Reasonably priced mens & women's quality vintage clothing…read more Top Banana and many of the shops on York Road share the ethos of the old-fashioned shop keeper. The staff like to have a natter with the customers, offer them a hot drink if they're having a good mooch and often give discounts if you buy more than one item. There aren't many places to buy quality vintage clothing for men so Top Banana has an edge over most other shops. The focus is mainly American vintage from the 60s-70s and the majority of the stock reflects this, but they have everything from 40s to 90s - you just need to have a good rummage! Fans of converse and vans if you haven't heard of Top Banana where have you been?! They have LOADS and prices range from £15-£25. Prices are very reasonable but don't expect bargain basement prices like £1 etc.. this is quality merchandise which would set you back a pretty penny down south! Grab it while you can before someone else does! While you're here pop next door to Cherry Reds for some yummy food or two doors down to Polar Bear Records,

Vintage gold converse, weathered denim shirts and an abundance of classic pieces from yesteryear -…read moreTop Banana offers something that few clothing stores do these days - and that's authenticity. They have some really nice stuff, some of it I imagine would make you look like Tony Soprano, a 70s mobster or Dirk Diggler. Their range is enormous for a small shop - from vintage varsity, leather and demin jackets to knitwear, polos and an array of slick shirts. All of the items I have bought from Top Banana have a timeless quality about them that only get better with age. With Top Banana you're guaranteed to get some fine clothing for a fair price that even a young Jean-Paul Belmondo would give a nod of approval to.You will leave a (fashion) law unto yourself, swaggering like a don, whistling 'ain't no stopping us now' and ready to share your new-found slickness with the world. At least I did.

I've sold and bought stuff at Encore. I have been pleasantly surprised by some of the items I've…read morefound. They sell primarily women's second hand, designer clothes that are in very good condition, however they also have a small men's section that I've snapped up a few pieces from - a Jaegar dress shirt, a few nice polos and some formal trousers. The shop presents itself as upmarket; it's sell products of high-end clothing stores or designers, but at a smaller price due to their second hand nature. Some of it is a bit dated, I imagine for the older man or woman, but nonetheless it has a nice range. You can bring unwanted clothing here and they will sell it providing it meets their standards (designer, good condition, in season etc) So, you can either find a fresh ensemble or make some money (or both!) with Encore.

I like places such as Encore and that is because they offer high end fashion but at prices which…read morewon't do your bank balance an indeterminable amount of damage. They specialise in nearly new designer wear at Encore and the idea behind it all is that the savings are then passed on to the paying public. I have to say that I was impressed by what I found, the selection is mainly women's clothes but men should keep their eyes peeled as there are some gems to be found in store. As well as being able to buy high end fashion they also offer the option to sell your own designer wears, however be sure to note that they are specific in terms of what they take. Don't attempt to bring in a Prada shirt you found in a charity shop ten years ago as they require in season clothing.

Sue Ryder is a charity shop on Kings Heath High Street in Birmingham…read more This is definitely the largest charity shop in the area and one of the biggest ones I've ever been to. Good job really because it's jam-packed full of goodies! Expect to find a large selection of the usual charity shop fare such as videos, CDs, tapes, records, DVDs, clothes, shoes, handbags, ornaments and toys. As if this wasn't reason enough to shop here there is also a large selection of vintage furniture such as tables, chairs, wardrobes, sideboards, cabinets not to mention framed pictures, mirrors, tea sets and crockery. This isn't the cheapest charity shop I've been to but it's by no means expensive. Definitely worth checking out or adding to your normal charity shop run.

This is a fairly new addition to the Kings Heath high street charity shop run. Until fairly…read morerecently it was a Halfords, but like many of the 'brand' outlets on this busy high street this has disappeared. In their place comes a pretty smart Sue Ryder outlet that specialises in mostly in furniture. The furniture is obviously a mishmash of stuff that has been donated, but the staff do a pretty good job of selecting the better and more interesting stuff for display. They also sell a range of musical instruments for kids that are brand new and come direct from the manufacturers so they are mostly half the retail price. There was a half-size electric guitar for sale a few weeks ago for £30 - boxed and brand-new - that normally retails for closer to £60. Well worth a look if you want either of the above, and of course it's all for a good cause!

Leo Tolstoy, Mark Twain, Henry Fielding, Charles Dickens, William Faulkner, Virginia Woolf, Feodor…read moreDostoevsky and hundreds of other minds on sale for a cheap price (between 1 and 4 pounds on average). Format- Paper/Hard back. Love a good read, but can't afford the high prices at major retailers? Then why not try Oxfam books for a large range of second hand novels, autobiographies, non-fiction and reference materials. Oxfam books also sells second hand vinyl, I noticed a first edition "Help' by the Beatles for only a fiver when I went in there today. I also bought myself a Will Self novel. I wasn't limited in my choice. If you want to help the third world and have a read at the same time then Oxfam Books is a must for you. I even saw a few sociology text books in here that would have saved me a lot of money when I studied Sociology at University. The condition of the books and records for sale are all very high.

