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.

If Alice of Wonderland fame had fallen down the rabbit hole into this place, she never would have…read moregotten out. The store is a maze of aisles with seemingly no order at all. Paths between merchandise veer off unexpectedly, making it a bit of a 'choose your own adventure' type experience. You never know what you'll find but if you go the wrong way you'll struggle to find your way back. When I entered the store I expected something like Bunnings (probably the only hardware store I've ever been to) with its lofty ceilings and manicured aisles. I was surprised at the low-ceilinged but deceptively large shop that greeted me. Apart from the ceiling height difference, this place sold everything any other hardware store does. Each section also had its own information desk, with a staff member waiting patiently for customers with queries. I kept arriving at 'clearings' to find an eager shop assistant gazing anxiously at me as I tried to back away while maintaining eye contact. The odd mix of charming, maze-like layout, head ducking and exceptional customer service combine to make this a place I would highly recommend.

Before entering Paddington Hardware, maybe give everyone in your group an air horn or just tether…read moreyour group together, because you will get lost in this giant warehouse of aisles. On the other hand, I don't mind getting lost in here. It made me remember that hardware stores don't have to be boring. After visiting Mitre 10 and its peers back in the day as a little girl with my father, this is a positive mansion of hardware needs. At first indifferent, I wandered absent-mindedly amongst rows of containers of different types of screws, and I was reminded of my father's workshop. When I was little, Dad's workshop (attached to the house) was out-of-bounds for kids. Of course this meant I snuck in there as often as possible. I used to ooh and ahh over the smell of cut wood, the jars of different sized nails and screws, curly wood shavings on the floor. It felt like being in Santa's workshop. And it also felt like this here. Now, Paddington Hardware isn't Santa's workshop - that I'm aware of. For all I know he could be stuffed in the back, pumping out dinner tables amongst a group of singing elves. The store's that big. I'm somehow sounding sentimental about a hardware store. In spite of its size, though, the staff are so friendly that it contributes to the happy-wonder vibe of the place. From a stock perspective, the scope of hardware is so extensive that I think most handymen would find what they wanted here. As an aside, I came to Paddington Hardware to buy a shower curtain because I was moving out of my rental property and they wanted it replaced. Shower curtains are sneakily expensive. However, Paddington Hardware was the only place in Paddington I could find a shower curtain. It was a damn nice curtain, so I hope the new tenants enjoyed it. A word about parking here: there is on-site parking, but since Paddington Hardware is sandwiched between boutiques and restaurants, it was once packed with cars from non-patrons. However, there is a strict Hardware Parking Only sign on site, and increased security on this front means that legitimate Hardware store customers should be able to find a spot.

I'm no DJ, in fact I don't even own a record player, but there's something so good about flicking…read moreyour fingers through a stack of old records. Butter Beats is a place where you can certainly do this. My most recent visit was for nothing in particular, but it was just nice to wander through the small store and reminisce about Dad's record collection and some of the weird stuff we used to listen to. The walls of the shop are stocked floor to ceiling with spray paint cans in every colour imaginable. I'm not sure what the connection is between music and spray paint. Anarchy? Art? I don't know, but it's effective nonetheless. If you're looking for a hard to find vinyl, in need of a new band T-shirt or just keen for chat about great music with one of the knowledgeable (yet very cool and intimidating looking) staff, then head into Butter Beats next time you're in the city.

Butter Beats has it going on. If the buttery store sign isn't enough to entice you inside, then the…read morerows and rows of records and music will. Welcome to a music library where the records are plenty and hard-to-find music is actually not so hard to find. Thanks goodness! This place is a music lover's ultimate dream with a collection you can get lost in and pore over for hours upon end. It's obvious that this place lives and breathes an intense love for music, and you'll find anything you desire from 80s rock to modern pop and hip hop. No holds barred! They're hidden away on an upper level in Broadway on the Mall, so make the trip up and grace yourself with a new lover in the form of endless music choices.

