WashedWool knit jumper
Washed and checked for moth holes
$14
Good things, starting their second chapter
Second Chapter Thrift sells donated clothes, books and homeware, and every dollar left after running costs goes to the Open Shelf Literacy Fund. Shop a few picked pieces online, or bring your donations round to the back door.
- New stock on the rails every day
- Electrical goods tested before sale
- Donations at the back door
- Profits fund adult reading classes
Picked from this week's rails
A handful of good finds from the shop floor, checked, cleaned and priced. Most pieces are one of a kind, so once a size or a title has gone, it has gone.
Washed
Denim jacket, classic cut
Faded mid blue, every button in place
$22
BundlePaperback bundle, five books
Clean copies chosen by our book volunteers
$10
Children's clothes bundle
Six washed pieces for one age
$15
Stoneware mugs, set of four
Mismatched but friendly, no chips or cracks
$12
Furniture on the shop floor
Tables, chests and chairs change daily, collection only
Price on enquiry
EnquireCheckout adds postage for anything we send. Clothes that do not fit can be exchanged in the shop within 7 days, and furniture is collected from the back door.
Where the money goes
Second Chapter Thrift is run by the Open Shelf Literacy Fund, a charity that holds evening reading classes for adults and buys books for school libraries in the district. Sales pay for the shop first: the rent, the manager's wage, two part time wages, electricity and the van.
Whatever is left at the end of each month is paid into the fund. Its yearly accounts sit in a folder by the till, and anyone who asks can read them.
- Rent, wages and the van paid first
- Everything left paid to the fund each month
- The fund's yearly accounts kept at the till
What we can take, and what we cannot
Everything we sell arrives as a donation, and whatever we cannot sell costs the fund money to dispose of. This list saves you a wasted trip.
| Item | Gladly taken | Please keep at home |
|---|---|---|
| Clothes and shoes | Clean and wearable, bagged, shoes tied in pairs | Wet, stained or torn clothing |
| Books | Paperbacks, hardbacks, cookbooks and children's books | Damp books, old textbooks and directories |
| Homeware | Crockery, glassware, pans, linen, pictures and lamps | Chipped glass, loose knives and opened toiletries |
| Electrical goods | Working lamps, kettles, radios and small appliances, all tested before sale | Anything with a cut or bare cable |
| Furniture | Small pieces you can carry; ask before bringing anything larger | Mattresses, and upholstery without the fire labels the law asks for |
| Children's safety items | Toys with all their parts | Car seats, cycle helmets and cot mattresses, which cannot be checked safely |
Rules on reselling secondhand electrical goods and upholstered furniture vary by country, and the shop follows the ones that apply where it trades.
From the back door to the rail
Most donations are on sale within a week of arriving.
Drop off
Bring bags and boxes to the back door during opening hours, or book the van for a larger load.
Sort
Volunteers sort everything the same week, by type, size and season.
Test and price
Electrical items are tested by a qualified person, then every piece is priced and tagged.
Rail or recycle
Good pieces go on sale, and worn textiles go to a recycler instead of the bin.
A look round the shop
Rails sorted by colour, a wall of books and shelves of homeware that change every morning.
Heard at the till (example reviews)
A wool coat in perfect order for less than a lunch out, and the money ends up paying for reading classes. Hard to beat.
Dropped off three boxes on a Saturday morning. The volunteer explained what could not be taken and why, kindly and without any fuss.
Ordered a paperback bundle for a long train trip. Five good crime novels arrived, and not one had a cracked spine.
Asked by shoppers and donors
Is every electrical item tested?
Yes. Lamps, kettles, radios and other appliances are checked by a qualified person before they reach the shelf, and anything that fails goes for recycling. Rules on selling secondhand electrical goods differ between countries, and the shop follows the local ones.
Where exactly does the money go?
Sales first cover the rent, wages, electricity and the van. What remains each month is paid to the Open Shelf Literacy Fund, which runs evening reading classes for adults and buys books for school libraries nearby.
Is the shop a registered charity?
The shop belongs to the Open Shelf Literacy Fund. How charities are registered, and what they must publish, depends on the country, and the fund's own details are printed in the accounts folder at the till.
Can you collect a large donation?
Yes, within the town on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, in the shop van. Describe the items in the form below, and we confirm a day or explain why something cannot be taken.
Can clothes be exchanged?
Clothes and shoes can be exchanged within 7 days with the receipt. An electrical item that develops a fault within 30 days is refunded.
Do you need volunteers?
Always, for sorting, steaming, the till and the book wall. Even three hours a week helps the shop open on time, so mention it in the form and we arrange a first shift.
Furniture, collections and volunteering
Ask whether a piece of furniture is still on the shop floor, book the van for a large donation, or offer a few hours as a volunteer. Describe things in words, with rough sizes for anything bulky, and we reply within two working days.
- Van collections on Tuesday and Thursday mornings
- Furniture held for 48 hours once you ask
- Furniture paid for in the shop when it is collected
Drop in, or drop off
The shop faces the high street next to the bus stop, and donations go round the side to the back door.
Ask the shop
On the high street beside the bus stop, with donations taken at the back door
When we are open
| Monday to Saturday | 9:30 to 17:30 |
| Sunday | 11:00 to 15:00 |
| Donations taken | Until 16:00 each day |
Volunteer with us
Sorting, steaming, pricing and the till are all done by volunteers working alongside the manager. Shifts last three hours, and no experience is needed.