I love browsing old antique shops. I rarely buy anything, but I love the feeling that hundreds of…read moreyears of history are in one room. Antiques on High has the proper smell of old things and has an interesting range of antiques. Rather than focusing on big pieces of furniture, which so many antique shops do, it uses its space wisely to host: Jewellery, books, records, clothes, ornaments, pictures, maps and various collectables. The condition of the goods varies, but they're priced fairly reasonably. I find it's best to go in without the aim of buying something in particular, but just to browse. I can't say anything has ever caught my eye enough to want to buy it, but I've seen plenty of other people who have found the perfect addition to their home or the ideal gift. The best bit is the craft section, where there's a gallery of jewellery, leather, pottery, glass and art in general, all produced locally and all promising to be valuable antiques in the future. There's a great range in here and you can get something for less than a pound or spend hundreds of pounds. Equally, you can pop in for a few minutes or spend hours browsing - it's almost like a mini museum. If you like antique shops, this won't disappoint; if you've never been in one, try approaching it. Don't be put off by the prison-like bars in the windows; the staff are friendly and it's a different world inside.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my yearly visits to this shop. There are superb finds. Beautiful pieces…read moreof jewelry and vintage items in every case. My favorite is Caroline. I have bought wonderful treasures from her. They are all truly nice charming people. I miss this place.

This is a wonderful shop by two men. 3 floors to see. Some…read moremilitaria to be found. I got a lock and key from the 1800's, and a military bike lamp from ww2 that shines in two colors and does hand carry or clip mount. Light has a hood for immediate black out. Pretty rare. Gotta have it. He had a lot of Roman coins. Too expensive for me to have. Good to see.

Some very good bargains to be found at this sprawling antiques shop in the heart of Burford's High…read moreStreet. I have bought a few old postcards and prints, and a gorgeous extendible table that I use as a desk. Well worth a visit.

Loads of furniture of the bright and modern variety. Not really my style, but my friend who's into…read moreall things kitch regularly lusts after various things in here. It's better quality than Ikea, but with a price to match, and they have some unique lampstands and funky chairs that wouldn't have looked out of place in the 70s (in a good way). Definitely worth considering if you're buying a present for someone, or if you're into that sort of thing. If not, at least wander past and look at the window displays.

Great place for window shopping and browsing and for finding things you won't find elsewhere in…read moreOxford. Very modern and stylish.

Great store, lots of variety. I bought too much in UK and needed an extra suitcase for the trip…read morehome and found a very nice on sale at a very reasonable price. Sales people were helpful and polite as would be expected in UK. Last time I was in Oxford ('08) I also bought a bag so it is my place to go for luggage type purchases, although they have other things as well.

Boswells is a GREAT department store where you can find so many varying things that you can do a…read morewhole load of shopping all at once. From bed linin to plates, from shampoo to hankies, from alarm clocks to pen knives.... it really does have everything. The kitchen dept. is pretty large doing some really unique cutlery, place mats and odds n bobs. At christmas time it also sells alot of christmas decorations and candy goods etc. The staff are helpful and their are quite a few tills which is good as it can be quite busy. The goods are cheaper than most other department stores and so for that reason alone are worth a browse!

I could spend a lot of time (and money!) in Reign. The layout of the shop makes it feel bright and…read morespacious and the different items are sorted not just by type but also by colour. The most interesting things they have to offer appear to be placed in highlighted locations around the room and they really are beautiful pieces. Compared to the quality and prices of vintage in London, everything in Reign is a complete bargain, with most items in great condition and ranging from £5-£30. Apparently frequented by Emma Watson, Reign is a gem in the midst of Cowley road.

I was recommend this shop by a friend and had previously never noticed it was there after having…read morelived in Oxford for 2 years. And boy had I been missing out! Full of your typical glitzy and floral vintage dresses, but also casual jumpers and retro tees. I snapped up a funky vintage beige vest top with brown airmail stamps across it for the bargain price of £4.50! They also have great quality leather shoes, clutch bags and your usual vintage accessories. Worth a look if your craving a classic

You'll be forgiven for not knowing this shop is even there! You need to take the little alley next…read moreto Monsoon, and on your left you'll find what looks like a warehouse. They have some very good deals on the old and unusual, but be prepared to haggle to get the right price. Good for barely used mattresses and the like.

This is the first ever Oxfam shop. It is a little bit of history. It is probably the first ever…read morecharity shop. Oxfam is an Oxford institution. The name comes from the telegraph address of the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief which was set up in 1942 to try and get food through the Allied blockade of Europe to the people who were starving in Greece and elsewhere. The headquarters of the British organisation are still in Oxford. Oxfam shops are a British institution. Since 1948 people having been giving their unwanted clothes, books and nick-nacks to Oxfam and other people having been going there to find bargains. The front of this store is full of new goods: fair trade food and jewelery, cards and gifts, books on fair trade, cookery, development and the environment, books for children, CDs of world music and neat bags made from old saris that fold up into their own little pocket so that you can easily carry them around and never accept another plastic bag. Upstairs and downstairs you can still buy second-hand clothes but you are not that likely to find anything really cheap - Oxfam knows it has a shop in a prime real position and the clothes here will be of a higher quality and a higher price than you would find in their Cowley Road branch.

This is a really nice chairty shop, run by very friendly and helpful staff. They sell a good…read moreselection of fair trade gifts- including chocolates, ornaments, and jewellery. They stock a good range of quality second hand goods, with a wide range of books and household goods. They also sell a lot of used stamps, cds, and greetings cards. At Christmas time they sell a wide range of gifts, including special gift certificates such as goats, tree planting, trees, and school books, for families in poor countries. You can usually find soemthing here for everyone on your gift list, and of course you have the added benefit of knowing you are helping such a worthwhile charity. The staff are friendly and helpful and make visits to this shop a pleasure.

The more 'classy' shopping centre in Oxford, the Clarendon carries a number of designer labels…read moreunlike it's counterpart - the Westgate. The centre is small, with the list of shops in the review below. Note though, that it is open 7 days a week, not 5 as stated below. There are often promotional staff situated in the centre - Paintballing, Sky and Cars seem to be common themes. There is minimal seating available.

The Clarendon shopping centre is more modern and brighter than its slightly poorer cousin across…read morethe road (Westgate centre). Some fabulous shops including: French Connection lovely clothes with ladies downstairs and mens (not so good) upstairs Body shop smells yummy and very nice helpful staff Office - my favourite shoe shop River Island again ladies downstairs and men upstairs (not great, a bit unfashionable) Zara classy and elegant with helpful staff. Great ladies on the ground floor with mens and childrens upstairs. Quite a large size store too Gap good for those basics A lovely little boutique whose name escapes me just now they sell gorgeous ladies clothes and handbags The Christmas decorations this year are a bit dodgy though nice lights but one very strange looking santa riding a reindeer My only complaint about this centre is that is has absolutely no seats for tired boyfriends waiting for us girls to stop shopping!