These stores sell a whole range of products. Books, furniture, clothing, toys, linens, electronics, jewellary...it almost sounds as though they are a mall onto themselves doesn't it? But there is one thing that sets them apart for your everyday super store....
Despite being a part of franchises they do not stock the same things. You are not guaranteed to find exactly what you are looking for when you go in nor are you guaranteed of the quality of items.
What you are guaranteed of is that you will walk out with your arms full and your wallet not Empty. You are guaranteed to get a feeling of exhilaration when searching through racks of clothes or bookshelves filled with books and you happen upon that item that you have longed for or perhaps never knew you always wanted!
The types of stores that I am talking about, if you have not already guessed, are opportunity stores..or more fondly referred to most often as Op shops. Stores which are specifically set up to sell second hand, pre-loved items at a discounted prices. With the profits from the items going to people in need.
One of our favourite Op Shops is a part of the Saint Vincent dePaul organizations shops. Being a larger store it stocks many items of furniture as well as clothing and books, toes, shoes etc. Little A2 lovingly calls it, "our op shop!". Anything near it or anyone going there is told how privileged they are to be near or to shop at our op shop. The kids love going in there and searching for treasures, playing with the toys and talking to the ladies volunteering on the day.
The last few times we have gone the children have gone straight to the couches and tried each one out. Like a page from Goldilocks and the Three Bears the commentary often involves talk of too lumpy, hard, soft, bright coloured as they search long and hard for that one perfect couch.
Two weeks ago they proclaimed that they had found it! Although it was a little squishy, upon test driving it, we discovered all of our tooshes fit on it at the same time. They oohed and ahhed at its softness and comfort. Little A was very excited over the secret storage area in it and that he fit perfectly along the storage bit, laying on his belly with his feet in the air.
As we moved on to other things, as we left the store and went about normal life, for days afterwards, they continued to talk about this couch.
When we entered the store this weekend past, they begged to buy it as it was still available. But I was still apprehensive. It was cheap but I hadn't done any research on sofas and so wasn't sure if it was worth what was being asked. Also it was clearly a piece of a bigger lounge suite and looked a little lost with its black connecting piece right at the front in plain view. I was also worried that although we all fit on it now, I didnt think in the future I would be able to say the same thing.
But the house we are moving to is very small and I couldn't deny that it would fit nicely in the lounge alcove.
I returned on Sunday without the children and sat on it, looked at it and thought about it...then left. I went to some major furniture sellers and was flabbergasted at the price of a brand new couch...even a small one!
On Monday during my lunchbreak I made a call to 'our op shop' and put on hold the couch the kids had begged for.
Today as we were working hard at school and work my Dad and brother picked it up and delivered it home. They couldn't get it inside and so the new couch is being stored at the moment...not in use. You should have seen the excitement on the children's faces when they first discoved it tonight! the pure joy in little A's voice as he realized that the secret storage area couch was ours, all ours! The sigh of comfort as Princess A sunk into it for the first time as her own couch and the pride beaming from K as he jumped around it.
Our very own couch..
It's not new, nor is it perfect. It clearly has signs of where it belonged to another piece..another family and lifetime but now there it is, out there alone, starting again with us.
The most perfect sofa/couch for our little family. We are about to start again, missing a piece but gaining so much, starting again, not perfect but perfect enough.
The perfect family member...the perfect celebration piece to start the next chapter in life.
Couch....welcome to our family!
xo
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