Four Tips To Make The Most Of Op Shopping

Op shops, especially those in upscale neighbourhoods, are a great source of inexpensive clothes and household goods. Here are four tips to make your next op shopping experience go more smoothly and help you find a better haul.

If you put in the time, op shops are a goldmine of unique and high-end items, but those great finds take some work. Here’s how to make sifting through stuff easier.

• Bring a big bag to hold the items you’re interested in. Many op and secondhand stores don’t bother with things like baskets and carts, and you don’t want to try to balance a pile of stuff in your arms while you browse.
• Wear tighter fitting clothes to make it easier to try things on over what you’re wearing. Some stores have limited fitting rooms, or don’t have them at all, so being able to slip a dress or sweater over what you’re already wearing is a huge help. A skirt or closely fitting shorts make trying on pants easier. Wear shoes that are easy to slip on and off.
• Check the tag carefully since thrift stores often get huge donations from people cleaning out their (or a loved one’s) closets. The clothes could be from a different era when sizing was different, or from a different country where sizes aren’t the same those in Australia, and then there are vanity sizes and other brand considerations to think about.
• Make a “maybe” pile to go through before you hit the register. Keep anything that catches your eye so that you don’t lose out on it if someone else grabs it. Having a maybe pile also helps you resolve similar items since you look at everything together, and can also help you stay in budget.

These tips make your op shopping trip more productive, so you spend more time looking for things you love and less time dealing with some of the difficulties of op shops. For more tips, check out the video above.

14 Top Thrifting Tips [Annika Victoria (YouTube) ]