Ahhh Unidisc... you have been very good to me over the years. You started my first ever CD…read morecollection back in the day... it's a great shop you have here. With secondhand cds and dvds you will always find your vintage to your modern music here in this tiny shop they have cramped full of these old treasures. Sometimes you can find a new only used once type deal cd, and othertimes you will find CDs that were lost in translation many many years ago. Whatever the case, this shop has a history to it, it has the music to back up the history and a very knowledgeable guy at the counter to direct you through the chaos and tell you exactly what you would need, in my case a little bit of lost Van Halen.

Unidisc is every lecturer's worst nightmare. I can categorically say that Unidisc is the reason for…read morethe sole reason for 90% of the lectures I was ever late for at UQ. Whenever I saw other students sheepishly sneaking into a lecture late - and we all know that's impossible to do subtly because your guaranteed to trip, drop your books, and accidentally slam the door just as your phone rings and you sneeze- I always wonder if, like me, they got sucked into the vortex that is Unidisc. 'Just a quick look' never fails to turn into at least a 10 minute reconnaissance of Unidiscs ever-evolving collection of pre-loved, secondhand books, CDs, videos, and DVDs. I always find Unidisc to be a lot easier to find some treasure in than many secondhand book and music places and I've come to the conclusion that this is because it's located on campus which means the majority customers and traders are roughly of my generation and thus enjoy similar things. Definitely make sure you go to Unidisc when you're next killing time between classes. Don't go if you're running late for something though! You're bound to find a bargain, and it'll keep you out of the lolly shops grips for a while, too!

Civic Video Rosalie is actually quite surprising. Since the place looks pretty small, you would…read morethink that this place would not have a very good range but to my surprise, they actually have all sorts of DVDs available. They also offer good customers service and deals for their customers. Upon first entering this video rental store, I was worried I would not find anything to watch judging by the size of the place. I quickly realised how wrong I was as I noticed the number of classics, art house films, documentaries and television series on offer. Whoever makes the selection of the films available here must be a bit of a film buff! Another great thing about this place is their Tuesday $1 deal, that's right- every DVD is only $1 to rent out every Tuesday! I will occasionally receive a text message from this place announcing exclusive offers. The staff have always been helpful and will make little comments about the films you rent out which is always nice. I'm pretty pleased with my local DVD rental store, it has a good range and customer service.

I'm sure that if you're a horror movie buff you will know that Scream 4 came out earlier this year…read more You'll also know that it's compulsory to have a movie marathon of the first three Scream movies with your friends before you all line up at the cinema to see the new edition. I know you know this because in April when my friends and I were trying to track down a copy of Scream 3 just days before Scream 4's release, all the shops had sold out and every video store we rang said it was hired out. Looks like great, twisted minds think alike, huh? By the night before Scream 4 was due to be released, my friends and I had set up an unintentional telethon type situation as we all sat around someone's kitchen table with our phones and the yellow pages and rang just about every video store in Brisbane. Finally we found a few that had Scream 3, but none would put it on hold for us, some would but only if we were already members and we weren't allowed to join over the phone. Next on my call list was Civic Video Rosalie. I dialled their number and a lovely chap answered and jovially informed me that yes, they did have a copy of Scream 3, and yes I'd be welcome to put it on hold. Of course it didn't matter that I wasn't a member. Of course they could hold it not just for an hour or two but until tomorrow. And that was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Even after Project Scream (as I like to call it) was over, I continued to frequent Civic Vid at Rosalie because they have a rad collection of films and they're just a lovely, helpful bunch. I know what you did last summer, and I know what I'll be doing this summer: renting movies from these guys.

As you walk up a certain flight of stairs on Adelaide St,…read moreThe sounds of the grumbling city slowly fade off until all you can hear is the beginning riffs of jefferson airplane. You have entered the musty dusty and glorious Record Exchange. I have bought the majority of my records here, as well as finding other odds and ends to lust over (Engelbert Humperdinck discography. ONE DAY YOU WILL BE MINE.) They have everything here. Music Books, Magazines, Figurines , Clothes ,Doc Martins, Record players, VHS, CD's, Cassettes and memorabilia. This place is refreshingly free from music snobbery and feels more like your uncles haphazard attic. Record Exchange will provide hours of entertainment and with actual reasonably priced stock, prepare for a sizable dent in that wallet.

Ah, Record Exchange. My true high school love. How I used to run to you when double maths got too…read morereal and I saw no other option except to flee from school to the city. I'm happy to report that 10 years on, Record Exchange is still the same. The clutter, the chaos, the musky smell, the random oddities- they're all still there, fermenting into some nostalgic musical brine. They've got a second hand clothing collection that is akin to a flea market. You'll find genuine article 80's acid wash jeans, leather vests, doc martens and all of that other old school die hard muso business there. They've still got some VHS lying around along with turntables and arcade machines (all of which may or may not work). The music collection is off tap. The records are priced anywhere from $2 and upward. It depends on how rare, and what condition the vinyl is in. In the collector's section, I did find a $36.99 double record Face Off Soundtrack. Holy bejesus! As a side note, Record Exchange also buy whole collections from people. Looking to get rid of your outdated, dorky music collection? Give it to these guys! I have spent hours on end trawling through the goods at Record Exchange. If you haven't done it, I recommend you do, and even if you were there yesterday, do it again today. Different day, different treasure.

