Shopping in New Zealand is a really different experience compared with shopping in America today.
It reminds me a bit of how shopping used to be in the U.S., when you had to go to actual stores during actual store hours and interact with actual people instead of just ordering something on Amazon and finding it at your porch the next morning. Stores here tend to be open for limited time frames -- say, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., 6 days a week. And if they've run out of what you're looking for, they're probably not going to restock that item anytime soon.
If Shane or I ever forget that we're far, far from home in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, we get put in our place pretty quickly when we try to find, say, a salad spinner or a pair of Nikes that cost less than $300. :)
But this type of retail experience does promote a really cool secondhand scene. Used products have a lot of value here -- for one, because they're already here. They don't have to be shipped in from some distant locale. And because the culture is less consumer, convenience focused, people tend to have a more thrifty mindset. They own fewer things and keep those things a longer time.
I like this :) And I LOVE shopping at the secondhand stores -- called Opportunity Shops -- here in New Zealand.
"Op Shops" function a lot like the Goodwill or Salvation Army back home. They receive donations from regular people, stores going out of business, etc. and then resell those items at a good price. The proceeds go to any number of worthy organizations, from hospice to SPCA, the ambulance crew to churches and schools.
And you can find some really cool stuff in these places.
I go about once a week to a couple of thrift stores in our area. I'm always on the lookout for household things since we didn't ship all of our kitchen stuff and furniture over. I also like buying books used because new books are EXTREMELY expensive here. I can buy a kids' book for $.50 at the thrift store but will have to pay $20 for the same book new. (I cringe the whole time I'm at a regular bookstore and long for the days I could hit up Ollie's Bargain Outlet for Good Stuff Cheap.)
I also look for unique items, things I know I wouldn't find in America, and these tend to fall into a few categories. I thought it would be fun to share my favorite types of NZ finds today:
New Zealand books
I really love books. I love them so much. If you visited our house in Virginia, you probably recall our second-floor library with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. Oh man do I miss those books! I sent, maybe, two boxes of books to New Zealand and most of those were for the kids. I thought that with this move, I might finally decide I didn't need my book collection and could part ways with my paper babies. But, nah. Not happening. The books and I will be reunited one day!!
In the meanwhile, I've been picking up some unique books about New Zealand and started a little library of NZ knowledge. I've thoroughly enjoyed finding and reading these books and learning more about our new home. And I know I would never come across most of these titles in the U.S. I'll show you a few of my favorite finds:
This is THE definitive history of New Zealand, a book that sometimes comes up in regular conversation with regular people. I picked this up for $3 at an op shop, but it would have cost me 3 times as much, at least, at the bookstore. I've read about half of it so far and it's fascinating. And now when people ask if I've read the Penguin History of New Zealand, I can say, "Yes. Well, some."
The introduction to the Darkest Days says, "In smaller countries, the hurt that comes with death and destruction is always shared. There is no option -- everyone knows someone who knows someone who knew. And no one escapes the grief....Disasters within its shores and on its waters -- and, at times, far away when her own folk are involved -- leave the country devastated." I believe communities are shaped by their tragedies and triumphs, and I've absolutely seen that to be true of New Zealanders. This book sheds light on the tragic stories that left a mark on the people here, and it's quite illuminating in that way. It also made me terrified to ever board a ship again :)
The First Fleet tells how Auckland came to be and paints a picture of its earliest residents. Here's my favorite lady from the book, a surveyor's wife who was pissed the Governor chose Auckland instead of Wellington (her husband's choice) for the capital.
The caption: "Mrs. Felton Mathews, who disliked hills and strangers." HAHAHA Mood!
Commonwealth collectibles
New Zealand is part of the Commonwealth, which recognizes past ties to the British Empire, and treats the Royal Family as our Royal Family. All this to say, sometimes New Zealand acts really British. And one of those times is when history's being made by the Queen or her cast of characters.
New Zealanders, like a lot of Royal Family fans, collect things like biscuit tins honoring the Queen's Birthday, souvenir spoons for Prince Charles' what-have-you. I'm not really a royalist and don't even know much of the vernacular. But I do come across some interesting objects in the op shops. I refrain from buying most of them, because, really, what am I going to do with a plate with Prince Philip's face on it? But I did pick up one mug for Shane:
"HRH The Prince of Wales. The Investiture at Caernarvon. 1st July 1969." To translate for you Yankees: This is the event that turned Queen Elizabeth's son Charles into the Prince of Wales, a big deal watched by millions of people on television and apparently celebrated with tchotchkes the world over. Guess I'll have to be on Megan watch when I hit the op shops now :)
New Zealand clothes
For the most part, Kiwis dress a lot like Americans, even though we share very few of the same clothing brands. But I have come across some uniquely New Zealand vintage pieces that I definitely would not find at an American Goodwill.
Isn't this jacket beautiful?? It's a schoolgirl jacket from a college (high school) here in New Zealand. I haven't been able to track down the school it belongs to, but most intermediate and high school-aged girls wear a dress jacket like this, usually with a plaid skirt or long, pleated solid skirt. I think they look awesome, and I hope the Adorable Girl gets to dress like that one day. :) I haven't worn this jacket around town since it'd probably be quite lame for a middle-aged mom to be seen in a schoolgirl uniform. But I intend on rocking it back in the US where nobody knows the difference. :)
You know it's NOT Made in America when defense is spelled with a "C." I came across this military-issued sweater earlier in the week and couldn't pass it by. I haven't been able to track down any more information about it, but here I am wearing it on Takapuna Beach:
Houseplants
Ok, this last category is becoming something of a problem area for me. I now own a lot of houseplants. And most of them came from the Op Shop for just a few dollars each. Every time I see a plant at a secondhand store, I think, "I just gotta give that little guy a home!" And then I do. And now I'm running a full-blown houseplant orphanage.
Notice I use thrifted tea cups and pots to house these little guys, so I haven't spent a lot of money on my extensive collection. And they do brighten the place up and give me someone to talk to when it's just me and the dog in the house. ;) But yeah, as the Kiwis would say, "It's full on." :)
Ok, so that's a look at some of the cool things I've found in Auckland's Op Shops. Let me know if you like seeing this kind of stuff and I can keep you posted on my recent scores. Talk to you all soon!
