Now even the op shops are squeezing every buck | Tom Bowden

There’s something about getting a bargain that’s exhilarating. But that’s getting harder and harder to do these days, writes Tom Bowden.

They say everything old is new again.

Take, for instance, this guy, Harold, who lives in my neighbourhood.

He’s like 94 or something. He’ll be old until the day he dies.

I don’t think they’re talking about Harold …

They’re talking about trends, and the cyclical nature of popularity.

Something out of vogue at one point eventually comes back in.

Which is why so many people like op-shops.

I’m obsessed with them. From the moment I found (for $2!) a daffodil-yellow, form-fitting (possibly women’s) Crimplene button-up shirt in high school, and subsequently pretty much lived in for the best part of a decade, I was hooked.

Don’t judge me. If you’d looked as glorious as I did in it you would have too …

I’m not alone in my love of op-shops.

A recent Savers survey of more than 1000 Aussies revealed about 42 per cent shopped second-hand for the “treasure hunting” experience.

Of those surveyed, more than 80 per cent of Australians said they have engaged in second-hand shopping recently, and of those, 74 per cent say a quarter of their wardrobe was preloved.

There’s something about getting a bargain that’s exhilarating. But that’s getting harder and harder to do these days.

I’m sure I’m not alone in noticing that clothing costs at many op-shops across the country have increased significantly in recent years.

I think this has happened for a number of reasons.

One: Rising rents mean retailers have to up the costs of their items in order to cover their lease.

Two: The costs of simply keeping the lights on is getting ridiculous. That expense has to be covered, lest shoppers op-shop in the dark. Actually, that could be worth trying. It certainly makes tenpin bowling more exciting …

Three: In some instances I think it’s purely just capitalism.

Second-hand items have never been more in vogue, with people now prepared to pay a premium for pieces they used to be able to get for bargain basement prices. Second-hand retailers are cashing in.

And let’s not forget the time and money that goes into dumping the tonnes of figurative and, in some shocking cases, literal shit people leave on these charity shops’ doorsteps each year.

Someone’s got to cover all of that.

I don’t mind paying these higher prices because I still see the value in paying less than I would if it were a new item, and for me it’s more about the enjoyment of the search.

But there are those in our society who don’t have this luxury.

Who don’t get to approach it with the same fun attitude I bring to the hunt.

The group who had previously bought the $4 shirt, the $8 trousers, the $2 neck tie, the $10 jacket and the $6 shoes to put together an outfit that would stand up to the harsh criticism of a job interview, knowing they’d still have enough money left over to be able to pick up some dinner for the family on the way home.

But when that same group are now paying $12 for the shirt, $18 for the trousers, a fiver for tie, $25 for the jacket and $20 for the shoes, well, that makes that a lot harder to do.

The beauty about op-shops is they have traditionally covered both ends of the market – those who need it and those who want it – quite well.

With cost of living pressures hitting hard, and families struggling to keep household budgets in check, the group who need it is growing at an alarming rate.

I only hope those who need it don’t get left behind by businesses trying to squeeze every last dollar from the group that want it.

Originally published as Now even the op shops are squeezing every buck | Tom Bowden