Holy dooley. I was lucky enough to discover this treasure trove open on a Sunday. Welcome to…read moreWilston's Lifeline Supa Store. It's a two storey jungle of rare as hen's teeth second hand wares. On the lawn outside of the store, there was a $89 mint condition black leather wheelchair as well as a whole range of bikes, some for little ones, and some for adults. The rooms are decked out like small themed rooms, in a similar fashion to how some antique stores set out their goods for sale. The only difference is that you'll pay less than half the price you'd pay at an antique store. They've got a violin for sale there for $50, imitation Chasseur slow cookers for $59 (which is cheap, let me tell you), old school pentax and polaroid land cameras (enquire about prices) and vintage coffee percolators for $20. They've got loads of your standard op shop finds: a killer book and record collection, toys galore, and troves of crockery and cutlery. It's not a bad place to come looking for some new furniture either. They've got a lot of stuff that looks like it was taken from your grandma's house, but in saying that, there are some great retro finds in there. It's not great for clothes- it's more of a odds and ends, nic nacs kind of place. While you're upstairs take a look at the original, aged and worn wooden trusses that hold up the curved corrugated iron roof. I can assure you, if you dare go in here, you will walk out with something great and unexpected.

If you love op shopping, this is the David Jones of them. They have antiques n kitsch, furniture,…read moretoys, collectibles, books, clothes, shoes, cutlery, crockery, cookware, decor, paintings

I can't really give a thrift store less than a 3 star rating, because morally it would just be…read moreplain wrong! But please bear in mind the rating is based on the items found inside the store not the charities they support. That said if you need clothes, come to the YWCA thrift store. Because there are SO MANY CLOTHES in such a small space. The clothes are nothing special, very casual stuff (including swim wear....no comment), no bedding or electrical items, a fair amount of worn books, some toys and games, and a very limited amount of home wares. But the clothes, oh goodness the sheer amount of clothes! More often than not I have walked out of this store empty handed. But every now and them I find a dress or top that is great and practically begging me to buy it, and these are real thrift store prices: $5-$15 an item, and the $15 price tag is pushing on expensive. The YWCA thrift store does have an interesting collection of retro sunglasses and pins near the front counter which I love looking through. And on occasion you can also find some pretty interesting jewellery on display as well, but again this is a 'sometimes' event. If you need some casual clothing for super cheap, this is the place to go. For everything else.....well, you may get lucky.

I love a thrift store that's off the beaten track, that doesn't sell "retro" or "vintage" apparel…read morewith over-inflated price tags, and that still holds the promise of a bargain. Tucked away in a little arcade in Toowong, the YMCA Thrift Store is just this. It has no pretences of being something classier or appealing to a certain market--it is simply a shop full of old clothing, old home ware, old shoes, old books, old everything. I found a few decent puzzles there, but am yet to find a real gem. Unfortunately, in Brisbane, there are probably people from the aforementioned "retro" stores who scour all the old op shops for things of value and appeal to stock their stores, leaving no bargains for the rest of us. But, alas, one can hope.

Not as heavily trawled through as the paddington retro stores…read more(or the Salvo's on boundary) This little op-shop is a godsent for thrifty minded people like me. You find all sorts of odds and ends at the rickety and charming St Veronica's. I know I've bought a couple of clothing gem's here over the years (a prize powder blue party dress) as well as quirky gifts for friends. (Naked Garden gnomes anybody?) Employ those eagle eyes when hunting down that perfect dress as finding treasure here can get challenging (as the photos can attest.)

This is the kind of ramshackle, 'bomb hit it', order in chaos, treasure trove op-shop that is…read morereminiscent of the outlaw op-shops I used to rummage through growing up in the far reaches of the northern suburbs. I always walk out with armloads of clothes when I visit St Veronica's. If you can spend some time rifling through the racks, both men and women will be pleasantly surprised with the findings. They also have an enviable collection of manchester, vintage crockery, books and an abundance of cheap frames (of particular mention for any artists out there). If you're on the lookout for some random domestic need, go there for a gander. Last week I was in desperate need of a tagine, and I struck gold. It's just that kind of place- full of handy wears you never knew you needed until you laid your eyes upon it. It isn't the cheapest op-shop around, but for a West End op shop, it is the most reasonably priced. You'll probably also have a higher success rate for finding gems because of it's out of the way location.

Unbeknownst to many is that Gladstone- Annerley Road, the forgettable stretch of road that connects…read moreWest End to Annerley, is in fact home to a few of Brisbane's hot spots. Its Vintage Darling is such a place. Its Vintage Darling is a particularly charming store, but because it's placed on a main road, it often gets missed by car go-ers. It's quite an unassuming place, and there's not many quick and easy parking spots if you do catch a glimpse of it. It's young owner has gone to great lengths to make the décor resemble an era long gone. She is powdered and picture perfect, not a hair out of place. Everything in the store is immaculately presented. You do not frantically rummage through her store, you peruse. While you're browsing, you can also ask for a organic free trade coffee ($3), which will be made in the 'kitschenette'. When you find something you like and you're testing out your new found dream threads, the owner jumps right in there with her own two cents worth. It's like serendipitously finding a new trusted fashionista sister to shop with. Yes, she wants you to buy her wears, but I truly believe she also wants you to walk out with something sensational. What's more is that Its Vintage Darling has become an irregular venue for live music as well. Sometimes a live music 'sale' day will happen, which will make you think all of your christmases have come at once. Bring a fair wad of cash with you. It's not an overly expensive vintage store (some op shops in the area have similar prices but the stock here is much better), but you might want to have more dosh in your pocket because there are just so many pretties in store.

