You need to be an independent shopper to get the most out of Fuzzy Vibes Junction. For a start, you…read morehave to be onto it enough to spot the entrance (it's easy to walk past!), although it helps that what there is of it is psychedelic. Then, once you venture down the stairs to the lair that is Fuzzy Vibes, you won't get any assistance from the staff. Can be a great thing or a terrible thing, depending on the kind of shopper you are and the kind of day you're having. But don't let me put you off, Fuzzy Vibes has a solid range of 1960s and 1970s gear, including shoes, bags, and wigs, and if it's something really groovy you're after (read: fancy dress) the range here is second to none in central Auckland.

Stepping down into this cave-like boutique is like stepping back in time to my childhood…read more Everything has been so carefully selected and it evokes Kiwiana circa 70s so incredibly well; you just walk around going "I remember that!" at every second object. Tin lunch boxes, the Game of Life, helmet hairdryers and more. The furniture and homewares are my favourite things down here but there's a lot of cool clothes too. Last time I visited I scored myself a couple of cool retro pieces of art for my walls and if you want a specific item of memorabilia, there's a chance you just might find it here. The prices are great although they know their stuff and you pay more for the rare items. Check it out and relive your youth, or if you're too young to remember come and get a small taste of what New Zealand was like before disposable imports took over.

I miss Videon now it's moved from its iconic Art Deco building in Balmoral. But it's worth going a…read morebit further for - hell, even driving across Auckland for. This is possibly the only place in Auckland that has classic movies on DVD and if you are really old-school (and fruit loopin crazytown) you might even still be in the market to hire VHS tapes. Most of the new chain video rental places barely have the 80s classics so Videon is such a treasure. The people that work here, while sometimes a bit superior, really do know their stuff and because of that, their recommendations are usually right on the money. I know over the years there have been hard times and it would be devastating if Auckland ever lost Videon - they are our city's largest independent film library. Whatever twisted genre you're after they are bound to have it; Avant-Garde, Military, Directors' Cuts, obscure Festival flicks and so much more.

Videon is a legendary DVD and game hire store located on Dominion Road in Mt Eden…read more Videon is the place to go if you're looking for slightly off-beat films, or movies that were never blockbuster hits. Videon also has a great selection of foreign and anime films, as well as old TV shows. As a child Videon was my local rental store and I can't begin to imagine how many hours I spent in there pouring of the titles and pleading with my parents to let me get more than one movie. I still head to Videon regularly despite no longer living in the area, as it really is the best place to find classic or quirky movies. The only unfortunate thing about Videon today is that is used to be located down the Balmoral end of Dominion round in a much bigger store. This of course meant they had a far bigger selection to choose from, however that's not to take away from what they have now. It's incredible - check it out! Bonus: The staff have worked their forever and basically know what they stock off the top of their head. They're fantastic!

Any vintage or retro lover out there knows that to get the real deals, you've got to leave the…read morecity. To find quality vintage at cut price items can be a chore, but it's made all that more enjoyable if the little places you visit are clean, well laid out and staffed by friendly volunteers; Papatoetoe's hospice shop is all of the above. The shop is often inhabited by a lot of older people who bring clothes in and take more out, I think it's only fair to warn you that there is a large contingent of Miller's shirts in this store... much like there is in many other stores of this nature! The Miller brand isn't always the most desirable pick for a vintage shopper, but if you can dig through the collared nightmares, there are gems to be found. Amazing dresses, skirts and shorts for just a few bucks each. And because it's out of the hipster radius of 10km from the city, there's always plenty of vintage/retro stuff to choose from.

I'm of the opinion that you can never have too many good second hand bookstores in your repertoire…read more This one is so spacious and well designed you would be hard pressed to deduce that you were actually in a secondhand store, there are no dusty crammed shelves, that look like their about to collapse in on themselves in sight. It makes finding certain genres of books super easy as well, having everything so well set up. They also have nice little prints available for sale in the store as well, one which I bought for my office at home. Lastly I would just like to apologise to the cute sales assistant who I may have flashed, while going for a sneaky rearrange of my underwear behind a row of shelves that seemed to be private, UNTIL I saw the camera perched right above me. I hope I didn't scar you for life.

Evergreen has a great reputation in Auckland as a solid destination for second hand books…read more I always have a slight tinge of sadness that quite a lot of space seems to be taken up with popular fiction, and I really think the New Zealand fiction range needs work, but overall, it's a excellent place to spend more than you intended. The sci-fi range is particularly good and all the books are in really good condition, which makes a welcome change from finding a long-sought-after favourite only to discover that it's falling to pieces in your hands. Mucho disappointo. I've also had the welcome surprise at the till of having my order rounded down a couple of dollars, which is a really lovely way to reward customers who are buying a bundle. Overall, I would always come here for a browse when I'm in Devonport, but it's not really a go-to place if you have something specific in mind - in that case, I would head to Hard to Find books first.

