Stakeout: Yooralla Bargain Shop, Carlton

This op, located at 135-136 Elgin Street Carlton, was canned in the Treasure Hunter’s Guide (THG) way back when in 2005. I can’t remember exactly what it said, but it was something along the lines of ‘you won’t find any treasure here’.

Now, I’m not sure if they just went on a bad day or matters have improved in the last three years (aside: do you sometimes refer to the THG and think – ‘hang on, this was written three years ago – can it be trusted?’ I do) but this op ain’t nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be.

Outrage: Country Ladle Ad Insults Op Shoppers, Bakers and the Elderly

OK, the link between the latest ad for Country Ladle canned soup and the usual subject matter of this blog is tenuous at best. So this won’t be the most ‘useful’ post I’ve ever done. Nonetheless, it is an OUTRAGE, and as such should be addressed.

Now, for those of you who aren’t watching the Bargain Hunt/Antiques Roadshow Hour of Power and therefore may have missed this ad, here’s the lowdown. A woman (about 30) is on the phone to her mother. She says something like ‘Yes mum, I got your package. Thanks for the tea set, it’s getting a lot of use’ as the ad shows a bunch of small children playing with the tea set in the mud. She then says ‘oh, the scones are very popular’ as there’s a shot of some pigeons eating said scones. Then: ‘yes, thanks for the cardi, it’s a perfect fit’ as a shot of a hobo wearing a pink cardigan comes up. Blah blah blah…the point is that the only thing she actually likes is the country ladle soup, which she gleefully hoes into as the ad rolls on.

Innocuous enough, you might think. But what is the real message of this ad?

Aunty Detective: Removal of Stains From Vintage Handbags

Hooray, a question! From LM in Melbourne…

“i recently went to savers and the brotherhood of st.lawrence (both in footscray) and bought two bags- a plain brown sort of clutch/purse and what seems like a tiny snakeskin bag, to a total of $5. however, when i got home i saw that the plain brown bag had this extra mint gum patch stuck to the black lining and that the snakeskin-esque bag had some sort of glue/tree sap looking thing stuck near the inside zipper. my question to you is how would i go about removing these without causing significant damage to the bags? i think it would be a great idea if you could give advice to others on how to remove stains and such on vintage clothing, bags etc. through a blog entry.”

Yeah. Stain removal’s a bitch.

Storing Vintage Clothes: The Nightmare Continues

I actually did finish sorting and cleaning my clothes recently (finally, hooray, champagne corks popping, dancing in the streets etc).

Then I remembered. Lurking in the back room, in a shipping container as old as the hills, was a bunch of clothing that I had nae even cast eyes upon since 2003.

So I ventured out the back, and, gingerly, lifted the lid on this Crate of Wonders. And froze upon witnessing what lay within.

Tools For Appraising Stuff in Op Shops and Antique Stores

Over the last few years, I’ve learned a fair bit about detecting quality, spotting fakes and generally examining items at op shops, fairs and antiques stores. But a trained eye and a bank of knowledge take time to build up, and having a few tools on one’s person when one is out and about can make assessing an item that much easier.

It’s also a good way to demonstrate to a vendor that you’re not one of those characters in a cartoon that turns into a lollipop/pigeon when a shyster walks by.

So here are the items I would always carry with me if I could…

Stakeout: Eekos Op Shop, Brunswick

A little over a week ago, I received the following note on this here blog:

“Hello Chloe,

“You might like to try Eekos. It’s a new environmentally-friendly op shop in Brunswick, run by a charity called Baptcare. And if you like it, a mention on your blog would be appreciated!

“Here’s the details:
http://www.baptcare.org.au/lwp/wcm/connect/Baptist/Tools/Media%20Centre/News%20Room/Baptcare%20launches%20environmentally%20friendly%20op%20shop

Happy sleuthing!”

Never one to refuse an op shop, a polite invitation, or the chance to see something that sounds vaguely like the way a girl would shriek in a cartoon, I was only too happy to tram my way up to Brunswick and have a good gander at this store

Rescuing a 1950s Lace Dress From Certain Doom

I was basically shivering with happiness when I found a lavender coloured lace dress from the 1950s with matching opera coat for $6 at my local op shop (which is  deserving of a post all to itself).

In fact, a woman sauntered over to me as I held it over my arm and said, ‘wow, that’s a great ensemble, have you tried it on yet? Does it fit?’ to which I replied ‘one false move and I’m breaking out the mace, gleaner!’ (or actually ‘yes…now be gone with you’, before disappearing into the racks of clothing vampire style…or maybe I just murmured something and slunk off, either way).

OK, the taffeta opera coat is a bit matronly – it looks a bit odd, really, and doesn’t seem like it would be wearable today, unlike the dress, despite the fact that they were made for each other. Strange how some things get better with age while others are left looking like relics of a bygone era.

Anyway, the dress is awesome. The workmanship is beautiful; it has an old style metal zip, it’s lined and the shape (which doesn’t really come through in the photo) is unbelievable. Sure, it takes me about twenty minutes heaving like a Bulgarian weightlifter in the Olympic finals to get the dangblasted thing on and the zip done up, but That’s The Point; you’re supposed to pose and perhaps sip on a mint julep whilst wearing this thing, not attempt to do something ridiculous like slouch or use the ‘powder room’.

Alas, all was not well with my new find.

Media Watch: Dita Von Teese, Thandie Newton and Forbes Talk Vintage

I am sick as a hound dog at the moment (slight exaggeration), so today’s won’t be a long post. However, I am once again astounded by the extent to which vintage is making the headlines…

1. Dita Von Teese has been interviewed in the New York Times and talks about her various vintage collections – this is really an insight into decadence.

Rich Dudes Reviving Halston and Ossie Clark: What Gives?

The more I think about the relaunches of iconic fashion labels Halston and Ossie Clark, the weirder the whole situation seems.

Originally, this post was just going to be ‘blah blah blah, what do you reckon about the clothes – too 70s, too literal, or awesome?’ but I think these relaunches raise meatier issues than that.

Stakeout: Brotherhood of St Laurence, Moonee Ponds

This is another of those barn-sized stores where Magic 1278 basically has to be blared out of loudspeakers to make itself heard.

Located at 24 Margaret Street, Moonee Ponds (directly opposite Moonee Ponds train station), you won’t miss it. It’s a giant, white brick monolith with rolling security doors (I imagine they get a few ‘colourful’ types loitering in the area) and industrial-grade carpeting.

The Treasure Hunter’s Guide made an interesting (and largely true) point about Brotherhood of St Laurence stores in its entry on this shop