Treating myself to a shellac manicure the other day (ladies, if you haven’t tried it – get onto it!) I found myself driving past the Salvos on Balcatta Road and decided to drop in. Although I was a little unsure if the op-shop gods were with me, as I managed to pass the driveway….twice. Convincing myself this was not a bad omen, I managed to get it right on the third attempt.
Unfortunately the bad omen feeling came again when upon entering the store, I was hit in the face with the distinct waft of, well, something that only a mother could love. Yep, a toddler with his nappy full of the good stuff. Some of you may be aware I can get a little queasy at random things (keep your mandarins away people!), and this was no exception. So in a do-or-die moment, I had to make the call to head in or out, and whilst the smell did a good job in trying to barricade me, I chose to push on. I thanked the op-shop gods when I overheard the mother declaring she was taking the offender outside. (Parents and parents to be, my hat goes off to you!)
I have had the pleasure of visiting this store on a few occasions – and have either found myself with an armload of goodies, or with nothing at all. It’s tucked away on Balcatta Road, so you do have to keep your eyes peeled. And perhaps because of this location, it tends to be a relatively quiet-ish store (well that’s my perception – I’m sure the staff could tell me otherwise!), but I enjoy having the run of racks and shelves so it suits me to a tee.
The first thing you will notice about this op shop is it is packed with clothes. I would say clothing is it’s forte. And I think women really are the most catered for in this store too. Dresses, lingerie, maternity, wedding gowns, short sleeves, long sleeves, winter, coats etc etc. It’s not to say that kids and men aren’t catered for, but the women have it here.
I’ve found on previous trips I’ve come across some really great labels and during my fossicking I was able to come up with a number of up-market labels on one rack alone. But that’s not to say you don’t have to do some rummaging at first. With so much on offer, you really just need to pick a section you’re interested most in (ie knitwear) and take the time to go through each hanger, one by one.
There’s quite a selection of toys & books towards the back of the room, as well as a great choice in rugs and blankets (even Fido is catered for here). So if you are after some winter warming, I would suggest trying this place. You’ll also find books & bric-a-brac at the back of the store too.
I love the way the Salvo’s set out their bric-a-brac, they tend to keep it colour coded – which is a bonus when decorating the home. The plasticware & utensil area was a bit haphazard, but I think with this stuff, you gotta rifle anyway, so it really isn't a big deal.
The crockery side of things is pretty comprehensive, with a number of full dinner sets available at reasonable prices. The rest of the bric-a-brac seems to be quite “gifty” ie candle holders, photo frames, porcelain figurines. I could imagine if kids had pocket money to spend, this would be a great place for them to find a little treat. There’s also a pretty good selection of craft stuff to pick your way through too.
Op Shop Rule No 4: Look Up!
It’s a tendency for treasure hunters to always be head down/bum up. But when it comes to op shopping, you gotta look up! I can’t tell you the number of times where I have gotten myself to the counter only to find that while my goods are being tallied, I notice all the stuff I’ve missed – hanging up on walls, up above the counter, on the tops of the racks. So keep your chin up! If you come away from your next op shop trip empty handed and with a crick neck, then you’ll know you haven’t followed this very important rule! And in the case of this store, this rule could apply to looking sideways too – if you like your Glomesh and designer handbags, this store features them at the back & to the side of the counter.
All in all, this quiet store is one ladies will enjoy the most and, despite my two unsuccessful drive-by’s and the surprise nappy encounter, I was pleased to come away with some goodies of my own – namely a cool roller-skating inspired t-shirt $5, a designer Pani t-shirt $6 and Grandma doily (insert Nathan eye roll here) $4. Yay, thank you Op Shop Gods!
Come here for: *Women’s Clothes *Rugs & Blankets
Try another Salvos for: *Men’s *Shoes
Salvos Balcatta
207 Balcatta Road
Balcatta WA 6021
Mon-Fri 9-5 / Sat 9-5
www.salvosstores.com.au
Hold The Press!
Georgie Lil, one of my favourite little people had her first op shop adventure with her wonderful mum recently. And while she may not have been too fussed on watching mum browse the racks, she did come home with her first “pick” - an activity book on her favourite fairies Harmony & Rhapsody. Georgie-girl, you’ve made Kello proud!