This good old-fashioned charity shop situated on Kemp Town's St James' Street is certainly not for…read moreeveryone. When comparing it with Oxfam's flashy locally designed clothes just up the road on North Street, or even with the colour co-ordinated rails of Kemp Town's neighbouring charity shops, you may well turn your nose up at this one. It's dark, dingy and disorganised. It can even smell pretty bad. However, if you're not too sneeze-prone and have a bit of time for a good rummage this place is definitely worth a visit. Although maybe don't even bother if you suffer from OCD - with its disarray of items, and seemingly no discerning judge of what makes the shelves, it is hard to resist the temptation to give The Friends Shop a thorough clean and tidy. But for the dedicatedly thrifty amongst us the prices are dirt cheap - all books are 50p for example and clothes much the same. Make a few trips, have a good rummage, and you're sure to find a bargain you'll be proud of. Well, eventually. One of Brighton's hot spots it may not be, but I feel strangely fond of The Friends Shop. It recalls those days of yesteryear before charity shops were popularized by magazines and celebrities, and thus anything vaguely nice always ransacked by an earlier bargain hunter. And with money raised supporting local hospital and healthcare facilities, at least there's one clear excuse for that 'bound to come in handy' item you end up buying.

Before charity shops caught onto the fact that they were sitting on a goldmine of retro treasure,…read moreand hiked up their prices, you could get any number of things for less than 50p. Friends however, still maintains this old school ethos or maybe no-one told them about inflation. Either way, have fun rifling through the rails as bric-a-brac drips from the cluttered walls. There is so much packed into a small space that it takes a surprisingly long time to get around it all. Best of all is that they have already concocted different fancy dress outfits from the random jumble, genius.

Starfish might be half the size of other vintage stores like Dirty Harry and whisper it, American…read moreRetro, but it's still well worth checking out next time you're in the Lanes. They have a cool fridge in the window, great music on the stereo and racks of clothes from the 50s to the present. I know vintage is supposed to indicate decades of wear and tear but hey, you can't make people carry on wearing flares when everyone else is wearing drainpipes! As a result, you can find lots of flares and checked shirts in Starfish alongside old Levis, leather jackets, skirts, dresses and distinctive coats. The clothes smell fresher than in other vintage and charity shops in the city and the staff are usually pretty friendly. I'm just waiting for an original Johnny Cash tee to come in...

Dresses and jumpers and jackets, OH MY! Starfish is tiny and a bit pricey, but nevertheless, I…read morecan't help loving everything about the place, from the cute name to the Coca-cola fridge in the window. Even the dressing room fills me with joy as I bundle into the impossibly small space and basically wrap the curtain around myself. An experience that would irritate the hell out of me elsewhere somehow makes me chuckle in this shop. How? And why do I rave so? I don't know, it's just a really satisfying little shop that makes good use of space, displays its merchandise well and never fails to have a cool pair of shades or earrings waiting for me at the counter! On top of this, they have a really great selection of vintage dresses in all shapes, sizes and styles, from strappy sun dresses to 80's prom dresses, whatever you need, you'll probably find it (or something else too good to be true) here. I was in here today and I noticed they have a really good selection of woolly v-necks at the moment- I think I might have to pop back and snap one up myself!

Loved it! So many pieces for such a fair price…read more When I was there they had especially many blouses in like an 80's style so if you're into that - you should for sure visit when you're in Brighton!

