Beautiful books about beautiful things, plus posters, cards and the sort of notebooks that people…read morebuy thinking they will inspire them to write great works (leather bound with lovely paper). I like the craft section which includes books and magazines with trendy Japanese and American designs so you can knit or sew something your children won't be ashamed to receive.

Blackwell's Art & Poster Shop is a bit of a mixed bag. The upstairs section for books specifically…read moreon art and art history is very comprehensive and you should be able to find what you're looking for. There's an opportunity to look at some huge, beautiful, very expensive books on architecture, which are conveniently laid out to be browsed through on the balcony. There is also a reasonable crafts section upstairs. The downstairs area is more of a muddle, with graphic design, cinema, typography, photography, and graphic novels all stuffed in together at one end. While offering a small selection of books on all of these subjects, the range in each is extremely limited. Although it's the best place for graphic novels in Oxford in terms of selection and unusual choices, it's no substitute for a dedicated comics shop. It is a good place to buy greetings cards, diaries, calendars, and other paper goods, as there's a good range of these down the length of the downstairs area, and the ever-popular £3 mini prints of classic paintings are a great way of quickly and cheaply brightening up a new room. Yes, a few thousand Oxford students will probably have the same ones, but they're great quality prints considering the price and there are also cheap frames available to complement them. It's not actually very good for posters, as most of the ones they have are very expensive and look like they've been hanging around for an awfully long time.

I cannot count the amount of times that oxford brookes held a fancy dress nite (fubar) and this…read moreplace saved me time and time again. There are two floors to this shop although it is quite small. On the upper floor you will find balloons, ribbons, party plates and cutlery, and any other fancy dress themed decorative item for the home you can think of! To get to the lower floor you walk down the stairs where you can see a varied assortment of costumes hanging on the wall. Ive seen... nurse, pirate, witch, mermaid, policeman, maid...all the usual...and some odd ones like animal ones too! On the lower floor you will also find some funky glittery make up, a wacky range of glasses, every colour wig possible, hats such as cowboy hats, feather boa's and some funny stag/hen night adult stuff too. Even if you are not after a full fancy dress outfit you should pop in here. its a good laugh and i bet you will leave with something...from a large blow up hammer to a small quirky badge. This is defo the place to go for quirky party stuff or to add a bit of humour to a nite out!

Party Mania is a proper old-fashioned joke and fancy dress shop. There's every costume imaginable,…read morewith unbelievable ranges of false beards, wigs, cloaks, wands, daggers, swords and masks. There's face paint and other generic fancy dress items which can be re-used, as well as speciality outfits for themed parties and seasonal events like Halloween. The staff are very tolerant, as your inner child leaps about trying everything on and waving swords around like a pirate. There's a also a great variety of practical jokes and toys, so a great place for children to spend their pocket-money or for stocking fillers. At some points in the year they also stock reasonably-priced fireworks. The only problem is that it's so crammed with stuff, it can be hard to move, and some of the costumes are expensive. There's something for everyone here though, and you're guaranteed to come out with something even if you only go in to accompany a friend!

This store is much like a downgraded version of Papyrus, but I mean that in the nicest way…read morepossible. For those of us who love stationary ANYTHING, this store is a place you must drop by. If you're shopping and toting a few kids around, this place is great to occupy their attention for a while. They have cute gifts and knick knacks for all ages! But be warned -- these children WILL want to leave the store with a few goodies in their hands! When you first enter, you see stands with cutesy, girly accessories like notebooks, wallets, writing utensils, and more. The farther back you go, you'll see items that are more suited for the serious stationary addicts in all of us: you'll see Moleskine notebooks, beautiful gift-wrapping paper, and lovely albums. Although I am 30+ years in age, every row, every stand had something for me to look at adoringly. You want stationary with robot figures drawn all over? Sure, what do you want ... a deck of playing cards? A folder? A writing set? Really, you can't go wrong in this store. Not only that -- they have a wall to the left with ROWS AND COLUMNS of cute cards. They have all themes ranging from romantic anniversary cards to funny over-the-hill birthday cars. If you're looking to give a playful, fun gift to someone in your life, I say Paperchase is the one-stop shop for you. And while you're there, pick up something cute for yourself. You'll be able to afford it because their prices are REALLY reasonable. :) Happy shopping!

just a quick note for anyone applying for a job at paperchase. On the 25th of november 2013. I had…read morea interview for christmas temp, I came away feeling quite positive as i believed my interview went well . As they told me they would get back to me only a day after, which they did not, then i emailed them with no replys, then again a day after with no replies. Then i rang them and they said they was extremely busy, and they would email me later that day. which they did not. Then i rang them the next day and they said they're going to email me today which is saturday. The only reason i'm doing this email, is i think its common courtesy to let someone know if they have or haven't got the job. its unprofessional and a strong lack of communication.

Everyone in this shop is very chatty and seem to be always in a good mood. Bought many cards for…read moredifferent occasions here and always seem to have a good selection available at a good price. Parking outside which is very useful.

Fun card shop but not for the easily offended. Lots of very…read morerude cards so if your friends can take it its all good fun.

This is a great little card shop- my favorite in oxford. It has a really wide range of cards for…read moreall occasions, as well as gift wrap and small presents and novelties. it is a great place to pick up a small gift for those people who are really difficult to buy for- especially if they have a good sense of humour! The staff are always friendly and helpful, and while it is not the cheapest place to pick up a card from, I do not think it is overpriced. Do not be put off by all the roadworks going on outside there at the moment- it is still open as usual!

When in Oxford and in search of a quality art supplies selection, the Broad Canvas is pretty much…read moreyour only places to go, no literally, other than a few stores selling art stuffs here and there, the Broad Canvas is the only full art store in the centre of Oxford. I've always greatly appreciated the customer service and selection here, top notch, and I love finding new and interesting craft items. They have an extensive selection of everything for the brooding painter to the impoverished architecture student (yay student discount) and everyone in between. The only thing they are missing a significant selection of are fabric supplies, however this can be forgiven. Before checking anywhere else, always try the Broad Canvas.

Broad canvas is a super little shop. As an avid crafter, I love going there to see the latest…read morestamps, inks, and crafting supplies. Despite the small size of the shop, they cram in an awful lot of goodies- it is like an Alladin's cave, and so you need to allow yourself time to explore it thoroughly! They stock a wide selection of paints and other artists materials upstairs, and then the small staircase leads downstairs to the craft section. They sell some lovely toppers and are great inspiration for card-making and scrapbooking. The prices are quite expensive, but then sadly most craft shops are. A lovely shop and well worth a look for avid crafters as well as beginners.