A great shop, full of collectables covering decades of television history. From the latest Doctor…read moreWho to classic Gerry Anderson, this shop has delights hidden in every nook and cranny. In addition to their collectibles, there are a vast array of fun, quirky, cheeky and bawdy cards that are so fun you will buy your years supply of birthday cards in one hit. A hidden gem in Torquay. Well worth discovering.

This is a lovley little shop, tucked away by the church. Well worth seeking out if you need an…read moreunique, quality present. Lots of beautiful items by local artists and crafts people. Helpful and knowledgeable staff. I have to admit, however, that I haven't bought anything here becuase the things I've gone in to look at have been more expensive than elsewhere. E.g I was looking for a Jo Downs bowl for a christmas present and they were more expensive here than on the website. Nice to see the real thing before I shopped online though. Would definitely recommend for a browse and possible unique purchase.

Another great Tavistock shopping experience - it goes on and on forever. Every kind of office…read moresupply you could wish for including paper, files, diaries, card, pens, pencils and cardmaking and scrapbooking supplies (card blanks, hole punches, bits to stick etc), envelopes, calendars and writing paper, art supplies, gift wrap and cards, small gifts, printer cartridges and the facility to refill them. Very helpful and cheerful staff who will often order goods in if not available. A huge array of good stuff at good prices! A much better option than Smiths across the road if you are after stationery supplies.

This is an Aladdin's Cave of all things arty and stationery. If they haven't got exactly what…read moreyou're looking for they will do everything they can to get it in for you as soon as possible. Prices are competitive too. Well done Mainly Stationery.

We came here in a group of people aged 7 to 70. We all had…read morea great time. There are so many amazing things to look at, if you are at all interested in marbles, glass, or pottery. Cool marble mazes; glassblowing demonstrations; playground for kids; lessons and workshops; cafe with indoor and outdoor seating. The cafe has a good selection, especially to us Americans who had to look up things like "Prawn Marie Rose and Baby Gem" that sound like they are the new celebrity babynames. The food was reasonably priced and was really nice; high-quality locally-sourced ingredients prepared with care. I know that if I lived here and had a young child we would spend a lot of time here, as there is a coffee/ice cream stand (in addition to the regular restaurant right there as well) with seating right next to the playground. There is a very nice and well-stocked gift shop/toy store with a great selection of all kinds of creative play toys and games. And marbles! I appreciated this huge selection of toys, almost none of them electronic or branded, or marketed as being gender-specific. Even in larger cities it's uncommon to find a toy store like this so it was a nice special bonus. Though of course there was a child having a meltdown about not being able to get the marbles they wanted, so I feel like maybe that particular parent was less impressed with the massive selection than I was. I feel like the toys were priced very reasonably. And of course since the admission to the museum was free we did have some money to spare on some marbles and such. And when we got back, the kids (aged 7 and 23) had a blast comparing their marbles and the dear 16-year-old cat was absolutely enchanted by this, and maybe that was my favorite part.

I spotted the words "House of Marbles" on a warehouse type building as we drove by it. Intrigued I…read moreimmediately inquired about it. A plan was hatched and we were going to stop off on the way to the airport before we returned home... if there was time. And there was time, hooray! A fascinating business that sold lots of different wares, including of course marbles and lots of them. A child's heaven and not just for the marbles. There was loads of other toys for sale too, and all appeared to be traditional and old fashioned. What fun. There was also a museum, which we did not visit because I was so entranced with the marble display whatchamacallits, where marbles went round and round an obstacle course. There was a HUGE on one end wall. I'm sure the noise of said whatchamacallits drives the staff scatty. But it entertained me hugely. We had some cake and coffee also in the café, which was nice. I also purchased a House of Marbles keyring (I know, big spender eh?). Ah the House of Marbles. What fun. I would recommend to everyone, especially if you are gift buying for a child.

Could spend hours in this fascinating little gallery shop-a Plymouth institution. Sarah's expertise…read moreis second to none and if you want a rare print-or even mutter 'I want a print of' she'll find it for you. There's a fabulous collection of old Plymouth prints and some more unusual etchings and hand tinted pieces. I challenge you to leave the shop without a present for someone.probably yourself.

Zanzibar is a lovely shop for gifts and home decor. It makes a most welcome change from all the…read moreestate agents, hair dressers and charity shops. It sells quality items in a wide variety, e.g. small furniture, cards, small gadgets, Jelly Baby cuddly toys, unusual crockery, candles etc. It is a great place for finding gifts or something for yourself that's a bit unusual but classy. Prices aren't small but Zanzibar has got a sales shelf on which you can always find a little pretty bargain. Customer service is very good and the staff is eager to help if requested. The only criticism I have, is that stock does not change often enough and when you like myself pop in once a month and see hardly any newly added interesting items, it could get boring very quickly which would be a real shame. Also, the window display could be changed more often.

The gals at Totally Crafty are eager to help and share their knowledge. There are lots of new tools…read moreand things to try. Brads, paint, ink, stamps, paper and cool tools to cut, punch and do other things to paper. The ladies are always happy to chat, and help, many a day I would visit after walking in the pouring rain, for a little cheer up. I always went away with a smile on my face and sunshine in my heart after hanging out for a bit. I haven't been here in awhile, but used to buy gifts for my godkids there. I bought albums to make scrapbooks for friends and family. Prices went from cheap to steep. They always had something I needed! LOL!

Well, just taken up an interest in stamp collecting after a forty year break! In my (olden) days…read moreits was noses against stamp-shop windows (not many of them now) or approvals passed round the school yard. But now it's a lot easier with this interweb thing; the site run by Rowan Baker is very, very, good. What's on offer is easy to find, easy to see at large scale and often the actual stamp you might purchase. And if you want a chat and feel like you're talking to a fellow enthusiast he's on the end of the phone too. My first order arrived very promptly and even the envelope it arrived in had collectable stamps attached and lightly cancelled. And happy with the stamps received? Very much so. Highly recommended.