Melbourne
is an absolute paradise if you enjoy exploring second-hand shops and
discovering treasures like unique items of clothing, interesting jewellery, knickknacks
or home wares. The city is a vintage shopping wonderland! Here’s my guide to
the best places to go vintage shopping in Melbourne.
There
are lots of individual vintage shops in Melbourne but there are also a few
bazaars, where several shop owners team together to provide lots of vintage
wares in one place.
Lost
and Found Market
511
Lygon Street, East Brunswick
Lost
and Found Market offers several different vintage stores (I didn’t count
precisely but there is probably around 30).
The indoor market has a large hall
that mostly contains clothing and the main area features stalls that focus more
on home wares and knickknacks, although there is also clothing in that area.
Among the many treasures on offer at Lost and Found there is jewellery,
clothing, accessories, footwear, menswear, crockery, glassware, tins,
furniture, home décor, toys, games, photos, postcards, clocks, and vinyl. A
fitting room is available by the counter.
There were some interesting pieces of
furniture at Lost and Found, so it’d make a good place to go if you are looking
for a feature piece of furniture like a chaise long, lamp or coffee table with
a bit of character.
 |
| A vintage clothes shop in Lost and Found Market, Melbourne, Australia |
Chapel
Street Bazaar
217
Chapel Street
Located
in the funky southern suburbs, Chapel Street Bazaar offers an unimaginable
variety of treasures.
In addition to the usual clothing and home wares, Chapel
Street Bazaar has a selection of specialty stalls including stalls offering old
tins, linens, badges, French items, and old cameras. One of the more
‘interesting’ items was a koala tea cosy made from kangaroo fur and there was
also lots of ‘Nipper’ memorabilia (the HMV dog). If there is a particular item
you are looking for you may find the best variety at Chapel Street Bazaar,
which at a guess, contains around 40 individual stalls. The Chapel Street
Bazaar fitting room is at the back corner of the market, nearest the stalls
selling clothing.
I’ll include a word of warning that claustraphobics might be
better off elsewhere. There is a lot of stuff crammed into Chapel Street Bazaar.
Parts of some stalls are impossible to access because there is so much stiff in
them. It could be difficult to avoid disaster if you take a bulky handbag or
small children!
 |
| Vintage shopping at Chapel Street Bazaar, Melbourne, Australia |
The
bazaars are a great place to start when vintage shopping in Melbourne, as there
are so many stalls in one place. However there are also lots of individual
shops around the city.
Hunter
Gatherer
274
Brunswick Street and Shop 51, Royal Arcade
Charity
shop Hunter Gatherer caters to those seeking vintage goodies at inexpensive prices.
The stores stock items that have been hand-picked from the hundreds of
donations made to the Brotherhood of St Lawrence foundation each year.
There
are several stores around Melbourne but the one on Brunswick Street seems to
have an especially eclectic range if you’re after some clothes with a more
bohemian flavour. They sell a wide variety of clothing, accessories, jewellery,
knickknacks and home wares.
 |
| Vintage shopping: Hunter Gatherer, Brunswick Street, Melbourne, Australia |
Salvos
69
Bourke Street
Salvation
Army stores are also found across Australia. This small store in the city
centre focuses on clothing, footwear and menswear. It also offers a few
accessories. What makes this store stand out though is that all the products
are organised and displayed really neatly, making it a lovely store to visit.
Melko
232
Brunswick Street and 18 Howey Place, City
Melko
offers new clothing, and some jewellery, that is designed in a retro style. So
while it is not strictly speaking vintage shopping, it gets a mention because
the merchandise sold may appeal to those seeking vintage bargains. Clothing follows
60s-inspired designs and makes use of bright colours and bold patterns.
There
are so many vintage shops in Melbourne that I really feel I have only scratched
the surface. Northcote is home to several vintage shops and there are a few
others dotted around the city and North Melbourne that I also want to check
out.
Which
are your favourite vintage shops in Melbourne? Share your tips in the comments
below.
