I was appalled when I heard from a friend that employees at Forbidden Planet Glasgowhad customised…read moredisplays for International Pride Month and then were told by management to take them all down. That's a terrible message to send when you're in the Scottish city with the biggest Pride celebrations in the country. I won't be shopping at Forbidden Planet in Glasgow again. We're a pretty big part of fandom, you know. Imagine if we all chose to take our business elsewhere.

Am I a Geek? You bet I am…read more THis store carries all the ephemera that you'd expect to find at a store that caters to geeks, nerds and comic book fan boys. From bobble heads to stuffed animals to collectible cards, it's all found right there. I even found a collectible figurine from The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which amused me to no end. I ended up getting a few things, and am happy to say that though this store is not yet in my area, I hope it will be soon. They have one in NYC, I dont see why they won't have one in Orlando.

Remember how great toy shops were when you were a kid? How there was always one toy you really…read morewanted but honestly you'd be pretty happy with almost anything? It's been a while since I've been given the chance to remember how much fun toy shops can be but fortunately I now have an excuse again. Shopping for the other half's 5-year old nephew had us start out with the Lego store. However, we found it packed full of infants and frankly, a little pricey. So we wandered a bit further and came across The Entertainer. Here toys are arranged by theme. Disney Princesses over here, Barbie dolls over here, Marvel Super heroes in this corner, Hot Wheels in that one, here some science sets, there some jigsaw puzzles. Outdoor toys, train sets, fancy dress, teddy bears, Sesame Street, Minions, etc etc etc. Turns out kids love labels. They must have the toys with the latest movie theme. The Entertainer is happy to provide, and for a fair price. We left with some Hot Wheels spinning top things for the nephew and a Cookie Monster cuddly toy for his toddler little sister and I've never encountered such dedicated sales staff. Aside from just chatting to use about the toys and pointing out other similar items, we were offered cards and gift wrap and informed the Hot Wheels needed C-type batteries. We were pointed in the direction of the customer survey. Somehow none of this felt pushy. So we were pretty happy. In spite of the low prices I think it would be very easy to be tempted by too many extras and end up spending more. Also, I imagine it would be a nightmare to actually shop here with a child - the tills are lined with temping treats including more toys and lots of sweets. For our purposes, though, this was ideal.

A funky gadget shop!…read more I have picked up some random obscurities in here for gifts, but the stuff can be quite pricy which has stopped me spoiling myself with nonsense. It's usually quite lively, with all kinds of stuff moving around and well stocked shelves with all sorts of novelty crazyiness to make you want to take out your wallet.. A fun wee shop that is ideal for picking up some last minute gifts that your friends wont get from anyone else (hopefully!).

For both kids and adults, Hawkins Bazaar is good fun and jam packed with modern gadgets and…read moretraditional toys. Hawkins stores have been popping up all over Glasgow recently but make a nice change to your regular gadget shop. It's a good place to pick up novelty toys for big kids and treats for the younger ones. I reckon that some items are slightly over priced but there are a lot of bits and bobs that can be picked up at a reasonable price!

I was on a roll (not the bread type of course) with some shopping for two of my friend's wee ones…read more Funnily enough they are sisters so I was buying for cousins, one just born and other just turning 2 years old. Awww! Fun for me as they are boys and I do like shopping for boys toys. I was working my way through various baby clothes shops and remembered that Hamleys was in the St Enoch's Centre. It's in the newly upgraded part of St Enoch's, where TK Maxx used to be. I was gutted when it went but I have to say I do like Hamleys. It's like walking into a giant play area, designed by Willy Wonka but you'll find no chocolate here. Alas Willy had no imput and some dreamtastic person came up with this wonderland for kids and big kids too. Hello! I had been to the London store many many years ago, which felt like it had endless floors of toys. This is only one floor but it is pretty big, colourful, bright and full to the brim of toys. I have to say I do find it a tad expensive and stay away from the Steiff Bears unless you got the money to burn. Excellent quality but by joe, very expensive. I wandered round and round, I did get a bit lost. Aaah giant elephant and giraffe! I managed to find myself in the book section and found some pretty cool books and a there was a wee sale on. Yas! I thought I'd stick to a wee outfit and book for them both. Needless to say all parents involved were happy with my purchases, this is including mine as there were contributing to the presents. Yay! I believe there's a room for kids to have parties in too. The staff are all very happy, I went when it was quiet one morning and the staff were still cheery and entertaining with playing with toys. What a job eh?! Awesome toy shop and much fun!

