Best Charity & Second-Hand Shops in Limerick

I love second-hand and charity shops.  Not only are you recycling but you can pick up amazing little treasures too! If your in Limerick you have quite a selection to choose from and different ones are good for different things.
Here are my favourites and why:

Mirror at 9 Lower Gerald Griffen St Limerick (Now Closed)
I've often found designer items there including
DVF and CK and good brands like Banana Republic and Sisley and I got an all leather weekend bag for 6 Euros, score!.  Also the ladies who work there are lovely.
I would recommend going on Tuesdays (for all second-hand and charity shops) as they get the new stuff on Mondays, sort it and have it out on the Tuesday so the selection is at it's best. - Not as good but there is another charity shop just next door now.  I'm gonna miss that place!

Animal Welfare Parnell Street Limerick
They have done it up in the last year into side by side shops with one having the retail stock and the other has furniture and household things.  The staff are really nice and you can make a donation without buying anything.  I have found lovely vintage dresses and silk scarves here as well as a vintage Ralph Lauren leather hand bag.  Whats great about this one is that the items are priced according to what they are not the brand so even if you find a designer item the price is not marked-up.  Its also good for pictures frames and I've gotten a few vintage lamps from there.

Mrs Quins Charity Shop, 5 Upper William St Limerick
Again, lovely staff and interesting music :) This one is worth popping into as they get cool vintage pieces every now and then and always have a little section for clearance items.  I once found a deep gray metallic 80's fishtail prom dress for 7 euros!

Irish Cancer Society, 34 William St Limerick
The layout in here is interesting but at the checkout counter there is a jewellery display case.  The glass is seriously scratched so you could easily overlook it but I have often found lovey vintage brooches and rings or necklace pendants here.

SVP Fashion, 2 Limerick Lane, Little Catherine St
New since this year, the layout in this one is fantastic and spacious.  All the clothes are presented nicely and plenty of mirrors to check yourself out if your trying something.  You get really good quality brands and the shop is arranged like a real shop, you almost forget it's second hand :)

Oxfam, 57 William St Limerick
Nice and spacious too, the clothes are easy to look at as the shop is well organised.  I like Oxfam for winter coats and dresses.  I found a great wool cape there... vintage (irish made)... I love the weight of a quality coat! They are also good for books here and the ladies who work there are lovey.  I got my wedding dress from an Oxfam but that's a story for another time.

Tips for second-hand/charity shopping

- Tuesday is the best day - New stock
- Take your time, you need to dig to find treasure!
- Give to your local charity shop, they sometimes give you better prices for when you buy from them.
- Get to know the ladies working there as they might pull something out of the stock room for you if your looking for something or put something aside for you.
- After Christmas/ New Years is the best time of year as people often give away gifts they that didn't suite them, high street shops might donate left overs and people do closet clear-outs for the new year.
- Buying second-hand clothes is a great way to start if you want to modify your own clothes or try your hand at sewing as it won't cost the earth if you make a mistake and you can find large amounts of fabrics to turn into something else.
- Great for dress up parties and craft materials! We recently built a tepee in the back garden and the cheap sheets came from charity shops.

If you have found a great shop, let me know! Happy shopping! :)