Scroungers

If you consider yourself a bit of a Womble then a place like Scroungers may make you prick your ears up and your long pointy nose twitch. But in reality Scroungers isn’t the place where you are likely to either find a good array of vintage goods or the occasional hidden gem.
It is laid out a bit like a Church Shoppe with a general lack of taste or quality. Except I rarely find anything remotely interesting inside, despite my many wishful visits. Ok it isn’t an overpriced vintage store, where the quality is high, the class bar none (if you like retro) and the price inflated. But to me the only thing Scroungers has ever been good for is buying records of old 80’s artists that no one has ever heard of and probably died a horrible commercial death even before their album was released. Which I absolutely love buying for my ever so lightly arrogant and egotistical DJ friend.

So you like stuff. Second hand stuff. Scroungers is packing it.
There’s plenty here for those who like to rummage, nay, scrounge around.
The prices are reasonable for what you’re getting: generally around the $ 6 to $ 15 mark for clothes and shoes. You’ll have to fork out a little more for jackets.
There’s a good kids section and a great book section.
As far as you’re lost and found stores go, this is a pretty typical one. Some hidden gems but you have to set aside some time to find them.
There’s a heap of vinyl’s; lots of novelty classical music ones so if you’re in the market for those, here’s the place.

Scroungers. Sounds like my kind of shop but it isn’t. A funny retro beast selling second hand and vintage clothing and accessories, Scroungers is like a slightly more expensive op shop, but without the occasional underpriced gem or the undertones of charitable altruism.
I’ve tried to get on board with this Northcote bargain Mecca but I just can’t. There are too many shoulderpads, too much poly, far too many pieces of Kmart circa 2003 origin and not even the occasional bargainous; truly vintage or lovely piece to be found.
From the typography on the windows to the loud yellow walls and graphic motif rugs, Scroungers is fugly in a seventies kind of way. Perhaps it’s just not my style, perhaps I don’t frequent Scroungers enough, but I have never been tempted by one single item at this place. I came; I scrounged; I left decidedly empty handed.