Like nearly all charity shops, Scope offers your usual selection of second-hand clothes, books, CDs…read moreand knick knacks. Scope stands alone among Churchill Way's solicitors' offices, night clubs, and beauty therapy salons; you normally find clusters of charity shops in the Cathays/Roath sections of the city, or by the street leading to Cardiff Central Railway Station, so Scope is a welcomed good-conscious shopping retreat in the Queen Street area. It's worth mentioning that this particular location is one of most tidy charity shops around and a pleasure to browse through. The shop assistants are always lovely and up for a chat. As it's located right next door to my occasional hairdressers Toni & Guy, Scope is one of my favourite spots to spend a few minutes browsing before I get my locks chopped.

Psst... Pssssst... Would you like to know a secret?…read more This is one of the best charity shops in Cardiff. Which charity shop is the best in a given city is a pretty nebulous thing to try and gauge; given the nature of the business, their stock and the quality of the goods changes all the time. There are rarely any consistent staff members and there is no guarantee you'll ever get what you've been looking for. However, thanks to the location, this one is one of the better ones. It has the advantage of being where no one expects it to be, and because of this the people who already know about it, know about it and the people who don't are unlikely to amble in by accident. It actually has a rather regular customer base for its location; I've been in there a few times and seen the same people again and again, and I think this is due to consistency. Whereas the shops in Roath and Cathays are a constant bustle of activity, with people hunting out the best deals all the time, this Scope is a more relaxed affair, where you have more chance of actually getting something worth getting.

This is a great shop to have a rummage through, and you're likely to find something incredible…read moreevery time. Because this is vintage clothing, you often have to spend quite some time in this shop to find what you're looking for. This is sometime a bit frustrating when you've found something that you love, only to realise that they don't have it in your size. This isn't a high street store where they have everything neatly lined up and labelled; you have to really work at shopping in this store! And, of course, the staff have to be very helpful because of this. And they are. If they've spent 20 minutes searching with you for something, you feel terribly guilty if you then turn around and say you might give it a miss. The only issue with this place are the the high prices, as have been mentioned time and again by the frustrated shopper of Cardiff and the lovely other yelpers.

Probably Cardiff's best city centre retro / vintage store, Hobo's is a vibrant little shop that…read morecrams a lot into its tiny and rather cramped space. The shop mainly sells clothing and accessories spanning the decades since the 60s, although in the window display you'll also some odd gifts and novelties such as greetings cards, purses and even bathtime rubber ducks with bizarre designs - including one with a Rubik's cube theme. From second hand jeans, old leather jackets, and retro t-shirts to brightly patterned summer skirts and dresses, they have a really good clothing range and seem to update and add to their stock fairly frequently. You can also pick up retro style sunglasses, old belts, hats and other accessories. As is the case with most vintage stores, the prices aren't cheap - but for those of your who are students, Hobo's offers a helpful 10% discount.

One of the largest charity shops in town thanks to its expansive corner layout on the corner of…read moreCowbridge Road East and Clive Road in Canton. If you're on the hunt for that special item of clothing, you're better off going to smaller haunts down the road, as this Salvation Army's main draw is house wares and accessories. The shoe selection here is superior to its clothing offering, with each pair nearly as tidy as you'd expect in a high street store. I normally stop by if I've got a hankering for a one-of-a-kind accessory for my wardrobe, home, or listening pleasure - think hats and framed pictures, as well as other essentials like books and CDs (and cassettes if you're interested). You can even score a small piece of furniture if you're fortunate. It's a pleasure to browse this shop, as the ladies manning the till are cheerful and always up for a bit of friendly conversation.

Thank you Cowbridge Road East, for your plethora of feel-good shopping haunts. Not only can I…read moresecure a bargain that supplies a buyer's high for the rest of my day, but I can help a charity in the process. Everyone wins. Mind is a bright and spacious charity shop, carrying your normal range of clothing, shoes, books and bric a brac. The beauty of these shopping experiences is the amount of luck that's involved, which is where the thrill of the hunt comes in. There aren't so many books or bric a brac at this branch, but the clothing on stock here more than makes up for it. Mind carries an abundance of adult attire, on offer now for only £1 an item, with kids' clothes priced as low as 3 for £1. It's also worth noting that Mind carries a fairly good selection of belts, pillows and hats, if you're interested.

