Hove YMCA

From the outside the tattered YMCA sign does not exactly draw you towards this particular outlet, but really the YMCA’s don’t have the money to deck out their fronts with chrome fittings and hard wood interiors, so that’s cool…
Inside it’s a bit of a treasure trove (of not that amazing treasure) so, maybe it’d be better just to call it a trove.
I bought a decent but not by any means beautiful or fashionable book case from here and to be honest it’s done me fine and at £10 it was well worth it. Lots of tat, but also a gem once in a while, so I recommend having a look here, as well as in Emmeaus and Shabitat etc…

I’m the kind of person that gets excited about secondhand shopping, disproportionately excited, some might say. I don’t know what it is, but I just love the thought of finding a great wardrobe or bedside table for next to nothing. And in my defence, I have found some wonderful stuff in my time! The smaller Hove YMCA has yielded all sorts to me and my friends… great mahogany dressers and wardrobes and even a sofa and an arm chair! There was a period of about a year or so when I found a great 1930s piece of furniture practically every time I went in! I was expecting this on a grander scale from the main shop on Blatchington Rd. Oh, the disappointment…
Now I know charity shops are hit and miss and that often the search for great furniture can be disheartening, but what I found at this shop was pretty uninspiring. Call me crazy, but I don’t want to fill my house with MDF furniture and 70s old lady coffee tables! If you do, head on down to Hove YMCA– you’re in for a treat!
As Joseph J. points out this place would be perfect if you’re looking to cheaply deck out a student house or need a temporary fix. It’s very inexpensive too, meaning that if you do happen upon a gem, you’ll get an absolute bargain to boot! This store is much larger than the London Rd shop and they stock clothing as well as furniture.

I cannot express the sad pleasure it gives me to review a branch of the Hove YMCA that’s actually in Hove. And for crying out loud, there are actually three of the blighters down Hove way.
This is, I’d say, the biggest of the three I’ve seen. It’s nothing fancy, but it serves its purpose well. When you enter a charity shop, you don’t expect to see any wondrous interior design, or Next Top Model sales assistants and if you’re not expecting this, you won’t be disappointed. (If you are, please stop watching home makeover shows and Living TV and get out more!)
My expectations were suitably low and to be honest they weren’t particularly elevated, which can sometimes happen. The store is large and has a decent selection of furniture, radios, TVs and various other used gizmos. The focus is more on larger products than the knick knacks you find in smaller charity/​second-​hand stores, but that makes sense, being as the proprietors are making the best use of this large unit.
If you’re looking for cheap furniture for student housing or something short term, then you’re all good in the hood. Just don’t expect anything phenomenal.