Op-shopping (charity or thrift shopping for lovers outside of Oz) is a favourite activity of mine and to be completely obnoxious, I'm pretty good at it. It's taken years to perfect - it was strongly encouraged at an early age by mother and grandmother. Back then, op-shopping was a fun day out and an excellent way to fuel my and my sister's elaborate dressing up games. I continue to love it for lots of reasons: it's cheap and enables my ridiculous addiction to clothing. Plus, considering the amount of textiles that end up in landfill, I'm doing my part for the environment.
Not everyone has the same love for op-shops. I get it. Often when people ask me where I get certain clothes and I tell them the 'Salvos' or 'St Vinnies' the response is always the same: 'You find the best stuff in op-shops! I can never find anything'.
My answer is; Yes and No. Yes, I find good stuff. But there is stuff for everyone. It's not just for the hipsters. The more I've thought about, the more I realised I have a bit of a system that I use when I go op-shopping and am now sharing with you.
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| It's all about attitude |
1. Open your mind. Op shops generally don't have visual merchandisers employed to spruce up their window displays. From experience, I know it's a few retired ladies who pick the prettiest, most sparkly dresses to zhoosh things up a bit. They'll add a sparkly bag and sparkly shoes, but it's probably not to most people's taste and straight out of the 80s (which is perfect if you're going to a fancy dress party). LOOK BEYOND THE SPARKLES! There is many a buried treasure amongst the unwanted bling.
2. Prepare to dig. It would be misleading of me to say that I usually walk into an op-shop, spot a high end item and walk out five minutes later. Whilst that does happen sometimes, more often than not, I spend hours (no exaggeration) sorting through the racks. Don't limit yourself to size, colour, age or even gender. Again from experience, the biddies sorting through donations can't always tell that a pair of skinny jeans are women's, not children's. Also, some op-shops organise by colour, not size, so you have to look long and hard to find your size. This is the FUN part though. When you do stumble upon a gem, it's so worth the wait.
3. Check quality and condition. There's a lot of junk out there and people have a tendency to believe that they are being generous donating goods that probably belong in the bin. Yes, that's harsh - and op-shops are very grateful for continued donations, but if something belongs in the bin why would anyone pay money for it? Having said that, it's crazy what good quality stuff people throw out! (and I won't hold it against you if you've put clothes with tags still on in the charity bin - I've done it). If you're unsure of the brand or the tag is missing, check the care instructions tag. It's not just how to take care of the garment, but the fabric of the item. Most common would be polyester, but the real scores are wool, silk, viscose, silk blend and cotton. Check for general wear and tear - are they repairable? Also, faded colour - this might be cool on something vintage, but probably not great for cheapie throw-aways. Spend time doing this - I have items that I purchased years ago that have lasted longer than newbies.
4. Use your imagination. Clothes take on the life you give them (omg, how corny), so it's important that you don't limit yourself to what's in fashion. For a start, up-to-the-moment items are unlikely to be donated en masse - a few fashion cycles have passed before they made it to the charity bin. That doesn't mean that there isn't potential for items to be on trend - it's up to you to combine what's in your current rotation with pre-loved finds. Sometimes, a cool print might catch your eye, but the shape is all wrong - can it be cut up a bit and put back together in a different way? Even if it doesn't work out, it probably only cost a few dollars and your time. You might end up with a true covetable original.
5. Do some research. This completely contradicts point four, but it will help if you flip through a few fashion sites to put you in the right frame of mind. You won't find the exact items from InStyle, BUT you will get a sense of colours in season and basic styles. Crochet, for example, is very boho and oh so chic. Op-shops are filled with the stuff. Warm up your imagination and inspiration, and you're likely to find more. On that note...
6. Don't just buy anything. It would be easy to fall into the excited trap of finding heaps and walking out with 100 items, of which you'll only wear five ('but I only spent twenty bucks!'). The same logic of walking into David Jones is required for walking into an op-shop. BE THRIFTY. If you find brand names, make sure they fit you and look good. Don't buy clothes for the sake of it, or because you thought it was expensive once. These clothes will hang in your wardrobe forever and probably put you off op-shopping again because you never wear them.
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| OMG, I love your top! |
7. Plan ahead. By this, I don't mean write a list of things you want or expect to find at an op shop. BUT, make a plan to maximise your ideal shopping time and op-shop exposure. Usually, I dedicate at least half a day to op-shopping. I won't settle for just one shop, I'll squeeze in several and map out the location. For example, if I know I'll be in a certain area, I will look up op-shops close by. Most suburbs have at least two op-shops, such as well known shops like Goodwill and probably a random church, only open from 11 to 3 and usually the most stinky (they aren't set up like the chain charity stores. Hold your breath, they're still worth it). The more shops you visit, the more lucrative your overall shopping experience will be.
8. Go with a friend. A friend who preferably shares an interest and is prepared to commit the time necessary. There is nothing worse than taking a friend op-shopping who wanders around aimlessly then claims to be bored. I have friends like this (I love them anyway) but they aren't allowed to come op-shopping with me. Take someone fun, dress up together and enjoy. It's also useful for doubling your eyes for treasure you might miss.
9. Give back. Recycled. Pre-loved. Secondhand. All part of the same beautiful cycle. Op-shopping is so great for trying different styles. If you get sick of something, give it away and try again. And be ruthless with your clothes culling. Clothes you haven't worn in ages are just taking up space for new finds. Drop off a bag at Save the Children then wander in and have a squiz. It's the circle of life.
Finally...
10. DON'T HAGGLE. At the end of the day, op-shops are still charity shops. They are raising money that goes back into the community and supports people in need. Sure, a used Target top might not be worth ten bucks, but you don't have buy it. They don't need the money that badly, nor the indignity of privileged people haggling volunteers to take a few dollars off (not that I am accusing you lovely readers, I've just seen it happen and it ain't nice). Feel good that you made a contribution. And if you're lucky, you scored some super sweet threads to show off.
So, Happy Op-shopping! Let us know what you find - we all love a bargain story!
E x
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| It's out there people, waiting for you to find it... |
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