This is a supremely awesome shop that lives just a little way off of London Road, and stocks a wide…read morerange of good quality records in prime condition at extremely reasonable prices. There's a collection of CDs to peruse too, but the real focus is the wealth of records to flick through. I found a fair few rarities here, and although I don't have a Vinyl player at uni, picked them up to display on my wall. Joy Division's "Love Will Tear us Apart" and Kitchens of Distinction's "Quick as Rainbows" both tempted me, and I raked the last few pence out of my wallet so that I could take 'em home with me for a meagre £6.50. Seeing that it was all the money that I had left, the cashier was nice enough to let me off the 50p in case I needed it in an emergency! Now I'm no lightning calculator, but I could see I was already getting a deal as it was, and to get a considerable percentage off on top from the kindness of a strangers heart just sweetened the deal. From now on, I have two music shops in my life. Resident for CD's, and Monkey Music for Vinyl. Simple as

I'm definitely a fan of this gem of a record store. If you have an interest in vinyl or alternative…read moremusic, this is unquestionably the place to go visit. When you step inside you quickly become aware of how small the store is; there are records along every wall, with an island of CD's in the middle of the living room sized shop. In terms of selection, I was massively surprised by what was on offer. I found 3 Pixies 12' vinyls, all in top condition, all costing £6 each. Obscure bands of the 90's like Sonic Youth, or dead musicians from the 60's like James Brown are all immortalised in record form within the emporium. I don't think there is a thing that could be said against Monkey music emporium, certainly not from a music lover's perspective. The range of records on offer makes it so easy just to waste time flicking through row after row, waiting to see what you'll discover.

Am I the only person in Brighton that refuses to be charmed and seduced by Velvet?…read more I've been in to both the shop in the Lanes and this large, warehouse-style shop in Hove on a handful of occasions and I never see anything I'd want to take home. Their selling point seems to be that they sell vintage style furniture that falls into three categories; the French look, the modern British / open plan living look and American retro. The problem is, the chairs, sofas, wardrobes and cabinets they sell don't even look slightly authentic to me, they look like cheap copies. If I wanted to replicate one of the three looks, I'd rather go to a genuine antique shop that sells original and salvaged furniture. Bizarrely, the one thing this shop has got right is clothes. To the back of the floor, there's a small selection of beautiful, brightly coloured womenswear including designer silk dresses, summery skirts, jackets and accessories. Most of the ones I liked were too petite for my curvy figure but in a parallel universe, I'd probably pick up a few holiday clothes from here. Shame about the furniture and lighting...

One of my fave shops in Hove, I never leave empty handed, even when I convince myself I'm only…read moregoing in to browse! Velvet has an eclectic mix of fashion, home ware and gifts and its one of those places where you can find new and cool things that you can't pick up elsewhere. Some of the clothes are a little random and it can be pricey, however, I did pick up a great pair of boots for £40 the other day. I will often pop in here when looking for a gift for a friend and often come out with presents for myself as well! The staff can be a little surly at times but on the whole its a much better shopping experience than you will find at any of the chain stores.

I'm a collector of 50s early 60s records and I couldn't believe the prices of their records I had a…read moregood look through them all and the prices in general were double in most cases what I would pay on ebay or discogs I thought seeing as I was in there I'd buy a few 6 records for £50 which I admit I could have got a lot cheaper online and quality would have been better these had a lot is scratches etc.Alol in all a real shame as they had loads of records I wanted and would have spent a lot more but not when I can get them much cheaper and better condition online

Brighton is blessed with a handful of secondhand record shops and one of the best is Wax Factor…read more Housed in a black painted building on the perimeter of North Laines, it's an atmospheric place that's literally jam-packed with secondhand vinyl, CDs and books. They stock everything from hip hop, electronica, funk, soul, jazz and motown but their real speciality is classic rock and pop from the 1950s to the present day. If you're looking for a copy of The White Album, Quadrophenia or the whole back catalogue of The Rolling Stones or The Small Faces, this is the place you'll find it!

As secondhand emporiums go, this North Laines indoor flea market is pretty sweet. To the naked eye,…read moreBrighton's many second hand and antique shops might seem the same, but trust me...there are subtle but very important differences! Take Snooper's Paradise for instance. I love the place, but it's undeniably the more commercial, touristy of the bunch, meaning they can inflate their prices. The Brighton Flea Market in Kemp Town: great for furniture, but I always feel a little like I'm in a museum as I walk around, which discourages me from committing to a thorough, full-on bargain hunt. Enter the North Laine Antique and Flea Market! I really enjoy browsing the shelves of the various rooms in this place. Unlike in some antiques shops, where I feel resigned to the fact that most items will exceed my budget, I know I will always find something here. Be it a velvet cushion cover or a ceramic tea pot, there is always something to tempt me, and at a reasonable price. My last visit yielded a £1 plant pot and a beautiful little painted dish. If you're after a mirror or kitchen or living room furniture, check out the second room, full of wooden cupboards, shelving units and kitchen tables. Like most antiques shops, items aren't categorised, but thankfully there isn't so much stuff that you're tripping over yourself to get to things. Top tip: you can often find cool shoes and some great vintage leather handbags. It's all luck of the draw of course, but well worth a look!

Like Snoopers Paradise and Brighton Flea Market, North Lane Antique and Flea Market is a dream…read moredestination for browsers and bric a brac lovers. Tucked away on Upper Gardner Street, this two storey building is accessed down a ramp and makes you feel like you're entering another world. There's the occasional modern item like a Michael Jackson poster or a recent pop annual but the majority of the space is taken up by chairs, desks, tables, lamps and unusual decorative items from the 1930s onwards. I often spot things I like here but rarely buy anything because most of it is too old fashioned or chintzy for my abode.

