This weekend has been brilliant on the flea market shopping side ... by noon on Saturday I'd managed to visit three garage sales, and around half a dozen op shops ... all well away from my usual haunts.
If you think it was tiring ... you're absolutely right. If you think it was fun ... you are definitely on the right tack.
Did I get some good things .... I'm not so sure although I'm really happy with the size of my knitting pattern stash now. Plenty of goodies to share on Friday, and a special crochet treat for Lara when I see her on Thursday.
And I now have two second hand sheets I'm setting aside to back quilts ... I picked up the green and white stripe yesterday for $2.
Here's the thing though ... I've trawled through op shops since the 1980s and I'm getting more and more disappointed with what I find ... and especially the prices.
Vinnies and the Salvos are no longer op shops ... when I go in there they look like some upmarket boutique and they seem to have been well picked over by the vintage stores or whoever before the donations make it to the stores.
The independents and the Lions op shops seem to be among the last of the shops (that I come across anyway) that resemble the op shops of 30 years ago ... and even then the prices sometimes make me gulp; yesterday I saw a plain water jug I wanted but the price was $10. I could buy it new for that!
What is your experience with stores? Do you have any favourite stores (eg Lions ... no addresses necessary) and what are the prices like in your area? And what sort of things are you looking for and finding ... maybe I'm just looking for the wrong things in the wrong stores?
12 comments:
Oh lucky me - thanks for thinking of me Susan! I'm not a highly successful op shopper - I think that I came into the game fairly late in the piece, and in my locality there are some very practiced op shoppers who always seem to get the good stuff first! I do fairly well for patterns at Savers in Shepparton when I'm up there visiting, but that's about it. I'm with you on the small local stores though - I think that they are the best ones. Mum works in a church op shop once a month and I'm usually quite astounded at how low the prices are there.
Definitely agree with you Susan. Salvos, Vinnies and especially Savers, they are like a business.
I love little old op shops like the uniting church, treasure trove, basically any church op shops.
some things you question the price when it is for example an item of clothing from target, selling at $7 or $8, seriously!
I like to shop at opshops because of the thrill of the hunt & also because I feel bad buying brand new clothes especially for little ones that grow out of them so quickly.
My faves are definitely the church op shops that are run by old grannies. They're the only ones that still have great prices. Country op shops are usually great too. The further away from Melbourne, usually the better they are.
I agree - charity shops here in the UK are definitely going the same way. They're all very stylised, sell a mixture of new and donated items and sometimes the prices are insultingly high. Sometimes you can get a great bargain but you have to be prepared to look hard for it!!
Garage sales are definitely better than thrift stores for bargains, but they're more work, too. I might stop at 10 with nothing I want for every "good" one I find.
Don't get me started on the demise of the good old timey op shop.
My friendly local church oppy is getting a bit pricey, but there I don't mind, as the people are so friendly and it's a great charity.You can see where the money goes as there is a drop in centre next door for those who need a free lunch and a bit of assistence.
In the Big chain store op shops you feel you are just paying the CEO and all the staffs wages, and only a tiny amount actually trickles down to charity.
3 garage sales, you lucky duck! I have to agree sadly that op shops are no longer what they used to be. I find around here it's the indepandants & church oppies that are pricey, our vinnies & salvos are not too bad. Nice sheets by the way...
Yes the "chain-store" oppies are getting a bit out of hand in some ways. I love the ones that support local charities because you can see first-hand where the money is going.
I have lamented on this very fact too! AND particularly because when I was in high school I lived in a more rural town and it was op shop heaven, not sure what it is like these days but I completely agree, I went to a Salvos last week and saw a jacket for $35. It made me a bit sad, and I mean I can afford it but it's sad for people who can't, op shops aren't as cheap as they used to be!
Its funny how so many oppies are upping their prices, I feel in my little country town, I like to support the community though, as I have seen a few close down of late. My favourite place to shop, is our local tip shop, its just fabulous. Great finds this week. Thanks so much for playing.
Sophie x
Yes! Totally agree too!
We have a good little one here run by Save the Children. Other than that it's the usual ones, Lifeline, Salvos, Footprints etc and they are all run as businesses as far as I can tell without much charity going on!
Yes you're spot on about the demise of op shops! It's disgraceful! Have you seen what they throw away? It's criminal what they send to the tip! I still occasionally adore the hunt despite the frustration of waste, ridiculous prices and unscrupulous management!
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