I was in the area looking for an unusual gift for a kid who was into making models…read more This is quite a new shop to the area and always nice to see something different than the usual predictable shops that seem to be piping up everywhere. A small shop this may be but it doesn't take a lot of space to show selection of kits that could be made up either by a beginner or experienced Madeleine maker. Prices range from £10 to just over £100 there are a few models on display of items that have been made up by an experienced model builder. This shop is different & well worth a visit for that unusual gift.

Probably one of the most extensive collections of paper based role playing game books I've ever…read moreseen. It's not something I've ever tried personally, so what the hell am I writing a review for? Because of this: I overheard the owner, who I'd imagine was in his fifties, chatting with a young teenager, clearly a regular at the store. The kid was busy telling the shopkeeper all about how he had finally collected all of the Pokemon. For those of you not familiar with the blockbuster hand held game from Nintendo, in Pokemon you assume the role of a trainer in a virtual world. You explore, you level up, and you catch Pokemon. Despite the slogan, very, very few people catch them all. The kid continued to enthuse. He was now one of the best Pokemon trainers in the world, he had beaten the Elite Four! The owner, as far as I could tell, had absolutely no idea what this kid was talking about. More so, the kid had a really terrible stutter, so this conversation took a long, long time. But the owner never stopped listening. He didn't pretend to be busy, he didn't look down his nose. He just listened intently, constantly offering congratulations and amazement at the kid's achievement. I think this is maybe one of the only places in the whole of the city centre that kid would have been treated like that. Honestly, I don't know that I would have been so patient. So kudos to that guy.

A regular saturday pilgrimage for all geeks of a certain age…read more Still the coolest place in glasgow.

I do enjoy the "Smile shoplifters, you are on camera" sign which sits threateningly outside this…read moreshop. Quite frankly, anyone who shoplifts from here deserves our sympathy as opposed to disdain. But you know, I don't absolutely detest this place. OK, so I wouldn't thank anyone for a gift from here but every city has these places and quite frankly any visitor who takes the stereotypes seriously is not the sort of person I'm bothered about. After all, I'm prone to buying the odd fridge magnet when I visit a place, but it doesn't mean I think all French people eat baguettes or Belgians worship little boys peeing. The stuff in here is definitely at the lower end of tourist tat but there's nothing wrong with visitors to Central Station, situated beside here, picking up a daft wee souvenir to take home. I concur that the Braveheart nonsense is a bit grating but hey, it's one shop. At least Glasgow city centre is not peppered with them like another city I could mention.

I don't know if they tired themselves of it, or have been reading these reviews, but I haven't…read moreheard bagpipe music coming from this shop for quite some time now! I've popped in here on occasion, mostly because my boyfriend loves his poorly-made Saltire bottle opening keyring and I was trying to find a replacement for him. Another time my friend was looking for a cheesy Scotland t-shirt for his American flatmate as a gag gift. They have the usual touristy guff, Jimmy hats, emblem t-shirts, some cheap clothing, mugs and keyrings with Scottish clan names and definitions aplenty. It could be worse. I've been to lots of shops in, say, London and Paris that are way more overtly stereotypical and crude with their tourist paraphernalia. Overall, it's a decent tourist shop, nothing is terribly embarrassing or poorly made, and although there are shops that do Scottish merchandise better, this is a good place for tourists.

Fantastic shop with amazing staff. My 13 year old son has recently taken an interest into…read moreWarhammer but didn't know a great deal about it. We visited today and Phrazer took his time explaining the hobby, answering all of our questions and even allowing my son and husband to build and paint their own models. My son hasn't stopped talking about it all day and is currently sat quietly painting his little starter set. I couldn't have asked for any more and want to thank Phrazer again for taking the time and helping to ignite a new spark in my son. Would highly recommend.

Ordered two items for my sons Xmas costing £96.00 still hadn't received them by the 4th January had…read moreto go into Glasgow store to ask why, they had no idea worst service I've ever had will never stop there again ..

