With tired arms from carrying their shopping, 20 smiling passengers disembarked Beckley Coachlines’ first op shop tour to Christchurch.
The tour last week took in Recycle Boutique, To Be Continued, Paper Bag Princess, Lasting Labels, Wear Else, and Nurse Maude Hospice Shop.
Tour operators Andrew and Sheree Beckley said the op shop tour was a sell out with a waiting list.
This was the first time they had offered such a trip but plans were already under way for another one to Timaru in May.
Passengers were happy with the items they had found, many at a bargain price. One woman scored a pair of Puma shoes, with a retail price of $189, for $55 and a jacket, with a retail price of $249, for $55.
John Reid from Charlotte, North Carolina, who was staying in Methven said he’d been on Beckley trips before and knew how much fun they were.
He had two great finds among his shopping.
‘‘I got this lovely T-shirt for my daughter with New Zealand on it for just $5, she is going to love it,’’ Reid said.
‘‘My best find was a rugby jersey from a game played between New Zealand and the USA,’’ he said.
‘‘I don’t know how much it cost, I just handed over my credit card because I wanted it.’’
Jacqueline Ross from Hakatere was thrilled with two black and white items she bought – a jacket and a pair of dressy sneakers.
‘‘It was a great day out, enjoying others’ company while finding a bargain,’’ Ross said.
Sheree and Andrew said there had been a growing interest among travellers on their other tours to go op shopping.
‘‘Generally, we come across op shops while on tour, for example there is a fantastic one in Port Chalmers – a small wee town with the most amazing second-hand shop,’’ Andrew said.
‘‘We are going to the ID Dunedin Fashion show in April, which has a lot of vintage, recycled and repurpose fashion included in the show.’’
The trip would include visits to shops catering for those looking for a bargain.