A gorgeous big toy store filled with goodies for old and young. When you walk inside, you are met…read moreby a life sized cuddly elephant and giraffe, that you can't help but give a wee rub and contemplate contemplate climbing up on top of, however I resisted for fear of being thrown out (or thrown off by these life-sized lovelies). Every corner you turn, there are battery operated bunnies hopping around you and excited children, agog at the bright and colourful creations that surround them. As I scanned the aisles to find my boyfriend, past the wandering children and bouncing bunnies, I was amused to see that he was the biggest kid of all, wandering aimlessly with wide eyes and a big grin on his face as he was overwhelmed boy the amazing toys all around him. My very favourite part of the experience was the top hat wearing Hamley's mascot, who was joyfully coming down the escalator, waving to everyone, belting out 'Don't Stop Believin' at the top of his voice. Priceless.

Who doesn't love lego?! I mean, everyone loves lego, right? (Except if you've stepped on it with…read morebare feet). I hadn't been to Buchanan Galleries for yonks so I hadn't been to the lego store. It's not as big as I expected but a very acceptable sized shop where you could fall into a lego-coma for hours. They have all the collections you'd expect: Star Wars, the Simpsons and some cool displays. I was kind of contemplating getting a kit of some kind but then I don't really need more stuff, and it's all pretty pricey. I don't remember lego being so expensive when I was a kid but maybe that's because I wasn't paying for it. Instead I went for the cheapo option and got a couple of minifigs. These are my go-to purchase when I'm trying to eat healthy but want to treat myself to a present (no, I don't eat them in case you're wondering). You can get two for less than £5 and they are pretty cute wee figures to adorn your windowsill. While I was in the store there was a kid throwing the most epic of tantrums - I've never seen anything like it. I have no idea what he was so upset about as he was getting something, maybe it wasn't what he wanted? Anyway, the staff were really good about it even though it must've been really annoying to listening to his screaming. Maybe they get that a lot. It was a nice experience and I'd definitely go back. And if they ever announce Lego Game of Thrones, I'll be queuing at the door on release day.

So. I love me some Lego. For many years it has done 2 things to me:…read more 1. It's given me hours of fun, creating castles, planes etc 2. As I get older, it brings out my inner child - and gives me hours of fun constructing towers and fire stations with my nieces and nephew. The Lego Store is a Mecca for Lego lovers. You'll find the usual standard bricks, to keyrings, huge Star Wars Death Star sets, to the Wonders of the World. All made out of Lego!! The small pieces are pretty inexpensive but the larger ones can be hundreds of pounds (totally worth it though!)! Oh, and they now do superheroes! I yearn for Superman's Fortress of Solitude.

If Comic Book Guy from The Simpsons was real, he would work in here…read more I don't read comics, but I know enough to know there's a genuinely good selection on the go in here. I go to pick up obscure gifts for people and generally let me jaw drop at some of toys and games in here. There's alot of that in here, just looking around and such. Given the recent trend for superhero movies, there appears to be enough of an appeal for places like this to survive. And I'm all for it.

Brightening up the area behind Argyle Street with its bright yellow exterior, is the quirky A1…read moreComics which sells, you guessed it, lots and lots of comics. It has the latest imports as well as back issues and the knowledgeable staff go out of their way to help you. Like its sister store Static Games, my brother is a regular customer and chats about the guys here by their first names. I was once with him when he popped in & they chatted like old friends that even I, a comic novice, felt totally welcome and was in awe of their geeky knowledge. A fun place.

