It's a painfully small and quiet shop, and it has much the same variety as all the other bargain…read morestores scattered around Auckland. I gave 1,2,3 Plus 3 stars though for the exceptionally friendly owner. A sweet Chinese man with a big grin, he has more than the typical 'Hi' & 'Thank you' to offer you. He goes out of his way to wish you a 'Happy Easter' and plays some great tunes, such as the 'Phantom of the Opera' suite. I was immediately warmed by his big heart and wanted to stay a bit longer. I'm not a huge fan of discount stores, but I'm usually dragged in by my bargain hunting mother. At least I wanted to stay in this one for a while, and sing along to 'All I Ask of You'.

I adore 101 Howick, and perhaps my one regret in life is that I left it too late to snap up one of…read morethe incredibly stylish and New-York-loft-esque stools that were basically one huge thread with a seat on top, and you could hand-screw to adjust in height. Okay maybe that's not the best description... Point being, they have tasteful, unusual, and beautiful homeware and gifts. There's a little bit of everything really, and if you like Redcurrent, you'll love 101 Howick. It's like Redcurrent with more cushions, and fewer candles. With more stylish pieces of occasional furniture, and fewer Olga Berg bags (not that I'm knocking them). Visit for a present you'd never have dreamed of, or a decent spoil for yourself.

This is a great place to have a rummage around in. It's big and filled with all sorts - from…read morecrockery to prints, jewellery, postcards, furniture, and vintage mangazines. It's a more approachable kind of antique shop, by which I mean, you can go in and actually find things you can afford, plus, it's not the kind of place that gives you that dreaded feeling in your gut that if you turn around too quickly, you're going to break something worth more than your earn in a year. Which is never that much fun, is it? I recommend coming here to sift through their excellent button collection, which they sell individually - so handy if you're into reworking vintage clothes or crafts of any kind. Also, they have a cute and extensive range of vintage postcard, which are great for making unique birthday cards from. The jewellery is also definitely worth a rummage.

Unlike most thrift stores that rely on people's junk fetishes, The Hospice Shop (formerly the…read moreMethodist Op Shop) relies on good quality second hand deals. There were some absolutely lovely shoes here I wish I could fit into. I eventually settled on a wonderful, smart cream jacket, only $18. My friend bought a suede handbag for $15, and the packaging hadn't even been taken out. It's that sort of quality this place specialises in. However, that's the silver lining. The cloud is I found the shop assistants to be distracted and impatient with customers. They seemed friendly enough when you got around to paying, but otherwise they looked at me like I was a thief ready to pounce. (perhaps this happens to them often?) I think a bit more smiles and less malevolent staring is in order.

I always have a good shopping experience when I come here. The staff can be a little sniffy, but…read moreit's worth it because you can find some really nice stuff in here, and the prices are so five years ago. I love that. There's only a small selection of clothing, but it's one of those places where you can find some delicious retro pieces that would be five times the price at an op shop in town. It's also a good place to find handbags in really good condition. They have a good range of jewellery at the counter too, and a lot of books and household odds and end at the back of the shop.

There's this bright pink sign catching your attention on Cascades Road, which immediately signals…read morethis is no mechanic shop along a busy industrial district. What a Girl Wants is a second hand store, but packed with top quality bits and pieces. There are bags, clothes, shoes, books, furniture and ornaments, all geared towards the classy women of East Auckland. I thoroughly enjoyed having a browse, and picked up a nice singlet for a whopping $2! It's next to a coffee place and also an antique store, so your vintage tastes can be quenched, along with a nice spot of coffee afterwards. You can just park on the gravel outside, which is really handy. The shop assistant was friendly enough, and the way things are set out is really eye catching. It's awesome to see some creative thought going into the layout of a thrift store, considering most of the time, you have to rummage to find anything particularly useful. Here, it's all on display, in order of size and product. Good stuff.