This is hands down, my favourite op shop in Brisbane. I did think twice about writing this review,…read moreas there is a part of me that desperately wants to keep this place a secret. But I says to myself I says, "Asthma Foundation is an op shop, and the more business they get, the more help they can provide to others". Yeeah. You're best to treat Mitchelton Asthma Foundation like a genie that will provide you with eternal materialistic wishes. I walked in there yesterday wishing for a large, oven proof casserole dish, (rare as hens teeth in op shops these days I find), and sure enough, up in the back corner of the shop, I found exactly what I was looking for. Other times, I've wished for sequined costumes, Victorian style brooches, crocodile figurines, all sorts of things. If you can imagine it, you'll probably find it in here. The back end of the shop is devoted to costumes. They have organised it into eras- from 1950's- 1990's. They've even got a sign that says "We love helping you with costumes, please ask us for assistance as we have more out the back that you may like". Bless! I don't know how it happens, but this Asthma Foundation has great costumes and clothes. It is a gold mine in every way you look at it. The real treasure trove part of this shop is the fabric collection at the back end of the store. If you're into sewing or textile crafts, this is the place to come. You'll even find some well priced vintage fabric if you're lucky. Because it's a suburban op shop, the prices haven't been jacked up which means it's a great place to find a bargain find, or more likely, finds. Bring a large garbage bag when you go in there and stock up. This shop makes everyone happy, from the shop ladies who sing along to the olden goldies radio station they listen to in store, to the customers who dance in store and sit on the ground making monstrous purchase piles.

What a FANTASTIC Op Shop and hidden away on Blackwood Street. This great little store is packed…read morewith great clothes, toys, homewares and bric a brac. Reasonably priced, well presented and neat but still heaps to dig through and find a gem. There is parking on the street at the front but it can be a bit difficult to snag a spot during lunch hour. The clothes are well organised into sizes, womens, mens and kids and the range of accessories is fantastic. Some awesome bargains to be had. The staff are always friendly and happy to have a chat. I have never failed to find an amazing score each time I go (including a beatiful brand new black dress with lace details and POCKETS for under $5). So good I almost don't want to share.

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.

I love a good rummage around a secondhand clothes store. You never know what gems you will find…read more Unfortunately, the few times I have been into the tiny Revamp Fashions I have never found any of these gems. The store is full of second hand clothes all in good condition and the service was OK, although not all too friendly or helpful. The worst thing about the shop was the prices. Asking $80 for a second hand pretty plain looking sportscraft dress is a bit much if you ask me. Every piece in the store seemed to suffer the same overpriced fate. There was not anything there that I would actually buy for the price they were asking. Still, I will probably keep going in just in case that hidden gem unearths itself. After all there is no harm in browsing.

You must come and have a look if you love labels, fashion history and second hand. They specialize…read morein buying labels and have them neatly assembled in this awfully cute and tiny store. The owner herself reminds me of Meryl Streep. Here I have found Leona Edmiston, Moschino, Calvin Klein, Jag, Diane von Furstenberg, Alannah Hill, Chloe... They have shoes, bags and clothes. And when you are done, go opposite to the upmarket Lifeline shop. Being your big wallet. We're not talking $10 frocks here.

Target in Australia??? Yes. But WAIT . . . before all you Americans get too excited, this Target…read more(as well as other Target stores in Australia) aren't like their American counterparts. Typically, they're MUCH smaller, and sell primarily clothing. No groceries. No pharmacy. Etc. Another distinguishing factor is price. It's EXPENSIVE here!!! Target stores in the US are usually reasonably priced. Looks like we're not in Kansas anymore Dorothy . . .

So, this is sort of a Target, but it sort of isn't. American Targets have become giant superstores…read morewhere you can buy anything. This one inside a mall has two small-ish levels and sells mostly cheap clothes (no one in the U.S. goes to Target just for clothes now), and a few household items, entertainment options, and electronics. Moreover, they were out of the one thing I needed (adaptors to charge my American devices in these freaky diagonal Australian outlets). I will give them credit for pointing me to a place that had something, but I probably won't go back there to shop much.

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.