There's possibly nothing better to do on a lazy Sunday than to go to your local markets and search for some treasures to collect. Trash and Treasures Grand Bazaar (we locals just call it Trash and Treasure) has been the pioneering market that sparked my love for visiting them. It was the first market I've ever visited and got lost at as a young child so it holds many fond memories for me including getting large lollipops from the food centre which took me (a young'un) ages to finish.
Read MoreI remember as a child my father used to always bring me to the markets to buy tools and just have a peruse around the 12 hectare (minus about half for parking) area. Now can you see why I got lost back then? It's huge! But I'd say that's a wonderful thing because more space means more stalls and more treasures to find.
The entry fee is a small $1.80 for adults and less for pensioners and free for children under 15 but I just see it as a small fee to park in their sandpit parking lot located at the back of the markets. It's really convenient to get here by car but as for public transport then you'll probably need some help from the ankle express. At this market it's highly recommended that you bring cash and change because I'm not sure where the closest ATM may be. It might even be a short distance drive away too. Oh and also bring a hat and a bottle of water especially if its a hot day since it's an open air market. :)
My experience at this place is quite different from my last experience at Glebe Markets due the interesting and exotic theme (that you can spotand the space available which means the cars and trucks holding the goods can readily drive in to unload them. You'll find a lot of people selling their second hand things here that they don't want from their homes such as furniture, appliances and decorative pieces. It's not all second hand stuff though, there's lots of fresh fruit and veggies, some designers and a lot of other stalls that sell new clothing and goods.
This stall was selling second hand clothing at $2 for all items on the rack. I wish there was more younger people selling their items here too so there’d be much more clothes that I’d be interested in. On the day I went there was only 1 stall holder with clothes like I’d find at Glebe. Hip people please come here and sell!
A lot of stalls sell second hand baby strollers, high chairs and toys here too due the young families that live around the area. The quality that they have is really good as well so there’s really no need to buy expensive new things.
I saw a Hello Kitty head, a My Melody and even a leopard print Gloomy Bear! I haven’t seen a Gloomy Bear in years since my friend was obsessed with them.
I especially love the home decor that people are selling at low low prices as well! What they think is trash I definitely think is treasure! Haw haw haw. Get it?
Just in the two pictures above I can see three things I would love in my future home. A vintage leather look brown suitcase (that I could totally turn into a dog bed for Mocha and Miel), a golden framed mirror in almost perfect condition and a vintage clock with a nice modern take on a French provincial look. Bliss for my inner amateur interior decorator and hipster. *drools*
There are a lot of people selling flowers from nurseries here too. One my favourites – Daisies!
Everybody is very friendly and helpful here because they genuinely want to sell some treasures to you. The facilities although a bit lacking due to the area and far distance to walk are still accessible, they even have an appliance electrical check point just to make sure what you buy works. You can expect a great bargain and lots of fun window shopping here and you can get a stamp on your hand at the exit if you leave and want to come back.
Despite the large housing developments that the market is surrounded by, I love the fact that it hasn’t changed one bit since I was young. To me it’s one of those places that brings back so much nostalgia from my childhood, I hope it never changes but I bet the price of this block of land is now sky high. They’re raking it in both in business and with the land value on this huge asset.
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I come from a long line of Hunter Gatherers. Many people attribute the skill to hunt down the treasure amongst the trash, as luck or a good eye but in fact it is something you need to learn how to do. I learnt how from my parents and I teach my own offspring the Hunter Gatherer way. My father is a man who loves the thrill of the hunt. He looks forward to leaving at the crack of dawn to track down garage sales and second hand markets across the district. He races through stalls at break neck speed scanning for treasures and competing with fellow early bird hunters for the worm, which in his case may be a vintage fishing reel. One of the regular second hand markets he used to take the family to on a weekend was the Grand Bazaar - Prestons Trash & Treasure market. Its not exactly local to us and as other markets have sprung up closer we had forgotten it. Last week my dad called to invite me on a weekday trip to Prestons, yes a second hand market mid week! So three generations of Hunter Gatherers - my parents, my sister, her three year old and moi, set off to see what we could find.
Read MoreA mid week second hand market is bound to be full of dealers/regular stall holders. Casuals selling in a garage sale capacity are more likely to be found at the weekend market. We prefer the latter type of stall holder for better items and cheaper prices, after all these people don’t want to take all their stuff home with them. We tend to bypass the dealers most of the time. I must say that I was surprised by the relaxed environment at Prestons on the Wednesday. All the stall holders I dealt with were friendly and haggled down their prices willingly. Prices across the market were mid to low range so if you are looking for a bargain, it will be here. The Wednesday market was maybe half the size of the Sunday market yet it still took me nearly two hours to complete.
We picked up 3 of these old school pencil sharpeners for $25
Lots of stalls were selling CDs and DVDs from $1 a piece. My partner loves searching for CDs at markets to add to his ginormous iTunes collection. I always struggle to remember what he already owns, so I was relieved when he said he only had one of the three CDs I picked for him. At a dollar a CD, its no drama. I was excited to purchase a blue glazed ceramic bird for $5. I’d seen an identical one only 2 weeks prior at Rozelle market but I’d been distracted and forgot to buy it. On second thought… maybe I do have luck?
