Hands-down the best Salvos store in Melbourne! And that isn't a pronouncement that comes lightly…read morefrom me. About 60% of the store is dedicated to furniture, and though I don't buy or know much about furniture, it all looks to be in good quality and beautifully attractive. Lots of wood and vintage glasswork and tapestry. Also lots of art deco era beauties, and ornately carved wood pieces. The book, record and magazine section is large, with lots of antique books and a large array of magazines, especially national geographies, which is great for teachers and other art-scounger enthusiasts. Though the clothing section is on the small side, there are always decent finds and most of the items are in pristine condition. My absolute favourite favourite bit, though, is the jewelry selection. Never before in an op-shop have I seen such good quality vintage pieces. Beautiful ornate necklaces, screw-on earrings (amazing!), delicate rings. The works. If you need a bonus, the staff are also gems. Last time I was there one of the women helped hold my hair back while I tried on necklaces. Talk about service!

The Abbotsford Salvation Army shop should be your first point of call when ever you're looking for…read morefurniture, because they've got a really big selection of decently priced stuff to choose from. They are also quite happy to negotiate costs, so make sure you try to bargain with them. They also sterilise mattresses, so you can be some very good quality beds there quite cheap. They have a decent selection of crockery and kitchenware, books, and a particularly good selection of records on offer. They're also selling a grand piano at the moment, so it's really got something for everybody. The clothing selection is nothing to write home about, so I definitely wouldn't make a trip there if you're only after clothes, but if you're interested in household stuff, check it out for sure!

Not even a fire could keep this Vinnie's store down!…read more Having recently risen from the ashes of a fire that took out this and the business next door, I was surprised, and pleased to see that nothing had changed when I went back to visit. Still stocking a huge range of clothes, Vinnies in Bayswater also has a large furniture section, including heaps of retro household bits & pieces, beds, chairs and couches. The record section is good too, with the staff choosing to stock quality over quantity, so you don't have to hunt through 100 copies of the Kamahl Christmas album to get to the good stuff.

If you want to get a good slice of living in a certain suburb, look no further than their local op…read moreshop. Unlike those that become chains and spread their good everywhere, the true locals can almost appear like some sort of time capsule. One thing I've started doing is going through the music and book collections more and more. I think maybe this gives a very different insight into the place. The Epilepsy Op Shop, located on South Parade near Blackburn Station, is one such op shop. The ladies behind the counter are courteous and friendly, and while you may have to speak up they can tell you all about the bits and pieces in here. The clothes are more fashion suited for women, with their flowing skirts and floral prints. My girlfriend managed to come across quite a few winners here, though the clothes I get for myself have more of a novelty value.. There's a lot of craft pieces - buttons, zippers and more - towards the back for those looking to adapt their own pieces from the clothes they buy, and the small range of furniture taking up the remaining space is hit and miss.

This wonderful little store has a big mix of things and always served by lovely people with big…read moresmiles which makes me want to check it out more often. I very rarely leave here without making a purchase and usually head straight to the fabric remnants section. Prices of things are usually quite reasonable and the fabric is perfect to make toiles when you don't want to spend $5 a metre on calico because you're never going to wear it! My latest finds were some pictures sunrise pictures printed on canvas about 40 x 40cm each. Bargain at $10!

Know how you know an op shop is First Class? When you're fighting off consignment store owners for…read morethe best pickings! I live just down the street from this op shop, and I've probably been in no fewer than 50 times in the last year. It's a bold statement, but... this is the best op shop I have found in Melbourne! And trust when I say, I know second hand. This store is a treasure. Something about the grit of Grey St and the snob of St K come together in a beautifully affordable syncretism that is a new-with-tags French Connection dress or a stunning 1950s painted bureau. The staff here are always wonderfully friendly, working hard to add new stock in daily. The store itself is not much on looks, but the racks and stacks of donated goods are well worth a dig. A word of advice: If you see it once, you won't see it twice. This shop is top pickings for the acquainted, so if you think you might want something you'd better snag it while you can.

Another of the "Old School" Op Shops in the area, Bedford Rd Op Shop is run by volunteers and…read morecontains a pretty impressive range of clothes for the size of the premises. With clothes filing 2 rooms, and home wares and bit & pieces on display around the place, the prices are low and service is always friendly.

At first I was afraid if writing a good review would make this little jewel get popular but it…read moredeserves it. Organised chaos is the perfect expression of how this place is. Everything is in its little spot and tagged. You just have to manage to find it within the 5000+ square meters of individual 200+ stalls all managed and then paid for at the little counter at the front. It's great! Strangely none of the stalls have their owners there and you haggle with them over the phone! Where you then pass the phone to the front counter so they can take on the new price. It's different but great! If what your looking for is in a locked cabinet, you just head to the counter and tell them the cabinet number and being organised they find it and open it for you. It's lovely. If your looking for those old trinkets or antique decorations to give a little life to your place, this place is the place to go.

Wow! This place is huge. If antiques, second hand, vintage or used is at all your thing then you…read morewill be enthralled and possibly overwhelmed by this place. You'll find all kinds of things from furniture to kitchen wares, vintage clothing, coin collections, books and so on. It's a huge warehouse with many stalls owned by different dealers. Each item has a price tag with the stall number, a description and price attached. Some of the stalls have the dealers phone numbers displayed so you can call and haggle over prices. No phone number means fixed prices. There's a register at the front where you pay for all you finds. Staff are friendly and helpful. At the entrance you'll also find carry baskets to collect as you walk in and a selection of beverages and snacks such as ham and salad rolls. Note, if you're here in winter remember to dress warm as there is no heating and you may find you can't tear yourself in a hurry. The warehouse is set off the street but it's well signed and easy to find. There is off street parking which is necessary as it's a very busy street. I sure I'll be a regular here.

Woop. If you wanna find awesome bargains and miscellaneous crap that you probably don't need, look…read moreno further. Hot Bargains is the best spot for all those little accessory items that you need for throwaway events (fancy dress, kids birthdays, Christmas presents, girlfriend's birthday etc). They more than deliver on their hot bargain promise and you won't believe how much crap they've got piled up in there. This is the reason we need a free trade agreement with China. Sure, they'll benefit by getting access to the very fuckin' elements and minerals the miners pull out of the fuckin' ground here, but you, as a proud Australian, will have access to all of the mass produced plastic shit you can ever imagine. Wow. Our politicians are really on to a winner there. Seriously, do not bother with another shop if you wanna go fancy dress. I got a full Mexican gangster outfit (complete with cap gun) for about $8. You can't fuck with those prices... Honcho.

I buy so many things here. Great bargains. Just watch if you get a few items that it is entered…read morecorrectly. I was overcharged from a $2 item put through as a $1 item 22 times. Very hard to reason with staff & the items aren't on the receipt, only amounts. Otherwise awesome.

I'm well aware that Officeworks doesn't quite fit in my usual haunts of bars, little cafes and…read morerestaurants but I felt obliged to spread the good word. This Officeworks completely saved my life a few weeks ago. It's open until midnight during the week, perfect for any budget, the printing staff are genuinely helpful and if it wasn't for them, I would have had a uni-induced heart attack. Extremely good customer service, so I figured it deserved the praise.

Easily accessible in the Bayside area. Good selection for small businesses. Service is variable…read morebased on the staff you encounter on the day. It is good idea to call ahead on the printing jobs because sometimes they can tell you a good time to reduce the wait. Technology selection is good, but sometimes a little expensive. We keep going back.