The Angliss Op Shop is a heart warming place that has helped a LOT of people. It exists to raise…read moremoney for the Angliss hospital and it does a great job. The staff here are all volunteers and they each work half a day each week. Last year they raised over $150,000 for the hospital and it purchased a new operating table and upgraded patient beds so that they now have hand operated remotes rather than foot pedals that control the bed height. The staff were all treated to a special morning tea at the hospital to thank them for their efforts. The Op Shop itself is quite small but there is a lot packed into it. The prices are really cheap and they operate to help people who cannot afford clothing just as much as people needing medical attention. The staff are super friendly and are always up for a long conversation. I went there for the first time last week and picked up two dresses for just $8. Try to leave a donation if you can because 100% of their earnings goes straight to the hospital. They don't even have a phone because as one staff member told me "they cost money". They have accessories, clothing, books, kids toys, plants and garden accessories too. Give them a visit or drop off your unwanted clothes and books. They will really appreciate it and it's the only place I'll be leaving my things from now on.

I drive past this store daily on my way to work. I am always impressed at how much detail and how…read morefrequently the staff are changing the window display. I am always tempted to check out their new stock. For such a tiny interior I am always impressed to note how clean and well organised everything is. They stock mainly clothes and manchester. The staff are young and always in good spirits.

With so many second hand markets around these days, it's really a hit and miss as to whether you…read morewill luck upon scoring a good find for a decent price. Fitzroy market is a small market at the Fitzroy Primary School that has a well edited selection of clothes, books, shoes, bits and bobs. There is definitely an element of 'Fitzroy cool' at the market, with a younger range of sellers. Note, when I say younger, I'm talking 20-30s (which is the age bracket I fall in). This is one of my favorite markets around at the moment.

Great little local market held in the grounds of Fitzroy Primary School on the third Saturday of…read moreevery month in 2012 (it's previously been the first Saturday of the month). Mostly secondhand clothes, records, toys and bric-a-brac - almost always at very reasonable prices. Not many food and drink options: a sausage sizzle and a very good coffee stall, but there's plenty of other cafes and bakeries nearby on Smith or Brunswick Streets if that doesn't take your fancy. Entry by gold coin donation.

Giftique has a little bit of everything and rates pretty high on my list of variety shops…read more The stock is clean, the store is laid out well and there is no awful smell. I have said it before and I will say it again - while these are basic they are seriously important. As well as covering the basics, the store also has a lot of good quality items. I found some groovy garden ornaments that were priced well at around $8. There was also an awesome money box pig with a funny facial expression. There were items including: - stationery - vases - jewellery - costumes - tupperware - boxes and wrapping paper - and much more. The lady behind the counter greeted us on the way in and didn't say much else. I don't expect much more than that in a variety shop so that was good. I definitely recommend this place for some good quality stuff.

Mountain Gate Op Shop is home to the sweetest people around. Run by volunteers it is a place people…read moredrop by just to have a chat and say hello, let alone for the shopping. The tiny shop is packed full of donations with everything from old leather jackets, children's toys, accessories, shoes, bags and socks to 50 cent books. The prices here are fantastic and I've picked up fantastic pieces here for less than a dollar or two. Despite the very low prices they often have sales. If you can afford to, try to leave a donation each time you shop there, the people who run it will really appreciate it. The shop itself is a little bit smelly, as most donation-fuelled Op Shops tend to be. Otherwise it is clean enough. I would recommend washing anything you buy at home before wearing it - just to make it smell nice again, but the clothes on offer here are great. They are open Monday - Friday from 10-3 and on Weekends from 10-1. Pay them a visit today.

This shop is always worth a visit when dropping in at Mountain Gate. Run by volunteers, it's one of…read morethe cheapest charity stores around. Other opportunity shops out some ridiculous prices on their donated items. It's small and a little cluttered but that's the nature of op shops. It's run by lovely people too.

Nice enough op shop, bought some kids pants for $3.50 and $4, a jump rope etc. Bring your own bag…read moreand they don't accept cards for purchases under $10.

The Y.E.S Op Shop has great vibes as well as great stock. There is so much variety in the objects…read moreon the shelves that visiting the shop is like going treasure hunting; there's a lot of junk, but also plenty of good finds. The shop is run by volunteers to fund education qualifications for young people and the disadvantaged. They rely on donations of all their stock. They sell items inclusive of clothing, dvds, cds, books, toys and bric-a-brac. They only take quality items that are in good condition so there aren't any shockingly horrible things in there. The atmosphere is pretty friendly. People pop in and out as much to have a chat as to pick up something from the shop. The prices are fairly reasonable - the nicer and the newer an item the higher the price. It is logical. There are some prices that are a little higher than I would expect for an op shop but it is all going to a good cause so complaining is definitely not an option. There is also quite a large range of furniture and decor items in this op shop - definitely check it out.

No different to Pitt Street Mall in the city, the Bourke Street Mall is Melbourne's equivalent, and…read morewith its own unique Zara outlet as well. So often the tram tracks are crossed to get to the other side to the point where waiting to cross the road at the lights to enjoy some more high quality shopping is a chore within itself. The iconic public purse at the tram station outside Melbourne GPO is a hit within itself (no pun intended) as musicians come to entertain us with their musical equipment stacked along this magnetic piece of art. Don't cross the tram tracks just yet as you have Melbourne GPO to explore. A word of warning: just ensure that you have gone to the toilet beforehand as something so simple as going to the loo turns out to be an obstacle here. Great cafes await you as well as quality boutiques to browse through. I love Georg Jensen here; in fact all the jewellers here provide great customer service. Keep walking and you will find Myers and DJ's in tandem with more street performers, and not to mention activists wanting support to help free the refugees or to take a stand of capitalism etc. Something would be so wrong with you if you are bored here. Cross the tram tracks (safer to actually cross the road) and you will find the food halls and more treats. Sadly that bistro on the Elizabeth Street side is now closed. And you might be lucky to spot one more street performer before moving on.

In the late 90's early 00's, the Bourke Mall of Melbourne was a Mecca of dodge. Sure every…read morechristmas there was the myer windows, but overall it wasn't a great place. Lucky for us Melbournians the recent (last 5 years) new tram stops and the current Myer and David Jones remodeling and the addition of Zara have lifted to the Mall to the cosmopolitan space I always new it could be.

Wow. This store is totally awesome. If you are ever on the look out for a gift for any male on the…read moreplanet you absolutely totally cannot go past this place. I mean it. This is one AMAZING store. It has rubics cube mugs, football memorabilia, battery operated robots, puzzles, iphone application magnets and so many more great items. As a girl I had a great time marvelling at every second object and wishing that someone would buy it for me! The staff member was very friendly and welcoming and despite the small size of the store and thus my close proximity to the counter I didn't feel uncomfortable at all. The store is very narrow and it is quite easy to knock things over. (No I didn't knock anything over, I just noticed this as a result of previous experience elsewhere...) Point is, be careful. The pricing is awesome, the products are totally groovy and unique and the service rocks. What's not to love?