I find it hard to resist a toy shop. I always have to pop my head inside and have a browse around,…read moreand usually struggle to resist buying something for myself. Though, I could technically write this off as research since I work in the toy industry, it's not that at all. Most Toyworld stores seem to be quite small and cramped with stuff spilling off the shelf and making it hard to move around. The Brunswick store is far from this. It's quite large and everything is nice and neat and spaced out. Everything is in it's own little section and there is a great variety of toys to be found here. They have a nice selection of Playmobil products, which is great as it is rare to find this stuff in Australia from what I've seen. Usually my first visit section in any toy store is the action figures, but here it was almost non-existent. They were on the ends of a few aisles and in a few other spots but they didn't have much of a choice. Everything that was here seemed fairly new though which is a good thing as action figures tend to hang around on the shelf well past when they are the latest thing. I may have caught them on a bad day (Sunday afternoon) but customer service didn't seem high on the agenda. A couple of younger employees were working and I was the only one in the store and went largely ignored by them. I actually had to go and find one of them when I wanted to make a purchase as nobody was anywhere near the counter/front of store. There's a good range here though, with some toys you might not see anywhere else so it's well worth a pop in to stock up on kid's birthday pressies, Christmas...or if you're like me, a treat for yourself.

I really enjoyed coming to this place. Right across the street of Flinders Station, Minotaur prides…read moreitself on being a go-to dealer for pop-culture products. A title well-earned! They have absolutely everything in this store. I'm a comic book enthusiast, so the comic book section excited me a bit. Unfortunately, the majority of their comics are wrapped in plastic so free loading in the store is out of the question (darn!). If you're into the more Asian side of comics, they have a pretty good manga section too with all the essentials (maybe missing a lot of the obscure mangas, but Minotaur is a good place to start if you're just getting into it). They also have a wide collection of films, posters, books, shirts, and even games and toys. There are random knick-knacks too so it is always fun to come in and just take a look around even if you aren't purchasing anything. Cute things I have found: a stuffed animal of the pig TonTon from Naruto, SuperMario Brothers Mushroom Backpack, Star Trek Bobbleheads, Hello Kitty Monopoly, and multi-coloured Domos! 2 stars off because the prices are pretty steep... but even if you aren't purchasing anything, I would recommend you stopping by just to take a look around.

If you love Pop Culture, this is a MUST visit place…read more We spent a few hours wandering around, and enjoying all merchandising available. Sadly we were not able to buy much as only had so much space in our suitcases. A real treat here, so much to see and put on your Wish List. #1 I wish they had a branch in Auckland !!!!

This shop has some fun, quirky and silly gifts and novelty items…read more Worth popping into! You'll find things you won't see anywhere else in the arcade. The shop is small- but a decent selection. Most items are pretty affordable.

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.

Despite not being a huge fan of comic books, when I walked past this place I realised three things:…read moreI haven't reviewed a geeky shop in a while; I haven't been in a comic book store for a while; and I haven't yet reviewed, let alone visited, a comic book store in Melbourne. Well, okay, I have reviewed Minotaur, but that is an all purpose Pop-culture store where as this is basically a comic book store. It isn't huge, but it certainly has a nice collection, mostly new released mind you. The owner is pretty knowledgable, and the shelves are laid out by publisher, though that is probably helpful more for the enthusiast as opposed to myself. Oh, they have a nice cabinet with some collectables in the stairwell, though they are for display only. Still, it's a decent store, and pretty conveniently located as well.

This shop is conveniently located along Bourke St near the Bourke St Mall, just head upstairs…read morethrough the main entrance. There's a tram stop nearby for those public transport fans (and who isn't in beautiful Melbourne?). The staff have always been friendly (I've been to this place several times both to buy and browse), so don't be shy to ask for help, as there's a wide range of American mainstream comicbooks to choose from, both back issues and current ones. There's also a selection of action figures, statues, and other collectibles including special variant comics. They're not as prolific as other stores in their social media, but their stocks are up-to-date. A visit is recommended.

WOW ! This is the greatest comic shop in Melbourne if not Australia. They have a great selection…read moreranging from some originals to new issues that are very good priced, they also have action figures and other collectibles if that's what you fancy. The staff are lovely and helped me find a comic I have been searching for ages. 10/10 great place

This is an awesome little comic book store. It's much smaller (and slightly cheaper) than Minotaur,…read morewhich is great because it's much easier to find exactly what you want - and if you can't find it, just ask! It's located right near the train station and surrounded by a handful of awesome food choices, which means it's easy to get to, and you can find a tasty lunch once you're doing looking around. They focus more on the actual comic side of things (oppose to merchandise) so if you're looking for a cool keychain or t-shirt, you should probably take the train into town and try somewhere else. This store is also a little bit cramped, so you should probably leave your big bulky backpack at home or you might knock something off the shelves. Don't forget to go to the back of the store and look at the bargain rack - if you're don't mind comics in less than perfect condition you can find some awesome deals. The staff are knowledgeable and friendly, so don't be afraid to ask questions or look for some recommendations. The only problem with this place is that it's a 10 minutes bike ride from my house - if it was further away I would be less inclined to spend all of my money.

A small but excellent anime shop. I always stop by this shop when I'm nearby. The online selection…read moreis great.

Amazingly friendly staff who go above and beyond to assist. Even if they don't stock what you're…read moresearching for, she recommended other comic stores to check out! Highly knowledgable, good prices, and a large range of pop culture collectables and shirts for such a small store.

Bizarre Bazaar! This cramped flea market is in the heart of…read morethe shopping district of Chapel Street in Melbourne. It's tucked into a strip shopping center, but this store goes on and on and on! The store is made up of various vendors' booths, each independently run, each with different themes or types of vintage and collectible items. The shops run from antique records, to vintage clothing to old posters. There's some strange stuff in here, but a lot of what you'd expect to find at a flea market. If you're getting dressed up for a costume party, or are just a hipster, this is a good place to go. When you enter, you are required to leave any bags at the door, and then allowed to wander the store. Many of the items weren't priced properly, leaving you to guess at the prices. Most of the booths were unmanned, so if you need to get a closer look at something behind glass, or inquire on the price, you're outta luck. One booth had a very overzealous merchant who kept trying to haggle with me over items that I had zero interest in. The bazaar is rather cramped, as you'd expect a bazaar to be. I felt nervous that I was going to break some priceless artifact the entire time!

Where can you have a retail experience and history lesson at the same time? You guessed it. Right…read morehere at Chapel Street Bazaar. This large second hand shop on Chapel Street is the site of many lost hours. Hours spent rummaging through countless area's filled with all manner of things. The space is segregated into over 70 market type stalls for you to get your forage on! You can expect retro furnishings, toys from your childhood, huge cult classic movie posters, funky retro fashions and vintage home ware and jewelery but you will mostly find what you don't expect. For a second hand goods Chapel Street Bazaar is over priced, but it needs to be or the stock would rush out the door and the huge space would be empty, and we can't have that. Don't worry though, its still good value! This place defines the term treasure trove. Get there and see what you can find!