Bizarre Bazaar! This cramped flea market is in the heart of…read morethe shopping district of Chapel Street in Melbourne. It's tucked into a strip shopping center, but this store goes on and on and on! The store is made up of various vendors' booths, each independently run, each with different themes or types of vintage and collectible items. The shops run from antique records, to vintage clothing to old posters. There's some strange stuff in here, but a lot of what you'd expect to find at a flea market. If you're getting dressed up for a costume party, or are just a hipster, this is a good place to go. When you enter, you are required to leave any bags at the door, and then allowed to wander the store. Many of the items weren't priced properly, leaving you to guess at the prices. Most of the booths were unmanned, so if you need to get a closer look at something behind glass, or inquire on the price, you're outta luck. One booth had a very overzealous merchant who kept trying to haggle with me over items that I had zero interest in. The bazaar is rather cramped, as you'd expect a bazaar to be. I felt nervous that I was going to break some priceless artifact the entire time!

Where can you have a retail experience and history lesson at the same time? You guessed it. Right…read morehere at Chapel Street Bazaar. This large second hand shop on Chapel Street is the site of many lost hours. Hours spent rummaging through countless area's filled with all manner of things. The space is segregated into over 70 market type stalls for you to get your forage on! You can expect retro furnishings, toys from your childhood, huge cult classic movie posters, funky retro fashions and vintage home ware and jewelery but you will mostly find what you don't expect. For a second hand goods Chapel Street Bazaar is over priced, but it needs to be or the stock would rush out the door and the huge space would be empty, and we can't have that. Don't worry though, its still good value! This place defines the term treasure trove. Get there and see what you can find!

One of the last "True" Op Shops that I have discovered is tucked away at the foot of the Dandenongs…read morein Upper Fern Tree Gully. While the suburb itself really doesn't have anything "Upper" to offer, this little gem still holds the old values of the good old-fashioned op shops. You wont find uppity staff, overpriced clothes or other tragedies here. Most of the clothing is under $10, and the range is pretty good. They have a large range of homewares aswell, and these are all affordable and, depending on the donations of course, in good nick. Even if you don't find anything worth picking up, PWP is a good example of what op shopping used to be like before they were all plundered and turned into "Recycled Boutiques".

Excellent op shop. I've never managed to leave without finding something special I have to get…read more Best prices, best shop.

The prices are sky high and I'm not even sure where the money goes from sales and what it's used…read morefor The staff are all friendly but it's a small shop with no sorting with the clothes etc BRING CASH THEY DONT TAKE ANY EFTPOS!

I am so happy that I have a good second hand store close by…read more Although I usually head further in to do most of my vintage shopping I always make time to stop by Yours, Now Mine and check out the wide range of accessories, home décor and memento. It doesn't suffer from the over-expensive second hand fever that is sweeping our beloved stores (ahem Brunswick Street), and every time I pick up something and have a look at the price I don't have to immediately put it down and walk away with my head hung. There are always some great retro vases or platters in the window that hark back to a time where lurid orange and brown were chic and big belt buckles were king. Even if I don't end up buying anything, a short trip here is an instant pick me up. The atmosphere is fun, the sales assistants are friendly and the products are very kitsch.

I live in a "little old lady" style house with bright green tiles, wispy white curtains and a…read moredoorbell loud enough to make your hair curly. I love the retro look and feel and so naturally a great proportion of my furniture could be filed under the "little old lady" category. Hence my frequent visits to the Lost and Found Market. Here you will find everything from 1950s mirrors to big, boofy prom dresses to Ken Done place mats and coasters. The Lost and Found Market has everything. I go at least once a month to see what is new (they have rotating stalls) even when I am not looking for anything specific. While I admire their furniture the most (think stunning 70s Danish furniture) it is not something I believe I will ever be able to afford *sobs* but damn is it nice to look at. While they do have an extensive clothing section, I personally believe the Lost and Found Market excels more in the bric-a-brac and glassware areas. If you're looking to pimp your home bar, this is the place to be. They are only open on Saturdays and Sundays but the huge warehouse style means there's always something to find. You could honestly spend a good hour in here.

I like to think that this gigantic vintage store was named after the Elliott Smith song of - almost…read more- the same name. But without the subtext of misery and unrequited love. There is nothing miserable about this bona fide Brunswick vintage Mecca. For Lost & Found Market is one of the most lovable vintage stores in Melbourne, stocking an incredible range of vintage clothes, shoes, accessories, furniture, lighting and art from a characterful shop on Brunswick East's Lygon Street. I've only just discovered Lost & Found Market but it is already my favourite Melbourne vintage shop. And with good reason. Firstly, prices. I don't want to say this for fear of tempting fate - or price increases - but Lost & Found is literally bargainous. Secondly, selection. I've noticed a worrying trend for Melbourne's vintage shops to only really stock clothes from the disco and power suit eras to the detriment of the wardrobes of us Art Deco, fifties and sixties loving gals. Not Lost & Found. I walked away from Lost & Found Market with a ditty little sixties lace cocktail dress for a mere $55 and will no doubt return soon to look for more treasure. In the words of Elliott Smith 'I'm in love'.

