This is heaven for an at home cook. The staff are definitely the hard sell type so watch out. You…read morejust need to tell them (and sometimes to keep telling them) that you are just looking round without providing any clues on precisely what it is you are looking for. Just a word of warning there; should you choose to come to this establishment for your culinary equipment in DFO South Wharf. Okay so it isn't as great as Victoria's Basement in Sydney's Queen Victoria Building; however there is an abundance of those quirky items you need such as spray torches and the ramekins for those creme brulees; or that particularly sharp steak knife you need to be able to cut meat precisely for; even for those all important stir fry's. If your lucky, you could also buy those much coveted cooking utensils in a cooking package here. It would be great if this establishment was a little more vogue and upmarket for what they are selling; the hard sell tactic might just disappear in tandem with the perception of being a cheap discount store; hence devaluing great cooking equipment for Melbourne. Thanks to MasterChef, overall these stores are more in vogue now; giving the supermarkets a run for their money.

Trudi's place is an unexpected find in the 'Coles Shopping Mall' in Eltham, stocking some of the…read moremore sought after NZ brands (Paula Ryan) and European (Tuzzi) brands in addition to the mopre recent influx of trendy-casual courtesy of the owners daughter joining this family business which has a very loyal long term customer base.

Another store where I can't afford anything. Sigh…read more Nique caters for men and women and has some of the most beautiful clothes I've seen on Glenferrie Road in a long time. The look is sleek and very modern with minimal colours and interesting textures. Both men's and women's wear are gorgeous and made with love and expertise. This is a brand that we should be proud of and was started here in Melbourne - no wonder it is so great! It has more of a European edge to the clothes and makes a nice contrast with some of the lighter and more casual stores along the strip. The space is really interesting - it is only small but they have worked hard to make it appear spacious, and they have succeeded. The clothes are scattered around and there are designated racks for men and women's sale items (yay!). Expect great service, a warm welcome, bold fashion and beautiful fabrics. Bliss.

Like any bad chef I always blame my tools for the outcome of a crappy, under-cooked meal. But…read morebecause of Superchef I can no longer do that... Damn them for stocking high quality products! However they have made the job of cooking a lot easier and painfree. I didn't realise you could cut onions practically tear-free if you have a good quality, sharp knife! They also stock a good variety of crockery and cooking utensils so even if you still screw-up dinner at least your guests will appreciate the lovely plate it came on.

As a part-time ninja I often find myself in the market for some cheap but good quality knives. Well…read moreSuperchef Warehouse has provided for me on many an occasion. As an added bonus their well priced steel pots can be melted down into ninja stars with relative ease. For those of you after cooking equipment for it's intended use there is a delectable range of cutlery, ceramic ware, wine glasses and every other imaginable kitchen item the average gourmand may desire in their kitchen.

The Brotherhood of St Laurence store in Brunswick East is an absolute gem of a place when moving…read morehouse or needing some replacement furniture. There you'll find an array of cheap second-hand sofas, chairs, desks, tables, fridges, microwaves, pieces of artwork and much more. If you don't have a car, they can even arrange delivery of your stuff if you live in the area. I found some amazing bar stools for $15 each, a lazyboy style chair for $25 and some cheap sofas at around $30 each. In short: it is an absolute treasure chest and you can also feel good about contributing to a well recognised charity that is working for an Australia that is free from poverty. Good luck exploring!

This is possibly my single favourite op shop in Melbourne…read more The clothes are very well laid-out by style and colour (e.g. All white t-shirts are together) although my OCD takes over occasionally and I find myself putting stuff elsewhere if I see it incorrectly stashed. The funky music always makes me smile, and there is a vintage section at the front where they have special items. They have a ton of adult clothing, some kids' stuff, books, a load of kitchenware, lots of furniture and jewellery. They are even open now on Sundays so I don't have to cram my weekend op shop fix into Saturday! The only thing I could think of to improve is to offer a few more hooks in the change rooms.

I'm usually a big fan of Salvo's stores, generally I find they have the greatest range of vintage…read morefashion, quirky accessories and homewares and terrific furnishings and antiques. This one however misses the mark completely. It's like they've forgotten they're a charity store, providing for the poor. And they get everything for FREE! My husband and I saw two old leather armchairs for sale there once. Granted they were in good condition and absolutely gorgeous, but for the grand price of $880 we felt we'd be best to go to Plush and get two brand new ones. A lot of the furnishings are overpriced this way; to the point where you could set up house cheaper with a Fantastic Furniture package then go here. And you won't find any vintage or designer bargains here, the clothing they have is tacky and again, overpriced.

I've made some great finds here. The people who work here are the perfect mix of friendly and…read morestrange. The prices are on the higher side of the op shop price range but still mighty affordable.

Little Lost Land is the kind of store that I wish there were more of in St.Kilda. A world away from…read moretrashy chain-stores and generic hippie gear of Acland Street, Little Lost Land offers something a little different. Featuring vintage inspired designs, this is one of the few places in Melbourne where you can pick up truly unique pieces. No one like looking the same as everyone else, which is why stores with limited stock runs are such a godsend. The array of individual designs on offer is enough to satisfy the most discerning of shoppers. Little Lost Land also stocks a great range of shoes and jewellery by both local and international designers.

There are a couple places in the CBD this good…read more There's even Assin in Fitzroy. This place is just as great, and since they have men's and women's it's like 2 birds with one stone. This place feels like the best private shopping experience ever, being hidden off Lygon Street, in an old tiny cathedral-type building. Their brands are ever changing depending on what is hottest, but they usually have: Carol Christian Poell Issey Miyake Theo Volga Volga Paul Harnden