Louis Vuitton shoes, live birds among interesting finds at Singapore's Salvation Army

The Salvation Army has long been a go-to place for Singaporeans to donate as well as shop for pre-loved belongings.

Currently, The Salvation Army has a total of 7 donation booths across Singapore, where people can drop-off their used items such as household wares, furniture, electronic devices, clothing, books and toys, among others.

But it is a little-known fact that some of these donated items are also highly valuable – from branded goods such as a pair of vintage Louis Vuitton pumps, to expensive Fender guitars.

When valuable items like these turn up, they are taken to a staff member for authentication and evaluation based on their experience as well as online information on the items.

Donations that are in good condition typically find their way into thrift shops or are donated to third-world countries. Meanwhile, about 10 per cent of donations that are in bad condition end up being recycled.

The proceeds from items sold at the thrift shops, as well as via the buy-and-sell Carousell app, go to go towards supporting the overall mission of The Salvation Army.

During a recent visit to The Salvation Army’s Tanglin Mega Family Store at Tanglin Road, Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore trawled through their donation booths and thrift shop to suss out the most interesting finds.

Art collectibles

The Salvation Army receives a fair share of paintings and household goods. The thrift shops sell artworks that retail from as low as $30 to as high as $8,000.

Electronic devices

Want to pick up a (second-hand) smartphone for under $100? The Salvation Army thrift shops sell a variety of electronic devices in good working condition at prices much lower than regular retail prices. Some of them even look as good as new.

Antiques

Valuable antiques donated to The Salvation Army range from antique clocks to porcelain vases, and telescopes to gramophones. Surprisingly, they’re mostly well-preserved and would definitely appeal to any antique collector. Take for example this antique sewing machine that is several decades old and still going strong.

Musical instruments

Guitars, violins, keyboards – The Salvation Army has them all. If you’re lucky, you might strike gold and find the likes of a Fender electric guitar there – one even turned up at their store a few weeks ago.

Want to try your hand at Chinese orchestra? The Salvation Army thrift shop also sells traditional musical instruments like the Chinese guzheng and pipa.

Sports equipment

Bicycles, scooters and gym equipment are common sights at The Salvation Army donation booths and thrift shops.

Branded shoes

Once in a while, there’s a even chance you might hit the jackpot with such valuable finds as this pair of Louis Vuitton shoes that was spotted at a donation booths. The Salvation Army staff also told Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore that they had recently sold a pair of Salvatore Ferragamo shoes a few days earlier.

Besides luxury brands, The Salvation Army does receive a lot of donated shoes that feature an extensive variety of well-known brands such as Adidas, Nike, Crocs, Hush Puppies and Timberland.

Cocktail dresses and evening gowns

Since many people end up wearing their specially-bought cocktail dresses or evening gowns only to a single event, some of these clothes end up being donated to The Salvation Army. Got an event coming? Why not pick up a nice dress priced from $50 to $100 at The Salvation Army thrift shop.

Household appliances

The Salvation Army thrift shop we visited has an entire room set aside for household appliances, which are still in working condition. Rice cookers, steamboats, speakers and television sets are just some of the goods available. Indeed, some of them are brand new and come complete with their box.

Pets

These two lovebirds above are currently the resident pets at The Salvation Army’s Tanglin office after they were donated by their owner. They live in a quaint little garden within the premises where they are surrounded by sculptures and statues that were also donated.

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