This is a great antique centre. Like most it has several small retailers that sell their own goods…read moreat their own prices as well as the owner who has the majority. Overall this is a well stocked venue with new stock arriving several times a week and prices may not be the absolute lowest you'll find but you can be sure you're getting what you pay for (unlike some more suburban alternatives)

This is my favourite destination along Maling Road…read more What once used to be an old theatre is now bursting with antiques and knick-knacks. The space is enormous and yet every square inch has got something fascinating hanging or place there. The beautiful old decorations of the theatre and the ceiling are merely a backdrop to the treasure troves you can hunt through. There is a large collection of porcelain and china, they always have beautiful glassware, and some interesting medals and maps near the front of the store. Keep your eyes out for some great pieces of jewellery in the glass cases, and up the back there's a small collection of clothes. That's about as organized as it gets. Furniture including beautifully maintained tables, chairs and sideboards line up along the walkways and prints depicting anything from a landscape or garden to a vintage 70s woman are scattered on the walls and in piles. The owners are extremely useful when it comes to locating something. They have a mental map of the hall that is baffling, and they are always up for a chat about the origins of something that has found their way into the store.

Beautiful vintage mid-century furniture, incredible retro lamps, an unparalleled selection of…read morevintage Playboy and Esquire magazines and more, Northcote's Retro-Active is the holy grail of vintage shops. Sure, a sixties armchair will set you back a cool $1800 but for dedicated window shoppers, serious collectors and more, Retro-Active is quite possibly the best vintage boutique in Northcote. If not one of Melbourne's best. I spotted a gorgeous rosewood shelving unit at around $1100 which is a lot, but when compared to the prices at bog standard high street furniture shops, impeccable design of a good vintage like this doesn't seem all that pricey. Staff are friendly and helpful, the shop is full of great stock without feeling like a museum and Retro-Active's buyer clearly knows their stuff. All in all an incredible little spot for vintage.

An appreciation for high quality modernist design and "retro" furnishings make this store a must…read morefor avid collectors of mid century design. Its uncluttered selection allows the store to be viewed more as a comfortable gallery than retail store. High quality accessories and selective danish furniture are cleverly arranged to feel inviting and allow the visitor to visualise practical home arrangements. The store also has a high kitsch factor with a strong 60's beach blanket vibe. There are vintage Playboy magazines, records, surf and chrome wheel memorabilia, lamps and interesting crockery. A standout feature was the Lea Stein brooches. Adorable jewellery, however I have seen similar in Chapel St Bazaar for slightly less $$. The furniture pricing is relatively high but the stock is unique and of good quality. Interesting for a browse or next "investment" piece.

The Brunswick Street precinct is one of those places where hip, vintage lovers go for all their…read moreshopping needs. And hot on my list of vintage stores to visit when I'm shopping here is the iconic Hunter Gatherer. But unlike regular vintage stores, the stock for this magnificent little shop is specially handpicked from the huge assortment of fashion pieces donated to the Brotherhood of St Laurence community stores. (Read: genuine second-hand garb that has been pre-loved and is now looking for a new home) Hunter Gatherer also sells a good range of jewellery sourced from local artisans and creative types. Check out Greg Mann's clever pieces that feature antique cutlery and Gabriella Hirst's coral inspired necklaces and bangles. And while you're there, you must check out the kooky range of hats, shoes and bags. Hat lowers will especially adore the funky collection of hats and cute clutch bags made from pre-loved vintage fabrics.

I support op shops as regularly as I can by shopping for clothes. I love a bargain and I love…read morefinding a vintage gem, and if by doing so I'm also donating money to a charity then that's a huge bonus. And so it goes for Hunter Gatherer, the Brotherhood of St Laurence's retail store of handpicked vintage garments, sorted for us and neatly hung, taking the sometimes whiffy pain out of buying from op shops. The garments here are apparently the cream of the crop, and as much as I like the idea of this store, i've never found anything in it that I've liked very much. It could be that the clothes seem to only go as far back as the 70s, and that's probably my least favourite decade to wear (the 80s comes a close second, and well, I still have stuff from the 90s in my wardrobe from when I lived it). Where are all the gorgeous 40s, 50s and 60s dresses? That's what I would, and do, happily pay more for. Still, it's the BSL and we should show our support. For me though, I will do so by buying at their op shops and be my own hunter gatherer.

The Junk Company is, well... basically what it says on the sign…read more Envisage two floors quite literally piled high with everything of bygone eras that has managed to evade the tip. And by everything, I do mean everything. Slightly bedraggled couches, medicine cabinets, ceramic oddities, architect drawing boards, cement mixers - no really, everything and anything is acceptable here, as long as it's not new. Whilst you're unlikely to walk out with a total bargain, The Junk Company isn't expensive either. It's just... reasonable.

If you're into old and quirky antiques then you'll love spending time at The Junk Company…read more Everything is organised in to like items. Want an art deco light shade, then head to the left hand side. Looking for some old vinyl for your music collection? Head halfway down the back on the right. What about an antique crinkle-cut chip slicer? You'll find about 12 sticking out of some old milk bottles on one of the bookshelves. Spend any amount of time in here and you will find things you never knew you wanted or even needed. It's a great spot to find a unique gift or something great for your home.