Hum has a varied collection of new release non - mainstream dvds but their mark-up consistently…read morehigh.

In part I'm surprised that places like this still exist, but in another way I am really glad that…read morethey do. This place is basically an old style recordshop that has an awesome selection of CDs and DVDs. In fact, when it comes to DVDs they then to carry the harder to find ones, and the classic and cult films, which is pretty awesome. Sure enough, within a few minutes I was able to find a couple of awesome films that you would simply not find in many of the other places, and not to mention the CDs as well. Certainly worth checking out, especially if you are retro like me.

Egg Records is a Newtown based second hand record shop. I wonder how much money businesses like…read morethis actually make? As so much of this kind of product can be accessed so easily and usually less expensively online. Egg has a selection of collectible, rare and second hand CDs but its main focus appears to be vinyl, which almost disappeared then returned to cultish popularity but seems so pointless now unless you are buying them just for the cover art as everything is so digital now. I do own records of some of my favourite artists and I do plan to keep them even though I no longer own a turn table, but I am not going out of my way to build a record collection I am at a point where I am even trying to limit the CDs which I buy, so I am a little mystified by Egg and its price range.

Egg Records is located in Wilson street, Newtown, its the first street on the right as you exit the…read morestation. My first visit to the store was a few weeks ago even though I'd walked past it dozens of time. You kind of don't know what to expect from the vintage toy collection on the left window display and their latest CD picks in the front. Walking in I was kindly greeted with milk crates of $5 vinyl goodies. After digging and finding my gold, I also found they had a great selection of records in their standard, non-sale section across a range of genres, a small but decent section of CDs and DVDs and also as the window display suggested some cool retro toys and paraphenalia. Browsing through their DVDs I also walked out with my best buy of the day, 'Graffiti Bridge' the sequel to 'Purple Rain' featuring Prince. It was all and more of what you'd expect from a b grade 90s movie; bad acting, great music, cheezy props and awesome costumes. Some really good finds to be had at this store.

A good friend of mine who's a primary school teacher often tells me of her never-ending battle with…read moremobile phones in the classroom. Kids, some as young as eight, have the latest Android or I Phone. When I was eight, I got a colour beaded necklace, a book, and a hug. I don't mean to sound like a fuddy duddy (and yes, I have a smart phone, and yes, I like it a little too much), but in our digital internet era, it's refreshing to find a shop that does it old school. At RRR, formerly known as Discovery when it was located in Hornsby, you're guaranteed to find some hidden gems. They stock a huge range of both second and brand new vinyl records-LPs, EPs, 12", 45s and cd's. The music categories include House, Hip Hop, Reggae, Jazz and Progressive Rock, but there are many more. Be prepared to spend money-some of the records cost over $400 but if you search hard enough, you might just score a bargain. Some of my friends who are Trance DJ's keep their fingers crossed that nobody will find out about this place. Everything is carefully preserved and the owner only too happy to point you in the right direction or check the catalogue to see if the record you want is in store. In addition to music retail, there's a bunch of good books, bric-a-brac items such as home wares, jewellery and antiques, and even men's and women's clothing.

Gone but not forgotten. This is the small corner shop and you really need to commit to finding out…read morewhat's on it's shelves as it's all kind of stacked up one on top of the other. Well that's second hand records and books for you. There is a light waft of mothballs and rightly so. Anyhow, items are dirt cheap here, pardon the pun. So if you really want to get a magazine, an edition to your record collection or purchase an old relic because you're going through a collectors phase then you may be able to make a purchase for under $10 and leave with a couple of things.

An odd yet awesome store. If you're after Anime, J pop, K…read morePop, Chinese Pop, Asian dramas or merchandise for literally any of the things previously mentioned, hit up Media Asia. Some of the stuff they sell is pretty dodgy I'll admit, I saw a couple of anime dvds with the boxes falling apart on the shelves. But hey, it's cheap, cheerful and in Chinatown - What more do you expect? Ps, they recently moved stores 19/421-429 Sussex Street. Enjoy!

So Music on King Street in Newtown is the ideal cd shop for the alternative music connoisseur, they…read morehave a strong focus on indie music and Australian music, with a large Australian music section right at the front of the store (which is nice to see). What is most unique is they offer one of the best collections of classical and contemporary classical music which I have found in Sydney (if you love the scary screamer Diamanda Galas) as much as I do check them out). They also have an extensive collection of World music and Soundtrack CDs. Also they have a small cabinet of collectible box sets which are really quite rare editions. So is definitely worth a look if you need that rare cd you cannot find anywhere else.

