What's on: Polka Dot Vintage Market (August 15 - 16, 2015)

Photos courtesy of the Polka Dot Vintage Market Facebook page.

The only thing better than hitting the weekend market is stumbling across three at once! If you have a penchant for perusing stalls packed with vintage wares, crafts and antiques, then the 3 in 1 Market at Claremont Showgrounds is not to be missed.

The 3 in 1 Market makes a return for the second time this year, showcasing a range of handmade crafts, antiques and collectables. For lovers of all things vintage, this huge two-day event with over 300 indoor stalls will be a sure hit. The 3 in 1 Market is made up of Handmade Crafts, Antiques and Collectables and the very popular Polka Dot Vintage Market.

The Polka Dot Vintage Market will be the place to pick up a few goodies. Expect to find a range of eclectic and on-trend quality vintage clothing from the 1930s through to the 1990s, vinyl records and more. Retro clothing and accessories, collectables, retro homewares, vintage jewellery, up-cycled handmade wares and pre-loved designer fashions will also be a key feature across the weekend. A door prize of $2,000 is also up for grabs - don't miss out!

The 3 in 1 Market opens on Saturday, August 15 and Sunday, August 16, 2015 from 9.30am to 4.30pm daily. Adult tickets are $7, children under 10 go free. The event is held at Claremont Showground's exhibition centre.

How to get there: Transperth trains will stop at the Showground Station for this event. Make sure you visit the Transperth website in advance to plan your journey.

More details at the Claremont Showground website.

How to: Freshen your thrifted bags and purses

A leather handbag could cost $100 or more in the store, but find that same gem at a thrift store and the price is likely to be less than $10. Such is the beauty of shopping secondhand! This is one of the best ways to find high-end labels for less than clearance prices at a typical retail shop. Don't miss out on taking home a great bargain because of the discomfort of buying a product that has been used by someone else. With a little tender loving care, it's easy to make bags feel (and smell) like new again.

Here's one I worked on this week...

I picked this bag up at Vinnies this month for just $4! I was taken by the old upholstered style. The bag was in great condition when I found it but needed freshening up.

Meet Mickey, our family cat. He honed in on the possibility of something soft and went for it!

Cats... Definitely time to throw this one in the wash! (The bag :p) 

I immersed the bag in a bucket full of warm water and half a lid of eucalyptus wool mix to give it a proper clean. After a few minutes soaking I rinsed the bag out in clean, warm water before hanging it on the line. Best to leave it out to dry for a few days if the weather is as damp / cold on your end it is here in wintery Perth!

Depending on the material, cleaning can be quite a process, but I think it's worth it - especially if you've found a nice vintage purse. When it comes to hand-washing, use your discretion and always check the labels on the bag for tips before you get too water-happy with a bag that might not take it!

Ditch the dirt Even the best bag owners will find tiny particles of dirt, dust and paper accumulate in their bag. Once these are donated to a thrift store, more dust is likely to accumulate while your bag waits for you to take it home. So this is an important step. Use the wand attachment on your vacuum to suck out any crumbs, lint, etc. It may be easier to turn the bag inside out, or turn it upside down and shake it to get rid of all the residual dirt. 

General cleaning for most bags Use a damp (not wet) cloth moistened with soapy water. Wipe lightly over the whole bag, inside and out. If the fabric gives you cause to worry about water damage, skip this step. A good way to make sure you've caught all the little bits of dirt is to take a damp Q-tip and reach into the corners of the bag. You'll be surprised what you find! Use baby wipes to clean up those little marks that have been left on the lining of the bag. 

Cleaning leather bags If you want to clean a leather product, invest in a proper leather cleaning product to shine up the exterior. Chances are, vintage leather bags have been stored in attics and cupboards and likely need a good clean and condition. For your leather and leather-alikes, use the leather cleaner and follow up with a conditioner, if you can find one. The important thing is to keep the bag's leather soft and avoid losing the quality due to drying and cracking. Use a fresh cloth until there's no more dirt coming off. And remember: Follow the directions on the label - you will be surprised just how beautiful your bag will look after some love.

Cleaning patent bags You can use Windex on patent bags, but always do a test spot first. Whoa, hold up. Don't spray Windex directly onto your bag either. Best way to do it is spray onto a cleaning cloth first and then wipe lightly. If the bag is slightly soiled, use something like a Magic Eraser (and again, test it on the bottom of the bag). Note: Magic Erasers can sometimes dull patent leather bags if they're used too vigorously. If you want to add shine to your patent bag, use a steam iron. Hold the iron about two inches (roughly five centimetres) from your bag and apply a few bursts of steam onto your purse. Take a soft cloth afterwards and buff the surface. The steam should heat the patent and smooth the finish - and voila! Shiny! 

Be careful If you try any of these tips, I would highly recommend you testing a small (hidden) spot to make sure it won't ruin the material. Again, not all fabrics are the same so use your best judgment before hand washing.

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Above all, use your bags and enjoy them!

Lauren xoxo

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