Salvation Army Op Shop, Brunswick

Salvos in Brunswick. It's a spacious store divided into two neat halves. Furniture, cupboards, bookcases on one side. Horizontal racks of clothes on the other.


It's a fusion of different styles, I tried on faux fur jackets to "bossa nova" style jazz in a large, off-white change room.

There were some great seventies/sixties-style pieces of furniture, the highlight being a baby blue table with chrome fittings around the side and wonderful long table legs. Browsing was almost like wandering through ikea or a museum filled with second-hand artifacts. There was this wonderful organ with two keyboards, it's polished wood gleamed at me from the front window, and I had to quickly remind myself that I didn't need (or know how to play) an organ.

There was a decent sized selection of clothes, but it was organised well (horizontal, well-spaced out racks) so you didn't feel overwhelmed. There were some wonderful white lace tops and dresses made out of that cool, cottony material with different patterns and appliques. I'm not a big fan of corduroy pants, but the was a pretty extensive collection in the men's wear section. All the clothes seemed to be in good quality and were arranged mostly by colour and style along the racks.

The feature of the women's collection were the variety of those 90s lace and mid-riff tops. I bought this long-sleeved lace top that was cut off at the rib cage. Across the chest there was a red-satin base. It was unique and very nineties (think pairing it with dark lip-stick and doc martens.)

Interestingly, the shops talking point was the big selection of men's work wear (overalls and fluoro tops and jumpsuits) and mattresses. So if you are in the market for both or either of those items, this is the place to look. The prices were good, which is typical of most salvos stores. Dresses ranged from $5-$20. Pants and suits from $20-$50 and furniture (especially the large pieces) from $70.

where is it? 740 Sydney Rd, Brunswick
how do i get there? Tram no.19 to Coburg from Elizabeth St
will i have to wait for a change room? there are 2 change rooms
whats on the stereo? Bossa Nova - fusion jazz (??)
i'm hungry? I'd recommend the Retreat Hotel a little further up Brunswick St. Great pub with a retro feel.

Scavengers, Brunswick

Scavengers in Sydney Rd, Brunswick is like a barn styled in warm, Tuscan colours and is populated by an eclectic mix of vintage finds. It's a dark, cool place that embraces that "vintage store" attention to quirky detail and decoration.

Smelling of rich incense, the prices are displayed on old 8mm records and crocheted pictures of the Virgin Mary hang above racks of stylish and multi-coloured clothes. There is a great variety in the colours and textures of the clothes and I found some unique styles and cuts amongst the collection.

I found true love with a smock dress with small shoulder pads made from the most beautiful patterned rayon. Multi-coloured feathers swirled around upon a deep, purple and red shimmery base. It can be worn back to front and front to back and only needed a little tailoring to lift the hemline.

There were also an impressive range of colourful 80s day-dresses, made from heavy crepe material. I spent 10 minutes contemplating a navy fitted dress with gold buttons and a mid-calf hemline.

There were some lovely hats (think trilby's and 50s delicate caps) and a descent collection of handbags and leather clutches. There are also lovely old bookcases filled with self-help, fiction and fantasy second hand books.

It is a small space, and I found myself tucking my elbows in while browsing and maneuvering from rack to rack. For a vintage shop the prices are incredibly reasonable. Most dresses were around the $16-$20 mark and there were a couple of discount racks outside the store with half-priced items.

FINAL WORD: A cool space, with lots of great vintage pieces and collectibles, Scavengers is a wonderful, if temporary, respite from the real world (especially on a hot afternoon.)

where is it? 349 Sydney Rd, Brunswick
how do i get there? Tram no.19 to Coburg from Elizabeth St
will i have to wait for a change room? there is 1 changeroom
whats on the stereo? miscellaneous Indie music
i'm hungry? I'd recommend the Retreat Hotel a little further up Brunswick St. Great pub with a retro feel.

Vinnies, Coburg

The store is a large complex, with dark blue walls and large square windows facing out into Sydney Rd. Everything is nicely separated, long racks of women's clothing in the front, men's clothing on the right and furniture and home-wears in the back and along the left wall.

Initially I was a little underwhelmed at this Vinnies on the edge of Brunswick. In the murky glow, there was nothing that really captured my attention, though the range of average pieces did make the few unique finds stand out.

The racks of women's clothing are nicely spaced out and there is a good variety of textures, especially if you are looking for shirts and tops. Racks are brimming with sparkly appliques and sequin clusters, "brand" name t-shirts, neat tailored and casual shirts and short sleeved tops with crazy patterns.

In a true dynasty moment, I pulled out a slightly crumpled cobalt blue power suit. It was nicely tailored from the bust to the hips and came with Joan Collins-tastic shoulder pads. Sandwiched between some tweed coats was a woolly (and peeling) Chanel imitation suit in black and white. There wasn't an extensive shoe collection, though I did momentarily consider cutting off my little toes for a pair of 80s pumps made from this cool mixture of Lycra and leather.

There were a few nice pant-suit combinations in the men's' section despite the faded appearance of some of the items. What really stood out for me was this leather bomber jacket with a fantastic tan and dark brown acid wash.

The furniture is the highlight of the store. There obviously has been some thought behind it's presentation, as set-out second-hand dining room tables wait to be sat at and heavy oak wardrobes yearn to be opened as you wander around the store. There were some genuinely unique pieces; large oak dressers made from draws with gold handles stacked around gilded mirrors and polished Queen Anne's with those lovely old fashioned keyholes.

FINAL WORD: Vinnie's continue to impress me with their well-selected range of furniture. There is this grand and old fashioned appeal for vintage furniture nuts like me. Clothes wise, this store is not so exciting, though you may find something brilliant on second look.


where is it? 260 Sydney Rd, Coburg
how do i get there? no 19. Tram to Coburg
what is on the stereo? Magic 1278
will i have to wait for a change room? three decent sized change rooms, it shouldn't take too long!
i'm hungry? try the Kaleidoscope Cafe at 161 Sydney Rd, Brunswick