I have failed to mention that I am an op shopper by trade.
It is a way of life.
I am not exclusively op shop, as I do allow myself the occasional brand new item, but I cannot remember the last time I bought something at full price and not on special, and therefore consider myself an exceptional bargain hunter.
Now that I have recovered from that massive oversight of my personality, I will tell you about my weekend adventures!
I have a favourite op shop. The first time I set foot inside, I stood gaping, wide eyed at the rows upon rows of clothes as far as my short-sighted eyes could see. I was overwhelmed and didn't know what to do or where to start and so I pinched myself, believing I had died and found myself in my perfect idea of heaven.
The op shop is Savers at Noarlunga. And yes, I regularly make the trek to fill up on Saver-y goodness with its deliciously categorised clothing (sleeveless, short sleeved, shirts, shorts, skirts, pants, jeans) and lovingly sorted by size. Delightful. With my mum in tow, we descended upon Savers with a fervour only true bargain hunters can muster. As she hadn't been before, I had a few words of advice before we got there:
- Eat first. We need to keep our energy up. We are in it for the long haul and this cannot be done on an empty stomach. (My mum made some awesome poached eggs with salmon, hollandaise sauce and spinach on English Muffins to keep us energised.)
- Get a trolley. The little ones are easier to manuever.
- Grab everything you even remotely like, throw it in your trolley and decide when you try it on. This is because there is seriously so much stock that you will probably not "go back" to an item you liked, so grab it now.
When it comes to op shopping, I have a bit of a method. I am very picky about what brands I buy - why buy a cheap item that you could get in the shop, new, for $5 or $10? Therefore, I stick to brands that are relatively expensive new. Occasionally, something will catch my eye that is cheap but I try to avoid it. This helps me cut out a lot of items, stops the rows and rows of clothes or shoes from being so daunting and I can move at quite a quick pace.
So, how did I go today? I had a couple of self-imposed rules today especially as I was with my mum and didn't want to be there for 4 hours (...which has happened...more than once...). The rules were:
- No pants
- No skirts
- No black/grey/beige
I looked in my wardrobe recently as I was sad and wanted to wear something colourful to make me feel happy and I found very little that was colourful which made me even sadder. I need some colour, I thought.
Here we go:
Total: $49.95
Here we go:
 |
| Mink Pink dress, $12.99 Note: has pockets! |
 |
| Rockmans blue vest, $3.99 |
 |
| Unknown brand, tartan winter shift dress, $5.99 Note: has pockets! |
 |
| Temt knitted top, $5.99 Note: This is a shitty brand, but I liked it so I succumbed. |
 |
| Miss Shop top with bow detail, $5.99 |
 |
| Portmans black bolero, $9.99 |
 |
| Portmans orange top with bow detail, $4.99 Note: brand new with tags |
Total: $49.95
Thank you, thank you. Bows to the rousing applause of her adoring fans.
I read this and it feels as though the words have come from my own brain. The first time I set foot in Savers at Noarlunga a sales guy asked me if I was ok because I was standing in the entrance with my hand over my mouth for so long. Such awe, such thriftiness - it's a bargain hunter's Mecca.
ReplyDeleteAlso I have the dress version of the Miss Shop bow top. Bought from Savers Noarlunga. $12. Seriously kick arse.
I believe it may have even been you that said to me one day that you were appalled and astounded that an op shopper had not been to Savers, and so I made my way there and fell in love.
DeleteThank for the happy times I have spent there, Jess!