Op shopping the sustainable way to do Christmas

Waikato Orphans Aid Op-shop manager Martine Callaghan with a home-made Christmas tree that a customer donated to sell. Photo / Danielle Zollickhofer

Still looking for Christmas presents? Sick of the average, mass produced products and want to give something special to your loved ones? Give op shopping a try.

Dolls, teddy bears, clothes, books, collectables, in some cases even silverware and whiteware – op shops have something for everyone in stock.

Manager of St John op shop in Frankton, Anne-Marie Kyle says: "Our Christmas decorations are almost sold out. Apart from that we notice a strong demand for toys, games and puzzles this Christmas."

Often you can also find some interesting gems. Kyle said they just sold a fluorescent pink mini fridge for makeup.

Volunteer Kathy Mischefski says: "We get a lot of deceased estate. That's where all the exciting stuff comes from, like ornaments, silverware, retro-clothes."

Kyle says that December is always a good month for the op shop. "I think people should go op shopping for Christmas because that way, they will get something unique."

Manager of Waikato Orphans Aid op shop Martine O'Callaghan has dedicated her shop to the good cause.

"We have teamed up with the food bank to do Cans for Christmas and are collecting food donations for people that don't have anything."

She found that children's things ran off the shelf this year.

"Around Christmas people are more looking for things to give to children. I noticed the biggest need is for clothing - especially shoes, socks and underwear," she says.

The most recent unusual item in her shop was a Leprechaun-gnome fusion statue, that the owner donated saying it was the ugliest thing he has ever seen.

"But I told him, don't worry, it will be gone by the end of the day. Somebody's trash is somebody else's treasure," says O'Callaghan.

She will accept donations in items for her shop, cans and food.

"We also take items that are not up to our standard to sell, which we will put in a box for people to take for free."

If you want to have a nosey around the op shops for Christmas but don't know where to start, Hamilton City Council has just released Collectors Anonymous, a local guide to all 49 of Hamilton's sustainable second-hand stores.

The guides are available in stores or at the council facilities. Or download a digital version from https://www.fightthelandfill.co.nz/assets/Collectors-Anonymous-Hamilton-Map.pdf