At first glance Fantastic Variety may look just like your average junk store. Well, it is that,…read moreplus a little bit more. I've managed to decorate my home with some pieces from there that I've also seen in more prestigious home wares shops like Provincial Home Living and Homeart. The beauty is because the shop isn't pretty, and because the stock is just stacked together in bulk, you'll get the same item at Fantastic Variety for half the price. Last week I was pleased to pick up some bamboo sticks of different lengths and sizes to go into a large wooden vase that's been empty in my living room for about six months. The same pieces were at Homeart and would have cost me $10 more for the same amount. They've also currently got some lovely French pieces; old hat boxes and war style letter boxes with French art and war stamps printed on them. To accompany the collection, French Bordeaux clocks of assorted sizes are also in stock. From $10 to $20, similar decorative clocks are available at Provincial Home living for more than double the cost. And unlike most cheap rip offs, these collections at Fantastic Variety are pretty good, to the naked eye at least you can hardly tell the difference and they'll make your space look just as effective, particularly if you're decorating on a budget. Some of my other fave items here are the assorted varieties of Japanese hanging lanterns, as well as bamboo door runners. My husband has a unique collection of islander wooden masks, and the lanterns and door runner have really added to the effectiveness of our 'tribal room'. Since relocating to a bigger premises within the centre, I've noticed the range in store getting more stylish and of higher quality. The store owners have also gotten a lot better at merchandising their best stuff and so you can see the value of some of their pieces in the window displays which have been quite fetching of late. So, if you're in the mood for some interior decorating on a budget, check out Fantastic Variety first. The window displays might even give you some good ideas and at least you'll be able to cost compare if you do go elsewhere.

The Holeproof factories provide great value for money, sale or no sale their prices are cheap all…read moreyear round.They stock all the common brands such as Bonds, Berlei, Triumph, Perla and and have a wide range and variety to chose from. The staff are always friendly and easy accommodating when you are looking for a size or need help with a particular fit.

Bargain Depot is certainly an aptly named clearance outlet. Set up in the manner of Aldi stores,…read morethe wares are displayed in the boxes in which they were brought in, and left out in open topped isles. However, unlike Aldi, most of the brands are clearly recognisable as the same stocked at any other supermarket. For the most part everything is priced significantly lower than your standard supermarket, or about the same as if all the goods were on special all the time. For example, a solitary can of Red Bull will only set you back $1.50 and a big bag of chips comes in around the $2 mark. However, I'd recommend a close inspection of expiry and use by dates, as it has a whiff of NQR about it, given the whole "clearance" element. The stock extends beyond food goods, with most of the stuff you'd find at your local supermarket and/or discount centre covered in the various sections. Among the more exciting discoveries was a huge range of piñatas for $18 a pop at the back of the store, including one that's a mermaid. Pretty cool, hey?

A great place to pick up party supplies. A lot of confectionery including some harder to find…read moreAmerican products. Also, it's great for brand name cleaning products. The bargain depot has relatively easy parking in this part of Sydney Rd.

This is one of my favorite places to shop. Various knickknacks for the home from notepads of paper,…read moreto electronic adapters and plugs, to tools and things you need to set up your new home. Everything is super cheap here, and the owners are helpful and friendly. I bought a notepad for $1, and bedazzling jewels for my phone only cost $2.50. Gels for your shoes only cost $1.50 for a pair. Perfect price!

As far as junk shops go, this is as good as it gets. It's not so much the range, because it stocks…read morethe same usual amount of 90% useless shit, most of it over-stacked on to the aisle floors. Although, I have found them fantastic for kids arts and crafts, from the usual cheap staplers, glues, pencils, paper - to wool and other materials, sparkly stick on thingy-mi-jigs, and bulk bags of all of that crap in one to make it easier for your dear self. Not to mention the cheap as chips costume jewellery. My daughter has LOVED it here. I love it more for Mary's cheery little Greek helper; a lovely old bubbly man who's enthusiasm and zest for life is infectious. He genuinely loves talking to people and he is by far the best customer service person I've met in a long time... the beauty is he isn't even trying. The first time I went here I tried to pay with EFT, it's one thing they don't have. Because he could see my daughter had grown attached to the hoop I was buying her, he let me take it with us while we went to get cash. AMAZING! He even guessed how pregnant I was, came close to the date I gave birth and guessed my unborn child would be a boy, which he is. It's just so darn nice to walk into a store and have someone work there who is really enjoying what they do, enjoys people and almost makes you feel like one of the family. Whenever I'm in the area I can't help but pop in and be made cheerful for the day, if not the week, by this delightful gentleman. Good for cheap kitchenware such as platters, mixing and salad bowls and individual cutlery pieces if you're in need of a top up. Also scored a great faux leather tote bag for $15, it was fake but it didn't look too bad, and allowed me to save for the D&G beauty I treasure I now.

This shop has everything from pet care to toys to tools and a fantastic lolly section…read more Plenty of greeting cards cheap craft supplies and fantastic decorations. Especially Xmas decorations! If you need something you can probably find it here and far cheaper than you would elsewhere. The staff are always friendly and I stop in here whenever I need something.