If you're a student, charity shops are as crucial to your continued survival as Pro-plus and…read moretakeaway pizza. Not only do they offer cheap books so you can save your loan money for precious, life-giving Strongbow, they are also havens of style; places where you can spend thirty minutes and £5 throwing together an outfit that's uniquely you. For people away from home for the first time, that luxury can be a vital part of discovering and creating (or recreating) who you are. However, luckily for us no-longer-student folk, all those unwashed tax-dodgers (ha. That really is fun to say) tend to stay down in the Cathays/Roath area. This leaves all the wonderful Canton shops to us real people who are awake before 4pm on normal days (yeah! Take that, students!). And out of these shops, MIND is one of the better ones. Offering the usual charity shop fare; clothes, books, DVDs, random cutlery, MIND couples this with bargains and deals that shame other charity shops. And also, the customers. There's something indecent about buying a shirt for £1 in a charity shop; it feels vaguely like stealing.

The staff in here are just lovely! They are all volunteers and I can't even begin to describe how…read moremuch they make this place. The items they sell really surprised me too! I always have held the common misconception that everything you get in a charity shop is second hand and bad quality. However many of the household items (such as a rather trendy lamp) are brand new, and often tend to be unwanted gifts. The items which are second-hand (usually clothes) are all without fail in perfect condition. I had a chat with one of the staff members who informed me, that they receive so many donations that it's only worth putting out the new things. As for the clothes, many of them as you expect are for the older lady, and are from M&S but the prices are very, very low, and I did once find a rather nice Ted Baker top. They also have plenty of baby clothes, especially for newborns (they grow so quickly!), which are all from places like Baby Gap and are practically new. Finally all the china comes in complete sets, and I couldn't get over how much of it was Royal Doulton. So, I highly recommend visiting the Cancer Research Wales shop, all the money goes to support a good cause, and I'm sure you'll agree with me that their stock is excellent.

Love this shop! Always come away with something! Excellent prices and wonderful team of volunteers…read more Can't ask for more.

Unlike other charity shops I have visited, the Air Ambulance shop stocks not only basic bric and…read morebrac, but also good quality second class furniture which they will both deliver and collect. I fell completely in love with a 1890s hall stand which would look lovely in our house but may just be a little impractical. The shop was very busy when I was there and there was not a great deal of room to move around, because of the sofas, chairs, etc... in the shop. The goods for sale were generally of a high quality with some beautiful china dinner sets being very tempting. They also had tools for sale example a lawn mower was being sold for £15! There was also a good range of toiletries to buy. Like all non for profit stores, this one was desperate for volunteers to man the tills!

I visited the air ambulance shop on Saturday morning as I've always loved going there, however…read moreyesterday a bedside cupboard which was made out of a type of white wood (which is a thin type of unpainted wood) there wasn't priced so I asked how much is the Bedside cupboard? My husband lifted it up for the staff to see & I was given a price of £3, so I paid for it along with some other stuff. I then went back an hour later because I wanted to buy a really horrible looking coffee table from the front which I was going to paint, imagine my surprise when I went in the shop to be greeted with a really frosty reception & asked if I was the person who bought the bedside cupboard with the leg detached & missing inside shelf? And was then told by the manager in a very threatening manner that l was to bring it back as I had paid the wrong price (there was no price marked on it, yet they claimed it was £25) I was told £3. I then still asked to buy the coffee table which earlier had been marked £5 but was told in a very rude way that it was £10 (the £5 sticker had been removed by now but NOT replaced with a £10 sticker) I was really upset at how I was treated & I don't think I will ever be going in this shop again or supporting this charity anymore.

