Opting to Op Revisited
From Mod Mania
Opting to Op Revisited - A different perspective on The Changing Face of The Op Shop
What is The Op Shop?
An Op (Opportunity) Shop is a store that stocks second hand and donated goods to sell to the general public. The Op Shop aims to keep stock turning over, as well as raising funds for charitable causes. These charities can be as diverse as Disease Research and Animal Welfare Associations to Community Health Groups or Veteran Affairs. Due to the charitable nature of the businesses, Op Shops are often found at the dead end of town and certainly 'off the beaten track' where rents are lower. A traditional Op Shop features a clutter of random objects, which requires customers to rummage through the wares to discover a bargain. This has been the appeal for many, however, change is afoot.
In recent years, some of the Op Shop staples such as Salvation Army and St Vincent de Paul, have reinvented themselves. Distancing themselves from their humble, jumbled beginnings - the two charity giants appear to have re-established themselves as second hand dealers. Gone are the cramped aisles full of brik-a-brak and treasures to be found for under 50 cents...instead we now find; Eftpos facilities, ticket pricing systems and an emphisis on styled product displays.
Who is the op shopping community?
Made up of any number of demographical groups within the general public the; financially challenged, anti-consumers, environmentalists, students, thrifty bargain hunters, collectors, vintage boutique owners, market stall holders, fashionista’s and the list goes on. People use Op Shops when they are looking for particular items such as; costumes for parties, an old fashioned potato masher, a camping chair or a crochet blanket. It could be assumed that all customers of Op Shops are appreciative of the low price.
An online community exists at vogue.com.au where members openly discuss all things op, from listing local op shop locations to sharing thrifty adventure stories. Many users discuss their bargain discoveries on a more personal city or town level, though there is a nationwide thread topic entitled: "What's Your Best/Latest Op Shop Find?" Over 100 pages of peoples tales about their favourite acquisitions can be found, with passionate stories of exclusive labels found for amazingly low prices, among other op shop experiences.
A Melbourne based op shopping blog, 'I Op therfore I am' where people actively upload photos of purchases and off beat finds, discussions on sales and other activities. The blog also has compiled 'treasure maps' using the Google Maps interface to chart quality op shop locations in Melbourne and Geelong.
Three entrepreneurial Melbourne University students founded "Melbourne Op Shop Tours" - a company who runs tours around Melbourne offering a different shopping experience for customers - indeed the art of op shopping. "The tours steer clear of the well known op shops and vintage stores like Savers and Retrostar, specialising in the shops which are off the beaten op shop track, so they're not plundered." These heavily booked tours, with both seasoned op shoppers as well as newbies, are an indication that the scene is healthily populated.
Personal Account - Interview with "Niki"
Niki, an Op Shop enthusiast (with 25 years Op Shopping experience) explained how much Op Shops have changed in the last decade.
"Op Shops aren't what they used to be. If I want to find an op shop that's not picked over, I need to drive into rural Victoria to find one. There is definitely an increased interest in all items from the 60's 70's and even the 80's. I hate the inflated pricing, which is obviously because of the increased interest. I call it, 'hero with a pricing gun syndrome'!"
When asked why she likes to Op Shop, Niki responded, "the thrill of finding a bargain or another piece of something I have been looking for is fantastic! There's nothing quite like it - you never know what you'll find, it's so incredibly random and fun. I love the opportunity to sift through the cluttered shelves and draws, the best stuff is often hiding underneath! This is part of the quintessential op shop experience."
Any problems when Op Shopping? - "The only problem with op shopping with likeminded friends, is that it can be like a race to find the best stuff...it can be very competitive. It's always a thrill to be the one who gets the best deal or most obscure thing."
What is affecting change for the Op Shopping Community?
Several key factors appear to be responsible for affecting the change.
• "Thick rimmed glasses, organic food and Op Shops are the unlikely winners of the 21st Century. Why? Thank Hipsters."..."you can spot them easily, they shop at thrift stores"..."to sport a carefully created sloppy, vintage look." A highly populous group within the community appears to be influencing the op shop status quo by upsetting the supply and demand balance of the second hand market. Generation Y’s ‘Hipsters’ are a large subculture of consumers who with their particular set of values are increasing demand. In order to cater for the affluent Hipster, vintage boutiques are now common place in most commercial landscapes. Op Shops were the initial supply resource of these vintage stores, but we are now at a point where supply has been exhausted. This forces the Vintage Boutiques to source from overseas or create new vintage style clothing lines. Local small scale Op Shops are then affected by this, as they are constantly stripped of quality products to sell - often left only with the proverbial dregs.
• Mass production has adversely affected the quality of collectable goods across the board- home wares bought from Kmart and ‘Crazy Clints Bargains’ have little aesthetic appeal when compared to locally made vintage equivalents. Many of today's Chinese made items are cheap and common, rendering any re-sale value as almost worthless.
• Ebay possibly, has had one of the biggest effects on the quality of stock found in Op Shops on two fronts: opportunists scour the thrift stores for items to flip for easy profits, and secondly would-be donators now chose to sell their items for personal profit. This notion is looked upon by op shop proprietors as the main reason why they mark prices higher than lower.
Op Shops are indeed a changing commodity. Factors such as; The Hipster movement, with their ironic consumer demands based on fashion and image portrayal. Then, there is Ebay with its' commercial potential enticing people to create their own profit margins - and finally, the proliferation of low quality goods which impacts both how the Op Shop is perceived and what it might be stocked with. There are a large number of people who would consider themselves part of the Op Shopping community for whom it is a popular pastime that possesses positive outcomes. The Op Shopping community can support supplementary businesses like 'Melbourne Op Shop Tours' and holds a great deal of fascination for a myriad of other community members such as bloggers.
Like an over-fished ocean, the Op shop as we knew it may become just another vintage memory.
References & Footnotes
1. http://forums.vogue.com.au/showthread.php?t=232358
2. http://melb-opshopping.blogspot.com/2010/04/op-shop-tours-melbourne.html
3. http://www.melbourneopshoptours.com.au/?page_id=3
4. The Age (The Voice): Op Shop Hop by Zoe Nikkakis- http://www.melbourneopshoptours.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Richmond-article-3-rotated.jpgX
6. http://www.talkingaboutgenerations.com/index.php/2010/01/who-is-the-gen-y-hipster/
7. http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2009/12/the-evolution-of-the-hipster-2000-2009.html
