I absolutely love it. It's convenient and you have pretty much everything you need:…read more ~ University books ~ Office/school supplies ~ Lab supplies ~ Leisure books/magazines ~ Etc This over The Uni Store over at Union House, definitely. CONS: ~ The customer service was horrible. At the beginning of the semester, I ordered books online and after a week I still didn't get an e-mail notification saying that they have arrived. I called them, not demanding to know where my books are at, but I just asked "Excuse me, I'm just wondering if you can give me an estimate on when book orders get fulfilled? Just approximate". The lady kept interrupting me and repeating in a stern voice "If they have arrived you will get an e-mail." "Yeah but I'm just wonderi-" "If they have arrived you will get an e-mail." Seriously rude. And funny thing is, I still haven't gotten my book order but I looked and saw that some of my classes had the books in stock so I picked them up and walked over to the Customer Service Center and asked if I can just pick those up now so I can do the class readings. Lo and behold, they already had my book order sorted and no.. "they have arrived... and I DIDN'T get an e-mail."

I wasn't all that particularly impressed with this place, namely because they only had individual…read morecomics as opposed to graphic novels. Also, as with many of these places, they tend to only have the American comics as well, so the range, at least in my opinion, was rather limited. Then again, I'm not a huge reader of comic books anyway, unless you count Asterix and Tintin.

An oasis in a sometimes affronting comic based wilderness. Mitch and Troy have personally sculpted…read morea comfortable and friendly environment for the average comic fan. Their number 1 priority is clearly the customer and that shines through. Most things in the store have been built by the guys and the shelves themselves are stocked lovingly. I can't recommend this store enough. For the new fan or the hardcore, Troy and Mitch go out of their way to make sure you're happy. Comics, trades, graphic novels and figurines. A large collection of Lego and classic pop culture toys. Do yourself a favour and check them out.

Gepettos Workshop Olinda is a toyshop full of colour and plenty of excited customers. There are…read moreincredible puppets hanging from the ceiling, great looking dolls and all manner of exciting games and trinkets decorating every bit of space. It is great for children and parents will be hard spent to get their kids out without being convinced to buy something. The stores specialize in toys that don't use batteries as they would rather kids make the sounds and use their imaginations. I reckon this is a really cool philosophy for a toyshop to have and I wish I were young enough to put their toys to good use. Perhaps my favourite items they sell are the Doll Houses. They are so elaborate and detailed with everything from carpeted staircases to windowsills and architraves. They are absolutely gorgeous. They are open every single day of the year from 10am to 5pm with the exception of Christmas day and the staff are really nice. They accept cash, eftpos and visa and have the option of lay-by. Make sure you check this store out, it is truly brilliant.

Geppetto's is a toy store that harks back to the days when kids still played with physical toys,…read morerather than video games. With their main attraction being the scores of puppets hanging from the roof, all for sale, it's a familiar sight to see this place packed full of tourists to the area on weekends, all taking in the colours and styles of these fantastic handmade puppets. With a heap of toys for sale, mostly of the wood variety, Geppetto's is a good old fashioned toy store, and given my wild imagination and penchant for scary movies, one that I'd personally not like to be locked in at night.

Giftique has a little bit of everything and rates pretty high on my list of variety shops…read more The stock is clean, the store is laid out well and there is no awful smell. I have said it before and I will say it again - while these are basic they are seriously important. As well as covering the basics, the store also has a lot of good quality items. I found some groovy garden ornaments that were priced well at around $8. There was also an awesome money box pig with a funny facial expression. There were items including: - stationery - vases - jewellery - costumes - tupperware - boxes and wrapping paper - and much more. The lady behind the counter greeted us on the way in and didn't say much else. I don't expect much more than that in a variety shop so that was good. I definitely recommend this place for some good quality stuff.

I much prefer this Office Works over the other ones that are closer to me. The customer service at…read morethis one exceeds all the others, everything is organised and easy to find and it's only one level (a definite benefit for us with prams in tow).

