Beauty & Style Op shops

[KardiniaPark]

The old birds in those 'jobs' at op shops have some misplaced cattiness. It's no different to working anywhere else; these women have a hierarchy, won't let the new girl do the sorting job, they all bitch and complain about the way someone put the coat hangers facing left not right in one rack... you overhear it and it's something else.

That's because they are mostly women and women are bitches.

 

[Perth gal]

That's because they are mostly women and women are bitches.

This is actually true.

 

[GreyCrow]

The old birds in those 'jobs' at op shops have some misplaced cattiness. It's no different to working anywhere else; these women have a hierarchy, won't let the new girl do the sorting job, they all bitch and complain about the way someone put the coat hangers facing left not right in one rack... you overhear it and it's something else.

I know somebody younger than 30 who is the coat hanger nazi

 

[little graham]

That's because they are mostly women and women are bitches.

And they're bored.

 

[La Dispute]

Our local Salvos is fantastic - heaps of good clothing, very cheap. The area is relatively middle-upper class so genuinely nice stuff too.

Would never shop at Savers after having had mates who worked there. Really shitty working conditions (sweatshop-like out the back and you'll sit in one little section sorting clothes for 4 or 5 hours at a time) and horrible pay; IIRC correctly she was getting $14 an hour as a 21 year-old. Given how pricy that joint is, that's pretty shitty.

 

[GreyCrow]

Our local Salvos is fantastic - heaps of good clothing, very cheap. The area is relatively middle-upper class so genuinely nice stuff too.

Would never shop at Savers after having had mates who worked there. Really shitty working conditions (sweatshop-like out the back and you'll sit in one little section sorting clothes for 4 or 5 hours at a time) and horrible pay; IIRC correctly she was getting $14 an hour as a 21 year-old. Given how pricy that joint is, that's pretty shitty.

Salvos use WFD people. There will be 12 people rustling through clothes just to look busy

 

[little graham]

. There will be 12 people rustling through clothes just to look busy

They do that cause they think you're a thief. They're hoping their presence discourages you. They have to appear to be doing something.

 

[La Dispute]

Salvos use WFD people. There will be 12 people rustling through clothes just to look busy

What are WFD people?

I actually find the best aspect of op-shops are the book sections. I recall earlier last year I went down for a peruse and somebody (a psych or just a dilettante) dropped a heap of psychology books off. Ended up picking up 5 or 6 for $10.

Not an op-shop per se, but the second-hand bookshop in Daylesford has to be one of the most extensive and best value for money places I've stumbled across. Their PD section is 10 shelves high and they've got heaps of books on spirituality, psych, sociology, history and a heap of other cool stuff. I'll have to make another trip down soon.

 

[GreyCrow]

What are WFD people?.

Work for Dole

 

[bradrowe#32]

I actually find the best aspect of op-shops are the book sections. I recall earlier last year I went down for a peruse and somebody (a psych or just a dilettante) dropped a heap of psychology books off. Ended up picking up 5 or 6 for $10.

Absolutely agree with this. Since moving from the country to the city about a year ago, I've basically built half my book library from op shops. We've checked out nearly every op shop south of Perth CBD and found some great books that I didn't want to pay full price for; Paul Auster, J.M. Coetzee, Alan Hollinghurst, plus all the classsics (Joseph Heller, Kurt Vonnegut, Murakami etc.) and discovered some great authors like Richard Ford and Aravind Adiga. Recently I got 40 books for about $80.

Problem is you have to weed through the dozens of Stephen King, Bryce Courtney, Tim Winton (I don't mind, I got his whole catalogue for about $20) or Danielle Steele, but the searching is half the fun. It's also a good day out with the old girl as she goes off to find clothes. Most of the op shops are clustered together so you basically drive for 10 minutes to a different suburb to find the next cluster.

 

[Cruyff14]

Silent Alarm Savers on Sydney Road has some decent things in there.

 

[Brad Goodman]

The thought of wearing second-hand clothes grosses me out a touch.

 

[little graham]

The thought of wearing second-hand clothes grosses me out a touch.

funny thing is, knickers and jocks are bit pricey at op shops.

 

[Silent Alarm]

funny thing is, knickers and jocks are bit pricey at op shops.

I cannot believe people buy this shit, but just as bad are the people who think donating it is a good thing to do... or stocking them is!

 

[PoppedCorn]

not to burst her bubble, how did she know it was real? ive given fake bags acquired to the mrs before unbeknownst it was or wasnt real

Seeing as she has a real Gucci and a real Louis and the fact she knows it was real camel skin inside and the way the stitching was yadda yadda etc....its pretty easy for her to know fakes

 

[Brad Goodman]

I cannot believe people buy this shit, but just as bad are the people who think donating it is a good thing to do... or stocking them is!

Fetishists I imagine...

 

[Scotland]

I wonder how much of the op shop market has been taken by the likes of K-Mart.

When I was a kid I seem to remember that a t-shirt from a surf shop might be $30 and K-Mart would have a $15-20 equivalent. These days it's more like $40 and $4. K-Mart just seems to sell cheaper and cheaper shit. When a store is selling new stuff for $5 and under that makes it hard for an op shop to compete.

 

[Jobe Watson]

I cannot believe people buy this shit, but just as bad are the people who think donating it is a good thing to do... or stocking them is!

 

[little graham]

I cannot believe people buy this shit, but just as bad are the people who think donating it is a good thing to do... or stocking them is!

Once upon a time you had to steal knickers from clothes lines. Now you just walk in and buy them for a couple of bucks. if you asked a female what she preferred? Donating them or having a creep in her yard trying to steal them? What do you think she would say?

 

[rocker_oz33]

Lol pilko.

 

[Silent Alarm]

Fetishists I imagine...

Surely half the thrill is the fact the previous owner was the cute chick next door, not an anonymous taxi driver?

 

[The Lemon]

Surely half the thrill is the fact the previous owner was the cute chick next door, not an anonymous taxi driver?

meh, i'll take whatever

 

[the fly]

Don't they have vending machines for that in Japan?

 

[The Lemon]

Don't they have vending machines for that in Japan?

They have a vending machine for everything over there.

 

[Twoslabs]

I used to do community days at op shops through my work.

Worked at a large one of Chapel Street and holy cow the stuff that was upstairs was INSANE.

Being a record collector I offered to help sort out the vinyl and basically came across the history of Aus/NZ punk and indie alternative in one room.

I'm talking stuff like Birthday Party/ Models split 7", Thought Criminals and all the early Go Betweens stuff, all first pressing, apparently it was for a "charity auction" though I thought sure ........