Boroondara's op shops are a trove of bargains for those with an eye for quality or a taste for quirky. We're encouraging you to get to know them on our Op Shop Trail.
Alongside familiar big names like the Salvos and Vinnies, smaller opportunity shops serve our communities in unique ways. They're also bringing the concept of op shops to a new generation.
At the Ashy in Ashburton you'll find homewares, knick-knacks and carefully ordered racks of good-quality clothes. Staff have a policy of stocking only what they would wear themselves or give to a friend. You might pick up a Trent Nathan suit like the one pictured above, or a well-cut '70s leather jacket made in Australia.
The Ashy is immersed in its local community. It opened in 1962 as the Golden Opportunity Shop and proceeds go towards aged care services at nearby Samarinda. It's staffed by volunteers who value that sense of community and the chance to give back. Some have worked there more than 12 years.
Ann and Annelies co-manage the shop and insist 'everything has a story'. If staff know an item's history or unique features they'll highlight it on the sales tag - whether it's an '80s designer blouse or bric a brac from the 1920s.
'Things have meaning,' Annelies says. 'Local people bring things in from their relatives and want their treasured possessions to be looked after and respected and valued. We look after them and use them as best we can.'
At Yours Now Mine in Balwyn North, everything from cushions to candelabras, doilies to debutante dresses pass through the doors. It's another decades-old example of the circular economy that takes place across Boroondara's 22 op shops.
Manager Betty is proud of her shop's role in saving their stock from being thrown out. 'All the goods we've sold over 25 years... would've been dumped,' she points out.
Customers range from textiles students seeking cheap and unique fabrics they can repurpose, to Saturday-morning panic buyers looking for a fancy-dress outfit for the night ahead.
The shop is staffed by volunteers from as far away as Eltham, and proceeds support San Carlo Homes for the Aged.
A second life cuts waste...
There's more to op shopping than picking up a bargain. Giving a pre-loved item a new life reduces how much waste goes to landfill.
Australians buy on average almost 15 kg or 56 items of clothing every year and most of it ends up in landfill. We have now overtaken the United States as the world's biggest consumer of clothes, shoes and bags per capita, according to research from the Australia Institute.
...and raises money for charity
Your op-shop buys help fund a variety of causes. Local non-profit op shops support everything from animal welfare to children with special needs, fair trade and people living with multiple sclerosis.
Take the tour
In November we're inviting you to take your own self-guided tour around our local op shops. It's a unique way to find hidden gems while supporting a sustainable future.
