04/03/20: More American Pie (British Red Cross)

British Heart Foundation, West Kensington. Copies of American Pie are not selling. They are accumulating.

13/02/20: Vision Foundation

Geranium Shops for the Blind, High Street Kensington, is now Vision Foundation: London's sight loss charity.

09/01/20: American Pie (British Red Cross)

British Red Cross, West Kensington. Anyone need a copy of American Pie?

09/01/20: Erratic pricing (British Heart Foundation)

An unsuccessful trudge around five West Kensington charity shops. The only item of interest was a copy of Broken English by Marianne Faithfull, but it wasn’t in very good condition.

One of the shops, British Heart Foundation, has split the CDs into two categories: some are 50p and some are £2. It didn’t make any sense to me, because one of the £2 discs was by Robbie Williams, available in every charity shop in the land – and usually for 50p.

17/12/19: CDs return! #2 (Geranium Shops for the Blind)

Went in Geranium Shops for the Blind, High Street Kensington. As with Dogs Trust, they have inexplicably started selling CDs again. Snapped up Easter by Patti Smith for just 50p.

14/12/19: CDs return! (Dogs Trust)

Went in Dogs Trust in Whetstone. They are selling CDs again, but only a few. Maybe other people complained as well.

16/11/19: No more CDs #3 (Dogs Trust)

It happened again. Went to Dogs Trust in Whetstone and they had stopped selling CDs. They’ve stopped selling DVDs as well. I asked the woman at the till and she said “There isn’t enough profit in it.” I explained that this was the only reason I ever came in the shop and she just said “Ah.”

What’s going on? That’s two in a week. Why have they done this at the same time? You can still buy new CDs in supermarkets, so they format isn’t completely dead.

Fortunately, I then crossed the road to North London Hospice and found, for 50p, Brian Wilson Presents Smile – complete with booklet and slipcase.

14/11/19: No More CDs #2 (Geranium Shops for the Blind)

Went to one of my favourite charity shops today, Geranium Shops for the Blind in High Street Kensington. The CDs were all gone. I asked the lady in charge and she said that they no longer stock them because “They don’t sell.” That’s not strictly true. They do sell because I must have bought 50–100 from that shop myself. Then again, that was over a period of a year and a half. Not exactly a big income for the shop at 50p a go.

It’s all about space. However cheaply they sell CDs, they can make more money using that part of the shop for selling clothes. If that’s better for the charity I suppose I shouldn’t complain too much.

Books and DVDs are clinging on.

06/11/19: Noah’s Ark (Cancer Research)

For £1 I found an unopened (shrink-wrapped) copy of Noah’s Ark by CocoRosie in Cancer Research, West Kensington. The Pitchfork review calls it “one of the most annoying records you’re liable to remember”, which just makes me more intrigued to hear it.

05/09/19: DVDs (British Red Cross)

Couldn't resist playing "pairs" in British Red Cross, West Kensington. Romeo + Juliet meets Gnomeo & Juliet. Bridget Jones meets herself several times.

13/08/19: No more CDs (Cancer Research)

Cancer Research on High Street Kensington have stopped selling books and CDs to make space for Christmas cards. A real shame.

02/08/19: CD bargains (Cancer Research/British Red Cross)

After a few barren weeks I found the following 13 CDs today for £1 each in Cancer Research, West Kensington:

• David Bowie – Tonight (1984)
• David Bowie – Black Tie White Noise (1993)
• David Bowie – Outside (1995)
• Tin Machine – Tin Machine (1989)
(None of these are exactly Bowie’s best work, but I “needed” them anyway.)
• Patti Smith – Gone Again (1996)
• Patti Smith – Gung Ho (2000)
• Small Faces – Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake (1968)
• Philip Glass – “Low” Symphony (1993)
• Captain Beefheart – Bluejeans & Moonbeams (1974)
• Van Morrison – Too Long in Exile (1993) – with "promo" sticker
• Grace Jones – Nightclubbing (1981)
• Steve Miller Band – Recall the Beginning: A Journey from Eden (1972)
• The Doors – L.A. Woman (1971)

I also found Cream’s Wheels of Fire (1968), but upon examination it sadly turned out not to have disc two (Live at the Fillmore). In its place, bizarrely, was the first album by Gorillaz. When I pointed this out, the girl let me have the surreal pairing for free. Not sure I particularly wanted it, but there you go...