This is your typical junk shop, laden with 70% useless crap, overstocked to the point that if you…read moreare in a wheelchair, have a pram, or are even slightly overweight you've no chance of getting through the narrow, messy aisles. Crazy Bargains has managed to help me out with a few nick knacks at great prices. I found them particularly useful last Christmas, large rolls of gift wrap, bulk cards and cheap gifts for those people you have to buy for but can't be stuffed spending much money on them. They were also fantastic for really affordable, and adorable Xmas decorations. For kids arts and crafts, and even some homewares like some of the vase collections, as well as a beautiful assortment of decorative treasure boxes now in stock. So as junky as this junk shop is, they're are treasures to be found, you'll just have to put up with the absolute rudeness of the owner and sales staff, who don't give a shit if you're a customer. I saw the owner almost come to fists with a customer at Christmas over the price of a birdcage!!

WARNING - AVOID THIS STORE! Despite the cheap variety items…read morein this store you may find useful, some products are so cheaply made that they "Do not" do what the product is supposed to do - This is breaking consumer law. There's also a problem with not honouring return policies that are also breaking Australian consumer law. They have "No Return Policies" and avoid giving out the store owners name. This store is a scam - and will be under investigation!

What a Bargain!! is among the more modest of the Sydney Rd $2/variety stores. Substantially smaller…read morethan both Hot Price and Enoch Gift and Homewares, it still covers the basics reasonably well. Looking for an umbrella as it starts to rain? They have it. How about a hula hoop? Yup. Pens, pencils and other stationary? Present and accounted for. Other random household goods and novelty items? It's all there. The prices are comparable to the other pound stores in the area, so if you're looking for something you'd go to Hot Price or Hot Potato for (because apparently cheap novelty goods are rather temperate) but are geographically located between them, then What a Bargain!! will probably oblige.

Asian homeware shop opposite post office, Glenroy. Cool products alas so rude. This kinda behaviour…read moreis exactly why the 'Asian level of service' was coined were no service is considered good service. It doesn't apply most of the time, but certainly does in this case. Wow if I wanted to be treated like this I'd go home (let's just say home is not a happy place). The woman behind the counter with a top knot asks if I have money (is this a compliment suggesting I'm 12 cause I'm carrying a mini backpack and not a birkin?) In a judgy tone, and then she demands to know my budget. Look woman I just asked for the prices since most of the items I picked up don't have price tags. You had to be there, what a condescending b*tch! My friend was with me and absolutely appalled that I didn't just leave (i know it's so wrong and goes against all principles but I really wanted the flowers). But wow. What kinda weirdo attacks a stranger like that? And all just cause they're not blindly spending but asking prices - I believe this is why I was attacked, though other people are saying it's a racist attack from what I've read, it's not a once off incident. This is the absolute worst service I've had in very long time. Top 3 since we've been here (12yrs). And the other experiences involved sexist remarks (tech involved) and shaming (failed). Like most Asian homeware shops it's a clutter zone and the opposite of spacious concrete Kmart. This is definitely a hazard zone. I'm not even going to talk about what nice stuff they sell, as my blood is boiling. Absolutely disgusting "service". TLDR; terrible judgy service (think of the stereotypical mother in law x100). Disgusting and I'm not alone, look at the other reviews on Facebook.

I've been reviewing a fair few junk shops lately so I'll keep this one short and sweet and identify…read morethe differences you'll find here. So, along with the usual array of trash and treasure, this place stocks a great selection of cheap, oriental inspired home decorating items; lanterns, flags, wall adornments, figurines etc. I love it most here though for the cheap cheap CHEAP collectors canvas prints in black and white, from Madonna, Elvis and other Hollywood legends to famous footy stars. If you've got a themed room you can pick up each of these beauties for $15. You can put them in frames or line them up, they look so effective and you just can't tell the diff between these or a $200 print once they're on the wall. Great gift ideas!

This is yet another store of the $2 shop elk to pop up in Melbourne over the past few years. The…read moredemand for stuff costing $2 has peaked my friends, maybe over the coming years we will see the emergence of $6 shops. More realistic. My favourite aspect of this particular discount shop is that it is relatively spacious. It is an alarming trend for such stores to be jam packed with as much stock as possible. Resulting in tacky chaos. This store is a lot more relaxed and organized and therefore much more likely to receive my $2.

Stuff. Stuff everywhere. That's what you get at Hot Price Trading in Brunswick…read more There's yet to be an occasion where I walked into Hot Price and didn't come out with whatever specific good I was searching from, from headphones to kitchenware, arts and crafts supplies, clocks, picture frames, tea towels, umbrellas, card decks, stick on picture hooks, L and P plates, clocks, storage equipment and glitter. Pretty much any household or novelty item you'd ever need will be somewhere in this shop. Yet it's easy to be intimidated upon first inspection. There's only the faintest of logic to the store's organisation, and the expansive premises can make it seem like just a massive pile of random things, but if you ask for assistance the staff are always obliging and seem to know every niche and crevice of their stock. Also, common sense dictates that if you're looking for the highest quality or industry specific goods, it's probably better to go to elsewhere. Prices are all on the inexpensive side of average, and eftpos is available.

There is more than you would imagine in this large discount store from domestic cleaning products…read moreto art supplies, from the mundane to the kitsch. The store is the size of a small supermarket and there are endless shelves of inexpensive goods. I went here because needed a new easel for painting, a proper adjustable easel that will hold some large paintings. After pricing new easels at art supplies I realize that this was by far the cheapest place to buy and easel. Art materials are expensive and as a struggling artist I don't have a lot of money so being able to shop for materials at a discount store is a bonus. Along with a selection of easels and canvases, they also had some cheap Chinese oil paint. I decided to buy a tube of black paint as well because I couldn't see how you could go wrong making black paint.