I 've only been a recent aficionado of op-shops and have no knowledge of ye olde cheape oppe shoppe of yesteryear which must've been a dimly-lit and musty-smelling Dickensian place tugged away in some back alley that offered affordable clothing and goods to people who had their last meal a week ago and their last bath the month before.
Today's op-shops are brightly-lit and sparkling boutiques or second-hand stores which have gone not just Main Street but indeed High Street and are frequented by people from all walks of life, including some quite wealthy people who roll up in their Mercs.
They still provide affordable stuff for people who can’t afford them new but they are also fun to browse in. I mainly limit my shopping to second-hand books - a cheaper addiction than drugs and now even cheaper still, thanks to op-shops! - and wished I had discovered them many years earlier. I might've even been tempted to furnish my whole house with stuff bought from op-shops, such is the quality of the things that some people throw out these days.
Anyway, I keep my eyes open and on those little ol' ladies to see what they come up with. You never know your luck! ☺