To Be Worn Again, Brighton's bulwark of second hand clothing, now has another retail outlet in…read moreKensington Gardens, adding to the outlet at the top of Sydney Street and the warehouse on Providence Place. This behemoth has everything you could want in a second-hand store: huge selection, cheap prices, and now another shop to browse through! Don't give these shops a miss: the warehouse is the best for wealth of choice, but this new shop seems to be their new place to stock the more traditional of your items, meaning you're more likely to find something you can wear more frequently here. I've been shopping at To Be Worn Again for the past 5 years, and the whole set-up has always been a welcoming one. Service is friendly across the branches, and they all seem to have a good idea which of their shops stocks what. You may need to travel a bit if you've gone to the wrong branch, but once you get there the wealth of choice is amazing. I've seen everything in to be worn again: leather jackets, t-shirts, hats... They seem to have a couple hundred of each item of clothing you can think of. If you're a second-hand clothing whore, like myself, this is the best place in Brighton to go. Apart from their excellent store policy, selection and service, To Be Worn Again also seems to offer the best prices on their merchandise. You pay much less than market value, but not excessively so: you won't walk away with hundreds of new things for just a couple of quid, but you will be pleasantly surprised. Beyond that, they seem to specialise in stocking more peculiar items: nothing to risque, just pieces that could be fashion disasters or masterpieces if worn with the right combo. If you're going to a costume party or running a play, this is the best place to find costumes or costume ideas. In the end, To Be Worn Again is an open secret. Everyone in Brighton knows it's the place to go for second hand stuff. There are more upmarket places, like Traid in the Lanes, and cooler places, like Beyond Retro, but nothing beats finding a jacket that compliments your wardrobe perfectly for under £30. If you haven't been, go. Now.

The Samaritan charity shop had a really nice energy about it. I think it was the cosy size, the…read moresmell of incense and the fact that the woman behind the counter was knitting, but looked up to say hello. I bet the incense is to cover the must - as I didn't smell any. Other than the usual clothes and housing items, Samaritan had some board games (including classic 20 Questions), some greeting cards, a suitcase full of toys, CDs, vinyl, DVDs and 99p paperbacks. All of them! 99p! Done and Done. There was a sign up asking for donations of warm winter clothing. I recommend this little shop, especially for books, and if you can, bring an old coat or mittens along.

I went to this charity shop for the first time today and boy, was I impressed! I so admire the…read moreprecision with which the shop is arranged. I realize I sound a little overzealous, but I am a girl who likes things to be in their place, especially when it comes to clothing. The shop is organized, uncluttered and unlike many secondhand shops, its enjoyable to browse the rails, as they aren't rammed full and everything doesn't fall of its hanger the second you touch it. There is an impressive wall of books: fiction, nonfiction, cook books, travel books, dictionaries and more. They also have a good collection of coats at the moment- I saw two Levi denim jackets, which are v. trendy at the mo and I also saw a great cosy sheep skin coat, which I definitely would have bought, had it been a little smaller. I'd say the collection of men's clothing is bigger, there are tons of jeans and an incredible amount of smart suit jackets! This is also a great place to pick up your Xmas cards, whilst supporting a local HIV/Aids charity.

A friendly greeting is a great way to get in my good books in any shop, let alone a charity shop…read morewith such an organised and easily manoeuvrable layout. Clothes, books, nic-nacs and bric-a-brac A wonderful charity and a great cause, it's a pillar of strength and a strong link of the community-I haven't seen such an extensive Gay and Lesbian book section in a bookshop or library, but the Beacon has quite a collection.

Shabitat is a one of ind operation, it started out as a kerbside collection membership organisation…read moreand now with over 5000 subscribers it not only offer a second hand furniture and appliance store for Brightonians on low incomes but is also a recycling centre, green consultation service and corporate recycling services, Everything about the organisation is green from the bio-diesel used in their larger vehicles to the collection vehicles that are electric powered converted milk floats! The organisation is approaching its 0th yea f operating and has been recognised by Lewes Council and Brighton & Hove Council for their imaginative green services. If your looking for furnishing and cant afford DFS then give Shabitat a call.

If you've got some old stuff you can't shift or if you just want to get some cheap furniture this…read moreis the place for you. If every city had an independent, well-established second hand/ recycling centre like Shabitat the world would be a better place. For example, it recently provided me with a new bed frame for a mere £20, saving me the extra cost of shopping at a high street store. I recommend this place for students or for those not married about a bit of wear and tear. Its founding 'nothing-is-waste' philosophy is one that every community should adopt. Shabitat provides at least part of a model for sustainable living so in my opinion it's worth supporting.

