What's on: Golden West Collectors Fair (July 25 and 26, 2015)

Gorgeous finds will be up for grabs at this month's Golden West Collectors Fair.

Beautiful coloured glass.

Ever wondered how much that Royal Doulton piece might be worth nowadays? If you're unsure whether to keep or sell your collectables, you can have them valued in Perth for free next weekend!

Across July 25 and 26, all roads will once again lead to South Perth Community Centre for the acclaimed Golden West Collectors Fair.

The fundraising event, run up to three times a year by Retina Australia WA (RAWA), is part of the Seeking Treasure Series and is set to feature handmade crafts, antiques and collectables and a vintage market.

RAWA will run a 'valuation trail' across the entire weekend, inviting treasure hunters to bring along their coins, carnival glassware, antique metal, Royal Doulton, Wembley Ware and more for a free valuation.

The local charity is committed to raising funds for research that will enable treatment, prevention and cures of Inherited Retinal Diseases (IRD).

RAWA fundraising and events manager Renae Loftus said when someone is diagnosed with an IRD, there is little doctors can do. "The newly diagnosed can expect a progressive, relentless loss of sight, and ultimately, irreversible blindness," she said. "It can take years or decades, but it will happen."

Ms Loftus said RAWA's goal was a simple one - to cure Inherited Retinal Disease. "We know this is a big goal," she said. "But we also know that we can get there. Heart transplants, a cure for smallpox and immunisation against cervical cancer were all difficult to picture once."

Doors open at 9.30am sharp on Saturday, July 25 and Sunday, July 26. Entry costs $6, children under 16 go free. Free parking is available onsite. The South Perth Community Centre is on the corner of Sandgate Street and South Terrace in South Perth. 

For further information, check out their website or call 9388 1488.

Photos have been used with permission of RAWA.

Have an event coming up? Email centsofdiscovery@gmail.com 

Vintage finds like these will be on sale at the Golden West Collectors Fair across July 25 and 26.

Thrifty finds: Girls just wanna have funds

Did I need this coin purse? Not necessarily. Buuuuuut... I've been using the cutest London-styled coin purse from Harrods, courtesy of one of my nearest and dearest friends (and fellow blogger,) Liv of Worlds Waiting. Do check her out, she's a delight. In justification, of course... I have a casual evening job that requires me to carry a small handbag. It's always better when your coins don't go flying around, so having the occasional coin purse to swap in and out does come in handy. 

And so, I'd like to declare this beautiful, albeit slightly eclectic coin purse a gorgeous addition to my burgeoning collection (see: two). The back looks just like an envelope and is Sealed With A Loving Kiss (S.W.A.L.K). At least, that's what I'm hoping it stands for!

What more can you say about a coin purse that looks like an old-fashioned letter? Of course, it feels like leather and the stamps have not been printed, but sewn on! This little beauty is produced by Disaster Design. You can find more of these very cute designs on their sales site, Temptation Gifts. I couldn't help but fall in love with this because I'm a bit of a sucker for old-school style with a modern twist. 

Not bad for $1.50 (Salvation Army).

What's been your best bag find at a secondhand store?

Thrifty finds: Life is too short to wear boring jewellery

Let's kick it off with the one thing girls generally can't resist - a nice necklace! If there's one thing you should never miss in secondhand shops, it's the jewellery rack. I couldn't resist snapping up these gorgeous vintage-style pieces in Perth - especially because the prices were so good. Quirky pieces like these are usually buried in packed racks of other donated jewels. And as we all know, necklace chains have this insatiable urge to tangle themselves into the most crazy mess with other pieces. Sometimes I think the stores hide the best finds at the back - it's certainly how I've found most of my thrifted jewels. 

So be patient, it's worth the wait. Dig deep <3

These pieces represent a few loves of mine. The first pendant was just sparkly enough to grab my attention. It's a statement piece but isn't too over the top. I've had it a few weeks now. The first time I wore it out was on top of a mustard coloured blouse and I received a stack of compliments. Plus, who can go past the heart shape?

I love natural textures, so the wooden beaded necklace was a bit of a steal. It's a shorter necklace that sits high up, so looks great with high-necked blouses or plain dresses. I love that you can roll the beads around - it's a really fun one.

Lastly, another addition to my Tree of Life necklace collection (and more on that later too!) was the final necklace. I loved the colours and the vintage look. Because I wear a lot of plain colours it's nice to have a few statement pieces to change the look.

Have you found a favourite necklace in a secondhand shop? 

The low-down:

Heart necklace - Whitford Salvos - $2.25

Wooden beaded necklace - Vinnies Retro Northbridge Shop, Perth - $4

Tree of Life necklace - Vinnies Innaloo - $3.25

Why I thrift - and a big welcome to Cents of Discovery!

Welcome to Cents of Discovery, a blog dedicated to the joy of thrift shopping in Australia. Why start a blog about thrifting? More than simply a show-and-tell (although there'll be plenty of that!), I want to highlight some of my favourite off-the-beaten-path spots, give you handy how-tos and finally... I want to inspire you to re-think the very idea of thrifting.

How'd we get to this point? Last year, I swore off retail shopping for the foreseeable future. (More about that soon). So here I am - 10 months in. My style is now very much my own. I don't feel the social pressure to keep up with the latest trends. Rather, I'm relishing the chance to develop an individual style. With trends seeming so regulatory and curated nowadays, it's fun to be eclectic. My style will never look like something from the latest David Jones catalogue, but I don't want it to. I don't want to have to beeline for a rack of the same blouse everyone else is wearing. See, I can now gravitate to what I personally like - not what the big names are telling me I should. 

Shopping secondhand allows you to save money and look your best. And don't forget the ultra rewarding, coy smile when people ask you where you bought your latest look.

Now don't get me wrong. Thrift shopping isn't easy. It takes time, dedication and patience. Because a lot of what's on offer will be old, tattered and even dated. The rewarding part is hunting for those gems (and I promise they're there) of items which are quality, still have their new tags, are made of good materials and things you can reinvent as your own. Somehow I always manage to find something stylish on the $1 clearance rack. All of these savings add up, freeing up my disposable income for things I value, like travel and coffee with friends. 

Now 'just having a quick look' has become one of my favourite things to do. I go every weekend or so. Over the past year, my wardrobe has steadily expanded, instead of me struggling to afford one new piece. Thrifting is not only great for your purse, but it's good for the environment (these clothes get a second chance instead of heading for landfill), charities (no matter where you are) take in much-needed money, and I finally have enough clothes to experiment with having an actual style. For me, it's a win-win-win situation :D

And who doesn't love treasure hunting?

All in all, I hope this blog inspires you to give thrift shopping a try if you haven't already. And if you haven't been in awhile, I hope to reignite your passion for thrifting - hit up your local op shop this weekend. Thank you for stopping by. If you have a hot tip on a store I need to check out, want your thrifty style to be featured, or simply want to say hello, I'd love to hear from you. Drop me a comment or email me at centsofdiscovery@gmail.com. Thanks for reading and stay tuned for the updates as they start rolling out this week. Happy hunting everyone!

Lauren xoxo