Saturday 30 August 2008

I love love love...




The thing i love love love about op shops is that while you shop, gather and hunt! any littlies that you have with you have an absolute ball playing with toys and books and bags and gadgets and ..... its like Christmas to them. There is also no one shhhing the kids and so they have their own little treasure hunt within reason of course. Without this distraction i doubt i would have been luckY enough to spot the treasures that i now have. Bought as a reward for playing nicely and packing up quietly. St. Vinnies -Williamstown

Thursday 28 August 2008

Mozart junior!

My daughter Lily has just started playing the piano my partner and I found this red cushioned chair for her that fits nicely under a piano that was given us earlier this year. Its taken a while but we finally found this piece at the Salvo's in Abbotsford. It also opens from the top to store music or whatever in. Please forgive the floors we plan on getting floor boards by Summer this year i hope.

seattle challenge - week 8, 9, 10, 11 & 12


Ok, so this is how we actually got to Seattle. Five op shop suitcases (plus one that we already had, not shown here). The most expensive one was the olive-green case in the top left of the photo - $12 from Salvation Army, St Kilda. A friend picked it up for me and when he first joked that it was $50 I would happily have believed him. It's a huge suitcase, lots of pockets, good inbuilt wheels. Our only anxiety was that they may previously have been used by drug smugglers ...

Tuesday 26 August 2008

Going to the Head ... Office, that is.

I think we've all noticed prices in op shops rising in recent years and this is understandable, to a certain extent, with now paid staffing, rising utility costs, rent, etc, forcing charities to up their prices to meet their over-heads and running costs.
But one particular op shop I haunt has raised it prices quite high in the past 18 months, since paid staff were introduced.
I don't mind paying that bit extra for something in good condition, a genuine collectable, a complete set of something, a complete kid's game or the like, but this shop had become very unrealistic with it's prices and we noticed stock sitting there for 6 months, or longer, simply because of the unreasonable price tags.
I looked up the phone number for the charity's head office and, in a friendly manner, explained what I had noticed at the shop.
The woman understood what I was saying immediately and thanked me several times, stating that if I hadn't brought it to their attention they'd have never known.
Sometimes the charity isn't involved in the day-to-day running of the op shop and things can easily be missed or communications to shop managers can be misunderstood.
Sometimes just a phone call might sort out a mess.

Wednesday 20 August 2008

Great finds

Thought i's share this little winner, picked up at the Bargain Browser warehouse shop, on Sunshine Rd Tottenham, Melb. I hit it early this morning, they have the pick of the crop, I think, then send the rest to outlying stores. Previously got a pair of MiCam ankle boots, perfect condition for $10, and a 100% wool Country Road roll neck knitted dress for $12, so glam and warm! Today I found these great sheets Queen size set. I am going to make my daughter a set of sheets for summer- currently she has vintage Sesame Street summer sheets, always need another pair. Anything left over will become bags, toys, clothes, anything really. What a steal at $4!.

Check out http://beccasauras.blogspot.com/ for more vintage and op shop bargains, and the things they become! Would love comments, too. See ya.

Saturday 16 August 2008

Buying a bike is easy but riding is not so!



Hey, my name’s Elisa! This is my First ever blog on I Op therefore I am! My own blog site is http://elisasnowfallsonfridays.blogspot.com/ which a little Hobby of mine or just a place to display the whimsical things I create in my spare time. I love using second hand objects in my creations.
I like to think of myself as a collector of objects that relate nothing to each other except the fact that they are owned by me.

The first object I’d like to share with you is an object I went looking for. It’s my Purple bike (recently named the purple people eater). I thought that I would be able to ride to Uni during summer since I don’t live far away from it however I didn’t count on the fact I can’t really ride a bike well. Plus it’s to cold to walk let alone ride a bike anywhere!

It was $95 but I haggled it down to $85 at my local cash converters! Still I love it and I feel pretty pimp when sitting on it! it has a very kitchy look to it and i love the colour!
Thanks, for reading my post! I will try to post at least monthly!
Elisa

Friday 15 August 2008

A new shop

Hi, everyone

I am happy to be able to share some news with you all, fellow treasure hunters. Vinnies head office and Warehouse shop has moved to 99 Dohertys Rd, Altona, off Grieve Pde. Very easy to get to. Beautiful new store, lots and lots of books. It opened last week and this was my second visit today, they have been very busy and a good turnover of stock. Here are just a few finds.

