Model Zone is a geek's heaven, situated within St. Johns market this is the kind of place where…read moreyour typical nerd can go and spend the day marvelling at the products within. There is nothing at all wrong with this but it just so happens that I am more of a games console man and as such I didn't really understand the fervour surrounding these types of products. This place as the name suggests sells models for war craft games and other related activities and to be fair the range of produce is quite astonishing. As well as this the quality of the products is fantastic and there is much attention to detail here. I was also very impressed with the staff who worked hard to help out each and every customer so they get much kudos for customer service. On the whole a well run establishment which does its best to draw you in to its slightly nerdy world and if we are honest there is a bit of a geek within all of us.

I've never made a model of anything before I don't think, but we used to come here a fair bit when…read moremy brother was a toddler because they had loads of cool trains and cars and he was interested in collecting them. Then, as he grew up and became interested in the RAF, the family would generally call in here if at a loss for presents at Christmas or birthdays, and get him a model aeroplane set. This is quite a fascinating shop if you like geeky things (or at least appreciate them, like me). You can get all the Thomas the Tank Engine trains from here, you can get Meccano sets and Scalextric and even Star Wars, Star Trek and Dr Who collectibles. If you're at a real loss for inspiration for presents, it may be worth while looking round here for ideas, as more often than not you'll see something that you know someone will love. The staff are eager to help and even if you ask them random ambiguous questions they eventually find out what you're talking about and sort you out. It's on the same avenue as the 99p shop so you know you're going for guilty pleasures (ie stocking up on £5 worth of sweets) if your feet take you in that direction.

There are two World's Apart shops in Liverpool and contrary to the name they are actually quite…read moreclose together. This building in Lime street is a mess and needs a sympathetic refurb and clean. I was surprised to discover that actually this shop is part of a small chain. I visited the shop for the first time this week. It's full of comics and toys you simply can't get elsewhere - not that I have tried. So many of the toy figures I could not recognise although I did spot some of the original Dr Who figures and some from Final Fantasy. Forget Toys R Us, this place is a wealth of badges, stickers, games and oddness for kids, adults and fans of things I've never even heard of.

Like its geeky counterpart, Forbidden Planet on Bold, World's Apart deals in all things cult. Cult…read moreis often a term used to describe things that have a strong, devoted core audience - or for studio executives something with low viewing figures. But no more, the popularity if this store can be seen on Saturday afternoons as children and adults alike fill the store and rummage through the amazing collections of limited edition, imported and new toys, comics, books, graphic novels, DVDs, posters and clothing for every genre and range of sci-fi, horror and anime franchise.

Dames with guns Doctors with time-machines…read more& Super-heroes with special powers You guessed it, we're talking about the weird and wonderful world of comics and graphic novels. If you're a collector or a fan, chances are you already know the staff at Forbidden Planet by name. If you don't, go and check the shop out. We're talking aisles of comics and graphic novels from manga and anime to The Iron Man and Cat Woman. They also have oodles of awesome toys, collectibles, tee-shirts, posters and gadgets including Dr Who figurines and Sonic screwdrivers.

Forbidden Planet is a geeks paradise. It stocks lots of cult items such as comics, graphic novels,…read moreposters, t-shirts, models, figurines, books, memorabilia and much more. The shop is small but well organised into clear sections. It is kept clean and tidy and is bright and airy. The staff, although a little patronising like many true geeks are, are helpful and knowledgeable about their stock. If you want something they don't stock they will order it in specially for you at no extra cost. The items here are a bit expensive compared to some other similar shops, but they are of a good quality.

Ahoy there!…read more Nauticalia is appropriately located amongst the array of touristy type gift shops in Albert Dock. If you are an admirer of seafaring, then this shop is definitely for you. There are a wide amount of ornaments and collectables, some of whom might consider odd if you're not familiar - if you're like me, it's kind of difficult to describe them! Although, I did manage to recognise a barometer - an instrument sailors use to measure atmospheric pressure. Some items may be pointless but you can buy products such as strong weathproof clothing, and thermals all of which are fairly expensive. The member of staff whom greeted me was cheerful and I actually enjoyed the browsing experience which was quite unique. From my visit, I saw a gift cloth with a very interesting description and I'd like to share those sayings about why a ship is called "she". A ship is called a "she" because..... There is always a great deal of bustle around her There is usually a gang of men about She has a waist and stays It takes a lot of paint to keep her good looking She shows her topsides and hides her bottom She can be all decked out It takes an experienced man to handle her correctly And without a man at the helm, she is absolutely un-controllable. It takes a lot of Paint to keep her Good - Looking. And the main reason....It's not the initial expense that breaks you, It's the upkeep!!! When coming into port, always heads for the buoys. Fascinating!!!

Nauticalia seems to have forgotten one of the only rules about owning a shop. Sure, you can make…read moreyour range of products fantastic to look at, but if it's so expensive that people will run screaming, you've failed at business. Then again, this place has been here for years so I'll hush ma mouth. Selling everything to do with the sea, this is a great shop to stroll around and browse the bottled ships, maritime clocks, diving helmets and miniature twin cylinder engines (every home should have one) but, as I said, unless you've recently discovered pirate treasure, the chances of you buying anything whose price you can justify are going to be slim.

