Once considered the domain of grannies searching for a crocheted hankie, op shops have become a haven for hipsters, fashionistas, avid recyclers and bargain hunters, including Prime Minister Tony Abbott, as revealed by his wife on the weekend.
Mrs Abbott was launching National Op Shop Week, and to celebrate we asked some of Australia’s most passionate op-shop bloggers for their top tips for finding treasure, and their best ever buys.
1. Spend time searching
Can’t be bothered flicking through the crammed racks in your local op shop? Then it’s unlikely you’re going to walk away with luxury designer goods for less than $50, like Laura Timberlake, editor of Melbourne-based second-hand fashion blog A Little Boutique Near Home
Stamina separates those who leave their local op shop disappointed after a quick peek, to those who can rattle off a list of their best buys quicker than family birthdays.
“Make sure that you look through the stores thoroughly,” Laura advises.
“The most amazing finds are usually discovered unexpectedly, and often at the bottom of a pile!
“My friends seem to think that I walk into a store and find five amazing pieces at first glance, but you need to visit several stores to strike gold.”
Best find: Gucci handbag for $30 from Salvos in St Kilda.
2. Keep going back
“Chances are you won’t find that vintage chair on your first visit but you might once you get to know which stores carry the best furniture and you keep checking in without the expectation of finding anything,” says blogger Claudia Stephenson, from Peep My Styles
Claudia, who spends her time away from her day job as a relationship therapist trawling op shops along Sydney’s northern beaches, says the thrill of op shopping is the unexpected gems.
“That’s the joy of it for me, [you] don’t expect to find anything then [are] pleasantly surprised when you do see that Hermes porcelain ashtray peeking out from amongst the coffee mugs.”
Best find: A Hollywood regency style gold dining table base for $80.
3. Don’t just stick to your gender or age
Op shop staff have a lot of stock to sort through and not a lot of time, so clothes can end up in odd places. A thorough treasure hunt should involve searching all sections of a charity shop – children’s wear, men’s, women’s, and all sizes.
“Look through the men’s section if you are a woman and vice versa – often clothes haven’t been sorted properly and you can find items that others have overlooked,” according to Jessica Rae and Jenny Jiang from Melbourne Op Shop Tours.
Best find: Helping a tour member find a set of dining room bentwood chairs for less than the price of a new single chair.
4. Look for quality
Just because you are buying second-hand, doesn’t mean you have to skimp on quality.
Amelia de Bie, who documents her op-shop passion at I Op Therefore I Am, suggests the feel and look of fabric will let you know if a piece, which may not suit you in its current form, can be transformed into something fabulous.
“If it’s great quality then you can do something with it; if the fabric is awful, it doesn’t matter how well it fits,” she says.
Best buy: Pale blue full-length vintage woollen coat by British luxury brand Aquascutum, from Salvos in St Kilda.
5. Think ahead
Grab a bargain when you see it! Great buys won’t hang around for long and every keen op shopper knows the heartbreak of thinking they’ll go back for something only to find it has been snapped up by another eagle-eyed treasure-seeker.
Strike when you can and think ahead to the next season, saysVicky Witherlock, from I Love to Op Shop
“If you see a pair of beautiful leather boots but it’s the middle of summer, buy them for winter – they won’t be there when the weather cools,” she says.
“The same applies with children’s wear. I buy up to two sizes larger for my boys and store until they fit.”
Vicky’s other tips include, inspecting an item in good light to check for any marks and talking to the shop’s staff and volunteers who are usually happy to keep an eye out for any particular items you are hunting for, or check stock that is not on display…
This article is from the SMH, you can read the full article here: