Buxton

Image credits: Christine Lambert

#32 Oxfam...worthing

Image credits: Kiki Virdee

#33 Oxfam Belfast, 1 Quid For That Smelly Da In Your Life

Image credits: Cheree Rock

#34 Fancy A Game Anyone?

Image credits: Louise Carey

#35 Just What You Need 'The Boob Glass'. Seen At Cats Protection, Morden, UK

Image credits: Adrian Radford

#36 Found This Pig In Red Cross Shop In Street, UK. £6 She Looks So Happy !!!

Image credits: Tanya Sears

#37 Dvd In The Vein Of Sharknado And Piranha. Cancer Research, Prestwich

Image credits: Crystal Stewart

#38 Not Creepy At All Rspca Whitstable

Image credits: JS Harvatt

#39 I Found This In Salvation Army In Daventry And Thought It Was Gross... My Cousin Was Too Slow To Go Get It As He's Gone Home Already

Image credits: Nai Piper

#40 Saw This In Age UK At North Point Shopping Centre In Hull Safe To Say Brenda Did Not Come Home With Me

Image credits: Robb Paul

#41 Perfect For The Winter Months...only £2.50, Ymca In Peterlee

Image credits: Chan Temelle

#42 Talk Of The Shop Weirdly No One Will Buy It $15 City Mission Tasmania

Image credits: Deanna Gibson

#43 We Can Say My Thrifting Session Had A Rocky Start... Goodwill In San Francisco, Ca. USA

Image credits: Alejandra Del Real

#44 Genuinely Perplexed As To Whether This Is A Child Facing The Viewer Looking Down Or A Very Hairy Body Builder Looking Away

Image credits: Christine Sutcliffe

#45 Barnados. Alfreton. My Favourite Ever Find. (Just To Add: I Didn’t Buy It)

Image credits: Bek Watson

#46 Shelter Shop In Eastbourne, East Sussex, UK. No Words Really

Image credits: Aaron Goree

#47 Mr Blobbly Tea Pot Found In The Hospice Shop In Eltham Yesterday. I Secretly Quite Like This

Image credits: Lucy Heywood

#48 £5. Butterfly Hospice Shop, Louth. "Oh My God" Indeed

Image credits: Ro Maxine

#49 This Little Beauty With A Face Made From A Thistle Can Be Yours For Only £3. Found In Llandudno, British Heart Foundation Shop... I Think

Image credits: Wendy Daniel

#50 Didn't Spot The Price But Found In A Hospice Ni In Belfast

Image credits: Cheree Rock

#51 Always Something To Catch Your Attention At Goodwill, Richmond, Va!

Image credits: Amy Stout

#52 Truly Hideous. Can’t Imagine Anyone Ever Thinking “They’ll Look Lovely On My Sideboard”. Cats’ Protection, Cowbridge

Image credits: AnneMarie Hawkins

#53 Those Little Scamps Malcom And Monty Have Clearly Been Watching South Park

Send ‘em to the Tower and off with their heads... Gracing the window of Fundraising Shop, Hayes, only a confident young man would be bold to team a tasseled cardi with form fitting floral Capri pants. The animal print legging hugging Malcolm’s manly form are expertly enhanced by an 80’s denim waistcoat Shakin’ Stevens would be proud of.