‘Good vibe’ as crowds of students seek bargains

By John Gibb

About 1000 University of Otago students yesterday embraced sustainability and bargain hunting as they swarmed into an O Week sale featuring pre-loved furniture and clothing.

Hundreds of pieces of furniture and thousands of clothing items were among the offerings at the Smithells Gymnasium sale, Otago University Students’ Association vice-president Emily Coyle said.

About 190 University of Otago students from St Margaret’s College removed this rubbish in a clean-up at the Andersons Bay inlet and a nearby area of Portsmouth Dr in Dunedin, early yesterday, as a college O Week activity. College dean of students George Connolly said students were shocked at how much rubbish had been removed. PHOTO: DUNCAN CAMPBELL

"The whole of North Dunedin is a bit of a buzz at the moment — it was definitely a good vibe [at the sale]," Miss Coyle said.

This was the first of three "Drop for Good" sales at the gymnasium, each running from 10am to 3pm, and continuing until Friday.

Pleased with their purchase of a couch for $15 from the Drop for good sale at Smithells Gymnasium yesterday are flatmates (back from left) Josh Stoddart (20), Blair Wallace (19) and Jaqy Patel (21) and (front from left) Blair McInnarney (20), Aaron Zeng (20), Nik Vasilic (20) and Jacob Alan (20). PHOTO: LINDA ROBERTSON

The association had last November asked students to drop off unwanted items, rather than throwing them away in skips, and other efforts had also been made to divert valuable goods from end-of-the-year skips.

"With the goal to create a circular economy, students were able to drop items they didn’t need anymore, and save them from going into the skips," she said.

Communication and psychology student Theodora Morris (21) checks out a tutu at the University of Otago Drop for Good sale, at Smithells Gymnasium.

About 100 people were already queuing outside the gym before the sale began yesterday morning.

The sale was billed as "the best way to kit out your flat and get your hands on some incredible items, all for less than $20".

Carrington College resident Alex Hewitt (17) hunts for a bargain at the University of Otago O Week Drop for Good sale at Smithells Gymnasium yesterday.