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.

Why has this only just opened? Why couldn't it have opened last year when I was looking for…read morefurniture and was forced to go to Ikea instead? I was convinced that City Road/Crwys Road were populated with second hand furniture stores when I moved into my new house, but I was clearly hallucinating. So, I was so pleased to find this store had opened, next to that most ethical supermarket, The Coop. The shop has a vast floor and has a wide variety of new and used furniture, electricals and general stuff for the home. Sofa's a-go-go - ranging in proce from really cheap (and look it) to really reasonable three piece suites, leather and modern funiture. There is bedroom furniture from brand new pine stuff to more 'retro' good as well as a vast array of TVs from £10! We may not be talking plasma, wide screen HD TV here, but good enough for a games console or student bedroom to keep up to date with Corrie. Most pleasing was the appearance of reasonably priced and reasonable condition 1930s furniture including sideboards, wardrobes and dressing tables. When looking for this stuff before I was reduced to online and pseudo 'antique' shops which charged an arm and a leg. If you're a student, moving into your first house or generally want a slightly more retro look to your home then please check this shop out first before hitting the obvious!

Moving into a new place is an arduous process. You've got bills to worry about, bank accounts to…read morecontact and drain dry, boxes to move and people to buy beer and pizza for, parties to plan... Moving into an unfurnished place is even worse. Especially if you're of the studenty bent. Not only do you have all the previous issues to deal with, you've also got to source new furniture, gather funds to pay for said furniture, or buy and eat enough pizza to build furniture from the leftover boxes. You may think I'm joking about that last one. I'm not. I've seen it done. Wasn't comfy, but what you lacked in comfort you more than made up for in lots and lots of pizza. Here's where BHS steps in. Their second hand furniture and electrical store lets you furnish a house cheaply, and on top of that, you know your money is going to a good place, which appeals to all those kind-hearted students, and the cynical gits who are trying to hope on the good foot and do the bad thing with said kind-hearted students.

Call me cheap, call me crazy, but I find it difficult shelling out £80 for a dress that's already…read morebeen worn. Yeah, I know it's designer labels and all, but I'm of the old-school belief (maybe it's not old-school, perhaps I am just terribly cheap), that the best bargains can be found in car boot sales and your run-of-the-mill charity shops. Don't get me wrong, the quality of clothes and the shop itself are worthy of its boutique label, but I guess I prefer Oxfam shops that are a bit off the beaten track, where the thrill of the hunt is only matched by finding a one-of-a-kind item for 50p. I did stumble upon a pair of white vintage satin gloves for £20, but put them back after realising it was one of those items I'll never use. Other than that, I haven't really found anything that's blown my skirt up. I absolutely love thrifting (yes, I've even created a verb for it, I adore it so much) - some of my favourite memories include my mom and I digging through piles of clothes and chotchkis and returning with The Rolling Stones "Sticky Fingers" on vinyl for $1, in addition to a 60s polyester pea coat for only $2. Retail nirvana. So it's with all that in mind that I give Oxfam Boutique a three star rating. It's worth adding that its prominent location in the centre of St Mary's Street means more people are out hunting for the same bargains you are, so I imagine you'll have to come by often to catch the best deals.

I totally agree with Jen, with a price tag of £75 for a DKNY handbag cheap as chips this shop…read moreain't. And remember this is a second hand shop! The Cadiff Boutique has been open less than a year, it launched in October last year. The shop sells stylish second hand and restyled designer clothes, jewellery and accessories. I'm sure it's good for the city, but I remember when charity shops served two puposes, they raised money for the charity and enabled those on a low income to afford some quality one off items. You won't spot a proper bargain here, but you will find some gorgeous threads. If you've a disposable income and a love of shabby chic then this is the place for you. Far better to spend your money here and know that after a few execs have shaved a bit off it is essentially going to a good cause. Guilt free shopping.

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.

As a student I went to many charity shops on the look out for books for my obsession with reading…read more The shop has a lot of interesting second hand stuff and I would have a browse to see if there was a bargain. Unfortunately it's hit or miss whether you'll find something you want, or you may go in and end up getting something you rather didn't buy. Either way it for a good cause so has more intrinsic value when you buy from here.

This is by far the best charity shop in Cardiff. The friendly staff welcome you into their…read moreAladdin's cave of goodies and gifts. The walls tower with books and games, and outfits and handbags hang from the ceiling. There is always something new and interesting to find... and if you can't find it? You feel relaxed enough to ask. And gather round, lend me you ears if you want to hear the best part. I will only say it once as it is a secret I keep close to my heart.... If you ask nicely and use the code word "upstairs" there lies a hidden room with all the magical treasures a young fancy-dresser or vintage queen could ask for. Words cannot describe how you have not, and never will, truly experience my love for Cardiff without this adventure. Reasonable Prices Good Cause My Best Buy: a vintage badminton racket for £3. Top that... I dare you!

Only open between Thursday and Saturday, Jacob's Market (aka Jacob's Antiques) is a collection of…read morevery small specialist collectors' shops under one roof. Mostly it's second-hand stuff though there is also brand new furniture to be had. There's a certain novelty to it- such as the stuffed badgers in the entrance (will anyone ever buy those?) and the sci-fi stall upstairs with its sort-of-full-sized TARDIS. All kinds and eras of 'retro' are covered, old clothes (a bit dusty), old signs, old kitchen appliances, old military memorabilia (there's quite a bit of this and some of it's quite scary). It's worth a browse round, though I would say you could have done it all in less than 2 hours, it won't take all day. Prices vary but some things are not as cheap as you'd like them to be, as some sellers are adamant that there is an 'antique' value. The cafe is a small anteroom, seating about 20 people, where one person will knock up cooked brunches on demand using a little oven and grill. The prices are dirt-cheap and the portions very very generous, the only problem is that since it's cooked from scratch when you order you may have to wait a while, not too good if you've just popped there for lunch.

This indoor market sprawls across several floors in an old red brick building at West Canal Wharf,…read morenear Cardiff Central Station, and for the last couple of decades it has been creating a welcome distraction for Cardiff's lovers of antiques, vintage and novelty goods. It is a great place to spend a lazy few hours browsing around aimlessly. The 50 or so different stalls sell a huge array of different wares, including antiques and collectors' items, vintage household goods, second hand clothes and books, jewellery, and all sorts of other knick knacks. When you walk in through the entrance, for example, you're faced with some rather alarming and fusty-looking stuffed badgers; carry on and you might stumble across vintage Bakelite phones, military memorabilia, or leather jackets - while an exploration upstairs will offer you an encounter with a full-sized Dr Who tardis. Some stalls have more reasonable prices than others, but for vintage and antique items with a higher price tag you really need a bit of knowledge to know whether it's good value. The café, on the other hand, has very reasonably priced food and HUGE portions!

Lovely men's authentic vintage, collectors post cards from World War One and two, up cycled…read morefurniture and vintage cameras. I can always find a bargain that's worth the money and looks fabulous in my home! Best vintage store in Cardiff by far and all reasonably priced

From the owner: Penny Lane Vintage has relocated to the Wellfield Road Arcade, Penylan, Roath, an area only a…read morecouple of miles from city centre, where you can enjoy independent shops, fine dining and coffee shops and then a stroll through parkland to Roath Park lake. Penny Lane only stocks personally hand picked quality vintage clothing and accessories for ladies and gents, vintage costume jewellery, memorabilia, homewares, collectables and furniture. New treasures arriving everyday.