To be honest, I miss my second hand bookshop hunting! When I was living in Santos, São Paulo, I…read moreused to visit plenty of them weekly. Birmingham is bigger than my last address in Brazil, but it seems that all second hand bookshops here disappeared from the high streets. So, bless the charity ones! Especially this Oxfam books on Alcester Road, in Moseley. You kind of expect finding some good bargains but not so many rare and/or brand new titles like they have there. As a language books collector, I didn't resist a Spanish "Teach Yourself" edition in perfect condition that would have cost me four times more if bought anywhere else! The average price of books is around £ 4 pounds and they have a large selection of Arts, Languages and Fiction titles. It's a perfect shop for students because they're going to save money here! You can also find some good cds and records at this place and I have the feeling some rare editions can be found any time there. By the way, I just loved the music played on the background! Nothing like finding the perfect bookshop with a nice soundtrack in Birmingham!

The window display should entice you in. Whatever the season or occasion they really go to town on…read morethe window dressing. Often understated and always simple and stylish, its a good introduction to the shop itself and a clear indication of what you might find inside. This clothing, gift-ware, and accessories shop offers often much-needed inspiration for a man wishing to find original, cutesy, and homely wares for females. And it is aimed quite clearly at the fairer sex and the feminine ones at that. They stock a few sweets too so buy some traditional sherbet lemon sweets from the counter to eat while you browse for added sweetness!

People is simply a great gift shop and a great addition to Kings Heath's impressive array of…read moreindependent businesses. Many a quirky gift can be found at the People shop; unique brooches, kitsch books, quirky candles, handmade cushions...they even have their own range of ladieswear and 50s inspired gowns - designed by Mr Christian, who works in store. They do have a small selection available to buy online but it really is worth popping down for a browse as the store is so nice.

I'd been told to check out this place a few weeks ago because of the music they played in there -…read morewhich I can now confirm largely consists of 70s disco and funk (which is great obviously). This is not the only reason to visit though - this is another decent Kings Heathian charity shop with bargains to be had. I came away with a Gap dress and green bag for under 10 quid and had to be restrained from buying a 'deluxe' edition of Mastermind (very old board game featuring a man who looks a bit like the Master in Doctor Who and a swish lady in a cocktail dress on the cover). The staff were nice despite struggling a bit with their new till - but this meant me and the other lady in the queue got to have a chat about our respective purchases so not all bad.

Bike Pro stock a range of bikes from kids character bikes to high end expensive specialist sport…read moreand racing machines. I'm in here for a BMX. I didn't have the cash to afford one a good one as a kid, and the bank have just decided that I need a credit card issued to me. So now I can re-live those days I never had! The staff know what they are talking about and the one looking after me is clear that its not the kind of bike to ride long distances on. I assure him that the furthest this bike is going is to Lidl carpark for some tailwhips, boomerangs, bunnyhops and other tricks that I hope I haven't forgotten how to perform. I sit on the bike, do a few stationery tricks but I can't really give in to the follies of youth, even though they offer an option to pay in installments.

I'm not going to pretend I know a great deal about bikes. However I do have an incredibly beat-up…read morebmx that has valiantly ploughed through all sorts of unforgiving terrain for many years. Well all of that finally took its toll. First my freewheel broke in half. For all of you who don't know, it's one of the critical pieces that allows you to turn the wheels around. So I took it off to bike pro, after my home crash course in bmx parts that came to nothing. They swiftly and efficiently replaced it with a new one while I was there looking bemused at the amount of shiny bike stuff that you can spend your money on. Wonderful, I thought, I can begin abusing my bike again. Well I could until I battled up a steep hill and my pedal decided to snap. So before this became more comical and my whole bike fell apart mid-ride, I took it back to bike pro, and again they looked unimpressed at what a pathetic bike I had, but swiftly took it off and nursed it back to health. I think they sensed from the bike I brought in that I wasn't a bona fide cyclist, so I was treated with a slight superior cyclist disregard. It really is a good shop if you want to spend an afternoon enthusing about bikes and bike mechanics, bike stuff and how many miles you've done in the last week. But this wasn't the reason for my visit, I just wanted my bike to be roadworthy again, and that's what resulted. New freewheel, new pedals, adjusted brakes and a polished frame and I've been riding off into the sunset ever since.

Nice charity shop at the top end of the High Street which specialises in very cheap books and a buy…read moreone get one free rail. Prices are a little expensive - I ended up with a tea dress (to add to my growing collection) for just under a tenner, but it was brand new and very pretty so not grumbling about this at all. The staff were lovely - so lovely in fact I ended up buying a bracelet I don't really need because the lady behind the counter said it suited me (in case you think I am throwing away my money I should point out it only cost 49p) and there's a small changing room area which is good.