Mostly new age stalls and they are not flexible with price when things are broken…read more Can't even talk to the stall holders

The FTG Salvos is huge. It is the biggest op shop I have ever been to and the range is quite…read moreimpressive. They tend to stock a lot of brand name clothes, probably because they are so close to Knox City Shopping Centre and most of the donations are sourced locally. The prices can get pretty high here so I don't rate them too highly for their service as a charity shop. While I commend the Salvos for their work, it kind of defeats the point if they raise prices so much that the people they exist to help cannot afford to shop there anymore. The newer the item is here, the more expensive. While this can be a frustration for the needy this is super good for vintage hunters like myself. I have picked up three or so very cute vintage dresses in great condition for around $6 each here. Similar dresses on ebay sell for upwards of $40 so I'm pretty chuffed with my finds. As usual, the staff here are friendly and chatty so allow time for a cash register convo. The store sells bric-a-brac, books, shoes, magazines, furniture, formal attire and regular clothing wear. Donation bins are out the front.

Today I take a trailer and car load to the back door where they now except donations. The old man…read moremeanders around the trailer (clearly cannot be bothered) and continues with insulting me about my late parents possessions. A chair which is "too far gone" with 2 dots on it and then goes on to say "it looks fit for the council collection" little did you know about the bags of jewellery you clearly could have made plenty from and the bags of clothes with tags on them. The beautiful antique glasses and the boxes of antiques (which we all know could have pulled in money to help People in need. Well you up yourself, cannot be bothered, insulting fogie... thanks for putting me in tears and missing out on donations for the salvos! Will NEVER be donating or shopping here again!!!!!

Mountain Gate Op Shop is home to the sweetest people around. Run by volunteers it is a place people…read moredrop by just to have a chat and say hello, let alone for the shopping. The tiny shop is packed full of donations with everything from old leather jackets, children's toys, accessories, shoes, bags and socks to 50 cent books. The prices here are fantastic and I've picked up fantastic pieces here for less than a dollar or two. Despite the very low prices they often have sales. If you can afford to, try to leave a donation each time you shop there, the people who run it will really appreciate it. The shop itself is a little bit smelly, as most donation-fuelled Op Shops tend to be. Otherwise it is clean enough. I would recommend washing anything you buy at home before wearing it - just to make it smell nice again, but the clothes on offer here are great. They are open Monday - Friday from 10-3 and on Weekends from 10-1. Pay them a visit today.

This shop is always worth a visit when dropping in at Mountain Gate. Run by volunteers, it's one of…read morethe cheapest charity stores around. Other opportunity shops out some ridiculous prices on their donated items. It's small and a little cluttered but that's the nature of op shops. It's run by lovely people too.

The Angliss Op Shop is a heart warming place that has helped a LOT of people. It exists to raise…read moremoney for the Angliss hospital and it does a great job. The staff here are all volunteers and they each work half a day each week. Last year they raised over $150,000 for the hospital and it purchased a new operating table and upgraded patient beds so that they now have hand operated remotes rather than foot pedals that control the bed height. The staff were all treated to a special morning tea at the hospital to thank them for their efforts. The Op Shop itself is quite small but there is a lot packed into it. The prices are really cheap and they operate to help people who cannot afford clothing just as much as people needing medical attention. The staff are super friendly and are always up for a long conversation. I went there for the first time last week and picked up two dresses for just $8. Try to leave a donation if you can because 100% of their earnings goes straight to the hospital. They don't even have a phone because as one staff member told me "they cost money". They have accessories, clothing, books, kids toys, plants and garden accessories too. Give them a visit or drop off your unwanted clothes and books. They will really appreciate it and it's the only place I'll be leaving my things from now on.

Walk in Wardrobe on the main shopping strip of Belgrave is a really groovy store that only stocks…read moreitems that have been pre-loved. Its owner is pro-recycling and manages to find some fantastic items that don't look second hand at all. The prices in here can be a little high considering most of the products are second hand but the environment in the shop is fantastic and there are a lot of great finds in the one place...so it wont stop me going back. There are groovy vintage accessories and vintage looking accessories like button rings and hand knitted brooches. These are around $15 and up. The shop itself is decorated in vintage posters and pictures of vintage fashion. Walking in here is enough to get you hooked on vintage and the idea of recycled clothing. It is open from 10am to 5pm every day although it is closed on Tuesdays and Sundays. The shop is a really great place to go and get something that no one else will have and the staff here are really friendly and love talking vintage. Get on down and check it out!

More up the alley of "Boutique Recycled Store" than an Op-Sop, Walk In Wardrobe is one of those…read moreshops that seemingly plunder regular op-shops for the cool stuff then sell it for an inflated price. The cons of these stores are the feeling you get, knowing that if you'd found these items at the Salvos you'd pay half the price, however the Pros are that you don't have to do the hunting. The clothes are usually of the 60's & 70's period, with great shirts and pants for the guys, plus heaps of funky vintage dresses for the ladies. With the prices as they are, your usual trip here will see you grab one or two items, as whatever the price, the stuff is always good and worth trying on for size.

One of the last "True" Op Shops that I have discovered is tucked away at the foot of the Dandenongs…read morein Upper Fern Tree Gully. While the suburb itself really doesn't have anything "Upper" to offer, this little gem still holds the old values of the good old-fashioned op shops. You wont find uppity staff, overpriced clothes or other tragedies here. Most of the clothing is under $10, and the range is pretty good. They have a large range of homewares aswell, and these are all affordable and, depending on the donations of course, in good nick. Even if you don't find anything worth picking up, PWP is a good example of what op shopping used to be like before they were all plundered and turned into "Recycled Boutiques".

Excellent op shop. I've never managed to leave without finding something special I have to get…read more Best prices, best shop.

Your typical opportunity shop, this one supports rspca, plenty of the usual suspects to choose…read morefrom. I always enjoy browsing as you never know what treasure you may find.

A new little Op-shop in Fern tree gully, this place is quite small, but has a good little range of…read moreclothes and home wares priced to sell. Although I dint find anything for myself, the prices were great. Most shirts were under $5, and with most Op-Shops now charging ridiculous amounts for clothes, it was good to see places like this existed. Also, as it's a Church run venture, (the same church that runs and owns the Rapture Coffee shop nearby) the money goes to the church and its causes.

La Petit Armoire & Quirky Best Bits would perhaps be the classiest of clothing boutiques in the…read morehills. It has two rooms filled elegantly with the latest fashions, designer clothing and cute accessories. The prices cater for everyone - from people like me who think they are rich if they have $20 in their wallet, up to people who can afford the $269 bright orange beach bag that I fell in love with, (and left behind...hint hint). Despite the orange bag being out of my budget I found plenty of other delights to tempt myself with including gorgeous heart outline silver necklaces and a funky pair of red velvet pants that were a steal at just $20. The girl who served me was friendly and welcoming and it was nice to see someone in a fairly up market shop doing work - hanging up clothes, styling the mannequins and generally making sure everything looked good - rather than eyeing me off from behind the counter. It would be right to say I felt very comfortable browsing with no fear that if I touched something alarm bells would go off - quite a pleasant experience. There are two 'rooms' to the shop and in the back one there is a tall gold-framed mirror resting against the wall. I wanted to try something on just to be able to use it - yup, that's how impressive it was. It seems like the place used to be two separate shops - one called La Petite Armoire and the other Quirky Best Bits. I didn't get the feeling that I was leaving one shop and walking into another as I passed under the doorway that links the two, so the owners have done a good job of combining them. The winter trading hours are 10-5 Monday to Friday and 10-5.30 Saturday and Sunday.