My husband proposed to me on top of the Ponte di Rialto (Rialto Bridge) in Venice on our first…read moreanniversary. In his hand he held the most perfect diamond ring, containing a flawless brilliant-cut diamond that he'd chosen himself, had made in Australia and had travelled across the world with him back to our home in the UK and then to Italy. The ring in question is from Canturi now has two Canturi siblings - a wedding ring with sixteen black diamonds and a pair of white diamond earrings, the latter a gift on our wedding day. With this in mind, I asked my husband to write the below review as he has far more experience with them than I do! Although I will say this: they're incredibly generous on the cleaning front and care for your jewellery free, forever. ___ Step into Canturi at your own risk, and at your own reward. This slick Australian boutique on Little Collins Street is everything a bespoke jeweller should be, even if it is becoming less bespoke as they take over New York City and Las Vegas! There is a door bell. Don't try opening the door without buzzing first, or you will hit your head on the door as it stays shut and you keep walking. The door bell is not there to vet entry; it is to ensure that there is someone there smiling to greet you. Whilst it may seem a daunting prospect, this boutique will give you some space to wander around to admire Stefano Canturi's creations. If you're there to buy (and don't have a limit on your platinum or black credit card) then let an associate sit you down with a tea or coffee (or champagne) and go through the plethora of options. They are only too happy to educate you diamonds and won't look down their noses at you. They are happy to talk price first so that they present you with things in their range. No one needs to be shown $25,000 diamonds when you have under $10k to spend, especially if your partner is with you! They will show you different shapes and sizes and different bands to accompany your gem. If carbon isn't you thing, Canturi do other gemstones as well. Canturi's mainstay is their cubism design. Be sure to check it out before you leave, and expect a lifetime of service if you do buy.

irresistible that I'm pulled into the store by the force its beauty. Unfortunately, it's usually…read morehad this effect on many other women before me and is sold out in my size. C'est la vie. The store itself caters to a broad range of ages and sizes, with an emphasis on brightly coloured, flatteringly-cut, stiff fabric summer dresses in the warmer weather and staple of more loosely fitted top/skirt combinations throughout the year. There's always a selection of semi-formal to formalwear, with a few basic blacks thrown in for good measure. On the whole, the store does lean towards a more mature clientele, but some of the summer stock and the odd winter number will appeal to the youth market (such as the aforementioned summer dresses). Prices vary considerably from one shelf to the next, with fabric and design quality generally accounting for the differences (though not always), though a good portion of the stock falls between the $60-200 mark. The service is friendly and understanding, but occasionally can feel like a very gently delivered hard sell. Also, there are no mirrors in the change rooms, forcing you to go outside to check yourself. On the whole, a decent shop to browse when killing time or when you've got a bit of disposable income to burn.

At first glance Fantastic Variety may look just like your average junk store. Well, it is that,…read moreplus a little bit more. I've managed to decorate my home with some pieces from there that I've also seen in more prestigious home wares shops like Provincial Home Living and Homeart. The beauty is because the shop isn't pretty, and because the stock is just stacked together in bulk, you'll get the same item at Fantastic Variety for half the price. Last week I was pleased to pick up some bamboo sticks of different lengths and sizes to go into a large wooden vase that's been empty in my living room for about six months. The same pieces were at Homeart and would have cost me $10 more for the same amount. They've also currently got some lovely French pieces; old hat boxes and war style letter boxes with French art and war stamps printed on them. To accompany the collection, French Bordeaux clocks of assorted sizes are also in stock. From $10 to $20, similar decorative clocks are available at Provincial Home living for more than double the cost. And unlike most cheap rip offs, these collections at Fantastic Variety are pretty good, to the naked eye at least you can hardly tell the difference and they'll make your space look just as effective, particularly if you're decorating on a budget. Some of my other fave items here are the assorted varieties of Japanese hanging lanterns, as well as bamboo door runners. My husband has a unique collection of islander wooden masks, and the lanterns and door runner have really added to the effectiveness of our 'tribal room'. Since relocating to a bigger premises within the centre, I've noticed the range in store getting more stylish and of higher quality. The store owners have also gotten a lot better at merchandising their best stuff and so you can see the value of some of their pieces in the window displays which have been quite fetching of late. So, if you're in the mood for some interior decorating on a budget, check out Fantastic Variety first. The window displays might even give you some good ideas and at least you'll be able to cost compare if you do go elsewhere.