A cute and funky boutique located on Ponsonby Road, I've driven past Yellow Brick Road countless…read moretimes and finally went inside this week. It's brilliant! Beautiful 1950s and vintage inspired clothing - I loved every single dress and even tried on a few. Yellow Brick Road also stocks an array of fun knick-knacks, including magic sets, diaries, postcards, stamp sets and pencil cases. Everything in the store is made from lovely vintage and retro looking materials that provide a unique and homely feel to each product. The hair accessories are also fantastic. Huge patterned bows and big flower clips - I was in seventh heaven! Likewise the jewellery is all really funky and bold and is exactly what every girl wishes they had. With a wall display of sunglasses as well, there really was no going wrong in Yellow Brick Road! That having been said, the service was pretty average. There were two sales assistants in the store while I was there and neither of them approached me or even said hi. It wasn't until I asked to use the changing room that they acknowledged me at all. Service aside, Yellow Brick Road is a fun and funky wee store that definitely deserves a looksie!

Any store that has cute colorful retro styled cardigans in the storefront window is bound to…read moreattract my attention. Yellow Brick Road Boutique not only captured my attention but managed to hold it once I had entered too. It must have been all the pretty shiny stuff that did it. This is one of the only stores in Auckland that I have found that sells these 'bones' necklaces, bracelets and hair ties. They come in all different pastel colours and are super cool. I bought some in Christchurch a year back and have been looking for the same up here but have yet to be successful. Until now. They also stock some great looking 'display books' - you know the ones, books with pretty covers and deep material that you keep on your bookshelf so your friends can see how well read you are.

Old and new book smell, love it! I used to think that this place was kind of crappy, but I now have…read morea renewed appreciation for this very old bookstore in Papakura's Selwyn Arcade. The store is not huge and really quite badly organised, but if you spend at least five minutes here you should find something that you're interested in. Apart from the fact that there are way too many old school Mills and Boon type romance novels, the other sections contain some great bargains. I found a beautiful and rare second hand book which was basically in brand new condition. To be honest I would've walked away with a handful of books if I had the money to spend. The staff member (owner?) was very kind and extremely helpful, directing me around the poorly organised shelves to a few books that I might have been interested in.

I usually shop at the Savemart in Northcote, but decided to give this location a go. I googled it…read moreupon arrival to see what others have said about the place and to see if it would actually be worth my time. This location was amazing!! I found items from Boohoo with the tags still attached. The items are in very good condition. Of course like many of the locations in NZ there aren't many people asking if you need help finding something or help with anything, but you can always ask a cashier at the front. There were only two checkouts, but if you shop there as soon as the doors open as I do, you shouldn't have any issues or experience long lines. The prices were fantastic in my opinion. The only thing I didn't see much of were belts, hats, purses or shoes, but this is the beginning of the year so I am sure there are loads of new stock. Don't take my word for it. Go see for yourself :-)

This shop made me feel like it wasn't even a recycled clothing shop. It was massive and had…read moreeverything. The moment you walk in you see a butt load of clothes. I found some stuff from Nike and Adidas. The environment was great and had a nice range of stuff. Would recommend!

Vintage doesn't get any better than Tango…read more The best thing about Tango is that there quite literally isn't a single thing in the shop that hasn't been hand picked because it's beautiful and high quality. There's a definite aesthetic to the stock - a sort of campy, tongue-in-cheek take on glamour - that you'll most likely love if you're into vintage. Tango is hands down the best place in town to get your hands on designer and name-brand vintage that's in top condition, but there are also less expensive items, like costume jewellery and handbags. Not to be overlooked, the service at Tango is perfect - it's always a comfortable browsing experience, but the guy who works there is really knowledgeable about clothes and is very helpful if you're looking for something in particular. In short: Tango should be your first destination for impressive vintage dresses and accessories.

This is the sort of place where I can imagine Greta Garbo just chilling out on a chaise lounge,…read moreclassily smoking a ciggarette and blowing smoke rings into unsuspecting customers eyes. You can see why this store is known as one of Aucklands best vintage stores, because the stuff sold here is actually vintage. Not just ugly stuff people dont want anymore. It is a veritable treasure trove of antique things I instantly craved. Court shoes, fur stoles, dresses so authentic they look like they could even have mothholes (they dont, dont worry) Though the guy working there could probably take a lesson in customer service, I was just taking a photo and he near about booted me out. How rude.