Good selection but not quite what we were looking for. We bought a few things that will brighten up…read moreour house.

Holy dooley. I was lucky enough to discover this treasure trove open on a Sunday. Welcome to…read moreWilston's Lifeline Supa Store. It's a two storey jungle of rare as hen's teeth second hand wares. On the lawn outside of the store, there was a $89 mint condition black leather wheelchair as well as a whole range of bikes, some for little ones, and some for adults. The rooms are decked out like small themed rooms, in a similar fashion to how some antique stores set out their goods for sale. The only difference is that you'll pay less than half the price you'd pay at an antique store. They've got a violin for sale there for $50, imitation Chasseur slow cookers for $59 (which is cheap, let me tell you), old school pentax and polaroid land cameras (enquire about prices) and vintage coffee percolators for $20. They've got loads of your standard op shop finds: a killer book and record collection, toys galore, and troves of crockery and cutlery. It's not a bad place to come looking for some new furniture either. They've got a lot of stuff that looks like it was taken from your grandma's house, but in saying that, there are some great retro finds in there. It's not great for clothes- it's more of a odds and ends, nic nacs kind of place. While you're upstairs take a look at the original, aged and worn wooden trusses that hold up the curved corrugated iron roof. I can assure you, if you dare go in here, you will walk out with something great and unexpected.

I trecked out to the place from the north side! Yes folks a lot of our op shops are heavily trawled…read moreon the north sode so a trip across the river was in order. I was not diappointed. First of all the place is very spacious and doesn't feel cramped or that everything is on top of everything else like so many of these opportunity spots. I loved that there seemed to be a great range of furniture and a lot of it in very good nick. You could easily fit out your whole kitchen for a very reasnable sum if you were a student setting up house. An excellent rack of books for adults and kids and the clothes are well organised and tidy. Definitely worth a vist.

This place is a little gem! Lots of good stuff, all reasonably priced (I picked up a perfect Pyrex…read morebowl for $2!) lots of clothes, books, furniture etc. The guy that works there is a nice chap, funny guy - he even knows about Marimekko! If you're after a bargain and prepared for a good rummage - then this place is your best bet in the Moorooka area. Sadly he told us that he can only move about 10% of the kids books - the rest need to be pulped! We bought nine for $3 - great for making my craft with.

This store is among the many in the op-shop drag of Annerley,…read moreand while it isn't the best I've come across it still packs a hefty vintage punch. What I relish most about entering an op shop like the Asthma Foundation is the little thrill of not knowing what exactly I will find. There are the usual thrift store finds; dubious stained polo shirts, crinkly business attire and old jewelry, but if you persevere you may find the odd clothing gem or two. And while this store hasn't yielded me as many bountiful bargains as its ipswich road brother and sisters, I still very much enjoy lusting over the piles of fur stoles and jackets and the groaning retro rack on hand. Well worth a gander when out and about in Annerley.

This op-shop may be in an up and coming suburb, but for now it's a diamond in the rough that packs…read morea punch. Here you'll find primarily fashion vintage and thrift finds and minimal housewares. It is small but don't let that deter you - there are still plenty of treasures to be discovered.

This place specialises in wedding attire especially but has lots of formal wear generally for…read morewomen. They also keep their bins very tidy and remove the contents regularly. Not much available in terms of kitchen wares though. Not bad for a second hand store.

The fact that the guy working in this place mistook me for a recent high school graduate, when in…read morereality I am closer to attending my ten year reunion, could have a lot to do with why I loved this store. But I don't think so. I really can't express how positive my experience here was. Everything about this shop is adorable; the design, the vintage clothes, the atmosphere and the locally made jewellery. This is no ordinary secondhand clothing store. Everything has been carefully chosen and only the best items make the cut, so the store is not cluttered, but tastefully arranged with perfect clothes to space ratio. Not only are the clothes here unique thanks to their preloved status, but they are all in excellent condition. While the clothes are lovely, it is not that alone which makes this store what it is. The design compliments the shop perfectly; giving customers the feeling they are exploring a charming boutique. Perhaps my favourite thing about this shop was the locally made jewellery. I love supporting local artists and buying pieces like this not only ensures you do so, but also guarantees that you won't end up looking exactly the same as every girl that shops at mass-produced jewellery stores. Finally, when I visited, not only was the sales assistant extremely friendly, kind and a poor judge of age (to my immense pleasure), he was also ironing. I found this an enchanting touch. How often do you see staff in a shop ironing? It added such a welcoming feel to the store, and also assured me the people here really care about and take pride in their work.

