Great selection of reasonably priced vinyl. A good mix of new releases, remasters, and second-hand…read morerecords.

Staff are great and the range/ condition of records is solid - encompassing indie, 60/70's, local…read moremusic and soundtracks. They refresh their stock often too.

It's always great to see an independent retailer battle its way into the crowded music market,…read moreparticularly given the monumental changes which the industry is undertaking. Thornbury records on High St opened back in February and has been accumulating an avid fan base ever since. The features a great range of new contemporary and classic vinyl records, along with more obscure band t-shirts, CDs by local and unsigned artists and a selection of small and independent publications covering a variety of topics. The shop is easy to browse and tidy, and the front window is filled with your obligatory live music and album posters. There's a chilled kind of vibe, and the proprietors are happy to let you be or have a chat about music or the store if you're into the scene. They also sell stuff online, and run competitions through the store's blog. All in all, a very funky establishment.

You gotta love your friendly local record shop -- they are back and if you don't have one you…read moreshould find one -- and Thornbury Records is the best little record shop in my hood. What I hate about the joint is that they suck money from my pocket on a regular basis, so I can't go there as often I would like. The other awesome-est thing about Thornbury Records (outside of the killer stock and great staff) is that their website is amazing and so up to date and sexy, you can browse, order or even buy before you trot off to the shop. What this means though, is that I can buy records through these folk in so many ways, it's impossible for me to avoid it. I reckon I'm personally bank-rolling the joint right now. I have a sickness. Help me...

DOESNT EXIST ANYMORE. Sigh. Like maybe don't make people drive all the way there if the shop…read moredoesn't even exist anymore?

Went to one of their weekend Garage Sales. Found out about the fortnightly event on Facebook…read more Picked up some vinyl and an awesome table.

Top notch store with plenty of new and used lps which has a strong focus on 80's 90's indie and…read morelocal artists. Picked up a copy of Triffids Born Sandy Devotional and Bored Negative Waves, both albums not easy to find at the best of times. And might I mention for very reasonable prices. The best thing about Off the Hip is the owner Mick who is a very warm and likeable character, who seems to be up for a good yarn about anything music related. Will def call back in on my next trip back to Melbourne.

Great selection of records even though the place is a bit hard / tight to navigate and move around…read morein , the owner is a bit of a grumpy bugger but warms up really quickly if you buy something , if you're a record buff a good place to stock up

Stepping into this shop is like stepping into the scene of an important turning point in a…read morescreenplay; there's just so much to discover amongst its dusty and seemingly haphazard shelves of goods that it just feels rich with opportunity. It looks as though it could have been the stand in for the shop the boy hides in at the beginning of 'The Neverending Story'. It's main specialty is in selling second hand and niche academic, political and specialty books, some of which it sells online (presumably through ebay, because I can't find an actual website). The shelves are so dense with books it's almost intimidating to browse, but anyone who likes the feeling of hunting for a bargain will enjoy the process. There's also a lot of second hand vinyl records, CDs, knick knacks and even the odd board game, including somewhat hilariously the 'Home and Away' game. You can also find stuff like old cuff links and other retro junk, a rocking horse and other old toys from bygone eras. The guy behind the counter, Noel, is friendly and it's worthwhile having a good conversation with him. Although the shop's been where it is for a while now, the lease is only month by month, so its' future existence is a little tenuous. Definitely worth the effort of checking out before it disappears at the end price hike in shop rent.

Having found that there's a Dixons near me rather recently has been like a breath of fresh air for…read moreme and my CD collection. Knowing the ins dn outs of the one found in Blackburn, I was surprised to find something working as well as it does closer to the city. Here you can buy and sell second hand wares in the form of CDs, Vinyl, and DVDs. What's even better here is the selection of DVDs also found amongst the music madness. I didn't make the most of this during my childhood so am lapping them up at a rate of knots. And just like Empire Records, there seems to be real characters here, both shopping and found behind the counter. Those who work here are passionate about music like you wouldn't believe, on the odd chance they are actually part of the Melbourne music scene, playing shows further down Brunswick street. Some of them work in Blackburn store as well, and will have a mental blank about stock as their mind is in the wrong store. Where is my mind, indeed.

I found Dixon's store pretty cool. Adrian was absolutely…read morefantastic. Nothing was too much bother for him to help me out - the customer. I was calling from Queenskand - on a number of occasions - enquiring about rare records etc etc and wow this guy answered all my questions - was most polite - and able to assist. Like that good, old fashioned customer service. Well done Adrian and Dixon's.

The book grocer is the perfect little book shop. They have getting people back reading strongly on…read morethe agenda. With a good range of books spanning from Penguin classics right the way through to self-help books such as 'Sexercise'. But what makes The Book Grocer truly great is the fact that they serve up coffee and muffins and have plenty of couches and seats for the avid browser to sit upon, sip their coffee and ponder what to buy. And perhaps an even better thing is the fact that (bar a few exceptions) every book in the shop costs under $10. I don't know how they manage to be so cheap, but if you ask me $10 is a perfectly great price to pay for an entertaining book.

A visit to The Book Grocer is like falling down a rabbit hole into a bibliophile's heaven…read more A beautifully airy and modern bookshop replete with lots of seating and even a coffee machine, Northcote's Book Grocer sells an incredible range of books ranging from fiction to biography, art to the social sciences and all for incredible prices. Seemingly every time I visit The Book Grocer there are scores of people engrossed in a selection of this gorgeous little shop's tomes and this behaviour isn't just accepted, it's encouraged. The Book Grocer's staff are friendly and welcoming and there are so many incredible books within this awesome book shop's four walls that you can easily spend a good hour here giving each section no more than a cursory glance. Prices tend to be around $6 for paperback fiction and as little as $15 for a gorgeous hardcover, coffee table type book or cookbook. I was looking for some art and design reference books today and the selection was nothing short of intimidating. As a guide to the kind of discounts on offer, I found a beautifully put together book about legendary fashion editor Diana Vreeland for $10 reduced from $40 and all stock is new and in impeccable condition. An incredible shop.