The five best vintage shops in Auckland

Let’s face it, we all want to be one of those people who shops vintage. You can find unique, one-off pieces that are half the price of that beautiful Karen Walker dress you really want - and if it’s good enough for Mary-Kate and Ashley, it’s good enough for us!

The hard part is finding the best places to go op-shopping, especially if you're new to the city! But don’t worry, we have you sussed. Our writer Chantelle Murray has found five of the best vintage shops in Auckland...

1) Recycle Boutique, Auckland City

The first time I ever went to this shop I bought a beautiful vintage black fur jacket for only $50, and I’m still getting compliments on it three years later. The prices may have hiked up a tad bit since, but there are a lot of high quality designer pieces to be found here and they're constantly importing vintage from the states, so it’s definitely worth a visit.

Where: 9 Darby Street, Auckland City

2) Tango

If you haven’t already heard of this amazing store, you’re behind the times! Tango has an eccentric, who-gives-a-stuff style which is entirely admirable. They have rows of fur coats, dresses fit for a ball and quirky hats, mostly sourced from Europe. If you want to really go vintage, go Tango!  

Where: 55 High Street, Auckland City

3) Asia Gallery and Vintage Fabric Emporium

This quaint little shop is off the beaten track but is more than worth the trip. They sell antiques from only $5 but, most importantly, they sell top-notch vintage kimonos. This is not everyone’s jam but for those who want to dress a bit alty, go check it out.

Where: 67 Maurice Road, Penrose

4) Savemart in Onehunga

This is one of the best op shops if you want to get bang for your buck (and it’s just around the corner from the Asia Gallery). Once I spent probably five hours in here and I still didn’t get around the whole store. I did though find a Marks and Spencer longline coat for $12, brown real leather high-heeled booties for $7 and a Ralph Lauren puffer for $15. You may have to dig (and definitely not everything is designer), but if you’re willing to search you're sure to come out with something amazing.

Where: 295b Church St, Onehunga

5) Dove Hospice Shop in Epsom

I only discovered this little fella quite recently, but it was not hard to find some lovely items. Think real leather pants, woollen skirts fit for the office and beautiful costume-style jewellery. You can find pretty much everything here though, and all are of incredibly high quality. The price ranges are pretty standard for an op-shop, but again most definitely cheaper than it would have been originally! Another great thing about this store is that the proceeds go to the Dove Hospice charity foundation which focuses on providing care for people with life-threatening illnesses. You can be sure your money will be well used.

Where: Shop 2, 1 Queen Mary Avenue, Epsom

Feature image: qluemagazine.com