I haggled this bag down to $3. Someone had plaited all the loose threads but I like them wild, so I am slowly undoing them. I plan to hang it on the wall as art.
Prestons Trash & Treasure market is held every Wednesday and Sunday from 8am til 4pm. Look for the big Grand Bazaar building on Camden Valley Way. There is ample parking behind the grounds and several food outlets on site. There are no ATMs on site or near by, so make sure you bring enough cash.
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Imagine if there was an in person marketplace, just like the original eBay, filled with people's cast off items, treasures to be had and bargains galore. But even better - you can touch and feel the items and take me directly home with you.
It does exist and it is known as the Wantirna Trash & Treasure Market.
Read MoreThe catch? You do have to get up early and it's only open on Sundays. Have a leisurely sleep in and you may arrive just in time for most of the sellers to be packing up and leaving. Especially if the day is wet or freezing cold.
However, for those that can brave an early morning rise, the Wantirna Trash & Treasure Market is the one market I have never left empty handed from.
The best advice is not to expect anything in particular. As most sellers will bring along whatever they can get their hands on that week (including the regular sellers), the stock is always varied.
The hustle and bustle of markets is often the last thing on market-goers' minds, because all that matters is that feeling of walking away from a stall knowing you've just found a treasure out of someone else's trash -the perfect vintage dress or skirt, say, tucked away amongst musty old cardigans.
Many would also agree that part of the appeal of going to a market is in buying an item that may have its own history before it was in your possession. Even if the seller doesn't know the story behind an item, buyers can still quietly imagine the life it had had before they purchased it. An old pair of earrings may have belonged to a grandmother who wore them for special nights out; or perhaps they had been a dearly loved heirloom.
Read MoreMarkets can also be a hotbed for new talent. They provide an easy platform for new designers, creators and even inventors to sell their wares and get some exposure. Artists who have started at markets such as Rose Street Artists Market, Blackbird Market and North Melbourne Market, for example, have gone on to bigger and better things.
Here are a few markets around Melbourne we like having a rummage around at.
North Melbourne Market
Every month, the crafty Thread Den ladies play hostess for a day and open the doors to the Lithuanian Club. Up to 70 stalls are open every market day, and visitors can meet the designers and craftspeople directly, perhaps even chat to them about the ideas and concepts which produced the goods, before taking home a piece of handcrafted love. Stalls also sell vintage fabrics, locally designed and handmade clothing, jewellery and sweet treats.
Where: 45-50 Errol Street, North Melbourne
When: Once a month, on Sundays (next one on May 22, June 26)
Time: 10am-3pm
Blackbird Market
Held on the second Saturday of every month at The Workers Club on Brunswick Street, Blackbird Market's stalls offer a wide range of art works, clothing and jewellery by local designers, as well as a variety of vintage treasures. If you prefer to sit back and watch other people elbow each other over a slinky velvet dress, you have a few options: squeeze into the bar for cold pint, tuck into one of the club's mammoth burgers or nip over into the band room for a musical treat. Also keep an eye out for the mysterious fortune teller, usually sitting on a tiny table just waiting to deal you your tarot cards.
Where: The Workers Club, 51 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy
When: Second Saturday of every month (next one on May 14)
Time: 11am-4pm
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Rose Street Artist's Market
Situated in a former junkyard in the back alleyways of Fitzroy, Rose Street Artist Market is known nationally for its eclectic nature and the talents that have graced its stalls. With a focus on handmade and locally designed clothing, accessories, furniture and art, it has cultivated a long list of new talent. Every Saturday the market showcases the work of up to 70 new and established artists and designers. The market's success has spawned its very own Little Black Book, a publication that promotes the artists and designers at the market.
Where: 60 Rose Street, Fitzroy
When: Saturday and Sunday
Time: 11am-5pm
Coburg Market
7am might be a an ungodly time to wake up on a weekend morning, but getting to Coburg market bright and early is a must if you want to get the good stuff. Regular trash and treasure market-goers know that although the cheapest bargains come toward closing time, chances are you'll be spending most of your time on your hands and knees sorting through massive piles while the worn-out seller stands over you and hoarsely yells, "Three items for $2!"
Pro tip: Bring your weight in change, lots of shopping bags and be prepared to drive a tough bargain.
Where: Coburg Drive-In, 155 Newlands Road, Coburg
When: Sunday
Time: 8am-2pm
Camberwell Market
This sprawling market spans two car parks and almost every square inch is covered by mountains of second-hand and handmade goods, ranging from delicate china and vintage clothing and shoes to jewellery made from old silverware. As it is with most weekend markets, getting up early is best, as by 10am the car parks will be teeming with eager market-goers, young and old. Camberwell is also peppered with food vans selling anything from gourmet hot dogs to falafel wraps, or some jam donuts and coffee. Lone buskers and whole brass sections will also be around to entertain the bargain-hunting crowds.
Many stall holders are regulars and do their own foraging for goods at Camberwell too, so you may find that an item, once sold, may turn up at another stall, for another price.
Where: Station Street, Camberwell
When: Sunday
Time: 7am-1pm