You will find that Gift World on Argyll Street is actually just another pound shop. In my opinion,…read moreyou'd have to dislike someone quite a lot to get them a gift that only cost a pound. Worse still - imagine if you got them a pack of eight door stops for their birthday. That would show them. Regardless of this fact, as far as pound shops go - Gift World isn't bad. True, a lot of their stuff looks and feels like it cost a pound (which, of course, it did) but a lot of it actually looks like you might have spent a fiver on it. Which you would have done, if you'd gone anywhere else to get it. The main thing that pops into my mind after a trip round Gift World, actually, is the fact that it shows you just how much other shops are ripping you off. As Adele said in her review below, you never really know what to expect from Gift World. It's the kind of shop that really requires a bit of a rummage - so don't go in looking for a bargain if you don't want to get your hands dirty. (Metaphorically dirty I hasten to add, in my experience Gift World is generally quite clean).

I never fail to be amazed at the things you can find for a pound these days. One of the best pound…read morestores in Glasgow is Gift World on Argyle Street, that stocks everything from home ware to kids toys, socks and even backscratchers! There is a slightly chaotic feel to this place, in the sense that there is no real order to its contents or what is on offer, so things can change from week to week from tartan to tinsel. The only downside with this small independent business is that they don't accept cards, which is almost unheard of these days, however it is perhaps a blessing as it prevents me from parting with as many pounds.

Think Spencer's -if you're from the USA. This store has gismos and gadgets a plenty. All the pop…read morefigures you could imagine, wallets and tee shirts

Menkind. It's a shop for men. Clearly if you're female there would be nothing in here to interest…read moreyou, right? Wrong. Stupid name aside, I really liked this store and found at least 283 things I'd like to own. And I'm not even a man. I popped in for a look and found a cool wee stand thing for a mobile phone which I thought would come in handy at home. It's like a lounge chair for your phone essentially, but I was worried my iPhone 6 plus wouldn't fit on it, seeing as it's closer in size to a tablet than a phone. The shop assistant was happy to help me out and get the stand out of the packet and set it up for me so I could make sure I was happy with it. She had great banter and was really helpful (the stand was a little fiddly to work out, and she didn't seem to think I was being a pain for asking to check the size). For a mere £4.99 I took my stand home and have it nicely perched on my desk now. There is a downside which is that it doesn't fit with the charger plugged in but that's no biggie. Aside from that, this shop sells loads of stuff that could fit into the "novelty gift" genre - spuddy couch potato cushions which are kind of hideous but also hilarious (see photos), a wide range of nerdesque books, make your own cider kits, etc. There's lots of wee gadgets, robots and toys - things that anyone of the slightly nerdy persuasion might like. So aside from the name, I'd definitely return here when present-hunting in future.

One of the longest lasting shops trading in the city centre, Tam Shepherd's is a well known, well…read morerespected name in these parts. It's a traditional joke/magic/dress up store, so expect to see anything on display, from kid's tricks to massive, elaborate looking wigs and masks. It is a treasure trove packed with a vast array of weird, wacky and wonderful props. The staff are very experienced and are really helpful. It's a small shop where most items are behind the counter which I always thinks looks very Victorian. Or like something out of Harry Potter! It is quite magical (boom boom tsssh!) so that figures. It was queued out the door for Halloween, but on normal business days it usually does steady business. Perfect for performers, magicians and people who just love dressing up in their everyday life. A must if you're doing a Glasgow heritage shopping trail!

Tam Shephard's Trick Shop is a family-run business for over 100 years. This is quite famous in…read moreGlasgow for its Hallowe'en costumes, magic tricks and practical jokes. For me, it is famous as the shop that is fairly empty for 11 months a year, then has a queue snaking violently down the road in the weeks approaching Hallowe'en. The window display showcases a range of masks and wigs, creepily lifelike. Inside, the space is small, and crammed to the rafters with goodies. If you want to see something out of the display case, or try a hat on, the staff are only too happy to accommodate you. In the past I have bought: a pirate hat, a "lit" cigarette, a multi-pack of fake moustaches and a big bling medallion thing. It sells full costumes, wigs and full-head masks too. Everything is priced appropriately, and all of the little things I have bought have been cheap. If you're planning to shop here, I would advise going before October begins, to avoid the mad rush.