Grey Lynn Secondhand

Warning! This listing is an aging duplicate for joes stall, I guess it has changed hands, it’s quite tidy with nice pieces and joe seems friendly. I’d say it’s a bit pricier than some might expect but it’s still reasonable — so disregard the reviews here.

I lived in Grey Lynn for a quite a while before I actually went inside this shop. From the outside, driving past, it looked pretty sweet. They seemed to change the stock a lot; there was always something poking out of the shop on the street that caught my eye. So one day I decided to actually go in. And that was the only time I went, and I bought nothing. It is a bloody rip off, and the people who work there are bloody horrible to boot. I don’t even know why they have the store, to be honest, because they really don’t seem to care if you buy anything from them. The shop is dark and dusty and I don’t think they bother to wipe down anything, not even the stuff they are selling. Yeah. It’s not great.

I would actually like to give this place three and a half stars please! It is more than just A-​OK, but not super duper special either. This place was a spontaneous discovery for me walking past when in the area not so long ago. It is cluttered and crazy but fun to rummage through and see what lies beneath the dust. The items are placed in priced sections which helps, kind of… There was an array of stuff although the venue is pretty small. They had a good handful of furniture and a lot of knick-​knacks like crockery. The woman working there obviously was enjoying herself as she had her golden-​oldies music blaring whilst she dance and sang along in between chatting to customers. A bus stop is smack bang out front too if that helps.

I don’t know how long this place has been around but it’s like wandering into someone’s garage sale. There’s stuff in no particular order scattered haphazardly about, some in boxes, some not.
I walked in and had a good look around with the two women who I think run the place paying me no attention at all. I guess a lot of people just come to look. That’s not to say it’s not chocka full of bargains at prices cheaper than most op shops.
There’s «artworks», lightshades, plates, ornaments and a lot of other random homewares. It doesn’t feel particularly permanent and the two large signs painted on the walls that someone’s taken a lot of care with are actually from a previous incarnation as Lucy Mae Sparkle’s boutique. Whatever, hopefully it will be around for a while yet. Bargain hunting galore.

I pass this shop on the bus all the time and it always seems to be very busy with people rummaging around at the second hand stuff on offer. I was in Grey Lynn recently and had a closer look and I must say it was all a bit tatty and they had nothing of any interest for me. I think Op Shops are a great idea — interesting stuff and it all goes back to a good cause. The trouble is I don’t know what charity this place is representing as there is no sign of any description anywhere. Perhaps it’s not connected to any charity, if so I think they should really clarify this. There is a rather unpleasant musty smell there too — it’s a bit like old boots or something. I don’t really see the point of this shop but there are many who would disagree with me — it’s always busy with very eager looking customers so they must like it in some respect.

If you live in or around Grey Lynn, you’ve probably seen the shop that sells secondhand items, cut price trinkets and things that can only be featured in the «one man’s trash is another man’s treasure» section of homewares. Trouble is, no one really knows what the name of the place is, and generally just calls it «the junk shop». The owners don’t appear to care that no one knows their name either — they haven’t bothered to properly paint over the old fruit shop signage that still hangs above the door. Check my photo if you’re looking for a pointer. If you’re in the market for some cheap collectables to fill your home, this is the place. If you’re willing to search throughout the store, or are even just lucky enough to be there at the right time, you might find something amazing. Otherwise, the place is generally packed with stuff that looks like it should cost no more than $ 10.