Tag Archives: secondhand

A Perfect Seat

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The universe, or at least Facebook Marketplace, delivered today. I had been looking for a small seat to go in our walk-in wardrobe. It would be a spot to sit to put on or take off shoes.

I found this one for $10 and only 15 minutes drive from home.

This is probably not essential during the summer months as I simply slip on a pair of sandals and go but it will be a game-changer during the cooler months when I seem to be forever putting on lace-up shoes or boots.

It was quite hilarious to discover that the family selling it actually had another which they used for exactly the same purpose. Great minds think alike!

Two More Tops

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A few days ago we went to Castlemaine to meet some friends for lunch. We had a couple of other things to do and still had a bit of time to kill so I popped into one of my favourite op shops.

I came away with 2 tops. The first one is a favourite shade of green so was difficult to resist. I have no idea of any details about it as there are no labels. No brand, size, composition or washing instructions but it fitted beautifully and I love it.

The second is a simple fitted grey tshirt from Country Road. I like the idea of a plain top as it will go with some of the patterned bottoms that I have. It will also be useful as an extra layer in cooler weather. Something that does double-duty is a perfect addition to the wardrobe.

Frighteningly Fruitful

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There are plenty of posts on this blog about bargains I have scored at op shops (thrift shops). However, sometimes I ponder how easy it is to not only find a surprise bargain but actually to go shopping with something specific in mind and find it secondhand. There is so much secondhand stuff yet so many people seem to still be consuming and buying new things at unprecedented levels.

A couple of days ago we were in a medium-sized town near where we live. There are at least 4 op shops and GMan decided to begin his hunt for some champagne flutes. These are not for us but for the local film society. He was hoping to source 12 glasses and was not particularly concerned if they were not absolutely identical.

Anyway, the first shop he tried yielded 7 suitable glasses and her found another 5 at the next shop he tried. They were all 50c each so for the princely sum of $6 we are able to give a dozen champane flutes to the film society to use.

Last week I picked up this cute tank top which will be perfect for hot days. A bargain at $2.50. I have white shorts but felt that it would look better with black shorts.

My last pair of black shorts were worn out and discarded last summer after about 12 years of wear. At the first shop I was idly glanced at the racks and spotted a pair of black shorts that turned out to be my size and look as though they have been barely worn. $5 and I now have exactly the addition to my wardrobe that I needed.

There is so much quality secondhand clothing and household goods available that I would encourage anyone to consider taking a look at secondhand goods through a variety of sources before rushing out to buy something new. You will be saving things potentially ending up in landfill, almost certainly be saving money and the planet.

Saved and Salvaged

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Sometimes it is necessary to buy something new but there are plenty of instances where you can reuse or repurpose something you already own or purchase it secondhand from a variety of sources.

Here are a couple of examples.

Today GMan put up a hanging rail in the new pantry.

It was the one that had been on the end wall previously but it was removed during the renovations. While the rail was in prefect condition, one of the tiny locking screws had been misplaced during the renovations. It seemed a shame to buy a whole new rod so GMan found another screw in his collection that was suitable apart from being far too long. He managed to modify the screw and the rail is now up and functional. It is a small addition but I am so pleased to have it.

I decided a couple of weeks ago that I needed a hook on the back of the laundry door. So, the next time I was in Bendigo I popped into the salvage yard at Eaglehawk and found exactly what I wanted for $2. The cost is not really the issue but more a matter of not buying something new when there are plenty of perfectly good items that can be reused. GMan cleaned it up and attached it to the door.

Now there is somewhere for GMan to leave his clothes that he wears in the yard. They are generally too grubby to put in the clothes hamper with everything else and are often going to be reworn the next day so this is a perfect solution.

Beautiful Bowls

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I recently scored these 2 large ceramic bowls. They were on offer through our local LETS group (Local Exchange Trading System) for the equivalent of $12.

