I went on a walk around the town (or city?) centre looking for the quirkiest items I could find in charity shops.
The cost-of-living crisis has made life more expensive, and difficult, for many people and no doubt looking for a bargain will become common.
I decided that I would see what unusual items I could find in Wrexham and, armed with only a tenner, I found that I was not disappointed.
READ MORE: Thousands of households in Flintshire and Wrexham to get cost of living support payment
Every charity shop has the typical plates and glass tumblers on offer, normally for £1-£2 a piece.
Candlesticks are another common find in the shops, and the few I found were around £5 each.
DVDs and jigsaws range in prices, with the former normally around £1 and the latter around £3-£5 but possibly even more.
I found a surprising number of mini swans in the shops, both glass and pot. The body is hollowed out and they’re no bigger than maybe two inches. I’m not sure if there was ever a mini swan trend but every single charity shop I went in had at least three. They normally went for around £1.50 each. Unfortunately, they were too common to make my list.
READ MORE: Cost of Living: Flintshire dog rescue charity sees 'huge increase' in demand for re-homing
One thing I noticed a lack of was vinyl records. A few years ago there was a trend and affordable records appeared in charity shops. I know this because I hopped on this trend and was a regular in these shops looking for new (old) music. I don’t know if they’re no longer popular and therefore not profitable, or if the charity shops have sold out because they were at one point so popular, but I was really shocked.
READ MORE: Wrexham mum fears debt as rising costs hit disabled households in Wales
In my budget, I managed to find some unusual knick-knacks that caught my eye. Here’s what I bought:
Bright Portuguese vase - £4
Elephant with mouse features – £1.99
I can’t quite tell what this one is. It looks like an elephant from a distance but has very mouse-like features, including the little round ears, which make it look like some kind of anteater. It’s weird and it now lives on the mantelpiece to confuse everyone who looks closely.
Miniature mug - £1.99
Completely impractical for anything other than decoration. Cornish scrumpy is a cider, and I happen to like cider, so this caught my eye.
Cat – 99p
Wooden, weird, and wonderful. Only for the ears, it looks a bit more like a blob. It was the first item I bought and well worth the money.
In total, I spent £8.97, leaving me with change.
What quirky things have you found in a charity shop?
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here