Op-shop Kaiapoi!

i need no excuse i know.  it's rare a week goes by without an oppy visit, but,  if i have an excuse it is all the sweeter. so yes, inspired by Penny-Rose's reviews of Dunedins finest oppys (which provided me with a awesome guide for my oppy-shoppy day there, whilst on holiday on the nearby penninsular last week) i plan to op-shop north canterbury, all of it! all for you of course, you know, so you know what's here, and where and when, and most importantly if it's worth a special trip, or just a quick browse when your passing through...

this week the star of the my op-shop show is...

                                                                Kaiapoi

historic and beautiful river town, which was really starting to go ahead with tourism, now very badly and sadly affected by the earthquakes (streets of boarded up shops, patches of weedy flat ground where once stood fine old buildings). I really miss my serene river walks there, and 'the wooden rose' antiques store in the now demolished old post office building, sniff. But where there's op-shops there's hope aye?!


1. Save the Children


                                               

 So good it even has it's own street sign?

well, not bad actually. it's small but lovely and clean, well until we got there, but the chatty staff just laughed and cleaned up when claud flung her cup of cornflakes on the floor in a rage at being refused possession of a  bear twice her size. great variety clothes, homewares, craft material etc and cheap, ie $1 max  for most things, clothes a little more pricey. Go save some children at 116 Williams St (ph 03 3270022)

what did i come home with? a(nother) embroidery hoop

2. Bells Auctions
pretty sure this was the very first auctioneering outfit in NZ and though it lost its old buildings in the quake it's still up and running, in a tin shed on the same site. and in a word YAHOO for that 'cause though it's not an op-shop, it is seriously awesome and seriously cheap. and you get to play at bidding too, and the thrill of that chase will never tire for me .YOU MUST go there, really you must. really. its that good.  aside from remorse at having dropped out early on the bidding on a very cool mid-century style cat graphics poster thingy, I also came home with this...

 yay yay yipee yipee yay! 

i've want one of these babies forever!

where and when? Charles St ph 03 3275578 (auctions held thursdays; viewings 2pm+ tues; all day wed)

3. Bells Auctions second hand shop
zzzzz. I haven't been here for a year and yet they still seem to have the same stock ie dusty-but-yet-not-vintage baskets mainly. However if you like yappy dogs treated like little humans, as claud does, you won't be completely disappointed.
where? -50 charles st ph 3275578

4. The Great Opportunity Shop
zzzzzz. mainly overpriced, worn-out chain store clothing. Occasionally a cheap kids hand-knitted-by-a-granny gem down by the counter. what did i get? nada
where? actually, it was closed last week as the building is at high risk of collapse in future earthquakes...


                             Sharing my op-shop and op-shoppped treasures at Sophie's