The word on the street is that when it comes to inner city Salvos stores, the cool stuff is sent straight to Abbotsford, while the more practical/contemporary stuff and the merch that is donated directly by clothing labels goes to Richmond Salvos (located in Victoria Street, you can’t miss it…if you hit Hunchbax, you’ve gone too far, go back before it’s too late etc).
The two stores only a few minutes walk (or tram ride, if you’re real lazy-like) apart, so if you’re checking out one it’s certainly worth having a rubber neck at the other. Especially because the aforementioned piece of Olde Oppe Shopping Lore doesn’t appear to be entirely true.
In fact, in some ways Richmond Salvos is quite similar to the Abbotsford branch; there’s a big book section out the back (though not nearly as big as the Abbotsford one), a cabinet containing pricier porcelain/glassware etc up the front, and some decent vintage pieces amongst the more typical (cheap and modern) Salvosware.
The best thing I saw was, without a doubt, a late 1950s lined men’s jacket in a dull purple colour. Everything about it – from the label to the pockets – was so typical of its era that if Jimmy Stewart had walked in and said ‘Why, there’s my jacket’ I would have said ‘Yeah, fair enough’. It was in mint condition, and therefore a steal at $30, but as I’m not a man and it was too large for Le Beau, I had to leave it swinging on the rack (dang).
In other news, I recommend asking the fellow/lady behind the counter if you can have a rifle through the baskets in the cabinet, as no one seems to bother going through them, and therefore it’s quite likely you’ll find something good. As an added bonus, nothing in them is priced, so when I asked how much a couple of brooches (a swan and a little framed tree thingy, nothing of great value) they were only 50c each. Bargain.
The books, too, while not as voluminous or exciting as the Abbotsford collection, are worth a closer look. I was sorely, sorely tempted by a book entitled ‘Star Sign Makeovers’ or something similar from the mid-80s. As a Scorpio, I’m apparently supposed to smear as much burgundy as possible all over my face, and for a casual look, mix lime green and electric blue eyeshadow and draw giant shapes with it (you know, to keep it low key). Classy.
The dresses section also had a few gems, including a purple, pleated Fletcher Jones number (unusual to see a dress; usually it’s more the skirt/jacket or man pants) and a really nice pink lacy number from the 1970s with scalloped sleeves. For those of you who don’t freak out at the sight of the sleepwear section, there were a few saucy vintage nighties and dressing gowns that were worth a look.
In the end, other than the two brooches, I bought a book about collectable china for 50c. At a total cost of $1.50, it’s hard to be disappointed.
Of the two neighbouring Salvos stores, Abbotsford probably does have an edge over Richmond, but don’t let this put you off checking out the Richmond store. It’s picked over, sure, but not seen as such a hotbed of retro love, and so you might just score a treasure that would have been swashbuckled out of Abbotsford in five minutes flat.
Been there? Thoughts? Which do you prefer?
