Shopfront: Francis Street, Dublin's antique strip, has a new shop. Oxfam Home is an offshoot of the charity chain which sells second-hand furniture rather than clothes.
This is the first Oxfam Home in the Republic. If you visit, don't expect plush goods. Brown Thomas it isn't. However, if you have a tight budget and don't mind if something needs a lick of paint or a bit of refurbishment, you could do worse. Those starting a home might find something they can work with and prices are cheap - €180 will buy you a basic kitchen table with six chairs (in need of sanding and a coat of varnish), €120 gets you four wicker chairs (new cushions a must), €200 is the price of a cream couch (needs to be cleaned).
There are also bits and pieces like crockery and china. An elegant glass lily vase costs €15. We suspect that the occasional visit could yield some surprises - for example, a 1970s-style record player as big as a sideboard is wonderfully kitsch.
Oxfam Home also sells reconditioned computers, which means they've added a new mouse, keyboard and speakers to old PCs (ditto laptops). The most expensive costs €499 and the cheapest €249 (Pentium 2 processor and 64 Mb RAM). Those with something to donate should call the shop, which will organise a van to call and look at the piece of furniture. If it's in reasonable condition (this isn't a rubbish collection service), Oxfam Home will take it.
Oxfam Home, Francis Street. Tel 01-4020555
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