In the British Red Cross charity shop, further down the road, I found:

• Rush – Moving Pictures (1981)

CDs were again £1 but the girl at the till said there was a “four for a pound” offer, so I chose another three:

• White Stripes – Elephant (2003)
• White Stripes – Icky Thump (2007)
• Blur – "M.O.R." CD single

White Stripes CDs are ubiquitous in charity shops, but for nothing (or 25p each, depending on how you look at it) it seemed daft not to have them.

06/07/19: Brand Five magnetic recording tape (North London Hospice)

North London Hospice, Whetstone. Never seen this in a charity shop before.

03/06/19: Cuts Both Ways (British Heart Foundation)

British Heart Foundation, West Kensington. Cuts Both Ways by Gloria Estefan is one of those CDs you see a lot of in charity shops. The same goes for Starsailor and All Saints.

03/04/19: Scary story (Sue Ryder)

Sue Ryder, West Kensington.
A female member of staff points at a 1970s/1980s hardback anthology of ghost stories and asks me:
“Sir, you don’t like horror, do you?”
“No, thanks, not for me,” I reply.
The woman turns to another customer and says: “That’s terrible. Everyone is scared for horror.”

19/03/19: CD bargains galore (British Heart Foundation)

British Heart Foundation, West Kensington. The quality of CDs in charity shops has gone up a lot lately – perhaps because of the silly "declutter" fad. These shelves included great albums by Elvis Costello, The Smiths, The Byrds, Bruce Springsteen and David Bowie.

21/01/19: The Smiths (British Heart Foundation)

British Heart Foundation, West Kensington. "These are the riches of the poor."

06/01/19: Double bass (Barnardo's)

Barnardo's, Whetstone . It's not often that you see one of these.

15/12/18: Music books (North London Hospice)

North London Hospice, Whetstone. Left to right: Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, Roxy Music, Johnny Marr, Keith Moon, Fleetwood Mac, John Lydon. I bought the Roxy and Zeppelin books. I already have the Moon, Mac and Lydon.

22/11/18: Daily Mail Thatcher mug (Geranium Shops for the Blind)

Geranium Shops for the Blind, West Kensington.

17/11/18: Elvis Presley DVDs (North London Hospice)

North London Hospice, Whetstone.

28/10/18: Borough of Broxbourne road sign (boot sale, Brookmans Park)

Brookmans Park boot sale.

13/10/18: CD shelf (North London Hospice)

North London Hospice, Whetstone. Loads of good stuff here today: Paul Simon, the complete Simon & Garfunkel, Dylan, Van, Beatles, Beach Boys, Joan Baez. Bruce Springsteen and so on. It was a bit like finding out that someone had raided my own collection and taken it to the charity shop.

Wait a minute...

07/10/18: Model with hat (North London Hospice)

North London Hospice, East Barnet.

09/08/18: Books from Holborn Library book sale (20p each)

28/06/18: Frank Sinatra (British Red Cross)

British Red Cross, West Kensington. A lot of Sinatra and Dean Martin.

27/06/18: My new favourite charity shop (Geranium Shops for the Blind)

Geranium Shops for the Blind, High Street Kensington. There was a huge cow sitting on a chair.

17/06/18: Polar bear (boot sale, Brookmans Park)

Brookmans Park. Rather disturbing, especially since it was a real one.

07–08/06/18: Stack of 50p CDs (Geranium Shops for the Blind)

I was in High Street Kensington and tried the Oxfam. The CDs were priced at £2.99. I know it’s High Street Ken, where different rules apply and all that, but that still seems excessive for a CD these days.

Better bargains were to be had (just a few metres away and across the road) in Geranium Shops for the Blind, where I was able to buy the following CDs for 50p each:
• Booker T. & The MG’s – In the Christmas Spirit
• The Who – Tommy
• Marillion – Misplaced Childhood
• Mark Knopfler – Local Hero (the film soundtrack)
• Paul McCartney – Back in the World Live (a double set)

They also had a Jane Birkin/Serge Gainsbourg album I would have liked, but it had the wrong disc inside the box. When I told the three kindly old people behind the till about this, the man tossed the mismatched items straight into the bin. (Let’s hope the correct disc doesn’t show up in another box and prompt a similar query from another customer.) There was a fee for using the card machine unless I spent £3, so I bought a £1 book to take the overall total to £3.50 – Michael Moorcock’s “Sci-fi Masterwork” Dancers at the End of Time.