Since the demise of Rocking horse records and the doom and gloom over internet piracy,…read moreIt seemed that Independent music retailers were a dying breed. Thankfully we have a new little store to pin our hopes to, What used to be a market stall Jet Black Cat has evolved into a small store oh so handily located on vulture st. Some parts rock and all parts indie Jet Black Cat sticks it to the man (or the internet) and specialises in hand picked music, CD's and Vinyl music goodness. This store has a lot of heart and won't disappoint music lovers. The owner is very friendly and you most likely will not leave empty handed. (Local tip. Watch out for their collaborations with the End bar down the road!)

To me, record stores never quite understood how they could survive in this new digital era of music…read moredistribution. Personally, I found that the record stores could benefit from a customer-orientated methodology of bringing their knowledge and taste to their often clueless but enthusiastic clientele. Jet Black Cat is an exceptional little store that caters for the vinyl lover of modern indie music. Their range is not terrible but they've foregone having a deep catalogue for having the latest albums, both major and indie stuff, on vinyl. Shannon, who typically runs the store, is very friendly and will offer her recommendations openly without seeming pretentious. Music is her business and she knows it very well. You get the sense that she wants you to enjoy what she enjoys and I think that's why Jet Black Cat will survive the digital revolution. They're closed on Monday but open from 10am from Tuesday through to Sunday.

I don't really want to write about a corporate chain-brand, but when I realised that this store is…read moreindependently owned, I nearly cried tears of sheer happiness. Because if you love your movies, you MUST check this place out. Apart from a pretty decent range of older and brand-spanking-new DVDs (including some very, very good and somewhat obscure foreign films and television shows), I really just come back for the night staff. These guys actually know what they are talking about which is so refreshing and I could seriously talk to them for hours about zombies vs. aliens, vampires vs. zombies, Woody Allen vs. the World...... To be fair, it's just another DVD hire store with a smaller range of Xbox and PS3 games than a bigger chain-renatl store, but it does offer something that makes cheap night/family night/geek night a lot more fun: RENTAL BOARD GAMES! Yes, rent Scrabble or Manopoly and watch your household bond.....or turn into a war zone. Leading Edge Taringa also has a good range of snackable goodies, including popcorn, lollies, and pop tarts. Perfect for the night in!

You could blink a miss this tiny music store located up a set of stairs off Boundary Street in West…read moreEnd. The store is very small but filled to the brim with sheet music, instruments and music paraphernalia. Guitars and ukuleles seem to be the specialty of Browning Street Music but the shop attendants are also very knowledgeable on the best places to go in Brisbane for lessons. I'm certain you could throw any music trivia question at them and they'd answer with ease. Unfortunately due to the size of the store there's not a great deal of stock in Browning Street Music, which would make it hard for them to compete with the likes of Billy Hyde and Allan's, but if you're starting out and need some advice it's a great place to start.

One of my favourite things to do is go through second hand book stores and soak up the musty book…read moresmell. Similarly, I love to flick through cds in a store or rifle through dvd after dvd. Given these two things, you would expect that a store that combines both would be right up my alley. But unfortunately, Uni Disk falls short. Maybe it is the small shop, maybe it is the selection of dvds and books, maybe it is the atmosphere. Either way, Uni Disk is simply a place to kill a few minutes on campus if I am really really bored. SItuated in the student Union Complex in the University of Queensland's St Lucia Campus, Uni Disk is a little shop that often spills out into the pathway with its many secondhand books on sale. Sadly these tend to only consist of dodgy cookbooks or twighlight novels. The dvds are average prices and even the secondhand books are no bargain. If you have time time to kill check it out, otherwise there are plenty of other quirky and cool seconhand book and music joints hiding around the city.

I'm usually put off by all the trashy novels on display outside Uni Disc, but I have been inside on…read morea couple of occasions and found the range of books well organised and more diverse than initially expected. The best buy I've had from there is a Lonely Planet Guide to the Caribbean. Practically new, the book was going for $15. Had I bought it at RRP, it would have cost me $45, so I was quite happy with this find in Uni Disc. If looking for a specific book, don't discount Uni Disc, but it's not somewhere worth mooching around in for any length of time as it's just not that interesting.

As I grow older and wiser, I'm finding that the ABC Shop and I have more in common. For instance,…read morewe both agree that documentary DVDs make a great present for the older branch of my family tree. Natural history DVDs such as March of the Dinosaurs and Living Planet. Not to mention all the lifestyle shows on DVDs like Grand Design or French Food Safari. I'd probably be able to find the same DVDs at JB HI Fi or online but committed shoppers like me enjoy browsing DVD covers, finding interesting shows that I've missed on tv or never knew existed. This place is also great scouring grounds for kids presents. On my last visit, I found a gorgeous Giggle and Hoot stuffed owl plushie. It was originally intended as a gift for my young nephew but I've since claimed it as my own. So the next time you get stuck on a gift idea, check out the ABC Shop.

Although the prices may not be this shops forte, you can always find your ABC show here…read more For example, my kids love the Wot Wots. For those of you who don't watch enough ABC2 or have kids, the Wot Wots are Wotty Wotting and they are blue and purple and learn about funny animals, they draw them, play with them and show live video clips of specific animals in general. Very educational, just trust me on this one. No where else will sell you a Wot Wot dvd in Brisbane except the ABC Shops. Or if you go to the ABC Shops online, you can probably broker a better deal than inside the shop itself. Something else the ABC shop sells that others done... the Justine Clarke CD series. With songs like Watermelon, I Like to Sing and Part of the Gumtree Family (going over and over in my head), you might want your kids to entertain themselves in the car when their feeling sad. Justine is always the answer. If you're looking for that special gift, they have cute girl and boy Giggle and Hoot PJs for summer here as well, we have the winter ones. ABC yay! Love this shop, ever since I had kids, I tend to gravitate to the kids sections, but i'm sure you can find some killer dvd's here and books as well too.