This is a wonderful small bookshop in the bustling centre of Penarth. Perhaps a little…read moreold-fashioned when compared to the Waterstone's of the world, but this is a beautiful and well-formed little space where all books are well presented. In store they have about 7000 titles, including an excellent range of modern fiction and classics, as well as children's books and local interest. Yet, probably the most impressive thing about this shop is the service. The staff there are incredibly friendly, and recognised me after only a couple of visits. If not in store, they can order any title for you, and have some even specially printed. The service was extremely prompt and amiable. Their knowledgebase of literature is also great. 'I want The God of Small Things...' 'Oh yes, by Arundhati Roy? We can have it here by tomorrow.' This is an ideal little find for any book-lover. Support the local business!

Titles here are slightly more expensive than their chain counterparts but this shop really does…read morehave charm. It's very small and intimate but where it shines is books of local interest. There's a really great selection and when I was looking for gifts to send to a friend in the US this delivered with a plush and fantastic book of short stories that centered around Cardiff.

Cardiff isn't the best city for second hand book shops, and there are only a couple in the city…read morecentre that are worth a look. Located in one of Cardiff's many lovely arcades, Capital Bookshop is one of them. It has the classic look of a second hand book shop, with a few 'bargain bin' crates leaning against the walls outside selling odd books they want to get rid of, and a window full of old leather-bound first editions, and rare and off-beat titles. It's a fairly laid-back shop to browse around, and there are plenty of good general books; those that are in a slightly shoddy condition have fair prices that reflect this, while the rarer titles and books in better condition obviously have a higher price tag. Some of the stock hasn't changed much for some time, though, which is a shame because it puts you off bothering to drop in regularly.

For anyone who is a fan of the Hay-on-Wye vibe (the town of books up in Herefordshire), this is the…read moreshop for you. Like Troutmark Books in another little arcade, this is a tucked away secondhand bookshop that is never forgotten once found. Although the quality of more modern books isn't quite as good as you might find in Troutmarks, there is an excellent selection of old tome and leather-bound volumes in this shop. In fact, the windows are full of them. And the sign outside on the main pedestrian street pointing you down into the arcade for the shop is full with pictures of them. This is the kind of shop that you imagine a grumpy old man to be sitting and smoking and hiding behind mounds of dusty volumes. If you run in there to hide from the bullies, you might just get given a book which transports you to a wonderful world of luck-dragons... This is an amazing treasure trove of secondhand books that is very well worth a rummage through.

If you've not heard of Spillers then just pretend you have as its a little uncool not to know…read more I do not collect vinyl nor do I know anyone who does but I've often pretended I used to be a regular at Spillers. As a youngster I could often be heard dropping Spillers name into my conversation just to impress the odd would be girlfriend, "Yeah well i had to order it from Spillers coz even they didn't have the 12 inch in stock" So if you're visiting Cardiff you have to pop into Spillers as apparently it is "the oldest record shop in the world". It's just a pity it had to move to new premises as I think the new light and airy shop in the Morgan's Arcade is a bit like a music lover deciding to dump all his dark moody vinyl collection in preference for shiny new compact discs.

If your cool you'll know all about this shop. Started in 1894 Spillers specialised in selling…read morePhones?! In the early 20c, really? Oh wait, Phonographes, sorry. They relocated to the Hayes in the 1920's and have sold vinyls, CD's and music DVD's ever since (Those latter examples came later obviously) There was a worry a few years ago that it was going to be shut down thanks to the delights of Cardiff being built around them but were eventually saved thankfully. Now as a music fan, this is the place I want to be. Real music for real fans, staffed by people who know that they are talking about. Spillers feels special every time I go in, I often come out with some hidden treasure after seeing the staffs recommendations or after I speak to them about the bands I like and what's new (My ear is defiantly not to the floor when it comes to popular culture I'm afraid.) Something that always leaves me with a smile as I exit the shop. There's a real old antique feel to the place that makes the small shop feel different to those shiny soulless chained stores. Your not gonna get anything cheaper in here, but what you are doing is supporting a dying breed of independently owned music stores that feel like they are there for the love of music, not money!

I'm writing this review begrudgingly, as I want all of the albums at this brand new shop for…read moremyself. Hot Wax Records has yet to launch officially, so please excuse the austere interior and lack of stock in place (there's not even a sign up, but owner Dave is still trading). Offering a wide selection of 12-inch albums, DVDs, modern collectibles, posters and comics, Hot Wax is one of Cardiff's newest "music and more" shops and soon to become my favourite place to spend money. I stumbled upon this jewel in the alluvial deposit that is Cowbridge Road East just the other day. Oh, but the vinyl, the glorious vinyl, many of which comprise my "dream collection" and most are all priced less than a fiver. If I didn't have somewhere to be, I would have happily spent the entire afternoon here, digging for musical treasure. Please note the store is closed from 1-2 for lunch, and as of last week the card machine system is not in place so only cash is accepted. Won't deter me, though!

I collect strange and interesting vinyl so you can usually find me at a charity shop knee deep in…read morerecords on any given Saturday afternoon. This Oxfam has a great collection of weird and obscure ones tucked away somewhere in the corner and as it's usually quite busy, I can hide away and go through them for ages without feeling like I'm being hurried along. I also have a tendency to burn through books at an alarming rate (an extremely expensive habit) so this shop is a godsend. The book section is huge and really well organized. There's a large fiction area as well as a great deal of non fiction/reference all reasonably priced. Oxfam does have some of the highest prices on the charity shop circuit but for books and such, there is no better place in Penarth.

Oxfam shops are a treasure trove of exciting finds and this one is no exception. It is on the main…read moreshopping street in Penarth. Because this is a relatively well off area, many of the donations are of high quality and make really good bargains. There is also, of course, the range of new goods that Oxfam sells which include craft items from the areas where Oxfam has aid projects. The shop is run by a team of volunteer staff. These tend to be people who are either retired or unemployed, so they are of mixed ability. However, the shop is well managed and the staff try their best.

Staff were really friendly, it's a nice little shop and have a great variety off stock.read more

Geek alert whoop whoop. As an avid film fanboy, gamer, Graphic novel reader and figure collector,…read moreForbidden Planet is what we like to call 'home' in the loop. It specialises in comics, Graphic novels, film/tv/comic memorabilia and dvds. There's a lot of products crammed in to the small narrow shop and is hard to browse if your not sure what your looking for. However there is a lot of things in here your just not going to find elsewhere in Cardiff. Rare collectors items, figures etc are some of the things your not gong to find in your local Toys R Us etc. They will also get things in for you or help you find certain items if you cannot see them in store. The staff are always enthusiastic and ready to help in that sense.