So Music drags me in with its 25% off everything sign painted onto the glass out front. It's a…read moresmall shop and so the prices are likely to only just rival the big wig competitors who bulk buy all of their stock, but I decide to venture in and give the little man a go. The range is surprisingly broad with many a different genre is displayed in the small room ahead. Classical, Soundtrack, Pop, Alternative. They even have a comedy section, though it's too small to find by myself and the lady helps me to track it down. The cork board up the back with recent reviews about CD's that the shop holds in stock is useful and could work as a great sales technique for some. A few DVD's greet you as you enter and those same DVD's wave good-bye as you leave. A friendly hello and farewell by circumstance only. The shop has a vast range for the size that it is and while they may not be as cheap as a major retailer, I think the prices will surprise you.

I was babysitting my godson one Tuesday evening and had just fixed him a snack when he informed me…read morethat he wasn't going to eat his chicken risotto because he wasn't hungry. I pleaded. Begged. Even tried to bribe him with lollies. He simply wasn't interested in his dinner. But he WAS interested in a trailer that popped up on the telly for Rio. A short trip later to the local video rental store, and of course the kid was now hungry: "Can I have popcorn?" "Can I have M&M's?" "Look! They have magnums!" And of course, I gave in. Then, it was time to find the movie. I'm a regular here because the late fees won't make you bankrupt and the service is more personalized than the standard big players like Blockbuster. It's quite a small store which means less scanning of shelves, trying to find a flick everyone will agree on. Rio? Check. $1.95 new releases on Tuesdays? Score! There was even room for the risotto in the end. One happy 6-year-old boy and a relieved babysitter. Thanks Charlie.

I went to the Leichhardt Book and CD fair and it's 'fair' to say (ha) that I got carried away…read more For 11 days over November (3rd - 13th), Leichhardt Town Hall plays host to this annual fair held by 2MBS-FM classical, jazz and contemporary radio station. The Town hall is lined with tables supporting stacks and boxes of hardcovers and paperbacks of fiction, religion and philosophy, science and technology, history and biography, arts, sport and literature, food and wine (including a huge range of cookbooks), and English and international dictionaries. At the back you'll also find boxes of vinyls and old sheet music and song-books, from pop and childrens to classical and AMEB exam approved pieces. I left with two handfuls of $4 books, including The Mini Oxford School French Dictionary, Lonely Planet French Phrasebook, Orwell's Keep the Aspidistra Flying, Bronte's Wuthering Heights, a selection of Absurdist theatre scripts and Adams' Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency. I left my slightly embarrassing but almost unresistable pile of cds at the counter for another visit - so for those interested, Tina Arena, Acker Bilk and the entire Rod Stewart collection are still up for grabs. This fair is definitely worth a visit and the Town Hall provides free parking just around the corner. If you miss the Leichhardt 'chapter' (I'm on fire today) then don't 'fret' (slightly irrelevant musical reference), as 2MBS-FM take their fair to Balmain in the 'preface' (like a novel?) to Christmas.

Basement Books is a dangerous place on many levels…read more Danger number one: It's in Central. It is right in Central. Central is a place you meet people, so you might say, meet you in central at 4pm and then you get there at 3.30pm and you have to wait. So what do you do? You go to Basement Books and peruse their countless books with bright yellow stickers advertising their low and affordable price. Danger number two: Because these books that you're perusing are cheap, you can justify the price even if you're not sure whether you even need the book. 'Oh, a history of Physics' I've always been interested in Physics, and it's only $9.95 I should probably buy this and learn about Physics. Danger number three: Their range is gigantic! I almost said 'ginormous', but that's not a word. What I meant was Hugantic! There are literally thousands upon thousands of books and they're always receiving new stock. They have art sections, computer sections, history, film, personal growth, science fiction, literature, even books like the dictionary, which, had I purchased a copy last I was in, would have saved me the embarrassment of using a non-word like 'ginormous'. So beware of Basement Books. You have been warned. The bookshop is in a great location, the titles are cheap and the range extraordinary. I have a pile of books in my room almost as tall as I am that I have yet to read, opportune purchases that came at me as I strolled amidst the aisles killing time. A book on deadly diseases for $4.95, I'm not going to find that bargain again. Buy! Buy! Buy!

In this day and age of Kindle and Kobo and Nook, a solid read (and I mean one that you can…read moreliterally hold and turn pages beneath your fingers) comes pretty cheap. You really do need to head in to see what they've got because I find their online catalogue lacking and sometimes the staff don't even know what they're stocking. The outside disguises how big this place really is, as it has sections for anything from classic fiction to travel books and bios. It has a pretty decent selection of art supplies as well (I'm no art student, but it does cater for scrapbooking hobbies or the amateur artist if you're after it). Right in the back corner they have a little children's section which I found perfect for my six year old sister who's going through her first reading phase. I bought her a collection of these tiny Winnie the Pooh classics, and a special anniversary edition of Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit and Friends stories which averaged around $4 and $12 respectively. They have tons of different hard cover books (some of which are pop up!) which were surprisingly cheap, but more importantly, were invaluable in keeping kids (of all ages) entertained for hours.