I was so pleased with that little lot that I went back the next day and bought another CD – Ultimate Prince (a 28-track 2-CD compilation of hits and rare tracks released soon after his death in 2016.

When I was at the till getting ready to pay for Prince, the nice old lady said they had some other CDs and pulled out a large plastic bag for me. I went through those (along with another woman, who also seemed suddenly keen to rummage and possibly as thrilled as I was) and bought the following 50p bargains:
• The Beatles – Revolver
• Bruce Springsteen – Born in the U.S.A.
• Simon & Garfunkel – Greatest Hits
• Donna Summer – A Love Trilogy
• Donna Summer – Once Upon a Time
• The Bangles – Everything
• Tears for Fears – The Seeds of Love

I’m not sure I really want the Tears for Fears album, but clearly I had got slightly carried away in the excitement. Likewise, it turns out I already had the Bangles CD. But despite that, this was my best charity shop experience since Emmaus at All Saints (see HERE).

03/05/18: Life for Rent (Emmaus)

Emmaus, Chipping Barnet. Dido's Life for Rent (2003) sold 12 million copies. Quite a few of them can now be seen in UK charity shops.

23/04/18: 1980s vinyl (North London Hospice)

North London Hospice, Whetstone. No Parlez is one of the most common charity shop LPs (see HERE). Of a similar-ish vintage are the second Bucks Fizz LP (Are You Ready, 1982) and a 12" of Madonna's "La Isla Bonita" (1987).

19/04/18: Margaret Thatcher plate (All Aboard)

All Aboard, North Finchley. Price: £5.

10/03/18: Bond books (North London Hospice)

North London Hospice, Whetstone. Never read a Bond novel. Are they worth a go?

25/02/18: Celine Dion (Dogs Trust)

Dogs Trust, Whetstone. They seemed to have pretty much the complete Celine Dion discography on CD. Unfortunately, I can't stand her music.

24/02/18: The Who by Numbers (Cancer Research)

Cancer Research, North Finchley. Good to see another No Parlez. It is still THE charity shop LP. I bought the Heaven 17 album and the Sarah McLachlan CD. The album by The Who was missing the disc. But next to the empty sleeve was a different record called The Story of The Who – in badly scratched condition. I went to the till and asked if they had the record for The Who by Numbers and the sleeve for The Story of The Who, but they didn't, so they gave me both for free. So now I have an unplayable Who album in the wrong cover.

10/02/18: Carly, Art and Doris (Barnardo's)

Barnardo's, Whetstone.

10/02/18: Bruce Springsteen mugs (North London Hospice)

North London Hospice, Whetstone. It's not often that you see a Bruce Springsteen mug in a charity shop, but today I saw two. I was slightly tempted to buy them, but only slightly.

28/01/18: Royal wedding magazines (North London Hospice)

North London Hospice, North Finchley. These are the special souvenir issues of Radio Times and its rival, TV Times, brought out the week of the royal wedding of Charles (the Prince of Wales) and Lady Diana Spencer on 29th July 1981. They were going for £2 each, which may have been a bargain. That said, there would have been many millions printed. Of course the smiles and innocence would not last for long, but at the time it was presented as a modern-day fairytale. In 1992 they would be separated, in 1996 they would be divorced and in 1997 Diana would die in a car crash in Paris.

28/01/18: New charity shop in North Finchley

A new charity shop is always a cause for celebration. This RSPCA (Finchley, Golders Green, Hendon and District Branch) has just opened in North Finchey.

14/01/18: Groovy Baby Hippie costume (North London Hospice)

North London Hospice, Whetstone. Five pounds "for a far out party...man!"

22/12/17: A Harry the Dirty Dog Treasury (North London Hospice)

North London Hospice, North Finchley. I found a Harry the Dirty Dog hardback anthology for £1.50 and was very pleased, having loved the original story as a child. In fact, I didn’t even know there were another two books, but all three were compiled in this volume. When I took it to the till, the young man said they were selling two children’s books for a pound. I said I just wanted this one, but that it cost £1.50. He explained that if I bought a second book the price of the pair would fall to £1. I thus began seeking another book and eventually elected a “how to draw comic characters” guide that I didn’t particularly want. He said “That’ll be one pound.” I passed him a £5 note. He said: “Do you want to pay by card or cash?” I thought he didn’t want to give change, so I said I could pay by card, but asked if there was a minimum. He said yes, and that it was £5. So we reverted to cash payment and I handed him the fiver I had been trying to give him all along. A fairly complex and time-consuming transaction, then, but I am happy with the book.

