Buying second hand is very on trend at the moment, which is great! It is great for our wallets and also great for our planet to reuse rather than buy new. Whether it be finding a 'vintage' piece of clothing or 'upcycling' a piece of furniture there are so many places to buy second hand now; from op shops to trademe to facebook to antique shops.

Op shopping in itself has been turned into a fine art with a dedicated online Op Shop Directory that not only helps you find an op shop but also lets you rate and review them.  We consulted with some op-shopping experts about how to make the most of the op shopping experience, here are their gems of wisdom...

1. Go with an open mind, op shopping is done best when you don’t have a target or requirement to fill.

2. Never walk away from something you really love. If you like it so will others, and it won’t be around for long.

3. Check the labels, google them if you’ve never heard of the brand, it could be something valuable.

4. Give yourself time to peruses. Op shopping in a rush isn’t fun!

5. Helps to know if they have regular deliveries (or get someone on the inside who works there) so you can get in first

6. Take the time to look carefully through the racks, by just glancing across the top you could miss an awesome buy

7. Make the time to look carefully – it helps to not have an impatient child (or husband) waiting for you to hurry up

8. Most stores have designer racks, but this is just what the people in the store determine as designer.  Don’t assume there isn’t designer gear on the 3 for $10 racks

9. If you regularly donate to op shops – don’t donate to the ones you shop at.  Otherwise you may buy back something you decided you didn’t need!

10. Don’t buy something just because it has the right label, or because its cheap – make sure you will also wear it (and that it fits!)