I seem to be literally collecting the best charity shops to try as I travail my way through the…read moreLeeds retail scene. Pudsey might not be the first port of call for many when it comes to having a bit of a shop and a browse, but don't overlook this sweet little town, it's certainly worth a look. Being only half an hour or so on the bus from Headingley Stadium (the 91 in fact!) it's not that hard to get to and even easier by car. If you get off at Lidgett hill then you won't be able to miss this little gem of a charity shop. The thing I really enjoyed about this place was the sort of 'undiscovered' feel it has. There were tons of great little bits and bobs, lovely jewellery, quirky clothing, bargainous bric-a-brac and so on, inside but it was as if no one else knew about it. The signage of the shop itself must be some kind of relic, it looks like it may have practically been the RSPCAs original logo or something! They always seem to make a great effort on their window display and I found the volunteers to be pleasant and helpful. All in all another one to watch out for!

Oh my word. This shop has a 100% sale record with my every visit - does that demonstrate a serious…read morelack of control on my part? Maybe. Does that mean they have some excellent second-hand high end to low end brand labels? Definitely. Let me explain. It's Horsforth. It's New Road Side, and there's a lovely run of little shops along the road. Along one end you'll see Sophie's Choice snugly tucked in between a couple of establishments, and when you spot it, you must go inside. For starters, the staff. They've always been really lovely. If you want a bit of advice because your male housemate is useless at giving a fashion-related opinion, call on the ladies that work there. Secondly, the clothes are simply great. I've no idea where they source their items, but as I mentioned previously, there's simply a myriad of labels. More importantly, the clothes are really different. Whilst labels aren't something that I worry about, per se, being told I'd picked up a dress that was featured in Vogue for only £49 seems like a true bargain to me. And I left feeling super smugly fashionable to boot. Thirdly, the prices are excellent. I've bought a wee jacket here for £15, and new shoes as well. Dresses seem to range from a tenner upward, though I'd not seen any more that about £70 so you know it won't break the bank to find a real gem either. The only slight issue is that the odd item is marked -I saw one with those fatal deoderant marks, but that is to be expected of second hand items here and there. In any case, it's a fantastic little shop and I'm only glad I don't come to Horsforth more often - I'd be broke! One final note: they're old school and don't have a card machine! Never fear though, there's an ATM just down t' road.

I really want to know what happened when they were naming this place. Seriously, did the owner just…read morethink it sounded familiar from somewhere? Or is it actually appropriate these days to name a dress agency after a book about the holocaust? I concede, or at least hope, that the owner simply wasn't aware of the implications of the name, as this shop is actually a nice idea. You can come here and hire posh outfits for parties, ideal if you don't want to spend £100 on a wedding outfit you'll never wear again. They've got everything from M&S to designer names, and outfits and accessories to suit a range of budgets. It's just a shame they're either poorly read or have a rather macabre sense of humour.

Shaw Jewellers is a great little jewellery shop in Pudsey. As they say, very largely with their…read moresignage, they do more than merely sell a ring or two. Shaw Jewellers is great as you can have them engrave special items, repair any watches, clocks or jewellery as they have an on site workshop - this is great if it's a small job; you can bring the item in, go for a lovely cuppa at Olde Booths, come back and collect, done! Pretty useful to have, as I can't tell you how many rings I have ruined by constant usage. As well as these excellent services they also have a pretty decent collection of jewels and watches for one's perusal! Though I couldn't exactly afford to splash out on a whim, I adored their gemstone bracelets which were on display. There was one with multi coloured gems - which I assumed to be carnelian, amethyst, garnet, aventurine and so on (but don't quote me, I could be totally wrong!) and it was pretty exciting. They also seemed to have gold chains galore, some beautifully delicate bracelets, some gorgeous vintage rings and some rather manly watches too. All in all, be it a special occasion or just a special treat for yourself, this is a grand old jewellers to browse.

Absolutely shocking customer service. Unsure why others write a good review. Wanted 3 valuations…read morefor my diamond rings and owner never available or working in the shop. It's run by her mother who is rude and impolite. Four times I went to the shop and was told to go back and each time the owner was not working after the mother taking messages told me she would be available, on the fourth time I was then told owner had now gone on maternity leave! I wasn't informed of this on previous visits. Either don't want your custom or unable to deliver a service which is advertised!! People deserve a better service and with manners. Disappointing which deserves a zero rating

It used to be PDSA, I think, and it was a vintage charity shop before, but the guys at Sue Ryder…read morehave done an incredible job of making this charity shop a consistently excellent source of vintage goods. When ever I'm in Headingley I pop in, no matter what schedule I'm on, as there's always a quick, amazing bargain to be had. I love their window displays -- they always catch my eye, and more than once I've bought something from the mannequin. If you're in any way a fan of vintage clothing, this place has to be on your list of spots to have a browse. As well as great threads (often with really ace old school labels or handmade items) they have some really great antique bric a brac -- leather handbags, scarves, ornaments, crockery, records, sewing machines, and all sorts. The staff are always lovely too! If you're about town, pop in and have a rummage. It's a feel-good buy all round!

