Christian Travelers Guide

Little Birdy - Vinnies Hilton Op Shop Review

I’ve been into this little Vinnies a couple of times now and I must say it keeps getting better! I often find myself around this area during my lunch break, so often stop in to spend my half hour wisely (haha). And of course, I just had to share it with you!

Situated on South Street, you do have to keep your eyes peeled for it, as you can miss it. But in a nutshell, if you’re heading east on South Street and you hit the Salvos, then you’ve gone too far (see how my landmarks are other oppies? Clever huh?). It’s just a fraction back down the road and next to Dulux I think…

This oppie is only a teeny little thing, but it’s got some great stuff and there is always a great conversation going on between the vollies. Last time I think I was there was Melbourne Cup and they were all commiserating over their loss (with a little champers!) whilst this recent visit was a good old pooh-poohing of the heat. And it was all to the sweet sounds of twittering birds (yah, birds) over a 6PR golden oldies soundtrack. And that could have been coming from a wireless…I can’t be sure.

As soon as you walk in you come to the standard Vinnie’s layout of circular racks of clothing dotted through the store. But on the right you’ll also find the baby & kids clothes. I decided to check out the ladies stuff first and immediately came across a lovely well-loved floral jacket, complete with a little peplum type tail at the back. Definitely an 80’s piece and definitely for me.

I also found the most gorgeous vintage dress I have ever seen. You see, for us voluptuous girls, it can be a bit hard to find a decent vintage number that accepts the curves. However this one is kinda styled a bit 50’s ish and suits my assets quite well, even if I do say so myself! Unfortunately this baby didn’t have a price tag on, and when that happens I’m always a little scared that that particular store’s policy is if it doesn’t have a tag on it, it won’t be sold. But I was lucky the lovely manager, Toni, priced it for me at $8 – a steal as far as I’m concerned. Even she commented on how wonderfully shaped the dress is. Now….where to wear it….

I also found a great sheer black Coronet blouse but unfortunately it was a tad too big (which I secretly smiled at – I love it when that happens!). There is a good selection of ladies clothing here although I will say it possibly caters more towards 35+, rather than the young 20 somethings. Having said that, there is a smattering of young modern labels too, so don’t despair. Hey, I even got myself a Gunners tee for $2.50! I think some of the best offerings are dresses, skirts and blouses here.
After trying these on I popped over to the shoe section which is quite small but again, there is a nice varied collection and I was impressed with the prices too, I didn’t see anything over $10. Next to that is the little bag & belt section which had a good selection. I often find belt selections are a bit slim (in pickings and in size!) on my travels, so I was glad to find a good supplier!

Next up on your left is the linen/haberdashery section and here is where you will get your little decoration pillows. There are heaps to choose from in all sorts of colours and in really good condition. Although, I thought if I rocked home with another needlepoint pillow stating how good the home was, hubby would probably protest.

I had a hunt through the linen and whilst it’s a small selection it’s really neat and tidy and generally each bigger piece is bundled up with a bit of string/ribbon with a tag telling you what it is (ie single sheet). Now I like that. I’ve picked up a couple of sheets in the past to find they don’t fit and my guestamations were way off. I found myself a gorgeous plastic, fleeced lined tablecloth for the outdoors complete with bright coloured flowers for $2. Again, I was pretty chuffed with that.

Then onto the bric-a-brac. Oooh, what a lovely little selection we have here. I would suggest that anyone needing a dinner set that has a bit of charm and character to it, should come to this store. I saw some lovely English made ironstone numbers at nothing over $10 for a full set. Plus there were some great little collectable items here too. I picked up a little Johnson milk jug for $2.00. I actually picked up several to be honest, but thought I better reign it in a little.
This oppie has some good general glassware/plasticware and crockery also, so you can definitely fill the house with some more hardier stuff if that’s what you are after. I did spot 4 x Country Road tumblers for $1 each too. And there was some great plasticware too... .which leads me to the next rule:

OP SHOP RULE No 30: HAVE A PICNIC!
We all know what a saviour paper/plastic cutlery and plates can be, especially when it comes to not having to wash up after a great day/night however a lot of this stuff ends up clogging our tips - unnecessarily. Instead of purchasing this stuff from the supermarket, why not buy cheap picnicware from your local oppie? I recently received a wonderful pack (which I spotted and bought for myself... for hubby to gift me!) for a mere $7 and it's a full set of everything. Not only is it pretty, but it's easy to clean and much more environmentally friendly. And the wonderful old picnic baskets you can pick up for cheap will complete the look.

I tried using paper plates on Boxing Day with the fam and it was distasterous, they distintergrated with anything heavier than lettuce and I'm sure are still sitting on top of the local tip as I type. There is plenty of this stuff at op shops where you can create a fab matching set through you thrifty travels or revel in your eclectic mix and match. Hey, even my mate Mick was impressed with my thrifted iodised drinking cups! Give it a go.

I had a look through the men’s section and found it to be really well selected and well presented. It had some good choices of shirts and polos as well as a small selection of tees including some funkier brands like Dickies. You know it’s a good selection when the white tees are actually white, and not bordering on yellow.

The only thing I would say about this store is the men’s shoe selection isn’t the most comprehensive, I could mainly only see well-loved business shoes/brogues. However a few senior gentlemen were fossicking through that part, so obviously it will cater for some!

The counter holds some more collectables (you gotta look under the counter through the glass) as well as some jewellery pieces, but I was too busy enjoying watching the lovely vollie, Tess, add up my purchases out loud. Very cute and very cuddle-able (?).
I really enjoyed this lunch-break rendezvous, it's a sweet little place with some sweet offerings and even sweeter staff. It makes a perfect little thrift-stop... even if you do have to return to work.

Tell me, what's the sweetest oppie you've ever been to?

Kx
Come For: Ladies dresses, blouses & skirts, dinner sets
Try Another For: Furniture and men's shoes
Vinnies Hilton Centre
Shop 5/352 South Street
O'Connor WA 6163
Open: Mon - Fri: 9 - 4pm / Sat: 9 - 12pm / Sun: Closed
www.vinnies.org.au

My Haul
* Vintage Dress $8
* Hibiscus Peplum Jacket $4.50
* Guns 'n' Roses tee $2.50
* Outdoor tablecloth $2
* 2 x Meakin Snow White Dinner Plates $2
* Vintage sherry glasses $2
* Johnson Milk jug $2