The shop has good variety of RC and the owners are helpful…read more It might just be the nature of the hobby but the prices of the cars have all jumped up by 20% strange but still worth a look.

After going to several karting shops that were local to me and finding that they were not that…read moreinterested in helping me as i had no knowledge and was just getting my son started i stumbled across James Sera kart centre. James and his team were enthusiastic for the word go and did everything they could to help, they went above and beyond what they were asked to do so that when my son drove his kart for the first time he would have a great time. As with all things there was more to do on the kart than first expected and when i picked up the kart i was amazed at what they had done for us and the price was great. I would highly recommend James Sera Karting to anyone but especially people just starting out. I will not be going anywhere else for a long time.

I find it hard to resist a toy shop. I always have to pop my head inside and have a browse around,…read moreand usually struggle to resist buying something for myself. Though, I could technically write this off as research since I work in the toy industry, it's not that at all. Most Toyworld stores seem to be quite small and cramped with stuff spilling off the shelf and making it hard to move around. The Brunswick store is far from this. It's quite large and everything is nice and neat and spaced out. Everything is in it's own little section and there is a great variety of toys to be found here. They have a nice selection of Playmobil products, which is great as it is rare to find this stuff in Australia from what I've seen. Usually my first visit section in any toy store is the action figures, but here it was almost non-existent. They were on the ends of a few aisles and in a few other spots but they didn't have much of a choice. Everything that was here seemed fairly new though which is a good thing as action figures tend to hang around on the shelf well past when they are the latest thing. I may have caught them on a bad day (Sunday afternoon) but customer service didn't seem high on the agenda. A couple of younger employees were working and I was the only one in the store and went largely ignored by them. I actually had to go and find one of them when I wanted to make a purchase as nobody was anywhere near the counter/front of store. There's a good range here though, with some toys you might not see anywhere else so it's well worth a pop in to stock up on kid's birthday pressies, Christmas...or if you're like me, a treat for yourself.

I really enjoyed coming to this place. Right across the street of Flinders Station, Minotaur prides…read moreitself on being a go-to dealer for pop-culture products. A title well-earned! They have absolutely everything in this store. I'm a comic book enthusiast, so the comic book section excited me a bit. Unfortunately, the majority of their comics are wrapped in plastic so free loading in the store is out of the question (darn!). If you're into the more Asian side of comics, they have a pretty good manga section too with all the essentials (maybe missing a lot of the obscure mangas, but Minotaur is a good place to start if you're just getting into it). They also have a wide collection of films, posters, books, shirts, and even games and toys. There are random knick-knacks too so it is always fun to come in and just take a look around even if you aren't purchasing anything. Cute things I have found: a stuffed animal of the pig TonTon from Naruto, SuperMario Brothers Mushroom Backpack, Star Trek Bobbleheads, Hello Kitty Monopoly, and multi-coloured Domos! 2 stars off because the prices are pretty steep... but even if you aren't purchasing anything, I would recommend you stopping by just to take a look around.

If you love Pop Culture, this is a MUST visit place…read more We spent a few hours wandering around, and enjoying all merchandising available. Sadly we were not able to buy much as only had so much space in our suitcases. A real treat here, so much to see and put on your Wish List. #1 I wish they had a branch in Auckland !!!!

Real toys for real kids. None of this Barbie nonsense, or any other kind of collectible doll stuff…read more There's lego, "science kits", nerf guns and lots of other really brilliant things to keep your kids (even if they're aged 23) happy for the afternoon. As far as prices go, they're a pretty good match to some of the chain toy shops, but here I know that I'll get both decent service and won't be distracted by the hundred thousand unnecessary add-ons available. No, I don't need lolly nerf bullets to go with my dart purchase. Ages 2-12 are probably best catered for, and both sexes equally suited. Just because there isn't a huge range of barbies doesn't mean there isn't a great selection of fairy costumes. Well, I had fun.

Mario's has been in the business for 30 years. There is no doubt that these guys sell quality hand…read morecrafted jewellery at a fraction of the normal retail price. As gold and silver are constantly being marked up you never know if you are getting a good deal. Mario's sells the latest makes and models at great price and if you are buying for more than one occasion be prepared to work some negotiating skills. This is also a great place to go if you are looking to melt down pre-loved jewellery and design something unique from scratch.

I hadn't managed to get around to visiting a gaming shop for a while, so when one of my gaming…read moregroups decided to have a special event here I made a huge effort to come and check it out. Okay, I had been past here a couple of times, but had never had the desire, or the time, to pop in and have a look around. Anyway, like a lot of gaming shops, the focus these days tends to be Euro-games and card games, however they do have a small collection of roleplaying games, but the collection is somewhat smallish. However, they also have gaming rooms, and on top of the gaming events, they also have some special nights, including a caberet night, which I have to admit is pretty cool.

BOARD GAMES! I have a minor obsession with them... Not so much because I love playing them super…read moreoften (maybe by candlelight when there's been a blackout or on Christmas night), but I really love the aesthetic of them. Is that weird? Gatekeeper Games has every shape/form/fashion of board games. I popped in to make a VERY important purchase... Cards Against Humanity. I walked in and asked where I might find it, as essentially this store is like a library of games - you really do need a bit of direction. They immediately pointed it out to me and took me through the different editions of the game (Australian, American, British) and I quickly made a purchase. I was in and out in just a few minutes - that is efficient customer service! You will also find games including Warhammer, Star Wars Rebellion, Game of Thrones - everything you could imagine. Also, Gatekeeper Games also regularly holds gaming nights - so if you in the market to make new friends and play fun games, you now know where to head.

For the Martha Stewart/papier mache/macrame fruit holder/ bedazzled pumpkins head inclined…read moreindividual welcome to Riot Art & Craft. Riot Art & Craft is one of those frothy craft stores playing up seasonal and school holidays as unique opportunities to get in touch with your creative side and in the process burn your fingers on a hot glue gun. Northland can feel a little void of creativity so take solace in the like minded shoppers browsing through sequins, pre-stretched frames, pencils, paint brushes and stationery. The creativity feels a little "pre-packaged" and products designated for specific designs however this is really only limited by your imagination. For basics like glue and scissors I usually go to cheap asian stores however the range here is extensive and for people who want an inspirational browse or specific project in mind. Each store also has interesting display windows produced by the staff who know their fabric pencils from their lead pencils.