Second Hand Saturday - just in case

I love op shopping. I just have to say that. I can't believe I spent so many years thinking op shops were smelly places full of dusty relics that no one would want. (Actually Salvos in Rozelle is still like that and the basement at Salvos Mitchell not too far off but I tend to steer clear of them)

On the few occasions I wander into a real shop I'm now quite lost. Everything is so expensive! And there are displays full of numerous identical items! (booooooring) And if you go back tomorrow the shop will probably have exactly the same stock!

Whereas when you go to an op shop, the stock changes by the hour (which, of course causes that constant desire to just pop in and see what's new just in case the perfect item came and went while you were doing something else), on the whole everything is a one-off and most items can be picked up for the cost of a cup of coffee (or, if you're going crazy, a bought lunch or movie). Not to mention the whole concept of saving something from the landfill and supporting a good cause makes you feel doubly chuffed when you bag a bargain.

Yes, it was a good frugalling week here. I went over budget but with a little creative accounting that can be sorted out (see number 4 below)

1. Lovely brown vintage suitcase in rather good nick: $7.
It reminds me of the classic Globe-Trotter cases but is labeled "K.T. Stewart Pty Ltd South Australia 1982" with a space that says Army No. I plan to store my out of season doonas in it.

2. IKEA Bits metal notice board: $5.
This is really funny because I've been wanting one for a while (in fact, over a year) and have never quite been able to justify the $19.95 it would cost and that hassle of getting it home from Sydney. And there I was in Vinnies Belconnen and spied a piece of white metal sticking out of the kitchen corner "Brilliant!" I thought. "I'll take a closer look and see if I could use whatever it is as a pretend IKEA noticeboard". I pulled it out and lo and behold it WAS an IKEA noticeboard! Someone had drawn in it with a marker which hadn't quite come off but, as I suspected, a bit of Chemico and elbow grease and it was right as rain.

3. Four plain round glass lightshades: $2.50 each.
I have some truly daggy warty-looking 60s and 70s style shades in my flat. Every time I see plain white ones for $2.50 or less I buy them, swap them with the ugly ones and then store the old ones in the garage just in case they were my landlady's pride and joy. I think this lot will be the last I need to buy. I'm done. Wee hee!

4. Twelve books: $25
Which just happens to be the same amount I got for the crochet books I sold this week. Fingers crossed that I can take this lot into the second hand bookshop and make some more money. I don't know if you can see from the photo but my haul includes 4 mint Beatrix Potter books which I picked up for $1 each.

5. Brand new sock organiser: $4
A stash management strategy.6. Fabric: $10 for this ginormous blot of red drill and $3 for three remnants.
I think I have enough red fabric to make bags until the end of this century (at least). And I love the grey fabric because it still has this label stapled to it:It's times like this I love the archeology of op shopping - where has this fabric been for the last 40 (at least) years?!

And in related news I got an email from The Salvos yesterday saying:

"Did you also know that you can use your Salvos Stores receipt to enter a $1000 Flight Centre Travel Voucher Competition? Just buy something from your local Salvos Store between 4th March and 15 April 07. Fill out a coupon from That’s Life magazine, attach your Salvos Stores receipt, and describe in 25 words or less your best Salvos purchase! Find the Salvos Stores feature in That’s Life magazine for other offers."

(Listening to: Various, Philadelphia Roots)