What a lovely charity shop! My Mum and I had gone for a wander in Meanwood on our return to Leeds…read moreand we nipped in here, drawn in by the delights in the window. They had a number of gorgeous tea sets, bowls and other things in the window so we nipped in for a proper rummage. I managed to pick up a huge coffee pot set for five pounds and a large fruit bowl for three pounds, all specially wrapped up by the lovely staff. It has to be said they were particularly helpful and friendly, which is wonderful given that I'm assuming they're volunteers. The shop was abuzz with folks looking for a bargain, and whilst the majority of the space is taken up with clothing, there's plenty of ornamentals, kitchen ware, games, and other oddments to pick up. If you've the patience to rummage through you're sure to find a fab new frock, pair of trousers, tea set and much more. A delightful find and I shall be back soon!

This is an absolute gem among Leeds' charity shops. A quick glance in the window revealed an…read moreamazing display of vintage china ornaments, crockery and trays with some very unusual and charming pieces. Darting straight in I wasn't disappointed as there was many an OTT vintage hat displayed high on the walls and a determined search through the rails and shelves yielded yet more bargainous finds. The Community Shop does have many average charity shop items, but within them you're guaranteed to find some lovely bits and bobs - a treat for any junk shop enthusiast!

This place is a haven of beautiful furniture. I had a recent trip here with my Mum, after…read moreChristmas, and we ended up buying a hoard of items-they've just so many wonderful things! Basically, if you're after unique antique furniture, this is a must-visit shop for those fabulous writing desks, blanket boxes, retro lampshades and so on. I bought an absolutely gorgeous writing desk, which is part display cabinet, for only £60 and for an extra tenner they delivered it to my door. (Of course, I had to persuade the lads I live with to carry it upstairs, but they got paid in coffee and mince pies.) The staff were excellent, helping me to mark which items I wanted to buy, and even searching through a bag of keys to find the right one for my desk. They've a number of clothes as well, although typically I find them a little more hit and miss, but essentially if there's anything you need in the way of furnishings you should definitely visit here first. They've odds and ends as well, chimney pots, large doors, glassware, tables -you name it and you'll probably find it. Essentially, it's so cheap compared to quality new furniture and it's all in the name of charity. I'm so pleased with my purchases! Awesome.

I discovered Poverty Aid as a student living in Hyde Park in 2004. It was amazing back then and the…read moreamazingness remains! Some of my best purchases have come from poverty aid, including my legendary purple velvet sofa, 1960's cage dressmakers mannequin, and no end of random kitchenwares! they have a really good furniture selection, absolutely loads of bric a brac, vintage items, clothes, books, records - you can find all sorts hidden away in there! The prices are great, they like to do some bartering and they now do delivery of any item to anywhere in leeds for £10. When I bought my sofa the 2 staff lifted it into my living room for me. Poverty Aid, I salute you! (And will be visiting very soon on a mission for a vintage wardrobe!)

This is my favourite charity shop in Headingley. I usually nip in to most of them if I'm walking…read morethrough and have a spare hour, but this one I will always check out. On first glance you could think it's a dead loss - inside there's not always a lot to see. But once you delve a little deeper the substance becomes apparent. For a start, their window displays are second to none for creativity. They always have wonderful sign writing on the glass, and change the visual management of the window area every week to something new, exciting and themed. It is always themed, halloween, christmas and even more specific things like harvest or autumn. They also have offers on, which in some ways is almost ridiculous since when it comes to charity people shouldn't squibble over a few pounds. Nevertheless often when I go in I notice they have the "All clothes £1" sign up - and I can tell you, when you rumage to find a MaxMara jumper for a quid, you are going to be pleased as punch. Finally, I think that this shop gives everything a nice personal touch. I went in once looking for beads to make some jewellery and found a bag of broken necklaces. I told the lady how useful it was and she said that she would tell the other volunteers and that it would be a regular thing - if the necklaces went unsold for an amount of time, they'd be broken up and put into a bargain bag that I should look for on a regular basis. How kind! And sure enough, they are still doing it. Of course, now I've given away my supply source, but hey. They are so awesome it was worth talking about it.

Until recently I'm ashamed to say I didn't even realize The Martin House Shop was a charity shop!…read moreAll the products in the window look so squeaky clean and brand new that a quick glance when walking past led me to believe it was some sort of gift shop. This shows the effort the staff put into the window displays - they take pride in their stock. The Martin House Shop is a great little charity shop with some interesting finds to be found! They have some unusual pieces of crockery and home ware and a large selection of picture frames of different sizes and styles. For anyone with babies soon to be appearing in their lives there's a whole rail of delightful hand-knitted baby jumpers and cardigans, each one unique! And much cheaper than a similar item on the high street (which would actually be pretty difficult to come by!). And in case you felt like making your own they sell loads of wool as well as various balls of cotton and craft materials. The Martin House Shop seems to sell all the usual charity shop items but with a bit of added character. They had a few vintage items in the clothing section and most of their stock seems just that bit more unusual than your standard charity shop. I think I'd agree with Rowena - Martin House is my favourite Headingley charity shop!

Set amongst a parade of shops just off Tong St. The staff are really friendly especially when they…read moreget to know you a little bit. Not top quality second hand stuff but have had some good bargains from here and I take all our 'unloved' stuff here too. Very reasonably priced goods. The staff always seem busy but happy. I have been in here when they were making coffee and got one too. I have been in with my daughter and we both got choccies out of an Advent calendar. I was amazed when a little lad popped in by himself, played with some toys and then went again. They are happy enough with this arrangement. This is how a charity shop should be.