Once upon a time there used to be the most magical little shop just off Oxford Street in London…read morecalled RD Franks. This little unassuming shop sold hundred upon hundreds of magazines from all over the world. It was amazing. Then, one day, poof, it disappeared. The end of an era. I know this is going to sound really lame, but I nearly cried when I walked into Mag Nation for the first time; all that I loved about RD Franks is back in Auckland. They're here, they're all here: Love, Lula, Oyster, British Elle, Black...all of my favourite magazines from all over the world are right here under one roof. All the magazines are neatly divided into sections, which makes it really easy to browse and there's more than enough space for each title to be perused. Some of the more obscure titles are pretty expensive, with some fetching upto $100 or so, but the more mainstream titles are actually pretty good value. My beloved British Elle is only around $10, only a couple of dollars more than it would cost in the UK. Literally cannot rate this place highly enough. Shop here Auckland or woe betide you when it's gone and you can't get these amazing titles anywhere else!

Best place in town to buy magazines - international and national publications. Mag Nation…read moreairfreight Vogue, Russh, Frankie, POP, 10, Oyster, Nylon etc. They also stock fantastic wooden cards, stationery and other gimmicks. I literally can spend hours in this shop, the only thing missing is a coffee booth!:)

Before I developed my love for independant bookstores, Whitcoulls was my go-to for Christmas…read morepresents. A book (or board game, if I was feeling generous) for each family member and I was done. Despite being a chain, they've got a relatively good selection and the staff that i've interacted with seem to like and read a number of them, which is always a plus. Whitcoulls of course, also have stationery, magazines and a small selection of puzzles too. If you desperate for a gift, they're a one stop shop that's often open late but personally, now that we've got our own independent bookstore in Milford, The Booklover, I'd much rather support them and get a recommendation that's sure to wow!

This shop is a regular life saver for me. Be it a Kiwibank transaction, paying a car registration,…read morebuying a last minute birthday card (some are only $1 or $2 - wow!) and a pen to write in it with. The number of times Mitchell's Paper Plus has come to my rescue is countless. I don't know the names of the family that own this business (I'm pretty sure Mitchell moved on years ago) but they've been here at least 10 or 15 years and they are always lovely and polite to deal with. The pile of jigsaws/cookbooks etc out the front which are permanently on sale also make a good last minute Xmas or birthday gift.

Today, the worst experience happened to me in this shop. A salesman was not satisfied with my…read morelittle girl who is just 2 yrs touch the stuff in the shop and come to complain to me. His voice is so loud and his attitude is so impolite, even not say 'excuse me'. Children are naturally curious, I could not completely stop her but I already tried to. My daughter is not a naughty girl, and she just touched gently. Although she is not right, do you need so badly to us? In the past 7 years, I usually went shopping in northcote shopping center once a week. Most of time I went to this shop for paying the bills or a car registration, or buying some books for me and my daughters. But today's bad memory makes me will not go to that shop again.

There is not too much that can be said about this place as it is a small wee shop snuggled…read moreinbetween shops on the Main Highway in Ellerslie except WOW there are a huge amount of magaziens sold here! If you are after a trashy weekend magazine, or something along the fishing lines for your father's birthday, head over here. While you are grabbing a few magazines, you can also get your lotto ticket and, as you may have guessed by the creative ( cough cough) shop name, a few cards as well.

As a College Librarian I am delighted to find such a huge and varied collection of magazines to…read morepurchase for the library. So many it can be a little overwhelming.

I have a small fantasy that I live by this shop, and I can pop in every day, just to buy a paper,…read moreor a new notebook, or a sharp new pencil, or once a month or so, pick up a new magazine. At the same time, I'd stop, have a chat with the owners, hear what the latest news is and the like. It would all be so lovely. Unfortunately I don't live nearby, so I have to put up with just going in here occasionally. This is an old fashioned shop, in the good way: it's full of stationery (as you'd expect), and is a testament to print and things you do by hand. It also has some other local touches: in the windows are crafts made by locals and sold for charity. It's all very good here.