Quite deep into Kemptown, this is one of the bigger charity shops in Brighton and has a good…read morecollection of books, clothes and other odds and ends. They have a good choice of books hailing from all sorts of esoteric genres. They are really quite cheap too; I got The God Delusions for a mere one pound sterling. But there are far more things of worth in here than most tired shops and with their helpful volunteers, it's a breath of fresh air to hunt around in a shop where the possible purchases are so cheap.

Definitely the best charity shop in Brighton and Hove. I've been shopping in charity shops all my…read morelife and this one rules. What makes it so good? The stock is always brilliant and of the highest quality. I have never left there without something great. They have mens, womens, kids, bric-a-brac, records, DVDs and CDs. I bought a brand new cashmere jumper for £5! What also sets this shop apart is the staff, who are always friendly and chatty and cheerful. It's a real pleasure to go in there because you always feel welcome. In addition to that, there is always a great mixture of Kemp Town characters. You could spend a whole day in there browsing and people watching and never get bored.

I totally agree with Jack M....this is a great secondhand shop! People might think that all…read morecharity hops are the same- full of people's unwanted 70s crockery and old school jumpers. They are so wrong. There is a weird, unfathomable rule at work, that means some charity shops are just a hell of a lot better than others. I guess the best donators go the shops where they have the most joy as shoppers! Or something like that. I know that's what I've always done. St. Vincent's is one of the top charity shop dogs! I only discovered the place the other day, as I mosied along the Lewes Rd. It is large, well-stocked and fastidiously organized into logical categories. The displays are attractive, the ladies who run the place friendly and they simply have a superior class of second hand stuff! As I perused the rails, I found a couple of recent Topshop items as well as a great retro style jacket. I wished I had a boy with me, because they also had some great men's checked shirts. Aside form clothing, they have a great selection of crockery, home ware and toys. Well worth a gander, if you're looking for a cheap treat!

Next to Spar on Lewes Road this is one of the bigger charity shops in Brighton and has a good…read morecollection of books, clothes and other odds and ends. St Vincent's is a Christian voluntary organisation and they are very kind and helpful. They even offer impromptu fashion advice, which I think was warranted as I ponced around in front of the mirror in a ladies felt jacket which was clearly too small for me. Thank you St Vincent's for what could have been a very unwise purchase. But there are far more things of worth in here than most tired shops and it's a breath of fresh air to hunt around in a shop where the possible purchases are so cheap. Perceptive and conscious staff under a roof filled with passed on treasures.

Damn Dirty Harry. I…read morewent down there this afternoon with the sole purpose of finding a new pair of cowboy boots and they had none left in my size! They had dozens of pairs stacked up prettily in the cowboy boot corner but they were all either too small or too big. When I told the friendly, tattooed guy on the floor, he laughed and said they'd had a new shipment in three days ago but my size - 5 and a half - tended to go within hours. Crushed, I wandered around the three floors of this awesome vintage emporium and looked at the tried and treasured Levis, the cool leather jackets, the checked shirts, the 50s and 60s dresses, the skinny ties, the Sonic Youth and Joy Division tees and the the neat accesories. My heart just wasn't in it though. I guess I'm gonna have to go back later this week and camp outside til the new boots arrive.

The North Lanes is full of "vintage" shops, however, with the exception of 'Beyond Retro', most of…read morethese are no better than their less glamorous charity counter parts. I really failed to see what was vintage when I came here, while most of the clothes are indeed second hand, they are largely tasteless cast off's that nobody wanted. The average price of a t-shirt in here would probably be about £20, despite the fact that it originally probably cost £10, and is only about 5 years old. I equally disliked that much of the stock is made to look vintage, but is actually mass produced and brand new, just expensive.