With the first hectic month of the new academic year over, now is the time to finish settling into your new room by buying the extra accessories you’ll need for the rest of the year.
Fortunately, Delft has plenty of shops offering good secondhand stuff cheap.
Charity shops and secondhand shops often have the image of being dinghy and dirty. In reality though the ones in Delft are pretty respectable places. In Delft, two secondhand shops sell literally anything: The Flinstones (Giststraat 4) and Kijkhoek (Ambachtsstraat). Because their selections are so large, both shops are like warehouses with secondhand stuff piled up to their ceilings.
The Flinstones, run by Wilma and Fred Lint – yes, as in the other ‘Flintstones’, but for legal reasons the Delft Fred and Wilma left out the letter ‘t’ in the store’s name – is hidden away in a small alley in the city center. This place will leave you breathless at the sight of so much secondhand stuff: boxing gloves, ice skates, bedside lamps, children’s’ toys, furniture, appliances…. You’ll have to be careful not to trip over something inside, but there is definitely interesting stuff to buy at good prices: 25 euro for a microwaves; 50 to 75 for secondhand bikes; and 2 euro for DVDs.
Wilma Link says Dutch as well as foreign students find their way to her shop. “The first thing foreign students buy is an iron, followed by crockery, like plates or glasses.” Stereo systems and TVs are next on the list, as are bicycles. “Asian students often ask for rice cookers,” Link says, “but we just don’t have them. For some reason they’re hard to come by secondhand.”
Kijkhoek is similar to The Flinstones, although it’s smaller and there are no prices on the items. “Prices are different every day,” the owner says. “I just look at people’s faces.” Besides ovens, beer glasses and small items of furniture, one thing he always has in stock are bicycles. They sell for 45 to 95 euro.
Kringloopwinkel Delft has a different, more organised and spacious atmosphere. This Recycle Shop has three branches, each with their own particular selection. The shop at Beestenmarkt 27 specialises in odd pieces of furniture, clothing and crockery, as well as collectibles, jewellery and books. It’s the least spacious branch, but it does attract a mixed crowd of locals, collectors and tourists.
At the Kringloopwinkel located a few blocks away (Nieuwe Langendijk 60), you’ll find anything from curtains and cutlery to chairs and coat hangers. “Our stock changes several times a week,” says shop assistant Astrid Boshuizen. “If you’re looking for anything in particular, it’s best to just come by as often as you can and chances are you will find what you’re after.”
Boshuizen says quite a few foreign students visit the shop. “You can furnish your entire room for a couple hundred euro here,” she adds. “Students who are renting a fully furnished room often come in to get a few bits and pieces to create their own personal space.”
The largest Kringloopwinkel branch (Rotterdamseweg 404), shop has the broadest selection. “We have workshops there as well,” Boshuizen says. One is a bicycle workshop, where old bicycles are restored, the other a sewing workshop. “Part of the restored bikes go to Africa,” she says, “but we sell them at our Rotterdamseweg shop too.” The average price for a bike is around 75 euro. One of the biggest bonuses is the quiet riverside canteen, which serves sandwiches, drinks and hot meals at low prices. There also is a delivery service (16 euro within Delft).
Charity
Although the Recycle Stores are not-for-profit organisations, employing people who might otherwise not find a job, you might prefer to shop at the so-called charity shops. The Terre des Hommes shop (Nieuwe Langendijk 33) sells clothes and small household items, such as plates and glasses. It’s small, but the volunteer staff is friendly. “My English is quite poor, but we manage,” the elderly woman behind the counter says. All the shop’s revenues go towards projects in developing countries.
Another charity shop is ‘t Goeie Doelen Winkeltje (Yperstraat). The selection is large, but the shop is rather cluttered and cramped and you’ll only find small items there. Every Tuesday their ‘warehouse’ full of furniture and larger items is open to the public. Revenue goes towards projects in both Delft and developing countries.
Once your room is fully furnished and you’ve bought all the appliances and accessories you need, you might find you still need some cool party clothes. Besides the charity and second-hand shops mentioned so far, Delft also has a couple of interesting secondhand clothes stores.
Elize (Vrouw Juttenland 43) offers a wide range of clothes, hats, shoes and jewellery, and offers a ten percent discount to students. “Students often come here to buy clothes for theme parties,” Elize, the owner, says. Prices start at 2.50 euro and go up to around 100 euro for grand party dresses. Other places to look for affordable good-as-new clothes are Schaap & Zo (Breestraat 24) and Mollies (Molslaan 204).