What a Girl Wants would be a solid four star shop if it weren't for the staff…read more The two times I've been in I've wanted to stay longer, they have some amazing bargains and a very well organised shop, and overall the quality of their stock is excellent. The problem is, the two ladies who work there were very, very loudly talking politics both times I went in. As there's a dance school directly above them, it's fair enough that they need to raise their voices a little to be heard. But maybe don't stand on opposite sides of the shop? Or don't go on loudly about how much you dislike beneficiary bludgers who just sit around all day doing nothing. I mean, you're running a second hand shop, people...perhaps put two and two together and come up with four?

An interesting collection of antique odds and ends, including coins, jewellery, newspaper clippings…read more(there was one about the Titanic when it sunk - we are going back that far!), buttons, metal signs with the infamous Uncle Sam wanting to enlist you in the army, music sheets, ornaments and records. I felt like the things I found the most intriguing were at an affordable price range, which is so rare in antique stores! The shop owner seemed a bit preoccupied with his own thoughts, neither greeting nor asking if anyone wanted help. Perhaps it's boring on a Saturday morning, and he was away with the fairies? Anyway, it's sort of nice to be left to your own devices instead of having someone breathe down your neck in a store like this one. It's a place where dreams are inspired.

Tucked away in a quiet part of Howick, it's easy not to know this place is there until you drive…read morepast. That's when you spot the big, multicoloured South African flag, begging you to make a beeline for it. The South African Shop has an interesting layout, with an upstairs filled with meat and alcohol, as well as a downstairs for some of your other needs. They make all their own boerewors sausage and biltong (It's very fresh and tasty!), and have plenty of advice to give about cooking each item. I really enjoyed my visit here, and they are open everyday like your usual corner shops. If you have a Creme Soda craving one hot afternoon, they have a fridge full of it!

Great service with Julie fitting my shoes, very helpful. Lovely, all sort of Italian. Boots, Best…read moreplace to come. Modern!

Shoes on Picton is a great place to drop into if you're looking for unusual shoes that you won't…read moresee everywhere else. I especially love the sales, which give really impressive discounts, but as it's mid-range in price and not often leather, you won't break the bank if you buy at full price. This is also a good place to shop for flats, which can be hard come by. Two recent favourites have been shiny ballet flats with a collage of colour photos print all over, and a cute pair of peep-toes made of Mexican-style colourful woven cloth, with contrast black and white striped satin bows. Heart. Seriously. As a bonus, everything I've bought from there so far has worn really well, so it seems all to be good quality, plus the sales assistant is great at giving you tips about shoe fit and care.

I toyed about whether I should write a review on this place or not, mostly because it's one of my…read morelittle secondhand treasure troves and I don't want too many people knowing about it. But good places have a habit of making themselves known, so I'm sure me holding off on a review would do much. This place is massive - it's a warehouse full of cheap, good quality secondhand goods. I generally go for the clothes, so I skip past the homewares and furniture and make a beeline for the back area. On a single trip I have come away with as many as 20 new pieces of clothing, and my average haul is anywhere from five to 10 new pieces. Lots of people in the Eastern suburbs appear to not want their vintage dresses, gorgeous one-piece swimsuits or sweet shorts any more, so now they're mine! I'll also take all their yellow '70s Tupperware off their hands too, thank you very much.

When I was a youngster, there was no bigger punishment than antique shopping, and now that I'm a…read morefree thinking adult, there is no bigger joy than the shopping for classically built furniture or wooden chests. Okay, not the biggest joy, but I like it okay. The Antique Shop in Howick is one of the better antique stores in Auckland, and they stock some of the best furniture and chests you can find in the country. Not cheap by any means, but you can find items here that you simply can't find anywhere else in the world, and even if you can't afford them, it is a great place to meander about.

The Antique Shop is really self-explanatory, but let me divulge to you the treasures I found in…read morethis little cave. Music records made before I was born, Bunnykins merchandise, quaint teacups and saucers, old copies of Charles Dickens and an old-fashioned merry-go-round horse. There were a number of stuffed dear heads and also a deer skull painted an awful golden colour, which makes you wonder if there's a taxidermist somewhere nearby. Not really my thing, but certainly someone enjoys that traditional English hunting decoration for their living room. As always, Antiques come with a hefty price tag, but you get what you pay for. There's a huge collection of jewelry, but the only really interesting thing to me were the brooches. It's so hard finding them these days! Only $20 each - not bad.