FAQs..

What are your opening times & days?

We open the shop for individual shop days each month. Usually 4 in total, with every second Sunday being our favourite interval. We also scatter in some week days too. All shop days are announced here on the site & on both instagram & facebook, so make sure to follow along for up to date information.

Do you accept dontations?

Yes. We will save anything and everything we can from going to landfill. All you need to do is send photos to our shop WhatsApp 087 4218612 & we will have a look. Then we will book a drop off slot for you at the shop in Carnew.

Do you buy items?

Yes. All you need to do is send photos to our shop WhatsApp 087 4218612 & we will have a look. If the items suit, then we will give you a price & book a drop off slot for you at the shop in Carnew. Please note that you have to be clear if you are selling items as opposed to just trying to keep stuff out of landfill. We have very different criteria for what we accept for free vs what we buy. Items brought to the shop for sale without an appointment will not be accepted.

Are you a charity shop?

No. Think of us like an antique shop but way cheaper. We are a traditional ‘for profit’ business

Are you affiliated with any charities?

No.

Why do people donate items to you then?

People drop items off at the shop for a few reasons.

1. Firstly.. Discarding household contents in Ireland costs money, big money. Whether its a couple of hundred euro per skip or wheelie bin lift charges, it all adds up quick. If you’ve a house to empty before sale, or after someone passes it can be time consuming and really expensive. Giving these items away saves people a whole lot of money. Simple as that!

2. There is a massive emotional attachment to the items belonging to a persons parents or loved one. Because of this, items can be kept indefinitely because no option available in Ireland seems respectful enough for these things. Sure recycling is good for the planet, but throwing your mammy’s wedding invitations in the paper recycling bin at the local civic amenity site just doesn’t seem right. Our shop genuinely celebrates the nostalgia & sentimentality us Irish have for our family’s things. Maggie adores every item that comes in, she loves the stories that go along with them. There is a respect and warmth for peoples treasures, their whole lives of belongings that makes people feel like the items are finally getting the send off they deserve. This matters.

3. The customers that come into the shop are regular people who grew up in Ireland over the last century. From granny’s remembering how they used the old cast iron pots to cook, to mammys reminiscing on their days working in Arklow Pottery together (sure didnt it employ the whole country back then) to teenagers grabbing cheap craft materials to experiment & make, they run the gamut of ages. But beneath it all there is a common thread, one of love. And it’s that, that makes people comfortable with our shop taking in their precious family things.

Wouldn’t it be better for people to just donate these items to charity?

In an ideal world sure! But in Ireland right now charity shops can be very expensive, items they receive for free, especially old things can be sold for eye watering prices. This has put a lot of people off. So the love we once had for them has faded a bit. They don’t encourage movement of used items & to be fair, that’s not their job. Their job is to make money for their affiliated cause & they are free to choose their prices. Just like us! We like people to be able to afford our items, our main priority is movement, keep stuff out of the dump & show the world how special even the littlest things our elderly generation owned can be.

We’ve also noticed that a lot of charity shops are turning away old items. Things like brown furniture, household items, things that aren’t perfect. Most charity shops don’t want these. Right now, we are the last port of call between the charity shop and landfill but soon we will be the first name on everyones lips when they’re figuring out what to do with unwanted stuff. ‘Maybe Maggie will take them?’ - you’re all going to be saying (& I probably will xx)