An Insider’s Guide to finding
bargains in the Blue Mountains
Whether you’re looking for clothing, retro homewares, a piece
of mid-century furniture or that last elusive item to finish off your
collection, the Blue Mountains is the perfect place to spend a day exploring
the many vintage stores on offer. Follow
me on my perfect day out doing the ‘op shop hop’ from Glenbrook in the Lower
Mountains to Blackheath at the very top.
Blue Mountains Australia
- Start at Glenbrook village, the gateway to the Blue Mountains and just 10km west of Penrith. Fuel up with a coffee at one of the many quirky cafes such as Jazz Apple or the recently opened 2773. When you’re ready to hit the shops stroll down Ross Street to the local Vinnie’s where you’ll find a small thrift store that has a good selection of clothing and homewares. On your way back up Ross Street make sure you check out Frippery, an op shop that specialises in vintage clothing.
- Heading west up the Great Western Highway to Blaxland you’ll find Vinnie’s on the main road. If you park behind the shops you’ll see that this Vinnie’s has an extensive furniture section downstairs with some great bargains to be had. Upstairs you’ll find clothing, manchester, homewares and jewellery. Back out on the main road there is a small Bibles for Missions op shop where prices are cheap and there are many treasures waiting to be discovered. Make time to stop for a chat with the friendly and knowledgeable volunteers.
- The next stop is Springwood where a newly opened Salvos has a large range of clothing, kitchen items and electronic goods. Stop in the shops for a snack or head straight to the Vinnie’s on Macquarie Road.
- It’s time to make our way to Katoomba where we’ll be spending a couple of hours visiting some of the best op shops in the mountains. Start at Salvos located on Waratah Street down a steep driveway. There are often great furniture sales at this store as well as a good range of clothing, shoes, kitchen items and linen. Keep walking down Waratah Street and you’ll come across Vinnie’s which has an upstairs area full of linen and craft items as well as a separate room for furniture. Just past Vinnie’s is the Cat Defence Charity Shop, a small thrift store bursting with vintage homewares. Head back up Waratah Street towards Katoomba Street where you’ll find an abundance of cafes and restaurants. This is the perfect place to put down those shopping bags and take a break over something good to eat. Suitably refreshed, take a stroll up Katoomba Street visiting the many antique shops along the way. One of my favourites is Macarthur Arcade which boasts a huge selection of vintage homewares and mid-century furniture. Once you reach the top of Katoomba Street carry on past the round-a-bout to Bathurst Road where you’ll find the Boutique Op Shop. This op shop is a recent addition to my regular hit list. I love the care the staff take in displaying their items and the great range they have on offer.
.JPG "Vintage bowls in op shop Blue Mountains")
- The last stop on our Vintage Trail is Blackheath just west of Katoomba. Start at the Vinnie’s just across the railway tracks before walking down Govetts Leap Road to the Victory Theatre Antique Centre and Café. This enormous antique shop contains two floors of homewares, clothing, jewellery, furniture and porcelains and more. There is always something wonderful to discover here. Finally, pop in to one of Blackheath’s many cafes for one last top up before heading home, hopefully with your arms full of vintage finds!
Trail Notes
· Most op shops are closed on Sunday so
make sure to check the opening hours online before you plan your trip
· Carry some cash with you as many op
shops don’t accept cards
· All of the shops listed in this guide
as located close to Railway Stations so you can utilise public transport