Dave's is a cool shop. Yeah, it will help if you like comics, but in honesty, if you like a good…read morestory there will probably be something here for you also. The staff are on the ball and know their stock. If you are wanting to track down a random old comic, then make sure to ask for Hugh (older guy with dreads), he certainly knows his stuff and has managed to track down a number of specific titles for me. I'm not really into the comic scene these days, but still love finding a random independent graphic novel. The store carries a real diverse range and I couldn't resist the zombie survival handbook last time I popped in. They also stock a lot of 'figures' like Star Wars and Nightmare Before Christmas toys. Some of these can be expensive, but they also make a nice random present for movie fans. If you are into your Japanese manga they also stock a wide range of tittles in English, as well as random merchandise for movies like I mentioned above. Certainly a good shop to consider if you are at a loss for a present.

I love comic books in the same way that an art lover frequents museums: I like looking at them from…read moreafar and for free, but don't really buy them: too expensive a hobby these days, with all of the hundreds of different books all coming out at different times from different companies. Better to skim and browse, and what better place to do so than Dave's Comics? A treasure trove of comics and graphic novels, with two little shops in the North Laine, Dave's is a great place to browse and buy anything comic related, from the items themselves to longer graphic novels and figurines and the like. I've always been far interested in comics than the actual stories within them themselves: so many characters, none of them can (really) die, the stories repeat themselves... still, I like keeping up with what happens in the comic book world, and love browsing some of the titles. Dave's is a wonderful place for browsing, it really is. No one bites your head off if you stand there for a couple hours, just looking through books and reading little bits here and there: a very nice service for the toe-dipping fan like myself. When you do actually decide to buy, you'll be pleased to know the prices here are very reasonable as well: a boon since comics have gone from a couple of cents to a couple quid per little book. I'm also pleased to see how many other comic-related items they have too (between their two shops), from figurines to posters to art books to other comic paraphenalia. I wish I had the money to be more of a comics enthusiast: for now, an occasional browse in Dave's will have to do!

Not a bad little place this, stocking (mostly mens) vintage clothing with a focus on denim, leather…read moreand unique Tees. It has a bit of a ruff and ready feel to it, and I can imagine skinny jeans wearers being called (though perhaps not out loud) "pansies" by some Immediate Clothing shoppers. I wasn't too surprised that it doesn't attract the volume of people that somewhere like Dirty Harry's or To Be Worn Again tend to, as the stock isn't quite up to standard. As Joseph points out, its quintessentially Brighton, fitting in perfectly with laines vibe, and is definitely worth popping in, even if you don't come out having bought anything.

You can usually hear the music coming from Immediate Clothing as you're walking down Sydney Street…read moreand you'll know your there when you get to the rails of great second hand jackets and shirts outside. Owner Ian is always good for a bit of Saturday banter and knows his stock extremely well so if you're looking for something in particular its worth asking. The ska and reggae t-shirts he has made up are fantastic and always get comments when wearing abroad. If you're going to a fancy dress party, this is worth popping into as the sunglasses are inexpensive and really look the part. Perfect place to buy something you won't see anyone else wearing!

Adorable local bookshop with a delicious little cafe inside. The staff are absolutely lovely and I…read morereally enjoy their selection of books by local authors.

Being an avid reader of everything from American literature and short stories to crime noir, I'm…read morealways on the lookout for good book stores. Sadly, Brighton is so small it doesn't have anything on the scale of Foyles in London or The Strand in New York. It does however, have quite a lot of quirky new and secondhand bookshops dotted around including Kemp Town Bookshop. A firm favourite with locals, it's an independent bookstore spread over three small floors. There's sections devoted to everything from art and travel to sci-fi, crime and childrens books. I can see they clearly put time and energy into the stock but alas, there weren't any books in the contemporary fiction section that I loved the look of and hadn't already read. Other book lovers should note, there's a cafe on the top floor selling coffee, juices, smoothies and snacks and they run creative writing workshops and events throughout the year. Just a shame there was no new Walter Mosley or Lorrie Moore books for me!

Wishing Well Jewellers is a traditional little jeweller tucked down a side road off London Road…read more Its selection is fairly average, comprising, well, exactly what you'd expect from a family jeweller with the odd bit of bling thrown in as an effort to bring it up to date. The reason I like this place is the expert behind the counter, who mends things skilfully (sometimes while you wait), and peruses things through a jeweller's glass as you browse, giving the whole place an air of Dickensian authenticity. He won't blink were you to take him an intricate old pocket watch, for example - he can put his hands instantly on the correct tools, and clearly has the knowhow to deal with pretty much anything you might need fixing. I took in a bracelet for a friend once in which the filigree clasp was the focus of the design, and had fallen off at a gig and been trampled on by a succession of excitable sixteen year olds before being rescued. He merely whipped out a succession of miniscule needle nosed pliers and almost by magic, restored it to perfect working order. He didn't even charge. He felt it was too easy. Altogether then, it's probably not worth the visit for the stock alone, but it would be an excellent choice for restoration and repairs.

The RUDEST owner. He actually threw his toys out of the pram when questioned about a price for…read morerepair and he shoved back my chain and said he NOW doesn't want to fix it! It was laughable his reaction at what was a reasonable question. Obviously go there if your want an ego driven irritable moody A**hole to deal with. He didn't even know what metal the chain was made out of? And when questioned about another repair he had no idea what he was talking about. Go here to buy tacky secondhand/stolen rings. That fact that he has to buzz you in should have been warning enough that this wasn't in anyway a friendly welcoming premises. Stay AWAY!!!