Willow & Fox work under the banner of 'Recycle, Reduce, Reuse'. Even from the outside it's…read moreendearing. They have handwritten protest articles written up on the door about stopping the palm oil industry. HANDWRITTEN! The owners are people who really do care about the state of our world. Their collection is humble, but immaculate. The threads they sell are all secondhand, in perfect condition, and I guess you would say that most of them come under the category of 'hippie clothes'. They've got all sorts of excellent bits and bobs around the place- there's some reused tetra pak bags there for sale, and some beautiful reused wine goblets. My favourite item was the lampshade made from natural fibres. This store is one of it's kind in the Cleveland area. It provides people with an avenue to have all the nice things they want without costing you or the environment too much.

Karene A is right, those looking for a second hand store experience that earns them hipster cred or…read morekitsch points should look elsewhere for their fix. That's not to say that you won't find items that fit that bill at the Red Hill Salvos Store but it's unlikely. Red Hill Salvos has been a spot I've spent many a hour searching for homewares, books and on the odd occasion kooky costumes for a 70s highschool teacher inspired photo shoot. This is the spot you come to if you're looking for something unique for your home- something that tells a story and stands out from the run of the mill flat pack furniture. On many occasions I've found (much to my delight) fantastic crystal pieces including small milk jugs perfect for the kitchen table, vases and other knick knacks for my home. If you're in the market for larger furniture items that tell a story and have a bucket load of character then be sure to wander into their back shed area where you'll find enough desks, dining tables, chairs and wardrobes to fit any decor or need. While I've done my fair share of 'shopping' here it has also been a fine spot to give items I no longer need a new home. Books, clothes and other kitchen items that I no longer need are donated to a good cause and handing them directly to their warehouse teams means I'm safe in the knowledge my donations are not being ruined by weather waiting for a donation bin to be emptied.

Rummaging through the piles of second-hand goods here, one is sure to pick up a bargain antique…read moretreasure. While it's not the place to pick up quality retro clothing, you will find plenty of old picture frames, antique furniture (banged up antique furniture but it's all about character, right?), vinyl records, old-school suitcases and shelves and shelves full of cute little statues and retro kitchenware that all looks like it should be in Grandma's kitchen. Their pricing system is a little haphazard; the price markers seem to know the value of some of the antique items but overlook others. Sometimes I can pick up an old suitcase or port for $20 whereas on other visits the same sort and quality item will be upwards of $50. There are definitely bargains to be had if you visit regularly though. As well as lots of really old stuff (I'm full of such technical terms), they also have plenty of newer second hand furniture, linen, toys, sports equipment and a section with discounted supermarket items such as toilet paper, shampoo, detergent etc.

While predominantly a women's clothing store the Bulimba branch of Side Street does have a couple…read moreof racks dedicated to the dudes (guys you'll find more range at the Paddington store. I really like the vintage-inspired fashions here, with some really cool and comfortable just above the knee 'walkers shorts' on offer (funky patterns and colours like paisley and sky blue) as well as unique t-shirt prints. The prices are a bit high for me though, with t-shirts and shorts starting at the $60 mark and heading too close to the triple digits for my liking. I recently visited during a post-Christmas sale and was disappointed to find that none of the men's stuff was discounted (gender discrimination at its worst I'm sure you'll agree ;). As I really like their styles I hunted out the cheapest item on the rack, a slightly low cut singlet with a pocket (I don't know what I'd keep in it but it is 'cute') for about $30. After I tried it on the slightly over zealous sales clerk asked "How did you go?" -- a question I dislike. Sometimes I'm tempted to quip: "The objectives were completed. I successfully donned the selected garment/s and assessed their suitability for my personage..." But that would make ME the bigger douche, so I just said "It was a bit too big." Once she'd become distracted by a local who engaged her in a chat I took leave of the shop. The verdict -- I like your styles Side Street, but your prices make me pursue other avenues.

Side Street stocks skinny jeans, cute dresses, shorts and tops. The range is not huge, as the shop…read moreis quite small, but they seem to go for a quality over quantity approach. I really like some of the casual Maisie singlets and shirts and they do have some cute dresses. The store has a slight air of being unfinished, not quite sure why, however the staff are friendly and helpful and I have found some beautiful clothes here that I can see myself wearing over and over again.

The Lifeline Book Shop on Oxford Street stocks a great range of antique and second hand books, as…read morewell as some knick knacks for your home. Stop by and grab a book to read, grab a coffee from Mugged across the road and then head over to the park to sit under the shade of a tree and enjoy the day. Bliss!

Blink and you'll miss it, but the lifeline on Oxford is a…read moreveritable gem amongst the thrift stores. Selling a large contingency of books, the shelves here are very neatly organised and offer some quality titles. The display cases here are also worth a gander as they can offer up some real bargains. (Especially in the way of cameras, an old canon only sets you back $80 here!) ...But the reason why I love coming here has to be the staff. The lovely lady here is hands down the friendliest op-shop attendant I've experienced in Brisbane. (..apart from the Ipswich flower mill nanna.) With it's easy Oxford location and thrift store prices, I highly recommend popping in.