They are in perfect condition and exactly what we had been searching for. The larger one is big enough to mix the full quantity of sourdough mix that GMan uses for 2 loaves of bread. He is so pleased with it.

There is something particularly thrilling about finding just what you need through a variety of secondhand avenues.

Shopping Success

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Today we did some grocery shopping in Bendigo as well an appointment I had to attend. I took the chance to check out a couple of op shops. Additionally, we went to Castlemaine to the library and a couple more op shops there, too.

GMan scored this spotless single cup percolator for $3. Apparently you cannot own too many devices for making coffee. I would not know as I do not drink coffee.

I found this sleeveless summer dress for $5. It is 100% linen and has pockets – perfect for when the hot weather strikes.

This is a men’s shirt but I am planning to remake it into a cool summer top for myself. $3 for the lovely strong cotton fabric is a bargain.

I also picked up a couple more shirts and a doona cover which will be perfect for one of my patchwork projects. I won’t need all of the doona cover so I will be able to use it in making carry bags which I am making for the local Community Pantry. It is good to be able to offer people a strong reusable bag when collecting some essential groceries.

A Footpath Find

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A couple of days ago we took the dog for a walk. There was nothing out of the ordinary about this and we were following our usual route when we spotted an outdoor lounge on the footpath with a note offering it to a ‘good home’.

There is a tiny bit of wear and tear evident and of course the cushions are faded but we decided that it was too good an opportunity to pass up. GMan headed home to get the ute while I waited with the lounge. I even met the gentleman who had offered it.

A short trip home and here it is set up on the front terrace outside the lounge room.

I am not 100% sure whether this will be its final location but it will do for the moment. Landscaping of the front yard and terrace is still a work in progress so I won’t always look quite this drab.

Op Shop Finds

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It is hard to believe that it is a week since my last post. There has been plenty happening, including committee meetings, a friend’s milestone birthday party, family visiting from interstate as well as lunch with a group of extended family. PHEW!!

On Saturday we were out and about with our visitors and had fun checking out a few op shops in our travels. I had a couple of small wins with the spatula ($1) at one shop and 3 more of my favourite jars (50c each) at another.

The spatula shows very little sign of previous use and the metal handle means that I can safely prop it on the side of the pan.

The jars are my some of my favourites when making jams or chutneys as well as for general storage. The wide neck and straight sides make them simple to fill using a wide-necked funnel and also easy to scrape out the last of the contents.

Where’s the Wine?

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In our previous home we had a storage space under the internal staircase and several dozen bottles of wine. We had a large modular storage system for them but decided to sell it when we were relocating interstate.

Like many things, the wine collection has been downsized somewhat, however, it still needs to be stored somewhere. The cartons have been in the wardrobe of the 3rd bedroom but invariably the desired bottle is always in the most difficult box to access.

We had talked about a variety of options but the wardrobe remained the best location due to the maintenance of a fairly steady temperature.

A few days ago I found some wine racks advertised on Facebook Marketplace so we decided to check them out. They are the same style as what we had previously and are perfect for the space we have.

GMan is very happy with the arrangement as it will make finding a particular bottle much easier. Additionally, it is much simple to keep track of exactly what he has.

Matching Accessories

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You probably remember my recent post from a couple of weeks ago where I showed you the shoes I bought to wear to a family wedding later this month.

Well, I decided I also needed a handbag and thought a matching bag would be good, however, my younger daughter pointed out that it may be difficult to match the colour so I was prepared to compromise with a metallic finish of some colour.

Anyway, earlier this week we were in a suburban shopping precinct in Melbourne as we were stocking up on a number of pantry items. Once that was done, I wandered into a couple of op shops in the area. The first two didn’t yield anything much at all in the way of bags. The third one was a different story. I had rather optimistically taken the shoes with me so that I could check the colour if I happened to find something suitable.

This was the result. A bag in perfect condition with no marks or signs of wear which matches my shoes perfectly. It was $7. I am beyond thrilled.