The op in op shop is short for opportunity – an opportunity to help others by supporting charity shops, and an opportunity to find a bargain.
My husband and I have settled on the formula for calculating the correct number of op shops to visit when we are on holidays.
That formula is N plus one, where N is the number of op shops we have already visited on that particular day. In other words, there’s always time for just one more.
Some people hunt out cathedrals, magical views, historic sites, festivals or other traditional tourist attractions.
So do we, but op shopping is a much bigger itch to scratch.
Not only do we find bargains, quirky little items, but we’re also contributing funds to community groups and charities supporting their local communities.
There’s always room in the car for just one more amazing find, just like there’s always space in my home office/craft studio to put that find when we get home.
I had never tried, nay, even heard of loom knitting before that day I found a pack of three long plastic looms in an op shop down in the Rosebud area, just before Covid hit our shores.
Now I have about a dozen looms of different gauges, shapes and sizes, plus loom knitting books, and favourite YouTube channels. Not to mention a great excuse for hanging on to all that wool that came out of mum’s house when she moved into a nursing home.
As an added bonus, I now regularly donate loom knitted beanies to my local oncology centre after discovering first hand just how cold it is without hair.
We don’t go into op shops looking for specific items. Instead, we let the thrill of the hunt drive us.
Often we walk out with nothing but in recent months, my husband completely restocked his winter wardrobe of long sleeve shirts. Many were brand new, still with tags, but sold at op shop prices.
We like to wander every aisle, whether it’s a cramped little church or small town op shop with every corner and shelf overflowing with donated goods, or colour-coordinated displays in Vinnies or Salvos.
A good craft section will keep us picking through boxes and shelves for ages. My husband has picked up many a bargain for his scrapbooking hobby while I’m a sucker for stationery and almost any sort of craft… like loom knitting.
Earlier this year, holidaying in Bendigo, Victoria, I made my single most expensive op shop purchase to date and it was still a great bargain.
I spent $99 on a brand new Cricut Mug Press (RRP$299) with four Cricut mugs (RRP $13/pair). The volunteer serving me asked whether I knew what it was and how to use it, and as someone who dived into Cricut crafting during lockdowns, I knew exactly what I had scored!
Now I can print as many crafty coffee mugs as I want.
And to keep things on an even keel, we also make it a practice to donate regularly to op shops.
After all, we have to make space for our new discoveries!