And if you are wondering what to do with your belongings when your time in Delft is up, don’t worry: all secondhand shops are happy to take your stuff back. But for free, of course.
Charity shops and secondhand shops often have the image of being dinghy and dirty. In reality though the ones in Delft are pretty respectable places. In Delft, two secondhand shops sell literally anything: The Flinstones (Giststraat 4) and Kijkhoek (Ambachtsstraat). Because their selections are so large, both shops are like warehouses with secondhand stuff piled up to their ceilings.
The Flinstones, run by Wilma and Fred Lint – yes, as in the other ‘Flintstones’, but for legal reasons the Delft Fred and Wilma left out the letter ‘t’ in the store’s name – is hidden away in a small alley in the city center. This place will leave you breathless at the sight of so much secondhand stuff: boxing gloves, ice skates, bedside lamps, children’s’ toys, furniture, appliances…. You’ll have to be careful not to trip over something inside, but there is definitely interesting stuff to buy at good prices: 25 euro for a microwaves; 50 to 75 for secondhand bikes; and 2 euro for DVDs.
Wilma Link says Dutch as well as foreign students find their way to her shop. “The first thing foreign students buy is an iron, followed by crockery, like plates or glasses.” Stereo systems and TVs are next on the list, as are bicycles. “Asian students often ask for rice cookers,” Link says, “but we just don’t have them. For some reason they’re hard to come by secondhand.”
Kijkhoek is similar to The Flinstones, although it’s smaller and there are no prices on the items. “Prices are different every day,” the owner says. “I just look at people’s faces.” Besides ovens, beer glasses and small items of furniture, one thing he always has in stock are bicycles. They sell for 45 to 95 euro.
Kringloopwinkel Delft has a different, more organised and spacious atmosphere. This Recycle Shop has three branches, each with their own particular selection. The shop at Beestenmarkt 27 specialises in odd pieces of furniture, clothing and crockery, as well as collectibles, jewellery and books. It’s the least spacious branch, but it does attract a mixed crowd of locals, collectors and tourists.
At the Kringloopwinkel located a few blocks away (Nieuwe Langendijk 60), you’ll find anything from curtains and cutlery to chairs and coat hangers. “Our stock changes several times a week,” says shop assistant Astrid Boshuizen. “If you’re looking for anything in particular, it’s best to just come by as often as you can and chances are you will find what you’re after.”
Boshuizen says quite a few foreign students visit the shop. “You can furnish your entire room for a couple hundred euro here,” she adds. “Students who are renting a fully furnished room often come in to get a few bits and pieces to create their own personal space.”
The largest Kringloopwinkel branch (Rotterdamseweg 404), shop has the broadest selection. “We have workshops there as well,” Boshuizen says. One is a bicycle workshop, where old bicycles are restored, the other a sewing workshop. “Part of the restored bikes go to Africa,” she says, “but we sell them at our Rotterdamseweg shop too.” The average price for a bike is around 75 euro. One of the biggest bonuses is the quiet riverside canteen, which serves sandwiches, drinks and hot meals at low prices. There also is a delivery service (16 euro within Delft).
Charity
Although the Recycle Stores are not-for-profit organisations, employing people who might otherwise not find a job, you might prefer to shop at the so-called charity shops. The Terre des Hommes shop (Nieuwe Langendijk 33) sells clothes and small household items, such as plates and glasses. It’s small, but the volunteer staff is friendly. “My English is quite poor, but we manage,” the elderly woman behind the counter says. All the shop’s revenues go towards projects in developing countries.
Another charity shop is ‘t Goeie Doelen Winkeltje (Yperstraat). The selection is large, but the shop is rather cluttered and cramped and you’ll only find small items there. Every Tuesday their ‘warehouse’ full of furniture and larger items is open to the public. Revenue goes towards projects in both Delft and developing countries.
Once your room is fully furnished and you’ve bought all the appliances and accessories you need, you might find you still need some cool party clothes. Besides the charity and second-hand shops mentioned so far, Delft also has a couple of interesting secondhand clothes stores.
Elize (Vrouw Juttenland 43) offers a wide range of clothes, hats, shoes and jewellery, and offers a ten percent discount to students. “Students often come here to buy clothes for theme parties,” Elize, the owner, says. Prices start at 2.50 euro and go up to around 100 euro for grand party dresses. Other places to look for affordable good-as-new clothes are Schaap & Zo (Breestraat 24) and Mollies (Molslaan 204).
And if you are wondering what to do with your belongings when your time in Delft is up, don’t worry: all secondhand shops are happy to take your stuff back. But for free, of course.
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