A gorgeous pillow case, for 50c.
A ?single sheet, in cotton, for $2
And the best find, 2 curtains, quite narrow but long, with backing fabric for $2 each. I also found another single sheet for $2. Plenty of books, and my little one was entertain by the toys section. Lots of couches and tables in the shop today.
Better go and prepare my fabrics for their next use!
Cheers.

Wednesday 13 August 2008

king of the garage

The next Blackburn North Lions Club Garage sale is on this Saturday from 8am to around 1pm. It’s at 1st Vermont Scout Hall (near the corner of Mitcham and Canterbury Road, Vermont).

Tuesday 12 August 2008

Unexpected Vintage Fabric Loveliness

I have visited the Brotherhood of St Laurence shop at Deer Park a few times. It's clean, well-organised and has a really good variety of stuff. However, previous visits have always left me empty handed - nothing really ever took my fancy. The drought ended this morning though when my youngest and I popped in as we were in the area.

I always head straight for the back of the shop where they have a good range of Manchester and instantly found a delightful vintage green floral single flat sheet ($2). I dug through the pillow case bin and came away with a very sweet vintage-y lavender floral case ($1) - actually, I remember having this exact same pillow case as a 5 year old, more than 2 decades ago (!).

Then I wandered to the curtain area, already very happy with what I had picked up. But then I spotted IT and under my breath squealed with delight. Behold:



Love, love, love it! And there was pair of them for $2 each. I'm going to unpick all that stitching and use that lovely print for softies, cushions, bags, etc. Ahhh . . . doesn't it feel good when you find hidden treasures so unexpectedly!

Monday 11 August 2008

I love mondays...

Usually on a monday afternoon, I have a tiny bit of time to myself... no hubby... no kids... just myself and my op shops! It's my therapy for the week.

Some mondays I come home weighed down with a mountain of goodies. Other days I return empty handed. Either way, I love my monday afternoons.

Because it's only an hour or two I tend to stick to my local op shops in Sunbury. Today's finds were at Vinnies.

Firstly I was looking for some reading material. I felt in the mood to tackle a biography of some kind... lots of searching through the shelf labelled BIOGRAPHIES (gotta love an organised op shop) and I came up with this book. I wouldn't really have classed it as a biography, but it looks interesting none-the-less. Goodbye $2

a stitch in time

And then at the counter, just as I was leaving... I spotted this adorable little purse. $1 and it will make my daughter's day.

bead purse

Cute Lamp


Cute lamp
Originally uploaded by mildlycrafty
I love a lamp that advertises it's cuteness and it's purpose.

In case you can't read it, the writing on it says "Cute Table Light"

$12 from the Salvation Army op-shop in Mt Waverley.

Wednesday 6 August 2008

new to the group

Hello Everyone...

This is my first post with this fabulous group, although I have been stalking you for a few weeks now! Well, maybe lurking would be a better description than stalking.

I grew up in a family where one does not op. In fact, opping was actively discouraged. Of course I rebelled, and discovered the joy of second hand stores.

Recently I have dedicated myself to crafting ONLY with recycled and reclaimed materials. It has been such a challenge, and I am loving the one-of-a-kind items which I create. You can check out my blog if you'd like to see what I get up to. Anyhow, it means that I spend lots of time opping for craft materials, jumpers to unravel or felt, bed linen to strip into rags... all manner of goodies!

I also collect vintage suitcases... just for fun

My latest purchases were from the Riddells Creek op shop...

this fabulous case, purchase for $4

red suitcase (closed)

red suitcase (tag)

red suitcase (lining)


and this teaspoon thingy... can anyone help me with the proper name for it? Anyway, I have been wanting one for ages... so although the price was a bit steep, I shelled out the 20 cents and took it home with me!

teaspoon open




Sunday 3 August 2008

Dualit Toaster


Toaster
Originally uploaded by mildlycrafty
Look what I found, a $500 toaster (no I'm not kidding, they are really that expensive) for $12 at the Mt Waverley Lions Club op-shop.

I was a bit sus when I saw it, who gets rid of an expensive item like that if it still works? They let me plug it in in the shop and it seemed to be working OK but when I got it home I saw that one element wasn't working. I got it replaced yesterday and it cost $74 which is kind of expensive but these toasters are supposed to last a lifetime.

And yes, it makes great toast :)