This place is dangerous! Don't try to walk past and ignore it with kids, or some adults (i.e me)…read more I could easily spend my wages in here, on my niece (Smurf) obviously (cough, cough). I was in yesterday enquiring about being able to open the store. This is an actual thing. I found out yesterday at 3pm and headed straight to the store to see if it was real. I spoke to a cast member who directed me to a manager. I have Smurf at the end of November so was chancing it to see if a space was available, they looked but sadly not. They book 3 months in advance for this event, but it is available every day, it doesn't seem to be restricted. Good to know as Smurfs birthday is in June (and mine in March) I was on my lunch break so didn't get to browse much this time, but there will be other times. I can guarantee this.

I vividly remember how I spent my first best friend's 7th birthday. We were driven to Glasgow by…read moreher parents for the sole purpose of visiting The Disney Store. After much shopping, some purchasing with our pocket money and a little post-shopping food, we happily dozed off in the car home. Although I've grown up, Disney still remains slightly magical and I know my little five-year-old cousin (who truly believes she is going to be a princess one day) would adore this store as much today as I did all those years ago. It is full of disney gifts from soft toys to dressing up costumes and often has deals on Disney DVDs. Sadly some fantastic items are just too expensive for what they are and you are paying for the Disney branding. However, a must-go for those with young children or perhaps overgrown kiddies like myself - a Disney wonderland.

A funky wee shop that is hard to miss with the bright yellow exterior. This also helps distinguish…read morethe place as a close relative to the nearby A1 Comics. I have picked up some great rare presents in here for friends but there isn't that much in here that appeals to me, at least compared to the aforementioned A1 Comics or the nearby Pippens Toys. It's a reasonably priced store and a bit of a rarity. Well worth a look if you're into the sort of geekiness that this places houses so proudly!

Back to my friend JT, who is into all this kind of stuff. Whenever I look at games like World of…read moreWarcraft and other role playing games I don't know the names of, I always think they'd be fun to play once you get into them, but I just don't have the time or the patience just now. JT has tried basic explanations on me several times, but it doesn't really sink in. Anyway, Static games is pretty small inside, but the stock is also all small, and well organised and catalogued. It is the sister shop of A1 Comics nearby. It falls into a different category to Pippens Toys, but if JT likes it, then I'm happy to recommend it!

I was out doing a bit of Christmas shopping while waiting on news of my car's MOT and Service…read more(eep!) and came across this wee shop. Knowing not to spend a lot of money as the car always ends up expensive. So I thought I'd have a wee nosey and check the place out. To my surprise the prices were brilliant, with some items starting from £1. They had all kinds of Christmassy things in, kitchen utencils, fresh ground herbs in bags, stationary type stuff, and I can't remember what else as there was loads of cool items and gagets. Tiger is located where Barretts used to be, the store is bigger as they've opened it up into probably where the back store room used to be. I did notice that the staff's t-shirts and the labelling were foreign, it looked Swedish style, so felt a wee kick of Ikea with all the knick-knacks and nae furniture. I'm not too sure where Tiger is from but it's certainly no local. The staff at the tills were very pleasant. I purchased a couple of Christmas presents but I cannot disclose at this time as the person I bought them for might read this. Let's just say they will get a massive giggle out of them. Would definitely recommend if you're looking for something a bit different and it'd be interesting to try out their herbs. So, if you're up that end of town make sure you pop in to have a wee gander, you never know what you might find.

So, I love tigers. And tiggers, but that's a whole other story…read more.. But the wonderful thing about tiggers, I mean Tiger, is that it's one of those shops that's basically full of everything you just didn't know wanted. And even the odd random thing that you actually need. It's cheap, decent Ikea-ish quality/design, and generally just awesome. You'll find loads of notebooks, storage boxes, cards, crafty type stuff and general handy household equipment.