Thames Secondhand Shopping: 10 Must See Shops

Thames is known as the gateway to the Coromandel, but if you’re a secondhand shopper it’s worth adding Thames to your itinerary. With 10 places to visit and a Saturday market, Thames secondhand shopping has something for everyone. From op shops, a dump shop, a dedicated Crown Lynn store and various other stores.Most of the shops are strung along Pollen Street or just off it, which makes it easy to do a circuit on foot without moving your car.

I’ve popped all the shops on a map so you can plan your day, this also includes the places I stopped for food – mentioned below

Thames Shops

Here’s the list of shops I visited:

• Hart Op Shop
• Hospice Thames
• The Seagull Centre (Dump Shop)
• Crown Lynn & More
• Thames Trading Post
• Underdogs Buy Sell and Trade
• Salvation Army
• St Johns
• 714 Pollen Street
• Outcasts and Dusty Jackets

Of note

The shop at 714 Pollen Street didn’t seem to have a name, but it included a number of booths out the back displaying various retro goods, so worth a stop. I saw Outcasts and Dusty Jackets as I was driving by so unfortunately didn’t get to stop and wasn’t aware of them until after the fact, hopefully you have more luck.

Quick Tips for the Thames Market

• When: Saturdays 8am -12 midday
• Where: 700 block of Pollen Street Grahamstown
• Further Details: Stallholders and other information can be found on the Thames Market facebook page

Best For…

• Furniture – The Salvation Army and the Hospice Shop are your best places to stop for furniture. Though you could find a few decent pieces at The Seagull centre too.
• Retro & Vintage Finds – The Crown Lynn & More Shop for all thing crown lynn plus various other retro pieces. Well worth a visit even if you are admiring some New Zealand history. Thames Trading Post also had some interesting items including old signs and tools
• Clothing – St John’s, Hospice and the Salvation Army would be my picks for clothing. All had a good variety.
• Quirky & Unusual – Underdogs Buy Sell & Trade had quite the collection of Furbies. Outside was a number of displays that included toy dogs, I’m not sure if they were for sale interesting though.

Where to Fuel Up

Of course all that exploring works up an appetite so its worth planning coffee break. I stopped at Cafe Melbourne for a muffin and coffee, it was a popular place and just across the road from the market and not far from the Salvation Army.

For lunch I went to Bite Cafe Thames and had a seafood chowder. It appears that last time I visited Thames I went to the same place. I believe it was previously an workingman’s club or similar, the decor certainly suggested it had had a previous life.

Tips for Thames Secondhand Shopping

• Most of the shops are close together – you can easily walk between the majority of them, which makes it a very relaxed way to spend a morning without constantly moving the car.
• Bring Cash – If you’re attending the market most stall holders will take cash only.
• Visit on a Saturday – all the shops seemed to have good hours for a saturday and you will have the added bonus on visiting the market.
• Don’t judge a shop by its size – The smaller ones can have the best treasures so don’t skip them.

Video Highlights Thames Secondhand Shopping

Thames Secondhand Shopping & More

Thames is well worth a stop if you are visiting the Coromandel Peninsula, especially if you love treasure hunting. With 10 shops and a market it also makes a great day trip from Hamilton or Auckland.

Thames has a very rich history and it was obvious when I visited a number of years ago for a little rest and relaxation . There are quite a few very old buildings and a couple of museums relating to that history.

If you are looking for other op shops in the area you could stop in Pukekohe which is about a 45 minutes drive or if heading to Hamilton there is a rather large number of shops to choose from.

Did I miss a secondhand shop in Thames or do you have a favourite? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.
Happy op shopping, Jenny – follow me on Insta or Youtube