Growing up with a record collector for a Dad I have always had an affinity towards anywhere selling…read morevinyl . So whenever I'm taking a walk through St Nicholas Market I take time to pay a visit to Wanted Records. Record collecting may now be seen as a bit of a dying art form, so it's always a thrill to see collectors hunting out a rarity or bargain. On the whole Wanted are on the lookout for Jazz, Soul, Funk , Reggae and obscure records rather than pop, country and western or country music. If you're not sure whether what you have to offer is worth anything, it's worth giving them a call rather than dragging your stuff down to the city centre. It doesn't matter whether you're a serious collector, have something to sell or just want to listen to some great music - it's definitely worth a visit. And remember -"we don't buy records by Chris de Burgh"!

Ok...sorry all you other record stores in town (that I love very much) I have found my favourite!…read moreAnd although you might think that is a very subjective decision to make, you'd only be half right. You see the music sold here is the best ever made and is what all the music of today is born out of. Ok needless to say any shop that makes it so the first thing I see as I enter is a label that reads 'Hendrix/Who/Floyd' and then supplies their best albums directly below it in the beautifully preserved vinyl form gets my vote. It's such a fantastic record to store to be in considering they specialise in the old stuff (best stuff), it's so clean and dust-free, unlike some record stores where searching through the boxes and shelves of dusty vinyl can get pretty tiring. They also have the most beautiful collection of records, and tell me, honestly, does anything on earth feel as nice as The White Album by The Beatles on Vynil!? A thing of pure beauty (if your answer to that question is yes, go away, you suck). This is a record store for the guys mentioned in High Fidelity who are looking for deleted Smiths singles! While the owner and his friend (or random customer) discussed a blues record from Memphis in the 60s and play it for us mere mortals to hear and enjoy I began to think that anyone who wanted to start collecting records could enter this shop with £100 and leave with an extensive collection of the best music ever made. I left as the blues singer got into his lyrics, "if you catch me sober...please make me drunk again" and I thought...time to go to the pub.

Small vintage boutique tucked beside The Lanes bowling alley. This has an area for vinyl and then…read morethe shop has clothes on tall racks. There is a nice range of eras on show here, and very reasonable - I saw a 60s skirt suit here for £20. Keep an eye on their website/shop as they often hold vintage fairs here with the bigger space of the lanes available. Then shops from all over the country visit with some serious period panache.

If you're looking for a place of sanctuary, away from the generic high street stores found in the…read moreCabot's Circus/Broadmead area, come for shelter here. It's a cute little retro vintage store, with a small selection of individual items to spice up the fashion jerseys and plain jeans in your life. Found in the entrance to Bristol's city centre bowling alley, you could almost strike lucky with a well priced find. There's an especially good range of accessories and vinyl on offer here too and with a retro bar round the corner, you can't loose.

St Nick's market is full of weird, wonderful and useful stalls but Playback Records is the best of…read morethem all! In fact, my favourite by a country mile. You can always be sure of hearing some funk, soul or reggae that will blow your fragile little mind. They do stock other music, like rock and pop but they specialise in funk and soul and especially reggae and new dancehall. It must be great to own one of the stalls near Playback; knowing that all day long you'll get to hear brilliant music with no effort on your part. This hidden gem gets all the new releases from Jamaica and honestly I don't think you'll find any records like these anywhere else in town. The jazz and blues section is really outstanding as well; they've got some real vintage classics. The prices are good too and a visit here is a real must for collectors.

Split into two little shops either side of the staircase at the back of Clifton Arcade you will…read morefind this little gem of a store. This is how I remember all record shops to be - even the new ones! All items here are second hand and they do a particularly good range of vinyl. Most will be in the rock and pop genres from 60s-80s which is great for me. If you are a Queen fan I think they have everything ever made ever.... They also have CDs, DVDs (mostly in the shop to the left) which are priced around the £6 mark which is the same as online but you get to spend time shuffling round a shop which is infinitely nicer then an online buy. Also t-shirts for you retro slogan wearing kids and music sheets for the talented ones. You are welcome to browse and you will definitely find something unusual here. Like a record fair imploded.

Right at the very end of the Arcade you'll find this record shop. Not huge, but with a good…read moreselection of vinyl and a few posters and CDs as well. They'll have music on when you go in, which I've always thought is a bit questionable, but nothing my ears couldn't bear for ten minutes of browsing. Not big enough to have a properly extensive collection, this isn't really the place for music aficionados. There's specific sections for metal and prog rock, to give you a flavour of what they stock. If you've got a spare tenner and an afternoon in Clifton this is a good place to discover something new. The owner is happy to give advice, and there's just enough on offer for most people to find plenty of stuff they haven't heard before. A run of the mill independent record shop, X is good for wasting a bit of time.

