Yes, I'm a little bit odd and like owning stuff nobody else has, and usually this means either…read moremaking it myself, having it made by somebody else, or finding really old stuff that doesn't get made anymore. As far as the latter goes, it seems this is a catching on trend, and is known as 'vintage'. Everyone wants something vintage. Which makes me want it less. However, 69A manages to keep me grounded. It's just off-the-cuff enough to stay out of mainstream, and has a feeling that you've clambered into the boot of a Lada at a car boot sale (those not as old fashioned as me may want to google Lada cars...) It is packed with goodies from all eras, and has enough variety to keep you sifting through for a whole afternoon, should the feeling take you. Hopefully not about to be hijacked by the kids who view it as a fad, 69A has been around long enough to hold its own in the vintage stakes and outlast the craze. And then I can go back to liking vintage again.

I always come here for a browse, just because I'm never really sure what I'm going to find!…read more Dust-covered hardback poetry and prose share shelving happily with Dance and Acid House records and 18th century chinese dynasty clocks share cabinet space with tatty looking curios. It is all seemingly a jumbled explosion of antiques with an Art Deco style figure, worth £450 rubbing shoulders with a disused chimney pot. However, clearly although there are second hand clothes, earrings, ties galore, records and brooches, knick-knacks and badges there are also some pretty good buys if you fancy yourself as a bit of a collector (or at least have seen enough episodes of Antiques Roadshow to think you can spot a bargain). Mainly you need to look up to see these, the expensive stuff tends to be locked away or like the vases which line the walls, a little out of reach. In the glass cases at the front I noticed 69A has a great selection of pottery from Poole's to a really cool 1960s Wedgewood blown glass art vase. The wierdest thing that sticks out in my mind which I've seen in one of the back cabinets is an unused pair of 1965 pajamas Age 2-3 still in its cellophane. Odd. So come here if you want an interesting and strange trip back in time!

It seems odd to class this place as an antique shop as that is not quite true. Barry's…read moreCollectibles in fact trades in any sort of collectible item especially within a pop culture framework. This leads Barry's to house tons of different gear from comics, cartoon and superhero figures and loads of football memoribilia. There is a lot of footy collectibles ranging from scarves to kits, matchday programmes to sticker annuals. With many of the items including toys and merchandise even from very recent films such as Batman it is the type of place that makes you wish you had kept hold of some of those toys, or maybe slightly envious of those kids who kept hold of all their toys and boxes - mind you I had fun playing with my toys and getting them scuffed up was just a sign of how much, who kept these toys safely locked away in their boxes?!

Oooooh! So much to look at! Bright and colourful, filled with all sorts of vintage and antiques,…read moreBarry's is packed with collectables for the child at heart and the older generation who remember the way things used to be "back in the good old days." Probably my favourite part of Barry's is the display of old children's books along one wall. I love children's books anyway, but old ones have a certain charm, and they remind me of the books my parents had when they were kids and passed on to us. They also sell antique coins, figurines, war memorabilia, china, etc. There is something for nearly everyone here, even if you are only window shopping. :)

From the outside, it's a ramshackle dilapidated church with peeling painted wooden chairs tacked to…read morethe front and a garden full of bits of bric a brac and tat. As you walk through the front doors you're confronted with a wall of mirrors, it's a little 'creepy fairground' style with old dusty teddies adorning dressers and sitting on chairs. There seems to be lots of rubbish here, but if you look closely there are some realy bargains hidden away behind looming chests of drawers and quite a few cheap items around. They deliver locally; 1 item of furniture £10, 2; £15 and a three piece suite can be brought to your door for £20. The seemingly floating chairs which hang all over the inside of the church make me feel like I'm at a ceiling tea party. Also there are stacks of books and old videos to laugh through if the surroundings don't weird you out too much.

Just because you can see everything that's on display here does not necessarily mean that it is a…read morelesser antique and collectibles store than your usual dusty and cluttered affair in which clambering around things and digging underneath piles is the usual course of events. I was, however, prevented from doing any sort of digging whatsoever as the shop was still closed and left under the care of the hippies from a nearby store. Apparently the woman who owned the shop was running a bit late today and would not be in til 14.00. The shop normally opens at 12 as well. However the store had an impressive display of cameras, old toys, art and a bright turquiose typewriter I was bit taken with - if only I could get to it.

Ah, Collage! I love you! :) After two years of living in Merseyside I finally found Gostins and…read morediscovered the delights of the many adorable shops and all they afford. Collage is by far one of my favourite shops in Gostins. They are an antiques and collectables shop and as the name suggests, they offer a fair variety of items all arranged artfully and happily on shelves, glass display cabinets, and baskets and boxes. Here you will find antique buttons, china, toys, books, collectables, decorations, jewellery, tableware and other kitchen items, and so much more. My favorite items were the old buttons (I need to go back for some!) and the little collectable animals from Rose Red tea boxes--I used to collect those back home in America when I was a kid. I bought a fox one four £4. I'm very pleased with my little critter. :) The shop also sells a small number of crafty items like packs of new buttons and charms. Everything is reasonably priced and the lady is very friendly and chatty. :) I highly recommend this shop!

claude london just been through tunnel furniture didnt think…read moreshop was so big from the outside 9 rooms packed with fabulous things the best antique shop ive ever been in prices were cheap staff very freindly

At first glance Tunnel Furniture and Antiques appears to be like something straight out of an…read moreepisode of steptoe and son, however it is so much more than old tat or bric a brac. The shop is found via a darkened doorway on Tunnel Road and there appears to be nothing special about the place, however this could not be further from the truth. There are some genuinely great finds within the shop at a great price also and although they may fall short of the antique marker they are still great quality. I came accross a solid oak table of vast size for a price of eighty pounds which was extraordinary value for a brilliant product. If you are a member of the public scouring Liverpool for some good quality furniture to brighten your humble abode then I suggest you take a peek inside the treasure trove that is Tunnel Furniture.

This place, like most antique shops in fairness, made me feel very claustrophobic and disorientated…read moreand not even the sweet sounds of Fleetwood Mac could calm me down. Antwakki's has been organised a bit more since the last time I visited but that doesn't mean it is any less ramshackle. It's part of the charm of such places and the reason many of us go, because you don't know what you will uneartth but I have to say I was shocked at the treatment they gave their LPs. A Bowie album was half shoved under the leg of a table while the rest where stuffed between some furniture - mind you I could think of better ways to dispose of the collection of Nana Miscouri, Jim Reeves and New Seekers LPs to easy listening hell.

I normally love shopping in places like this but I'm in agreement with Anthony S. and found it very…read moreclaustrophobic and yes Dave L. musty smelling...not a good smell for clothing! :( I did pop into Antwakki's Bazaar a couple of years ago and I must say it wasn't as grubby looking as it is now, and the staff a bit more obliging. Sorry to say not a good shopping experience :(

I hate being let down by antique shops. I want to see clutter! I want to see mysterious cardboard…read moreboxes in the shadows! I want to see knick-knacks and sheet music and silk scarves and embroidered handkerchiefs ... Alas, Libbie-Low offers only a selection of antique furniture, some tacky vintage wall art, and a very small selection of collectables which you will have to crawl behind furniture to find in a display case nearly covered over by other furniture--I assume you have to ask someone to move everything if you actually want one of those items. There are a few more interesting items on display in the front window, which I guess is how this lady draws in her customers--but trust me, there's not that much to see inside. Unless you like taxidermy, and then you will be enthralled by the stuffed fox munching on a stuffed pheasant. Because that's worth seeing ...