There are at least 3 good reasons to bring your good but excess clothes, footwear, dishes, books, and other things to Otrā Elpa, and also good reasons to shop here. Firstly, you take care of nature by saving the materials and not creating extra waste by throwing away things. Secondly, you give other people the chance to buy something nice and still usable for much cheaper — and you save your money if buying something you need. And thirdly, you help realize different charity projects. Otrā Elpa charity shops donate all the earned money and support various projects for those who need it most – organ donors, animal shelters, senior organisations, and many others who need help and financial support.

Established in 2009, today there are 3 Otrā elpa charity shops in Riga. I usualy go to the one on Stabu street – it is a good chance not only to donate good things I do not need anymore but also buy a book or pair of plates I will be using for a long time for a very reasonable price. All donated things are sorted very strictly before getting onto the shelves of the shop, so only clean, unbroken, and tidy things are sorted and displayed.

There is a big sale (discount up to 50%) on the very last day of the month, so it is a great chance to get something nice for a tiny amount of money. Some of the books are even available for free.