Finally getting down to compiling a list of vintage thrift shops in New Zealand (they call it Op shops over there though - Opportunity Shops or Second Hand Stores). I mostly thrifted for vintage plates / saucers / tea cups.
Read about my preparation of a 6 week solo trip to NZ here: Preparation
Read about my North Island trip here: North Island - 2 weeks
Read about my South Island trip here: South Island - 4 weeks
Pictures first - I know it's 5 months late but I only just managed to steal some pockets of time to take pictures of all my vintage kitchenware that I got from NZ. :)
The addresses are all listed at the bottom of the post.
Taupo's Salvation Army
Disclaimer: These 2 tea cups are not from NZ, bought them from Typo a year ago(?). Only just found them while clearing my room.
Nelson's SPCA Op shop
Nelson's SPCA Op shop
Most expensive plate and it was the only one that broke when I flew it back to Singapore
Hospice Shop @ Dunedin
Finders Keepers @ Dunedin
This was 1 out of the 3 apparels I thrifted in NZ. It's my favourite thrift shop in NZ even though I only purchased this item there, the shop was cute and dainty, managed by a very young lady (she was in early 20's I think?) and the store had a really nice playlist, I stood inside for a long time because I wanted to listen to all the songs hahaha.
Thrift shops that I went to in North Island, NZ:
Taupo: Salvation Army Family Store (it's somewhere along Spa Road, just behind the Blackcurrant Backpackers where I was living in).
I really loved this thrift store because the stuff they sold were so cheap! I saw two picnic baskets / luggage that cost only $12 and $15, was so tempted to buy them but I couldn't possibly bring them home. I even googled for DHL but NZ is too laid back that they didn't have DHL services at Taupo directly. (I still regret not purchasing them because they were too beautiful to be missed). AND they had vintage luggages too, y'know those they use for decoration in vintage cafes? Going for $20 only. Goodness, I went mad having to deal with not purchasing them.
Wellington: Unearthed Vintage and Retro - 219 Cuba Street.
Love the vintage plates they sold, I spent sixty buckaroos here I think? Not the cheapest place to get vintage plates because they specialised in vintage stuff - unlike Salvation army. But I have to say that vintage stuff were in pristine condition and the lady tending the shop was so lovely.
Wellington: Recycled Boutique - 143 Vivian St.
If you googled enough for the reviews, many will say that their stuff are pretty pricey, which is true. I bought a sling / clutch here for $15 because I was desperate for a sling to bring my stuff around conveniently without carrying my backpack (who buys second hand stuff at $15 right?! But stuff that are not on sale in NZ retail stores are usually pretty expensive, so I settled for this. At least it was nice and I used it to death throughout the 6 weeks).
Wellington: Paperbag Princess - 209 Cuba Street
*Auckland has a lot of thrift stores too I heard? But sadly I did not think about visiting them when I was in Auckland, only to regret it later when I entered my first thrift store in Taupo.
Thrift / Op stores that I visited in South Island, NZ:
Picton: Second time around - 121 Picton Main Street
Picton is generally a really small town so people shouldn't have any problems finding this place, it's in a little cosy corner by its own and the shop was pretty big with a wide variety of kitchenware. I bought so many cheap saucers and plates here, also because it was the only thing I could do in Picton since I didn't hike there.
Nelson: SPCA Op Shop - 80 Vanguard Street
Nelson: Red Cross Shop - 76 Vanguard Street
Nelson: Salvation Army - 34 Vanguard Street
Nelson: Vintage Antiques - along Vanguard Street (it's at the round about road, somewhere in between Salvation Army Family Store and SPCA OP shop)
This shop specialises in Vintage furniture and kitchenware stuff that are all in pristine condition. Prices are generally more expensive [teacup + saucer ranges from ~$16-$25] but they're all so pretty almost as good as new.
Nelson: Hospice Shop - 110 Bridge Street
Wanaka: Salvation Army - Can't remember the exact address, but it's at the heart of the small town, near Cinema Paradiso
Queenstown: Walk in Wardrobe - 34 Shot Over Street
Queenstown: Salvation Army - 67 Shot Over Street and 47 Industrial Place
Dunedin: Finders Keepers Boutique - I don't have the exact address, but you walk along the Cadbury Factory entrance and turn left at the traffic light and it's somewhere there before you reach Otago Settlers Museum
Dunedin: The Op Shop - St Andrew Street (There're actually 2 Op Shops along this stretch)
Dunedin: Paperbag Princess - Hanover Street(?) I can't remember. (I just know it's directly opposite The Meridian Mall where you'll see Cotton On / Factorie)
Dunedin: Hospice Shop - (it's just 2 doors away from Paperbag Princess)
Dunedin: Savemart - 34 to 36 Stafford Street
Dunedin: Salvation Army - 279 King Edward Street
Dunedin: Toffs - Princess Street
Christchurch: Retro house - Intersection of Hereford Street and Fitzgerald Street
I found this my accident while randomly walking all over Christchurch
I'm pretty sure there are more thrift stores around that I didn't get to visit but those I went to definitely suffice, considering that I brought home 20kg worth of vintage plates. I think I went a little overboard lol. The trick to bringing all of them home with 99% unbroken is getting store keepers to bubble wrap every single item for you, or at least wrap them with newspaper. I hand carried everything back (sneaked in 12kg on my hand carry), while the remaining 8kg, I wrapped in towel and clothes before checking in, and they all survived.
Now that I've so many plates and saucers I'm actually considering to sell some away because I simply have no space to store them in my kitchen, oh damn it. First world problems.
