When Oxfam's first charity shop opened in Oxford's Broad Street in 1948, it was called the Famine Relief Gift Shop and it sent donated clothes to those left in poverty by the Second World War.

Sixty years on, the store is one of 730 Oxfam shops nationwide, which together raise a staggering £500m a year for the world's poorest and most needy people.

But Broad Street retains its flagship status.

Manager Jan Tansley said: "From 1997-2007 alone, the Broad Street shop raised £1,000,000, and myself and all the staff are thrilled to be part of that success.

"This is a very special shop - it's where it all started and absolutely everything we have here makes money for people in need."

The success of the Broad Street shop began with a man called Joe Mitty, Oxfam's first employee, who arrived in 1949 and began a revolution in charity retailing. He realised that donations from the public - books, crockery, paintings and so on - could be sold in a professional looking shop.

His imaginative sales technique led him to sell a houseboat, a donkey tethered outside the shop with a For Sale sign around its neck, a diamond ring (which he was told he could sell if he could get it off the donor's finger), an orchard of pick-your-own apples - and even a field of dig-your-own Christmas trees.

Sadly, Mr Mitty died last year, but the Broad Street store continues to go from strength-to-strength.

Ms Tansley said: "This is a lovely shop, with fantastic stock over four floors.

"Charity shops at one time may have been seen as a little downmarket, but now they're the opposite - they're trendy even and Broad Street is a perfect example of that.

"When the fashion for vintage and retro clothes happened, our clothing sales went through the roof.

"People come here knowing they can often pick up designer clothes that may have sold for hundreds of pounds for a fraction of that, but it isn't just clothing treasures we get - we had a necklace donated to us that we sold for around £1,000, while a 12-inch LP by the band Folkal Point made £1,300 last year."

Everything donated to the Broad Street store makes money in some way.

Even clothes too damaged to sell are sold as stuffing for car seats. And as well as used goods, the store also sells Fairtrade merchandise - everything from chocolate and coffee to sweets and shopping bags.

Mrs Tansley started with Oxfam as a volunteer almost 20 years ago.

She said: "An advert came on the television about a disaster. At the time I didn't have money to give, but I did have time and a shop opened in Buckingham where I lived, so I volunteered."

"When the position of manager came up here I was daunted. This was Broad Street, the flagship store.

"But I'm so glad I came. I have seen it grow and evolve and I work with so many great volunteers of all different nationalities, aged between 14 and 82, all getting enormous satisfaction from what we do."

My chat with Mrs Tansley is constantly interrupted by phone calls and people dropping off donations.

A woman asks of she can bring in a giant painting.

"Fantastic!", says Jan.

Another man says "Sorry" as he leans in and drops off a bag of clothing.

"Don't be sorry", Jan tells him,"thank you for your kind donation."

She added: "The best thing about Oxfam shops is that everything we have does some good, whether it is sold in the shop, sold online or even just sold on to be recycled.

"Every penny goes into helping people and that's what we'll be doing for the next 60 years."

The store will celebrate its 60th birthday with a day-long party next Saturday, May 31, from 11am-4pm.

For more information, call 01865 241333, and to volunteer or donate, go to www.oxfam.org.uk