Friday 12 August 2011

Flashback Friday: Op-shopper... I am not

~ Originally posted April 20, 2010. ~

Hi Dolls,

I am a dedicated shopper. I would even say that I am an experienced shopper. I can walk into a store, quickly give it the once over and decide whether or not they will have what I am looking for. If I think they have what I’m looking for, watch out! I can be in there for hours. When I tell my husband that my type of shopping is definitely a form of cardio, he just laughs. It’s true though, shopping is cardio and I’m sure that a lot of you would agree. I have been known to visit more than 4 shopping centres all in one day. I am even lusting over pink license plates at the moment that say SHOPPA. They are still available, so don’t even think about stealing it! This is how committed I am to all things shopping.

The only thing I can’t get into is op-shopping. My sister is an op-shopperaholic. I must have missed this ‘jean’ – see what I did there?! I can’t help but think about who wore these clothes before me. I think of a disgusting pervert that hasn’t showered in… well ever. My sister thinks of someone fabulous and the fact that it has been dry-cleaned anyway. I have tried to get into it and have visited many opportunity shops before. The thing is, when you walk into an op-shop there is no mistaking the smell. They all have the same smell – musty, crusty and ‘pre-loved’. I love to rummage through racks of clothing with the best of them, but at an op-shop I think of the smell and it has to be coming from somewhere. I almost cried when I saw a jacket with sweat patches stained under the arms. I don’t want to breathe in through my nose because it smells so bad, but I also don’t want to breathe in through my mouth in case the germs get in.

I am all for a bargain, but I just can’t get past these issues. I don’t know why. I would have thought that it would be enough when my sister came home with a Review Dress (A$8), MNG Dress (A$6), French Connection dress (A$10), Grip Jeans (A$4), Levi’s jeans (A$6) Jag T-shirt (A$3), Lee Miller Shirt (A$5), Escada Jacket (A$12), Original Nike Air High-Tops (A$4) – All for under $60!!

I’m pretty sure that if you told me a celebrity had worn it before I would make an acceptation. This is where good vintage stores really could take advantage of me. I am extremely gullible and would believe almost anything. Oh, Sarah Jessica Parker wore that? Sold! Then the credit card bill would come through at the end of the month and I would look at how much I actually spent on something that SJP probably never did wear.

So my unfortunate habit of all things having to be hygienic and my over-active imagination will make sure that my shopping and spending habits will not always have a lot to show for themselves like a committed op-shopper would.

Here are some good op-shops if you dare. Keep an eye out when you are out shopping. The little ones and the forgotten ones are the best ones. They always have the best stuff as nobody has found them yet.
You are also helping to support some worthy charities and people less fortunate.

Savers - Supporting Sids and Kids, Diabetes Australia
Dandenong - 210 Lonsdale Street, Dandenong, VIC. 3175, Australia
Brunswick - 330 Sydney Road, Brunswick, VIC. 3056, Australia
http://www.savers.com.au/

Salvos - The Salvation Army
http://salvos.org.au/

Vinnies - St Vincent de Paul
Cranbourne - 4/218 High Street, Cranbourne, VIC. 3977, Australia
http://www.vinnies.org.au/

If you have any other hidden secrets you would like to share, please feel free to leave a comment.


No comments:

Post a Comment