You know what us real estate agents are like – we’re always telling vendors to declutter, then getting the stylists in to give it a makeover.
Either way, the Wayside Op Shop could be the right destination for you.
The Wayside Chapel’s Community Service Centre has been fundamental to the landscape of Potts Point and its surroundings since it opened in 1964. The chapel has maintained its warm open door policy, seeing everyone as a “…person to be met, not a problem to be solved.” The organisation established a safe injecting room in the ‘90s and provided showers, shelter and support for many people in need.
It’s also – through the Op Shop – crucial to local fashionistas, now more than ever. Op Shops are currently having a moment for a few reasons.
For starters, everyone is on a budget and splurging on fancy clothes for a one-off occasion rarely makes sense when a mortgage payment is due in a fortnight. Secondly, thanks to Marie Kondo, we are now ransacking our homes sifting through perfectly good items that no longer bring us joy – often amassing boxes of clutter that are too good to be thrown away. And thirdly, is the environment – thanks to fast fashion a quarter of us are guilty of binning an item after just one wear, contributing to more than 500,000 tons of landfill every year.
Long before thrift store chic was a thing, the Wayside Chapel op-shop was always a destination for fashionistas and bargain hunters. Claudia Karvan has been an ambassador for the charity since 2006, modelling the clothes for an evocative shoot seven years later. And in 2010, the Op Shop’s then manager, Gabe Bilicka, declared the space to be Sydney’s funkiest op-shop due to its stylish donors. It’s been so popular they opened a second store down at Bondi Beach.
So if you are looking for an excuse to visit the Wayside Op Shop, here are a few that I can offer:
1. It’s a treasure trove
We all know the expression: “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” In Potts Point – one of Sydney’s most stylish suburbs – this expression can be taken literally. The Wayside Chapel’s Instagram page showed pictures of a necklace valued at more than $400 on sale for $195, while Time Out Sydney spotted a $25 fur-trimmed jacket and a pair of $12 Tony Bianco Heels. Stylists love looking here for one-off items and those with champagne taste on a beer budget can definitely satisfy their designer cravings.
2. It’s for a good cause
Not only does buying second hand reduce landfill and waste, at the Wayside Chapel Op Shop every dollar you spend will go directly to helping their community service centre. If you donate clothes, their sales will improve the quality of life for many underprivileged Sydney-siders.
3. The potential to spring clean
If you are into the Marie Kondo method of decluttering, this is a great new home for many of your unwanted items. Your house will thank you and you will feel lighter knowing that someone else can put your former belongings to great use.
Want to Help?
The Wayside Chapel accepts:
- Clean clothing and shoes
- Towels
- Blankets
- Small amounts of kitchenware and bric-a-brac
- Jewellery/handbags
- Good condition books (no self-help or textbooks)
They do NOT accept:
- Electrical items
- Kids’ clothing or toys
- Furniture
- Broken, soiled or stained goods
Donation Bins in the following places:
Wayside Chapel Kings Cross – 29 Hughes St Potts Point: drop off in Op Shop or after-hours chute in Orwell Lane
Wayside Chapel Op Shop Bondi Beach – 40-42 Warners Ave, North Bondi or drop off in the Donation Bin at Cnr Warners Ave & Niblick Street, North Bondi
Elizabeth Bay Donation Bin – 19-23 Bradley Ln, Potts Point
And to find out about volunteering email [email protected]
For more information or to start shopping, simply pop in. We might just see you there.
Wayside Chapel Op Shops – 29 Hughes Street, Potts Point 2011 or 40-42 Warners Ave, North Bondi.
