St Veronica Thrift Shop

Discovered this little gem awhile ago while hunting for props — after trawling through numerous other op shops a failing to find the perfect little tea cup that I needed.
Hidden away in the quiet streets of West End, they are chocked full of awesome finds for extremely affordable prices.
Due to its location — there is much less traffic in the area — many of the more interesting items hang around for a little bit longer, so you can always find some fascinating trinkets and items that would have been snapped up otherwise.

I love this op-​shop because when I go in there I feel like I’m stepping into a REAL op-​shop, where there’s clutter, and nooks and crannies; where stuff is piled high in a disorganised state; and where, you might one day find a treasure. It’s one of those musty old op-​shops like those you find in country towns, not yet exploited by the city values of what’s trendy and what’s not. Go in there and have a sift through things – it’s fun.

Not as heavily trawled through as the paddington retro stores
(or the Salvo’s on boundary) This little op-​shop is a godsent
for thrifty minded people like me.
You find all sorts of odds and ends at the rickety and charming St Veronica’s.
I know I’ve bought a couple of clothing gem’s here over the years
(a prize powder blue party dress) as well as quirky gifts for friends.
(Naked Garden gnomes anybody?)
Employ those eagle eyes when hunting down that perfect dress
as finding treasure here can get challenging (as the photos can attest.)

Saint Veronica, the story goes, was a kindly lady of Jerusalem who offered Jesus her veil to wipe his brow as he carried his cross on the way to be crucified. It’s in this spirit of charity and usefulness that the shop was named.
Given the high proportion of rental properties in the suburb, many of which are occupied by vintage-​loving hipsters, it’s a particularly well-​frequented place offering everything from clothes, accessories, home wares, kitchen items and the odd piece of furniture.
I’ve found some cool stuff here, mainly clothes — incluing a couple of items which have served me well for fancy dress and retro themed parties.

This is the kind of ramshackle, ‘bomb hit it’, order in chaos, treasure trove op-​shop that is reminiscent of the outlaw op-​shops I used to rummage through growing up in the far reaches of the northern suburbs.
I always walk out with armloads of clothes when I visit St Veronica’s. If you can spend some time rifling through the racks, both men and women will be pleasantly surprised with the findings. They also have an enviable collection of manchester, vintage crockery, books and an abundance of cheap frames (of particular mention for any artists out there).
If you’re on the lookout for some random domestic need, go there for a gander. Last week I was in desperate need of a tagine, and I struck gold. It’s just that kind of place– full of handy wears you never knew you needed until you laid your eyes upon it.
It isn’t the cheapest op-​shop around, but for a West End op shop, it is the most reasonably priced. You’ll probably also have a higher success rate for finding gems because of it’s out of the way location.