Big boys, little boys, toy soldiers, jumpers for goal posts as the fast show sketch so eloquently…read moreput it. Games Workshop is either a shop which will fascinate you or leave you stone cold. Exactly like the ad for marmite you either love it or hate it there is no in between. Assuming like me you are a fan but do not dare get too close of you will be drawn in for a sample game run by one of the really earnest assistants. This will inevitably lead to a purchase of figures, paints and rulebooks and the playing with set purchases for the remainder of that week. This would then lead to me personalising the rules endlessly just to see how the rules could be pushed and just how geeky I could make it - with rules about orks tripping over their own bootlaces and things. Then I'd end up staying up for hours with just a few other lonely losers or, probably more likely, just alone. Why do I think this? Well, it may have actually happened.

I beg to differ with my previous reviewers. I think that there is an "in between." You see, I…read moreneither love nor hate this type of shop. I am slightly curious because I love tiny things like doll house miniatures and models ... But then, I'm not really into gaming or boyish hobbies like this. So I'm in the in between. I was curious enough to go in, but had no intention of buying. I think that if you like miniature things of any kind, or you like games of any kind, it's a fun place to poke around. So give it a chance if you have any of those interests. But otherwise ... eh.

Very organized and well run- cafe at the end and an extensive gift shop…read moreLearned a lot!!

A sad situation indeed, but this wraps up my reviews in England…read more The Beatles Shop on Mathew Street has a bit of this and that - pretty much everything you could ask for Beatles wise. Aside from the usual t-shirts, keychains, mugs, etc, they also have some memorabilia and signed items for sale which really make this shop worth it. I bought the most adorable fluffy Love Me Do slippers for 15gbp and two magnets for 3.50 each. I wouldn't necessarily venture out of my way for the shop but if you're going to be in the area (and if you're a Beatles fan, you will be), then pop in!

As the name suggests, this is a 60's/alternative fashion and collectables type shop. The sell…read moreeverything from clothing and boots to jewellery and wall posters. It's really hard to quantify the variety. But if you're into hippy, goth, alternative style stuff, you'll probably like this shop. The guy behind the counter kind of seemed a bit sullen to me and didn't seem overly keen on making sure customers found what they wanted, but then isn't that usually the way in shops of this type? It's feels like you're in a museum and if you touch any one item too many times someone is gonna tap you on the shoulder and ask you to leave. Still, a fun experience, and you gotta love the florescent lights over the doorway.

Vinyl shopping is somewhat of a cult really, isn't it. All those stacks of dusty LPs in there,…read morethey've squeezed every last gem they can find into that itsy bitsy room oh and then there's the Funeral for a Friend LP I spotted on the wall. I suppose this is Quiggins after all. There is quite an extensive Beatles section as one would expect in Liverpool, some rarities and also some classics. They also stock decent CDs (You know, them new fandagled whatsits that came after vinyl?) and DVDs too. However, they also have tapes. Including The Terminator Soundtrack. Amazing.

Like Probe Records and Hairy Records, this is one amazing shop if you love and adore music on vinyl…read morerecords, or even if you just love old music and you are trying to find that special song, or that last missing album from your collection. There is quiet a variety here, so there is something for everyone. Also, they sell a few second hand CD's of popular oldies music as well, so even if you don't have a record player, it's still worth a pop in. They are located upstairs in Grand Central on Renshaw Street. So, polish your dancing shoes and wheel that old "gramophone" out of the closet because you're going to need it ...

I am a bit of a connoisseur of fancy dress, but tend to steer away from fancy dress shops,…read morepreferring to make my costumes myself. Obviously, not everyone can be bothered to do the same, and dressing up is one of those British traditions that seems particularly prevalent in Liverpool - on any given weekend you can find girls in tutus and guys in capes. Most of the time it's either university- or stag/hen do-related, although some girls honestly think going out in a tutu or corset is fashionable... Smiffy's is ideal for last minute dressing up needs, or, in my case, if doing a stage show and you realise the costume department is somewhat lacking. However, I find it quite pricey for the mass-produced stuff it offers. Ok, the prices vary, and maybe I'm fussy because I'm more of a DIY person, but still. Especially specialist stuff, like Snazaroo makeup, but then I guess you pay special prices for special stuff. I don't mean to be negative, because this really is a good shop and they have a huge variety of products. A definite life saver if in dire need of fancy dress.

When you walk down Bold Street, it is often hard not to notice the red shop that is Smiffy's. It…read morecertainly does stand out and thats what it needs to do for all those planning a fun night out. In the display window, there is usually the 'pick of their bunch' costumes that tend to be humerous and eccentric which is what most fancy dresses are supposed to be like! Inside the store, they have further seductive and contoversial costumes, other odd items and joke products. Smiffy's is a popular place with students as one would expect and I can remember a big queue on Halloween day last year. This would be the primary source to lend that ideal costume but be prepared to pay an often pricey cost.

As you would expect from a city that boasts about its musical heritage and contribution to pop…read moreculture as much as Liverpool, there a few independent music shops that can be found around the city centre. Music Notes is one of the smaller music stores that I have come across and placed in an odd area of town, in my opinion, to find it. Being small seems to encourage this place to stock mainly small musical instruments. I'm not entirely sure if they offer more online but you wont find any pianos or drum kits although there are plenty of half size guitars, eukeles, bongos and harmonicas. However they do stock a wide range of sheet music and song books. Good for those looking to take up a new hobby or dwarves in folk bands.

A nice and friendly music shop on North John Street. Very helpful staff which meant I didn't have…read moreto hunt through all the books in their well stocked music shop. The shop has been open for over eight years and really know what they are doing. The stock includes music for all abilities and tastes from the beginner to the professional musician. If you want to find the right music to learn to sing or play your chosen instrument be it piano, guitar, saxophone, drums, trumpet, violin, recorder, penny whistle, banjo etc. then you have come to the right place. There is a noticeboard in the entrance of the shop where you advertise concerts and gigs.