Hello everyone! I'm a long time follower but this is my first post to this blog. I am a huge op shopping fan, currently residing in the lovely capital. If you'd like to check out my op shop finds over the last few months, the best place to go is my blog:
.Simply Me. I only started blogging a few months ago, and to date most of my posts are about op shopping in Canberra and Perth! Otherwise, from now on I will also be posting some of my finds on here.
My friend and I decided to go on an op shopping roadtrip to Goulburn last weekend- perfect timing as Monday was a public holiday in the ACT but not NSW. Here are the shops we visited, and some reviews:
Australian Red Cross Clothing Shop
146 Auburn Street. Goulburn
Don’t bother with this place. They try to be “upmarket” and have prices to match, but not the goods. I saw several ‘Expression’ (Kmart brand) products with prices ranging from $15-$20. They were probably cheaper new! I didn’t see anything worthwhile, nothing retro/vintage, and the prices are sorely inflated. For example, $13 for a used straw beach hat (no brand name). In a town with so much competition, I’m not sure how this place survives. The only shop where neither of us bought a thing!
Big Heart (Mission Australia) Op Shop
Shop 2, 148-158 Sloane Street. Goulburn
This was my favourite oppy – so cheap and such amazing retro crockery. They charge by the kilo for clothing ($5 per kilo)- my friend found an amazing vintage skirt and it cost her... wait for it.... 70 cents! Crockery was priced between 50c and $5, and books are 5 for $2.
Salvation Army — Red Shield Family Store
123 Auburn Street, Goulburn
This place is reasonably priced with sale racks up the front (vintage blouses for $1 when I was there). They have a large range of crockery and bric a brac, which unfortunately is mostly unpriced. You are at the mercy of the staff member who makes up a price on the spot, which I find a bit frustrating. Definitely worth a look see and on the whole the prices are good.
Smith Family Store
Ellesmere Street, Goulburn
This place had the best retro/vintage stock of everywhere we visited. I picked up my stunning 80s dress for a vintage ball there for $12, marked down from $25. They have a really large range of clothing, with less bric a brac. Clothing prices range from $2 - $10, with vintage items up to $25.
St Vincent De Paul — Vinnie’s Centre
Central Arcade (opp. Post Office), Auburn St, Goulburn
Friendly staff and standard prices, mostly ranging from $3-$10 for clothing. They didn’t have much crockery or bric a brac in stock on my visit, it was mostly clothes.
Trish’s Trash & Treasure
1 Fenwick Cres, Goulburn (entry from Bradley St)
From the outside, we expected this place to house mostly furniture but inside we were surprised and amazed at the treasures it holds. Plenty of crockery, a lot of it dusty and dirty and you need to sort through it all to find the gems... but find the gems we did! The prices are very reasonable – my tea set (tea/coffee pot, 4 mugs, sugar) was $5. The prices varied though- I was surprised to see that a vintage Willow tray in very poor condition was $20. My friend picked up some hand painted pie dishes for $2 apiece.
And now (drumroll please....) for the day's finds:
Handpainted baking dishes, $2 each. Lemon water jug, $1. Tea set + potholder, $5.
Coffee set (pots, mugs & sugar holder) $5, Tasmanian pottery teabag holder $2.
Mushroom jar $2, strange pottery piece 50c.
Pyrex 50c! Arcopal France bowl, 50c.
Vintage bag $3, Johnson Australia Pottery bowl 50c.
Hens party / wedding gag g-strings, 50c each.
Yellow stripe water jug $1, Op shopping bag {>>
Lambada leather tote, $10
Unusual felt & knitted framed picture, $3
Vintage orange skirt, 70c!
The most spectacular find of the day is yet to be posted, it's an amazing 80's dress that I'll be wearing to a vintage ball very soon... I will post photos after the event in my blog!
