A little bleary-eyed after a night spent with Queen (that's backstage with the rock band not the monarch) former Australian of the Year finalist, Jon Dee, had a lot of roles to fill in his seven days promoting National Op Shop Week.
At the Katoomba Anglicare store, the co-founder of the Do Something charity, was keen to get the message across that op-shopping was no longer uncool as he tried on a groovy motorbike jacket.
"People have got over that silly notion that second hand is somehow inferior. I find the clothes are better made, the quality of the materials is better, you often get something unique and if you want to help Australians in need it is the simplest way to do that," Mr Dee said.
In its third year, National Op Shop Week has Margie Abbott as its patron, with the first lady admitting she often bought the prime minister's shirts at her local Manly op shop.
The Katoomba Anglicare store was getting into the spirit of the week with a half price sale.
Store manager Stephanie Seers de Vasquez (pictured above) says "everything" she buys is from op shops but she tries to "leave the cream" in her store for the customers. The funds go to numerous vital community programs.
Mr Dee, who is a connoisseur of sixties and seventies jackets, managed to find a dark pin-striped suit jacket for $7.50 in the men's racks, but insisted on giving $25 to the store manager at the checkout.
ABC host James Valentine had come under criticism for admitting to Mr Dee on air last week he had found a $40 pair of RM Williams while op-shopping. Some listeners thought he should have paid more or shopped somewhere else. Mr Dee says he now encourages those who can afford a little more to donate a few extra dollars towards their purchase.
Mr Dee said the annual event was a joint initiative of Do Something and the National Association of Charitable Recycling Organisations and drew attention to the good work of Australian charity recyclers who diverted two billion items (over 300,000 tonnes) of clothing from landfill each year through donation bins and in-store donations.
Op shops fund essential frontline services, like homeless shelters, women's shelters and food assistance, he said, and some 70,000 Australians volunteered regularly in the charity shops.
"You can help your local charity op shops in three ways," Mr Dee said. "You can donate unwanted clothes or goods, volunteer at a shop or help them to raise money by buying their goods."
Mr Dee, a father of two young girls, recently moved his Do Something office from Newtown to Katoomba after becoming tired of the long commute. "I was travelling so much I wasn't properly here. I feel more like a local now."
n Details: Go to OpShopWeek.com.au or search on Facebook.