This is a real little jewel this shop. Recently opened and the innovative folk who put it all…read moretogether have to be given giant pats on the back. It is a drawing card from start to finish. From it's colourful, bright window display and equally colourful interior. The décor theme is true American Graffiti - think Happy days, The Fonz and you'll get my drift - with posters, prints, ice cream sundae stands, all dressing up the place and creating that 'New' once over. The zappy 1950's, 1960's music bouncing off the walls, giving you a truly, marvellous spring in your step comes from an American styled jukebox that takes pride of place at the back of the store. This is, theoretically, a second-hand clothing and accessory shop, but with a difference. In fact, it is a YMCA charity store, but you wouldn't guess it in an instant, so the staff and associated people's altruism is commendable as this place is given true love, with astounding attention to detail. There is no musty smell billowing out of the once worn fabric, in fact, there is no stale odour emanating out of any pour of the building, something that you almost always find when browsing through a 'pre-owned' clothing shop. There is no feeling that the items have any negative aspect to them whatsoever, from being a 'reject' - someone's bad buy - 'had-it's-day', or.......formerly much loved but owner sadly said, Adieu! This place is bright and happy, and it's cheerfulness rubs off onto the staff and the browsing/buying public. All the items are donations from well intentioned people and are checked and cleaned at the association's recycling centre in Cardiff Bay before going on sale and they only stock good quality clothes and accessories - so no rubbish. I do so hope this shop survives as it is trendy and hip and it is a really positive place, but you know the fickle public out there, and in these tough times, they almost want it given away. The items are indeed good quality and priced like any charity store with items going around £5 - £8 or much less. Albany Road does have quite a number of charity stores, but this one certainly sets the benchmark.

This branch of The British Heart Foundation has a spacious shop floor with which to display large…read moreitems of furniture that don't fit in the smaller outlets. It also carries smaller items of furniture, as well as white goods and general electricals. Sadly, the white goods and electricals are not reconditioned, and so they will only accept items that are working at the time of donation, but there's no guarantee that they will continue to do so once you get them home. They do perform function and PAT tests, so the portable appliances are likely to be more reliable. Nevertheless, white goods are the biggest sellers, which is pretty much the same story across the 87 outlets of this kind throughout the UK. Because of this they are always on the lookout for donations to replenish their white goods stock. It's always best to check with them first before loading heavy items into your car and hauling them all the way to the shop, as they will refuse certain items. They won't accept any gas cookers for instance. They also sell some new stock at reasonable prices. This is not damaged or redundant stock. Instead, they rely on buying in lesser known brands that do not carry such a hefty price tag.

Now we're talking. I've been looking for a place like this since I've moved to the UK - a showroom…read morewith an extensive range of second-hand furniture and electronics, not overpriced "antiques". Charity shops carrying larger home items are quite common in Florida, and all of the furniture in my respective family members' houses are sourced from these "thrift stores" and then reupholstered or repainted. Thankfully, this makes it difficult to spend £2,000 on a hutch or dining room table. Speaking of costs, the price here are rock bottom: Sturdy wooden dining sets for under £100, TVs for £25 and bedside tables for a fiver. For me, the appeal is owning a piece of furniture that can't be found in every home in Britain (ahem, IKEA). The staff here incredibly helpful - I wasn't in here five minutes before two members of staff politely informed me that the shop had an upstairs stock room, in case I couldn't find anything I wanted on the ground floor.

Re:new is City Temple's charity shop that opened in Canton last year, with the proceeds after…read morerunning costs going to help a variety of local and international charities, including Cardiff Foodbank, IgniteHope and Teen Challenge. The clothing is the main draw here, as the range of children's clothing is better than other charity shops in the area. Re:new also carries a varied selection of knick knacks, belts, and books; it was one of the first charity shops I've been in that organises its titles by genres - even breaking them down into "Body & Mind" and "Pregnancy" - saving you a bit of browsing time, which is always welcomed. Like any other charity shop, Re:new will happily accept your donations of men's, women's and children's clothing, toys, games, household items, bedding, books, jewellery, DVDs and CDs (but not videos or cassette tapes) and gifts