How to… op shop like a (semi) professional!

My vintage and op shopping tips! Or – How to Op-Shop Like a Semi-Pro!

Ye Olde 2nd Hand Store.

Trawling through old clothes and knick nacks for hours on end in the search of the holy grail is fraught with obstacles and perils. Have you ever wondered why some people you know are constantly showing up with amazing “new” old clothes & jewelry and you can’t seem to find anything but moth eaten sweaters & bad 90’s art?

A little background on myself here: I used to be 100% obsessed with op-shopping (Thrifting for overseas viewers!). It was my 2nd job. While I was at my real job, I would be researching lists of all the 2nd hand stores in Perth, sometimes beyond, in preparation for my assaults.

I would compile lists of where I was going after work, where I was going on the weekend & where would statistically hold the best treasures in terms of either “being in a good suburb”, “being in a bad suburb so no one would have picked through already” & “multiple stores within small distances”.

At my peak I was bringing home bags full of amazing pieces that I still wear Today (many have also been re-donated) & receiving many, many compliments on my ever evolving wardrobe. Along with this I was also hearing a lot of complaints from friends & strangers that they never had any success & that I was “very lucky”.

One of my completely 2nd hand outfits, my Mother absolutely hated it. But I was an indie girl in love.

There is luck involved, of course. Even the best op-shopper isn’t going to find anything at a store if there is nothing to find.

However, the time & effort I dedicated to the art far outweighed the instances of luck. I was a machine!

Today I will help you up your ratio of “Totally sweet!” versus “Not so neat!” with my tried and true methods.

Without further ado, here are my fool proof tips on “Op Shopping like a Semi-Pro”:

1. Eat breakfast & Snack! – Think of op-shopping as a sport. You need energy to reach your goals and sustain you through the long day. Make sure you have a good breakfast!

Toast with honey, a banana & a cup of herbal tea or juice is what I would choose, but it’s up to you, just make sure it’s nutritious & filling!

As for snacks, I like to take an apple, sultanas (Farmland are my favourite hehe – they are the best sultana brand hands down!) a chocolate bar etc. It’s better to bring your own snack, that way you don’t get distracted by eating somewhere else and can focus on the task at hand! ;D

2. Wear suitable clothing & make-up – There’s nothing worse when you’re shopping than having on clothes that are annoying to take off and put back on all the time. Save the cute tights, lace up shoes, multi-layers & full face of makeup for another occasion. An op-shopping day calls for simple pony tail with little to no makeup. You don’t want it to end up all over the clothes!

Clothes wise your best bet is a simple skirt or easy to remove jeans (this means no spray on skinnies!) on the bottom. On warm days I’d wear a singlet or slip dress, cold days a hoodie (make sure it’s a zip up though, non zip hoodies are a pain to remove and put on continuously).

This can honestly be the difference between success and failure. Not many people can be bothered taking off and putting on difficult clothing a lot of times. Simplicity is key here as you want to be trying on as many potential pieces as possible.

3. Leave your bag/purse in the car. This obviously only applies if you drove to the location. I find it helpful in that you have both hands free to look at and carry items. My bag always gets in the way or ends up being too heavy after a period of time which makes me grumpy. I just keep my iPod in my pocket with my keys & when I am ready to purchase my items I get the assistant to hold them while I race out to get my purse. I find this really useful!

4. Listen to music – I have found this the single most helpful tool in staying focussed through a long day of trawling. I too am only human;) and when faced with a gigantic store full of racks – I get the urge to get out of there as quickly as possible. The thought of going through it all COMPLETELY overwhelms me. Listening to music is the key to this problem.

Make a big playlist of your favourite tunes on your iPod/discman/whatever, put it on shuffle & then get sifting! I guarantee you will have more success. You have your mind on the music while you look, so going through hundreds of unsuitable items doesn’t seem like a chore. BINGO!

5. Try the childrens section – TREASURE TROVE! Children come in all shapes and sizes and so do their second hand clothes! Most of us would benefit from a quick browse around the kiddies section. Cute retro tees, tight school blazers (Think Gossip Girl style) & other good things can be found here, I’ve even come across really cute skirts that the old dears working there thought were childrens but were womens sizing! Definitely worth a look.

6. Outer suburbs are a gold-mine – Young trendy things don’t often venture out into the “sticks” or outermost suburbs, this means that there is much more chance of finding a hidden gem! I’ve had success with small towns out of the city, lower class & outer suburbs. Don’t be put off by distance or perceived notions about a location, there are fabulous finds waiting for you!

7. Know your stores – This last tip is perhaps a little subjective and should be taken with a grain of salt. Some op-shops sell “new” clothing, along with recycled. I am not really interested in these, while they are wonderful for people who don’t have so much money, I find some stores have an overabundance of these “new” clothing pieces. Because of this I tend to steer clear of them, there is one such chain in Australia which does this & I don’t shop there often. I’m not sure if I should say! I’m sure you can figure it out on your travels!

Well those are my 7 tips for optimal vintage & second hand clothes shopping! I hope you learned some things you didn’t know, and wish you luck on your ultimate vintage shopping quest…:D Let me know if you have any hints, tips or extras on this fun topic! xx

Further reading: List of op shops in Perth by suburb. Put your new skills to good use!

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