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

The fact that the guy working in this place mistook me for a recent high school graduate, when in…read morereality I am closer to attending my ten year reunion, could have a lot to do with why I loved this store. But I don't think so. I really can't express how positive my experience here was. Everything about this shop is adorable; the design, the vintage clothes, the atmosphere and the locally made jewellery. This is no ordinary secondhand clothing store. Everything has been carefully chosen and only the best items make the cut, so the store is not cluttered, but tastefully arranged with perfect clothes to space ratio. Not only are the clothes here unique thanks to their preloved status, but they are all in excellent condition. While the clothes are lovely, it is not that alone which makes this store what it is. The design compliments the shop perfectly; giving customers the feeling they are exploring a charming boutique. Perhaps my favourite thing about this shop was the locally made jewellery. I love supporting local artists and buying pieces like this not only ensures you do so, but also guarantees that you won't end up looking exactly the same as every girl that shops at mass-produced jewellery stores. Finally, when I visited, not only was the sales assistant extremely friendly, kind and a poor judge of age (to my immense pleasure), he was also ironing. I found this an enchanting touch. How often do you see staff in a shop ironing? It added such a welcoming feel to the store, and also assured me the people here really care about and take pride in their work.

Willow & Fox work under the banner of 'Recycle, Reduce, Reuse'. Even from the outside it's…read moreendearing. They have handwritten protest articles written up on the door about stopping the palm oil industry. HANDWRITTEN! The owners are people who really do care about the state of our world. Their collection is humble, but immaculate. The threads they sell are all secondhand, in perfect condition, and I guess you would say that most of them come under the category of 'hippie clothes'. They've got all sorts of excellent bits and bobs around the place- there's some reused tetra pak bags there for sale, and some beautiful reused wine goblets. My favourite item was the lampshade made from natural fibres. This store is one of it's kind in the Cleveland area. It provides people with an avenue to have all the nice things they want without costing you or the environment too much.

The Most Amazing Shop. That's a big claim, but this shop is pretty amazing, filled with new and…read morepre-loved gear that just tumbles all over itself and invites you to keep browsing. The yard is filled with every statue and ornament you can imagine, from the garden gnomes to angels and even the grim reaper makes an appearance. Inside, there's lovely timber furniture, bags, clothes, collectable china and glassware, novelty itesm and toys... you name it, it's probably there. When I went, I bought a china doll and some glasses, but a heavy carved bed head and room divider certainly caught my eye. It's almost impossible to describe, you just have to visit and see for yourself.

"I gotta pop some tags only got $20 in mah pocket"…read more No seriously! I only had $20 and one mission- rice cooker. I did heaps of shopping around and I found something better: a steam cooker that cooks rice and steams vegetables! WOAH. Shut the front door. I only spent $10, had a look at some cool trinkets and listened to a wonderful woman who loved to help people. The volunteers at these places blow my mind! Compassion city. Worth a look lovely people!

My son and I shopped here, we felt like we were not at all welcome…read more The American lady that served us was particularly rude. I'm not sure if she doesn't like kids or I wasn't dressed the right way? But she barely greeted us or looked at us. Volunteers or not, you need to do better than that.

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!

Discovered this little gem awhile ago while hunting for props - after trawling through numerous…read moreother op shops a failing to find the perfect little tea cup that I needed. Hidden away in the quiet streets of West End, they are chocked full of awesome finds for extremely affordable prices. Due to its location - there is much less traffic in the area - many of the more interesting items hang around for a little bit longer, so you can always find some fascinating trinkets and items that would have been snapped up otherwise.

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.)

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!

I literally stumbled across Connected Inc. while out on a walk waiting for a car repair to finish…read more A large sign advertised an Op-Shop located in a hive of post WWII warehouse buildings so the location made me curious enough. I made my way past a few of the buildings until I found Connected, which was simple with the number of cars driving past me to park there. Once inside, it appeared to be the usual array of used/vintage clothing, toys, books, costume jewelry, cutlery and more. But the place had a certain mysterious charm unlike others I've been in and the people shopping there seemed to be truly in need of such discounted and used items, unlike many of the "white" privileged masses I see who simply go there on a whim to see how much money they may save on a particular item, if they can find it, when they could certainly afford to pay full price. Connected Inc. is a not-for-profit charity providing practical aid and assistance to people affected by hardship, domestic violence, natural disasters and more. It's motto is "Rebuilding People's Lives" and it seems to be doing a pretty epic job at that. Donations are welcomed. www.connectedinc.org.au

From the owner: Connected Inc is a Not for Profit Charity assisting the Homeless, those affected by Domestic…read moreViolence and Natural Disasters. Our main source of income comes from our OP Shop, where we sell everything from Clothing, Furniture, Manchester, Kitchenware, Jewellery, Books, Toys and much more.