Zara for Dh10, Mango for Dh15

A Zara dress for Dh10? Yes, that is the price you would pay for other branded dresses as well at the city's second-hand stores that are fast becoming a favourite hunting ground for many Shoppers bag amazing bargains at thrift and second-hand shops in Dubai as they look at ways to curb spending

DUBAI: "I once bought a Barbara Bui silk and velvet top for Dh5!" says Rose Fernandes. "It should have cost me approximately Dh7,000 to Dh10,000! And people wonder why I rummage through thrift stores. There are hidden treasures to be discovered!"

Her friend, Manuella, says, "One man's trash is another's treasure. I often find dresses, skirts and trousers from Motivi, Mango and Zara for Dh10 or Dh15. The clothes are in really good condition, as if they've been worn just once or twice."

Hanane Younes, operations and facilities supervisor at the Dubai Charity Centre (run by the Dubai Centre for Special Needs), the city's largest and most popular second-hand store, says their Karama shop is always packed. "Everything is sold at a fraction of its original cost, and only good quality products are sold," she says.

If the increasing numbers of shoppers are anything to go by, more people are choosing to make their fashion and household purchases from second-hand stores than ever before.

As people look for ways to curb spending, buying second or pre-loved items isn't the taboo it once used to be. In fact, the city's thrift, charity and second-hand shops are all the rage.

Younes says their thrift store in Karama does better business than ever before. "Although our primary aim is to generate profits for our special needs centre, we love being eco-friendly by recycling clothes and household items as well as giving the less fortunate the same advantages as the fortunate."

A walk through the store reveals amazing bargains. With men's suits being sold for as little as Dh20, children's clothes for Dh5, and everything else from books, shoes, toys and household items being sold for Dh5, going up to a maximum of Dh20, the store is a shopper's delight.

"I've just picked up a Vivaldi CD for my husband, an Aerosmith CD for me, a beautiful blanket for our baby, some soft toys, six white pots for our plants, a Zara shirt for my husband and a pink leather handbag for me, all for Dh75!" says Filipina Rosalinn Ruiz, a personal assistant in Dubai.

"If you look hard, you'll find a gem hidden amongst the stacks," says Bleese, who bought an original Gucci bag for under Dh300, at over 95 per cent off its original price.