a man friendly nappy bag
Hmmm, Op shopping on an action packed family trip. I had hoped to do some thrifting on my visit to the Wairarapa. Shoulda known better. I only seem to get near the 2nd hand shops in small farming towns late at night, after the doors have shut for the day.
Case in point: There are thrift shops in Eketahuna (Wairarapa), Darfield (Canterbury), Amberly (Canterbury) & Reefton (West Coast) I would love to check out & am sure are chock full of all sorts of goodies. As I zip thru these towns on my way to some crazy adventure or camping mission I say to myself “One of these days I’ll get the “Opportunity” to stop. (corny pun, I know!)
When my op shopping plans bit the dust, so did the post highlighting my finds.
Instead, I did lots of visiting, saw my niece & nephew’s sporting events, & gate crashed yet another South Wairarapa 4th of July party.
Hmm, what to do…while procrastinating sorting the massive pile of post-trip laundry I realised many of my favourite household items come from Wairarapa 2nd hand stores.
Where to shop in the ‘Rapa: Emma from Small Town Stories has a map of Wairarapa Op Shops.
These have all come from Wairarapa Op Shops over the past 7 years:
Why Wairarapa Op Shops?
(or Wai Wairarapa Op Shops for those who love a bad pun, ha ha!):
Rewind to 2006: the hubby & I go from broke 20 somethings paying off student loans, to backpackers living out of suitcases, to finally deciding to put down some roots. We came back to NZ with 2 suitcases & not much $$. If we were going to start living like “regular” folk, some basics were needed.
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My fave Wairarapa thrift, 2nd hand, & op shops:
Featherston: Featherston’s Own, What Goes Around, Jim’s Collectibles
Carterton: Fuzzy, Salvation Army Family Store
Greytown: Deja Vu (though this is more high end consignment clothing, most of my wardrobe comes from here)
Masterton: The Salvation Army Family Store, Seekers, Perry’s, Savemart
Best part: The people. I’ve met some great folks who run or volunteer at the various second hand shops and stores in Featherston, Greytown, Carterton and Masterton.
Are there thrift stores you only catch a glimpse of via the passenger side window? Do you come from a region known for its vintage and 2nd hand shops? Do you have op shops that you’ve been dying to visit?
I’d love you to share your thrifting strategy or your own op shopping experiences in the comments below. I’m all about sharing the knowledge, but if you’re an Op Shopping Ninjas who thrives on a stealth mission, I get and respect that too!
Linking with the lovely hosts of:
Op Shop Show-Off, The Nifty Thrifty, Thriftasaurus, Remnant, Thrift Share Monday, Magpie Monday
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This Mum Rocks 
Masn you’re on fire with the puns today. And also I love the orange pig – he is a standout. Yes there are places I want to visit – one in deepest Canty which is more like a vintage store (read you probably need more money than a regular oppie visit). I’m very aware of my need to ‘save’ items which I do not necessarily need, so I tend to try and not visit op shops every week 😀
Hiya Nin,
The pig is a favourite, but it also has a bit of a story behind it. I’m pretty sure it was made by a lady named Marion( she passed away several years ago now) who was well known in the South Wairarapa for her knitted toys. She would collect poor quality wool and knit toys like these to sell at local markets/fairs. The proceeds would be used to buy better quality wool/yarns for “Operation Cover Up”, a project by local knitters and crafters who made blankets to send to orphanages in Eastern Europe. When I spotted this in Featherston’s Op Shop, I snapped it up. The best part: its washable!
There is NOTHING more frustrating than a closed thrift shop (well, ok, maybe there is, but you know what I mean). Especially when you spot something really cool in the window and you know you’re not going to be back. Thanks for sharing your fave finds though, nice glimpse into your life (in a totally non-stalkerish way!) x
Hey Liz, I totally know what you mean! The shops that I mentioned have been taunting me for YEARS! The Eketahuna one in particular as as I would always pass thru the morning or late at night on my trips to the Central North Island. Especially so after I was stranded there with car troubles last year. Great garage/mechanic though.
i’m also a fan of the orange pig and i love it’s story too. the darfield oppy eluded me for the longest time, but now we have kids we invariably set off on trip later than intended and always seem to hit it as it’s opening/being restocked at 11am on a friday(and then add an hour or two to the journey browsing at length there!) x
I like that, Op shopping built into your schedule! One of these days I will get to the Darfield & Springfield Op shops! One day!
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