If you want to do your bit for your neighbourhood, forget about Blockbuster and other such DVD…read morechains. Vogue Video may be small, but it's mighty. In a time of movie piracy and big chains I am surprised and relieved that this place has survived and thrived. My friends and I usually come here for our movie needs and it's up to date with what's out and popular, and the staff has always been friendly and quite chatty. Unlike their large competitor up the street they won't spent an age tapping away on the computer so you can get your movie. The only thing I can hold against it is it's early closing time in winter. But the selection is great, at affordable prices as well. Be warned though it's not all in alphabetical order so don't be shy to ask if you can't find what you are after!

I you want to buck the trend and rent your video's from a local store instead of the Blockbuster…read moreacross the road, Vogue Video is the place to go. Although it is relatively small inside, the shop boasts a vast selection of movies and they are always advertises the latest releases in their window. The video's are cheap, costing £1.50 to rent a night, and are of excellent quality - I have never rented a video from here which has been fuzzy or jumpy. The owner is incredibly friendly and the customer service is excellent with the staff always willing to help you find a DVD or advise on which films you are most likely to enjoy. The only reason why I haven't given Vogue Video five stars is because they only rent videos to the Newington area, so you probably won't be able to rent a movie from here if you live in Morningside or Leith which is a shame as it is a great alternative to the corporate giants of film renting..

Great idea, order online and pick up any movie you like at any time you like. Biggest problem, it…read moredoesn't work all of the time. I've tried reserving some DVD's online and by the time I get to the shop, they're gone. The place isn't usually staffed at night so there's not really anyone who can help you get Sex in the City at 4am. The selection, when available is good. You won't find alot of classics in here, but a great selection of modern pop culture hits.

This is a great shop to come to if you have a love of Indian culture or generally love a wide array…read moreof films. Video Mahal, although only being quite a small shop, makes fantastic use of the space that it does have and everywhere you look around the shop you will find DVDs and videos. Video Mahal has a huge range of Bollywood films and you can pick up videos at £1 and DVDs are reasonably priced with most of them generally costing between £5 and £10. There is a section for latest films that have just been released as well as a shelf that the shop owner has made for his recommended films. There is also categories of films for general reference with the standard range- romance, comedy, horror etc. Video Mahal is definitely a good place to come to get a film that may be a little different to what you are used to.

This location is not available. Go to the 42 Shandwick Place location which I visited and fell in…read morelove! Awesome store with a pretty good collection of items. The staff were friendly and helpful if you have a question. Film and books are downstairs. CD's are down in and to the right, while the l.p's line the middle to the back and to the left. New releases and specials are in the front of the store. Music lovers, you will not be disappointed! The special prices of some items are like icing on a cake!

Once a thriving independent with a string of shops across the country, Fopp is now a small chain of…read moreeight shops bankrolled by HMV. Whilst this branch is a lot smaller and smarter than the original Edinburgh branch on Cockburn Street, it still stocks a cracking selection of CDs, DVDs, box-sets, graphic novels, books and tee-shirts. There's no listening booths unfortunately, but a lot of the new releases come with written descriptions and the staff are usually willing to play certain album if you ask nicely. As for the stock, we're talking fantastic compilations, back catalogues, re-issues and new releases for bargain basement prices. With great Blondie, Human League, Cocteau Twins, Nick Cave, Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald and Bob Dylan remasters for £3 each, I defy any fanatical music or film fan to come out with less than half a dozen goodies!

This shop really brings me back to my childhood, it's got a retro appearance, with bright toy box…read morecolours and the windows chock full of toys and games. They specialise in traditional toys here, you are unlikely to find really complex electronic gadgets, just good old fashioned fun. There are loads of board games, lego, child's dolls, for some reason Warhammer, and a few things I had never seen before. It is a bit of a shambles as well, but in a cute independent shop way, you can get lost in amongst piles of toys and games. The people there are great as well and you can see that they enjoy selling toys to little kids, and bigger kids as well. I did see a few adults having a cheeky peek around and it was amusing realising that they were enjoying it more than the kids. Since the closure of Woolworths there are few toy stores around any more, and even fewer independent toy shops. Toys Galore is there to bring fun to people and in that respect it succeeds. A great place for gifts, either for children or for those who still claim to be 'young at heart'

They're not kidding. This place is overflowing with toys of all kinds - board games, dolls, action…read morefigures, that Warhammer stuff that the weird kid in school used to paint. And, given it's an independent store, it really isn't that expensive. Monopoly and Cluedo were £15. Now, I'm 22. And as a child I never had that many toys. My parents bought me books to turn me into the verbose, intolerant specimen I am today (I'm really very nice, and so are my parents but that doesn't work for reviewing purposes). I used to get so jealous of my classmates, with their cool toys. I did have loads of Lego, mind. Given this deprivation as a child you'd think I'd go wild in a place like this. You'd think I'd be sliding down the isles on my knees, crashing around with glee. Or at least, you know, be a bit excitable. Not so. It was dark and eerily quiet. It all felt a bit serious. It was everything a toy shop shouldn't have been. Mr Magorium wouldn't be impressed.