Over the past six months, I’ve been focused on growing and managing my Facebook communities and both Op Shopping New Zealand and Op Shopping Australia have now reached 100,000 members each. 🎉 So yes… things have been slightly busy! But reaching that milestone has also made me realise we need to connect these communities more thoughtfully. Facebook is brilliant for sharing finds and reaching lots of people, but posts disappear quickly and real conversations can be hard to continue. That is where Thrift Insider can be different. Skool gives us space for: - proper conversations - live chats and video meetups - learning from each other - sharing ideas that do not vanish down the feed - bringing op shoppers from Australia, New Zealand and thrifters from around the entire world ...together I also know Skool can feel confusing when you first arrive. Rather than turning Thrift Insider into a Skool-help group, I’ll make it easier to find your way around and point anyone needing help navigating Skool towards Help Wanted I’d love to start bringing Thrift Insider back to life but as something genuinely useful, not just another feed. What would make you want to check in here regularly? Live chats, identification help, resale discussions, challenges, guest experts, thrift travel chats, best thrift stores or something else?

I created this group to make a community that didn't have so much noise and where people could get to know each other better rather than just being random people chatting randomly about thrifting on the internet. I run a couple of large Op Shopping groups in New Zealand and Australia and there are just so many awesome aspects to the community but there is little depth to the conversation because of how the platform can be sometimes. I run both groups solo and get to decide on content. At the moment I'm thinking about how I can redirect some of the donations (that aren't really donations) in my country to the right places so that less is sent to landfill....between Australia and New Zealand I have about 160, 000 group members so I feel like I could make a difference to the way some people think about recycling, reusing and repairing. Are there any other people here who have ideas about what could make a difference to the way people think... I also have a website opshops.co which I'm looking at changing a bit over the next few weeks and I was thinking earlier today about having more information on there. So my question is ... do you have any ideas, if you donate what would make you stop and think about where you were sending items in need of repair or not sellable in a thrift store ... is there anything we can do to start to make changes to the way people think about thrift stores ... sorry for the ramble its late here ...but I feel like we could make a difference ... ps this is the post I ran a few days ago in both groups ... in aussie / kiwi lingo I figure though if this is a major issue here ...its a worldwide issue

Hi all, we are looking at selling our house & want to make the most of it. We have an agent coming to look next week so are frantically decluttering, painting & tidying. I have taken down family photos etc, what are you staging/decor must have? I have bought some cheap art from the Opshop & will add pot plants (I have some already) but what else should I look for? Vases? I saw a mirror i should have bought last week also (doh!) But open to other cheap & cute hacks. Maybe candles...

If you're new to Skool there are zillions of communities to discover ...I'm honestly probably too embarrassed to share how many communities I actually belong to here. If you're new and not sure how to find them - click up the top on desktop and hit the discover communities tab... OR our wonderful members who own communities can drop a link below and talk about their communities. ⬇️ Lets go... 💛

Hey there 👋 So glad you’re here! This is a fun, friendly community for anyone who loves thrifting, op shops, charity shops, vintage finds, secondhand treasures, and giving things a new life. Whether you thrift weekly or you’re totally new to it — you’re in the right place. 💛 There’s no pressure here. Just jump in, share what you love, and enjoy the inspo. ⭐ How to Get Started (Super Simple) 1️⃣ Say Hi in a post Tell us: • Where you’re from • Your favourite thing to thrift (or what you hope to find!) • A recent find — or something on your wishlist 2️⃣ Browse the feed & join the funShare hauls, thrift trips, questions, weird finds, vintage gems, anything secondhand. 3️⃣ Optional: Grab your free guides 📘 Thrift Survival Kit 🪙 How to Identify Gold & Silver (They’re in the Classroom if you want them — totally optional.) That’s it 💛 No rules. No long guides. No “start here” homework. Just a community of people who love the thrill of the thrift. We’re happy you’re here — can’t wait to see what you find next! 🌼 PS — If Skool notifications feel like “too much” at first, you can easily turn them down. Just tap your profile → Settings → Notifications and switch off anything you don’t want. Also for an amazing selection of communities here on Skool - check out the Discovery tab ...you won't believe whats possible to learn here and the people you meet too ...incredible ...such a different vibe