Sip on a fresh, hot latte while browsing racks of dresses and reading vintage magazines (10 tips on…read morebeing a good housewife!)? Sign me up. It's Vintage Darling is one of my fave vintage shops. Not only is the name fun to say (It's vintage, dahling) but the staff are sweet, friendly and make a mean cappuccino. It's Vintage Darling has a lovely tiny retro kitchen and coffee machine, as well as a bit of lounge and outdoor seating so you can get a caffeine hit while browsing the retro-wares. There's usually a good range of 80s and 90s grunge, quite a bit of men's stock and on occasion, a lovely 50s or 60s dress. I got a divine 40s gown from there once, and for under $100, so they are well-priced. But best of all is the bargain bins - there are treasures to be found if you're willing to dig and most are under $10. Check it out!

They have nice outfit collections but not many footwear. I was surprised that I found flash cards…read morefor my little one to improve his vocabularies.

A fairly expansive store. They have a wide range of clothes for all ages. Pretty good condition…read moreshoes. Jewels, belts, bags, scarves, ties. Probably a minor array of cups etc. Lots of books. A few toys. There is a back room of art. Manchester is available too. However I don't think there is furniture here. The clothes are generally high quality, that is barely worn/scuffed. The price is definitely reasonable. I picked up a long sleeve work shirt for $8 and a short dress for $12. A Liz Jourdan cardigan was $20.

I trecked out to the place from the north side! Yes folks a lot of our op shops are heavily trawled…read moreon the north sode so a trip across the river was in order. I was not diappointed. First of all the place is very spacious and doesn't feel cramped or that everything is on top of everything else like so many of these opportunity spots. I loved that there seemed to be a great range of furniture and a lot of it in very good nick. You could easily fit out your whole kitchen for a very reasnable sum if you were a student setting up house. An excellent rack of books for adults and kids and the clothes are well organised and tidy. Definitely worth a vist.

Very clean and well organized with a variety of different styles and categories. Didn't find…read moreanything on this trip but was just browsing - would probably return in the future if I was looking for something in particular. Friendly & hard working staff!

Swop fills a gap sorely needed in Brisbane. Where Sydney is peppered with boutique vintage clothing…read morestores, Brisbane tends to have clothing collections mothballed in the dark corners of antique furniture and collectibles warehouses. While Swop advertises that they will take high end or trendy fashion, when you get up the stairs you will definitely feel you stepped back in time. A sweep of the hand over any track will give you sensations of old: Terry toweling dresses, velour pants and jackets, fur collars, stiff gloweave, lame by the kilometre, rustic polyesters (you know what i mean! Polyesters just don't feel that way now!!!) and linen linen linen. Swop is perfection. There will be no mothballed or mustiness here. Every thing is laid out logically and aesthetically. It's uncluttered but well stocked. The men's section is at least a third of the store (speak to any man who frequents op shops... A 1:2 ratio is extraordinary). Don't expect op shop prices, and good on em too. The better run Swop is the longer we get to shop there. I spotted two fantastic condition retro wool coats at $40 and $60, and a classic symmetrical equestrian theme scarf for $20. So again, realistic prices to run their business, but of course they only stock good quality and interesting items. You will find: clothes, hats, shoes, bags, belts, denim, leather. Probably more but I'll have to find out another day.

Really nice VINTAGE clothing just a bit more pricey than I thought. Plays really good music and…read moregreat overall vibe. I recommend going if you're looking for shirts, dresses or hats :)

The great thing about having a thrift store in a suburb filled with trendy and rich people is that…read morethey get some of the most awesome stuff. I always find some great clothes at Hey Hey It's Yesterday's Thrift Shop. Everything they sell is always in top-notch condition and at excellent prices. Hey Hey's is situated just a quick walk away from Rosalie village. It is fitted inside an old house which works perfectly in categorising the store. The store uses different "room" for separate things; there is an entire room devoted to men's wear a room devoted to children's wear toys and homewares and a room for ladies' wear. The staff seem to be pretty friendly to others but for some reason, I often get ignored when I enter the store, usually it is because they are busy serving other people so I don't mind that much.

I have to commend the effort and intentions behind Hey Hey It's Yesterday's Thrift Shop more than…read moreanything else. It's a little shop in Nash Street that sells every type of second-hand thing you could ever imagine. They have clothes, shoes, jewellery, handbags, and even sports equipment like bowling balls and hockey sticks, bless them. But the profits from these items don't even benefit the shop owners, they all go to benefit brain-injured children. You can't get more selfless than that. This shop is really a testament to the good people that run it, and they don't even charge much for their items. Books and videos are only $2, DVDs only $3. Everything is cheap as chips but goes to such a great cause. If you've ever visited Cold Rock or Grill'd at Rosalie, all you need to do is drive up a little bit more and you'll run into Hey Hey It's Yesterday's Thrift Shop. It's in an absolutely beautiful old burgundy-sort-of-coloured house. If you like vintage and feel like making a difference during the course of your day, amble on down and have a chat to the lovely ladies there. There is no eftpos, so bring your cash and your good intentions. You can also find them on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hey-Hey-Its-Yesterdays-Thrift-Shop/137976260515?sk=info

This place is quite good while small. What I like best is that the stuff on offer is pretty good…read morequality as far as I've examined. Washed, stain free, still in good nick. Prices are nice but don't expect absolute bargains. A bunch of interesting stuff to browse usually. Shop includes: - clothes - men, women, children (including separate plus size area) - shoes - as above - hats, belts, scarves - jewels (quite a lot to choose from) - books - homewares - decor, linen, crockery, cutlery, serveware - toys - swimmers / underwear - a designer womens section