25/11/17: Street-Legal (Barnardo's)

Barnardo's, Whetstone. Was quite excited to find a vinyl copy of Bob Dylan's 1978 LP Street-Legal for a mere 49p. Sadly, there was no outer sleeve for it.

25/11/17: One Direction mugs (North London Hospice)

North London Hospice, Whetstone. Five 1D mugs in two different designs. While in the shop I was happy to hear "Hole in My Shoe" by Traffic and "Squeeze Box" by The Who on the radio.

14/10/17: Blur (Barnardo's)

Barnardo's, Whetstone. The first six (of eight) albums by Blur.

08/10/17: Madonna 'n' Britney (Dogs Trust)

Dogs Trust, Whetstone. Four Madonna CDs. Eight Britney Spears CDs!

08/10/17: Men Suits (Dogs Trust)

Dogs Trust, Whetstone. "We have in stock men suits. Please ask us to show you!"

24/09/17: TSP (boot sale, Brookmans Park)

Brookmans Park. Letters "T", "S" and "P" were available, with "ET" leaning on the car in the background.

17/09/17: Laptops and shoes (boot sale, Brookmans Park)

Brookmans Park.

26/08/17: The Sound of Music and Big Wednesday DVDs (Cancer Research)

Cancer Research, North Finchley. The Sound of Music (1965) and Big Wednesday (1978) were a pound each and between them provided almost five hours of solid entertainment. One is about a nun-turned-governess in Austria. The other is about three friends who go surfing and slowly grow up as the world around them changes. The shadow of war (WWII and Vietnam) hangs over both stories, but that's about all they had in common.

30/07/17: Boot sale, Brookmans Park

Back to the bootsale at Brookmans Park.

There were real dogs...

And less real dogs...

 Cats, too...

  
We bought two LEGO models. The tank was £1.50. I had to barter with a slightly intimidating skinhead boy, who – in the absence of any adults – seemed to have the authority to negotiate a price. The submersible was £1 and contained a minifigure. These were real bargains, as elsewhere a minifigure on its own was being sold for as much as £3.

29/07/17: Charity shop hop, Finchley Central

1. North London Hospice. Bought All is Lost DVD, still shrink-wrapped, for £1. This is a tremendous film starring Robert Redford about a man whose boat sinks. Basically: Gravity at sea.

2. Cats Protection League. Joan Baez – "Silver Dagger" 7" EP was £1.99. Tempted, but didn't buy. Also on the shelves: several Duran Duran CDs.

3. Cancer Research. Several Primal Scream CDs, plus an entire shelf of guitar tutorial CDs. There was a man sneezing a bit too close to me, so I didn't hang around.

4. Sue Ryder. Seriously overpriced. A Shirley Bassey vinyl compilation was £3.50. A water-damaged paperback was £2. No, thanks.

5. All Aboard. Tiny selection of CDs virtually hidden behind the till, making for awkward browsing.

6. Oxfam – small shop, overpriced vinyl. Weary by this point. Headed back to the car in the rain.

29/07/17: Charity shop hop, North Finchley

1. The Bothy – saw a white-label record with a message written on the sleeve: "To Steve, Thought this would be a good first record. Good luck, Sam." But what's on the record? Nearly bought the Substance CD by Joy Division. Not sure why I didn't, actually.

2. Cancer Research was closed, even though the list on the door said it should have been open for an hour already.

3. All Aboard. Plenty of DVDs. "Two books for 50p" special offer still running, but couldn't find two I wanted. Or even one. Nearly bought £1 vinyl copies of Commoners Crown by Steeleye Span and Johnny Cash and His Woman, but they were both too beaten up.

4. North London Hospice. Nearly bought CDs by the Sex Pistols (NMTB), Queen (Greatest Hits) and Talking Heads (Stop Making Sense), but again the condition wasn't quite good enough. Various Anne McCaffrey fantasy novels on the crowded bookshelves.

5. RFFR. Bought three vinyl LPs for £1 each:
• Many a Mile by Buffy Sainte-Marie (1965).
• Back Home Again by John Denver (1974).
• Songs of the British Isles by Nana Mouskouri (1976; one of 200-plus albums Nana released).