This particular Salvation Army is my choice for furniture and home decor second hand. A few weeks…read moreago I saw a gorgeous lounge suite that had cushions that could fold up (great for owners of a furry cat that leaves his fur everywhere he goes). It was also long enough to sleep a guest, still in great condition and had plush dark red fabric. But silly me hesitated and left it for more than 24 hours to think about and of course such a good deal was snapped up by the next day. I have been back in since hoping of another super great find but alas not just yet. I have bought cushions and large pieces of fabric though. Out the back there is several shelves and containers that stock curtains, cushions, bed linen and off cuts of fabric. They also have a room dedicated to books for all the book worms out there. Clothing is on permanent specials it seems, and it is popular, crowds of folk have been in the place when I have visited.

I don't think 'megastore' is a technical term, but nevertheless this is the Salvation Army…read moreequivalent of that. The focus is less on clothes that at some of the other, smaller places, but that's fine considering the wealth of furniture on offer. As someone who lives in a flat the idea of buying new furniture is laughable, and although Trade Me is pretty good there's a lot to be said for seeing an item up close and in person before you buy it. Additionally - or perhaps even primarily, if your values are anything like mine - they have a good selection of books. Salvation Army bookshelves are never expensive but they're often a mixed bag, sometimes leaning a bit heavily towards the Danielle Steel / Marian Keyes end of the spectrum. A place like this is good though because of its scale - there's enough of a range that if you're willing to trawl you'll probably find something.

This op shop would have to be in my list of top 3! I found out today that they were previously in…read morePonsonby, then K Road, now in Avondale, but looking for new premises again. I hope they don't move too far away where ever they go! The woman behind the counter has always been really friendly, chatty and helpful when I have been in. They have a long rack of children's clothes for those with youngsters, a decent range of men's wear (generally x-large though), lots of women's clothes, books in an organised fashion, some great crockery (I have bought some matching vases) and glassware. The best bit really is that it is the most affordable I have seen in Auckland. Not only do they have a $1 rack out the front with decent enough clothes, but they also have on offer 50C containers of clothes (children's and adults). It offers prices that most of us would expect to pay for second hand. This isn't me being stingy, this is me being practical - these charity second hand shops support the needy and they sell to those of us who struggle to fill a wardrobe with brand new clothes. Keep up the good work guys!

As far as Hospice Shops so I like to frequent them, I like to donate clothes to them and I like…read morewhere the profits go, to Hospice. More than one family member of my extended family has used the service of Hospice and we appreciate the amazing work this organization does. So as far as Blockhouse Bay Hospice Shop goes, this is a lovely one. Very room inside where the racks aren't too cluttered. I liked the bargain boxes outside and had a good rifle through them on this hot afternoon. Prices are right, cheap, and there is loads of stuff here, clothes, nick nacks, household effects, shoes, pet gear, you name it and the best thing is that there is always a different bargain to find because that's just the ever changing nature of op shops. Thanks to the hard working, really friendly volunteers who man these shops too!

What a beauty little hospice with two areas of home decor stuff, crafty things, a small kids…read moresection, men's women's and kids clothes, frames and pictures and more. Located on the main drag in Blockhouse Bay township it's easy to get to. Parking is out front if you're lucky or nearby. Did I mention the ladies in there are dolls who seem to enjoy volunteering there and are very happy to converse about the weather and life in general. What a wonderful addition to Blockhouse Bay and long it may live. Feel free to donate anytime. :)

I usually shop at the Savemart in Northcote, but decided to give this location a go. I googled it…read moreupon arrival to see what others have said about the place and to see if it would actually be worth my time. This location was amazing!! I found items from Boohoo with the tags still attached. The items are in very good condition. Of course like many of the locations in NZ there aren't many people asking if you need help finding something or help with anything, but you can always ask a cashier at the front. There were only two checkouts, but if you shop there as soon as the doors open as I do, you shouldn't have any issues or experience long lines. The prices were fantastic in my opinion. The only thing I didn't see much of were belts, hats, purses or shoes, but this is the beginning of the year so I am sure there are loads of new stock. Don't take my word for it. Go see for yourself :-)

This shop made me feel like it wasn't even a recycled clothing shop. It was massive and had…read moreeverything. The moment you walk in you see a butt load of clothes. I found some stuff from Nike and Adidas. The environment was great and had a nice range of stuff. Would recommend!

We stopped in peak hour traffic to pick up a pigeon with a broken wing (no one else even raised an…read moreeyelid). Just a normal everyday pigeon we were told no one would care when we started making inquiries. When we contacted Green Bay Bird Rescue they cared when it mattered and no one else did. We took the pigeon in the next day and they were very helpful and empathic, for which we were much appreciative. If you care enough about birds when they are injured then these are the people to talk with, they are fantastic and couldn't recommend them enough. Everyone should show caring to other creatures we share this planet with and the people at Green Bay Bird Rescue provide a great example of this. Five stars.

Op shops, there are ample around and the industry is as competitive as mainstream shopping it…read moreseems. They are mostly run by charity organisations and do good, necessary deeds for our community. So, what stands out about this one more than all the others? It has a large selection of men's clothing, simple as that! Men's clothing is hard to come by second-hand, so some people out there might find this information rather useful! This particular Salvation Army also have a $1 rack of clothes for those of you might be a bit cash-strapped.

Henderson is a lovely store that is bright, clean and everything is set out so well. Staff are…read morelovely and are always on hand to help. It appears to have a good array of clothing, furniture etc and parking is handy at the door.

This is a fairly large op shop, with a fair selection of women's, men's and kid's clothing for okay…read moreprices. My husband got a jumper here for $6. They have some furniture, although not much, lots of books, some kitchenware (but no pots or pans, sadly), toys and some other stuff. Prices seemed okay, there were a few odd people hanging about in there but the woman who served us was very friendly!