100 years of Vinnies
1926 - 2026 | CELEBRATING OUR VINNIES SHOPS
The first Vinnies Shop opened on 1 October 1926 at 214 King Street, Melbourne.
Our presence in the City of Melbourne was shortlived but today, across Victoria, we have 119 Vinnies Shops with 6,200+ volunteers providing assistance to people in need, raising funds and friendship to all.
On 1 October 1926 it all began with a single shop at 214 King Street, Melbourne. Unfortunately our presence in the City of Melbourne was shortlived due to the building being sold but 100 years later, one of the oldest social enterprises still exists today. Happy 100th anniversary Vinnies Shops.
Our first shop was originally called the Waste Products Bureau, thank goodness that was changed!
In January 1927, we relocated our first shop to 155 Maribyrnong Road, Ascot Vale, and, yes, Vinnies Ascot Vale still lives there and will celebrate it's own 100th anniversary next year.
100 years on
Vinnies has believed in pre-loved for longer than most of us have been alive - and, long before it was trendy. What started as one shop grew into a network of shops across Victoria, then went digital in 2010 on eBay and our very own Vinnies Online in 2025.
Vinnies VIP launched in 2019, rewarding people who had already been choosing pre-loved for decades.
Our look has changed more than once. What hasn't changed is why we do it. Every donated item helps fund support for people facing hardship, just as it did in 1926.
None of this happens without our community
A hundred years in, we genuinely couldn’t still be doing this without you.
To every volunteer who has given their time.
Every team member who has kept the doors open.
Every shopper who has walked in and found a bargain or treasure.
Every donor who has trusted us with their pre-loved items: THANK YOU
October | A month of celebration
We are celebrating all October and we would love to see you in store.
This October, spend $20 or more in one transaction and you’ll get a bonus 100 Vinnies VIP points, plus go in the draw to win 2,000 VIP points!
Pop in, say hello and celebrate 100 years with your local Vinnies community.
Our archives need help
As part of our 100 year celebrations, we lined up Vinnies shopfronts throughout the years.
Some shops are still standing in the very same building, just with a fresh new look.
Others have moved into bigger spaces to keep up with our growing community.
It's incredible to see how some things have changed yet stayed the same all at once.
Do you remember your local Vinnies looking like this?
We went digging through the archives to find out and found these gems hiding in the old photo albums. These included: Vinnies Swan Hill, Hamilton, St Arnaud, Portland, Shepparton, Colac, Morwell, Ascot Vale, Wangaratta, Sale and Bendigo.
If you were part of your local Vinnies and have some photos to share, please let us know!
