Debra

Staff seem incapable of doing basic arithmetic. I. e: buy something costing £1.25 & hand over £5.25. Expected change £4 actual change given back £3.75. To compound the mater further the person did actually use the till in shop. Cause I wonder if the banks hired people like this b4 they went bust

Debra, a charity shop working for a good cause, is an unusual addition to the Argyle St scene, but it has lasted well during the recession.
While one section sells good quality furniture, the other sells clothes. It’s worth peeking your head in whenever you’re in town because some gorgeous high street dresses turn up, and occasionally they get a vintage dontation of high quality clothing.
They have a media section which includes CDs, older vinyl and it’s probably one of the few charity shops that appears to have VHS. I don’t know if that’s changed recently but last itme I was in they had a few videos. Makes me miss the crackling images when you rewind a tape.
You can never complain about a charity shop — bargains and good causes equal happiness for all!

The two DEBRA charity shops on Argyle Street can really only be described as like wandering into a warehouse by accident. Yes, I know it’s for a great cause, and yes, I know they don’t have a huge budget — but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they have to be so grubby.
If you want to save yourself a lot of time and effort, don’t go poking about their clothes section looking for some kind of vintage miracle find (because there aren’t any). Instead head straight for the furniture and book sections — or even the VHS section if you still have such a thing as a video player!
The book and «media» sections (as far as I can tell it just contains the aforementioned VHSs) aren’t bad. Lots of variety and all at rock bottom prices. I was a little disappointed with the furniture section though — as far as I could tell it seemed to contain a whole lot of very sad looking sofas costing £100 or more. To be honest, they were so dirty that I wouldn’t have gone anywhere near them even if they were selling them off at a tenner.
So yes, it is a great cause — but if you’re looking for something that you might actually want to buy, I’d stay away.

When I moved flat recently, I gave a few of my old bits and bobs to Debra, mainly some little toys and bric-​à-​brac I no longer had any room for.
I was quite chuffed to go in a few days later to see it all gone. Either my stuff was in high demand or they chucked it out. I hope it was the former.
Apart from that, it seems to concentrate mainly on selling old furniture and household goods rather than the clothes that dominate most other charity shops. It’s not exactly Manhattan loft apartment chic, but it’s for a good cause so give it a shot.

Debra is a charity which aims to support people in the UK with a skin condition called Epidermolysis Bullosa. If you’re like me and you’ve never heard of it then take a look at their website for some more information.
Bang in the middle of shopping hot spot Argyle Street, it’s split between two shopping units only a couple of doors away from each other. Both of them are relatively large and stock your usual array of clothes, CDs, electrical goods and furniture.
The size of the units can make their shops look quite empty and lifeless. It takes frequent visits rather than rummaging through rails of t-​shirts to find a bargain.
Unlike local charity shops, its central location means that you won’t tend to find good vintage clothes and bric a brac, however, their choice of good quality sofas, cabinets and tables are definitely worth a look.

This big dusty old charity shop doesn’t have much in the way of stylish clothing, unless you’re after some retro Logo gear or perhaps a grubby old Fruit Of The Loom jumper?
However, it’s definitely worth a look at their shelves piled high with a great variety of books and retro magazines that are at bargain basement prices and there is bound to be something of interest for everyone.
Better yet is the huge furniture section that is hidden away upstairs, including some really decent sofas for about £50 and a collection of quirky wooden dining chairs that would bring a bit of character to your kitchen table.
This shop is definitely worth a little look inside, to see beyond the dusty rails of retro clothing to the hidden gems of literature and furniture.

This Debra is split between two shops on Argyle street, a shop apart. One covers solely furniture, the other furniture, clothing and bric a brac.
The furniture one stocks the occasional gem, but both fail in that they feel distinctly unclean — which contrary to popular belief, is not necessarily a usual feature of a charity shop!
Not my favourite charity shop, but I can’t help from popping in from time to time.