Hardbrücke CARITAS kleider

If money was absolutely no issue, then Hardbrücke CARITAS would be my favourite thrift haunt of all.
 

circa mid-May 2014

Unfortunately, money is an issue for me, so that distinction must go to 'cheap' CARITAS, where I can get amazing mileage out of my CHF's! 

This CARITAS has the same opening hours as the Birmensdorferstrasse shops except that it doesn't close for lunch, and it's open later on Saturdays ('til 17:00).

Last week, I went to Hardbrücke CARITAS at opening (10:00). I was there early, and there wasn't another soul in sight. At ten, when it opened, I was still the only person in there (it was a Thursday morning), and by 10:15 a gang of older ladies set upon the shop together. But in terms of competition, at that time in the morning there was virtually none!

27 May 2014

Nice displays, always

Check the drawers for gloves, hats and scarves! And bras, apparently (that might have been misfiled!)

Shoes can be overpriced. Women's shoes are also amongst the men's shoes below the cash desk (27 May 2014)

Aww poo, the black and white pants were sold. Shoulda bought 'em!

I like that! :) I don't have to feel rushed or uncomfortable - I can take my time and consider each item carefully.

That said, I passed on a pair of black and white easy pants that I rather wish I had purchased. Maybe I shop better with a little pressure. 

from earlier this year (circa February 2014)

Softest leather driving gloves....27 May 2014

Well, it will be a good test - I will bet that they'll be gone if I return there tomorrow. It'll give me an idea of the rate of turnover, anyway. I know the Heilsarmee just a few doors up the street is very highly frequented. But I rather get the impression that Hardbrücke CARITAS doesn't get as many 'besuchers'... Is it because Hardbrücke CARITAS is difficult to find?

It's not all that hard once you see a map. I made the mistake of assuming the alphabetical arches were located near Dammweg (nope!).
 

There are stairs up to the overhead walkway near to Bogen C, where CARITAS is. This is the view looking NE, at the biggest eyesore in the city (curse you, belching industrial waste tower! You and your plume of pollution ruin all my city shots from Waid!)

After that one fateful wild goose chase, I made sure to map it before I set out. Bogen "A" to "F" are at the end of Geroldstrasse (the road the Heilsarmee is on), and to the right, tucked in behind the Yonex Badminton Halle. It's in an arch under the viaduct, towards the rail tracks.

Head towards the arches!

They even put out a sandwich board sign with an arrow!

Bogen A - Bogen F! And look at that signage - they even stuck one on the mailboxes!

You found it!

CARITAS is where the green star is - the other marker is for the Heilsarmee shop

It's quite close to Heilsarmee (also marked on the map - red droplet), so I can't imagine why it would get less traffic from the kleider crowd: the prices are competitive to that of the Heilsarmee, the opening times are similar (both are closed on Mondays), and CARITAS is open half an hour later on weekdays (18:30) and a full hour on Saturdays (17:00).   

Well, whatever the reason for the relative peace and calm, I'm grateful for it - provided CARITAS is getting enough business to pay its rent, of course!

Nice selection of men's wear! If only my partner enjoyed shopping...!

Stuff for knirps in the back.

Here are the Pros, Cons and Strategies - I briefy reviewed Hardbrücke CARITAS already, so read both posts if you're wanting to be sure you've got all the info!

PROS:

• Probably the best looking secondhand store I've ever seen - airy, open, chic
• Has a change room (nicely situated under the stairs to avoid peeking perverts! I hate that this has to be a consideration! What is with this city?!)
• Takes cards as well as cash
• Staff seem unbelievably nice here! Maybe it's a great place to work?!
• Less chaotic than Birmensdorferstr. CARITAS's (fewer shoppers)
• Conveniently located near the Heilsarmee and Hardbrücke Bahnhof, as well as Bogen 33 and a couple of other used retro furniture havens. Im Viadukt area very pleasant to stroll and shop in
• Doesn't close for lunch
• Open slightly later than the Heilsarmee (18:30 on weekdays, 17:00 on Saturdays)
• Great selection of women's and men's clothing, ranging from very casual to quite formal (get your vintage Dior here!)
• Impressive selection of accessories, particularly silk scarves
• Has baby and young children's clothing (in the back)... while I'm not a baby person myself, I would think that used clothing on rapidly growing and constantly puking and pooping bodies would make perfect financial sense!   

CONS:

• Only one changing room (though it's less busy than other CARITAS stores)
• Closed on Mondays
• Prices a little higher than the combination of 'cheap' and 'expensive' CARITAS on Birmensdorferstr. (again, it's the low and mid-range items that are more costly; the upper-end is probably very similar in price)
• Great selection of blazers, but I found they were quite pricey here - maybe having Ernst & Young and the Prime Tower there means that they can charge more for office wear? Specially tailored pricing?
• Shoes are priced similarly to 'expensive' CARITAS - designer names cost a lot, even when the shoes are in very poor condition 
• 3 item maximum in the change room at once. Last time I cheated, sort of, by hanging my prospective purchases on the curtain rail and only bringing 'in' one item at a time. Items I didn't want I moved to the other end of the curtain rail, so they weren't 'inside' the change room with me. A bit cheeky, but no one complained. And I wouldn't have done this if there were others waiting to use the room (don't be that person!)

STRATEGIES:

• Check the drawers of the vintage furniture (which is also for sale) for the scarves and fabulous accessories (leather driving gloves, sunglasses, etc.) 
• Make sure you hit up the Heilsarmee, too, for a 1-2 knockout thrift punch!
• You could go with a friend on a morning and have a relaxing lunch at one of the very cute bistros of Im Viadukt... or swing by Escher-Wyss-Platz Kebap shop if you're short on time (note that they are a cash-only operation!). The British Cheese Shop at the far end of Im Viadukt (Markthalle) is a great place for cheese (obviously) and tasty treats, including Brit and International export beers
• There is a free bathroom in the Markthalle of Im Viadukt, though it's a bit of a walk from CARITAS
• If you're on your way out of town to somewhere like Dietikon (the Fahrweid Brockiland, perhaps?), then this is an easy and relatively quick stopover - just hop out at Hardbrücke and hop right back on the next train when you're done! Just a few block's walk in total.

It really is a cool area, full of vintage furniture shops like this new one - WALTER

Follow the ascending archway numbers to the end to reach the Markthalle (nice!).

Really should've take the time to do a proper photo op with those umbrellas! Very cool!

Last week there was a crib (!) full of bathing suits and bikinis, with each 'piece' selling for 5 Fr. Seemed a good deal, if you don't mind used bathing suits (I think I might, however).

Hardbrücke CARITAS also consistently sells bath robes / dressing gowns. And judging by the labels and the selection, I'm wondering if they're not new items that are part of a CARITAS social enterprise. Been tempted by those more than once - they are located near the change room, towards the back of the store.

That's it - not much else to tell you! I really like this place - I almost always find something, and when I don't, I enjoyed the browsing! Such a nice boutique-like store!

Enjoy, and support this CARITAS! I want it to stay where it is! :)

TiZ