A fine Frome institution and worth the trip to Frome just to go to the record shop. Tucked away up…read moreone of the small side alleys/street at the bottom of the hill that runs up through the town. The place is a gold mine for lovers of music of all tastes with a wide range of CDs, DVDs and vinyl records. Every nook and cranny is crammed with musical delights and upstairs there is a wealth old vinyl sorted by decades and genre. They cover most bases from 50s and 60s rock through to modern dance music (although its not a dance music shop by any means). It like the record shop from film High Fidelity or how I imagine Wuxtry Records, Athens were Michael Stipe meet Peter Buck and formed R.E.M. You could get lost for hours inside (and I have in the past), if you dig around the website they often have a 10% off code as well.

Raves from the Grave is a very awesome shop which I have used to buy some of my favourite band CDs…read more I usually go there to look at their Goth collection, and I have walked out with a nice collection of CDs. They also offer music-based merchandise which I have walked out with before, many times. Some CDs can be a little pricey but this is due to their rarity, so I'll let that slide. The shop is small, but much like most shops in Frome, they did a good job of trying to organize it in a neat and tidy way which gives more room. They also sell DVDs. I have seen a number of wrestling and anime DVDs. I haven't bought one yet since they didn't have anything to my taste, but it's nice to have the convenience.

I'm writing this review begrudgingly, as I want all of the albums at this brand new shop for…read moremyself. Hot Wax Records has yet to launch officially, so please excuse the austere interior and lack of stock in place (there's not even a sign up, but owner Dave is still trading). Offering a wide selection of 12-inch albums, DVDs, modern collectibles, posters and comics, Hot Wax is one of Cardiff's newest "music and more" shops and soon to become my favourite place to spend money. I stumbled upon this jewel in the alluvial deposit that is Cowbridge Road East just the other day. Oh, but the vinyl, the glorious vinyl, many of which comprise my "dream collection" and most are all priced less than a fiver. If I didn't have somewhere to be, I would have happily spent the entire afternoon here, digging for musical treasure. Please note the store is closed from 1-2 for lunch, and as of last week the card machine system is not in place so only cash is accepted. Won't deter me, though!

Feels like a permanent record fair in here, with vinyl lovely vinyl stacked in genre order all over…read morethe floor and secondhand CDs at hand-flicking height. Great for finding anything more than a few years old. Their dance music vinyl section is particularly strong. Go out the back and up a spirally staircase and you will find more vinyl and also lots of secondhand musical equipment and instruments for sale, from amps to guitars. Bonus is that it is open quite late as you will get sucked in here...

Plastic Wax is very much my sort of record shop. They've got stacks and stacks of second hand CDs…read moreand vinyl covering a variety of genres - I don't think I've seen such a range anywhere else in Bristol. The place has a very stripped down feel to it. This is more or less just a room with lots of boxes with lots of records in - exactly as things should be. Buying music is not a lifestyle choice here. The lack of effort at decorating the place isn't mirrored in their organisation though. The gigantic stock is well ordered, making it easy to find stuff. The prices aren't too bad, and if you keep an eye open for their clearance sales and you may well be able to pick up something on the cheap. They buy as well and claim to offer decent prices though I can't say I've ever sold anything to them. Plastic Wax Records can be summed up as a first class record shop with loads of stock.

From the outside this shop looks every inch the perfect record store. There's graffiti, vinyl in…read morethe window and posters supporting the latest cool bands. Inside is just as trendy. Filled from floor to ceiling with LPs, EPs and CDs. Having a record collector for a Dad I'm used to trawling round record shops, trying to find an elusive 50s jazz record, or a sought after first pressing. But Rooted Records is better for DJs than collectors - especially those who love jungle or drum 'n bass. This shop has a great atmosphere, but sadly I've always left empty handed.

This shop really does give out a vibe of "don't come in unless you're cool enough and know your…read morestuff". It always reminds me of the record shop in Nick Hornby's book, 'High Fidelity', where the guys live their lives through their record collections. Having said that, once you get inside it's a pretty cool little shop. The guys are actually really friendly and helpful. Gloucester Road is definitely a great place to come vinyl shopping in Bristol if not in the whole of the South West.

Walking through the doors of shop is like literally taking a step back in time. Everything from the…read morefurniture to the shop assistants look as though they've come from the swinging sixties. This is a little slice of retro happiness on the Christmas Steps. They stock everything from home ware to jewellery making it a vintage girl's paradise. Not only is Shop one of the best shops that Bristol has to offer, but they also hold gig and film nights where they'll serve you hot buttered pop corn and cups of tea. Keep an eye on the website for an event that takes your fancy and then try it out for yourself.

A lot of shops have come and gone on Christmas Steps, but this little vintage shop has kept its…read morechirpy little doors open. Focusing on modern vintage ('70s to '90s with a few nods to '50s and '60s) the first room has carefully displayed homeware and little nick-nacks. Owners Jayne and Brett are always there with a 'hello' - they always look so damn happy! - and the lounge music will usher you in smoothly to the back room. Here you will find some good retro clothes, particularly nice are the accessories and brooches available. TOP TIP: Pick up a 'shop-fir-mation' from the bowl at the back, a pick-me-up fortune cookie message in SHOP's unique style.