Jets is a shop at the top of Caerphilly town that specialises in models. Not the models you see in…read moremagazines unfortunately, but the kind that you build and put together from scratch. Slightly less enthralling I must admit, but still, it has its niche. While they do sell a good and wide variety of these models, ranging from trains to planes to automobiles, the reason I remember this shop so well is that when I was a young teenager, they used to sell the most awesome BB guns. Not that I'm some kind of gun nut or anything, but at the time all of my mates had one and I caved to peer pressure as is normally the case, and as such, I needed to get my hands on one. In Jets, I'd hit the mother load; BB machine guns, BB shotguns, BB everything: targets, sights, ammo, they had the lot. Sadly, on a lowly teenager's wage I could only afford the cheapest one they had, but at least I managed to get one. Looking back, supplying a teenage boy with an air pistol might not have been the safest thing to do on their part and probably broke every health and safety protocol known to man. But damn it, they managed to put a temporary smile on my spotty teenage face and that's good enough justification for me. Good job, Jets!

Avoid at all "costs". Your money is gonna be used as a temporary loan to pay off the suppliers…read moreand later on they will cancel whenever they feel like. Excuses after excuses, customer service just keep sending same email over and over(automated).They are 200% scalpers changing prices and cancelling orders on their favor all time. Had to call the bank today as it's been 25 days and still no refund.Wish i have read the reviews before.Do not say i did not warn you.

In addition to the usual ranges of Warhammer et al games, Rules of Play also carries a wide…read moreselection of board games, and some of the more esoteric games that may only have been previously available online. I thankfully didn't have the same customer service annoyances as Amanda, most likely because I came here with a boy, but I'm happy to report the staff were helpful and courteous in any case. Although I'm not interested in much this shop has to offer, I think Rules of Play is a welcomed communal haven for the gaming community. For those Cardiff residents looking to expand their playing circles, Rules of Play also has an oft-updated Facebook page, in addition to an interactive forum. Events like game-play evenings are often scheduled, with Magic night on Thursdays from 6pm (only £2 entry). For more information, check out their afore-mentioned social media pages.

Antics is a geeks paradise, full of kits to make model planes, trains, tanks and any other kind of…read morevehicle you'd care to mention. My dad's a bit of a trainspotter, so whenever he comes down to Bristol he loves having a route around in this place for a new locomotive, or bit of rail track, or whatever (I don't know, mostly I just nod and smile). The staff are really friendly and obviously well into their stuff. If you're after something in particular then they'll be more than happy to help and will no doubt strike up a healthy debate about the various different gauges (sizes) of train sets you can get and which one is best (N-gauge, I'm told). You get the idea.

On a recent trip to Cowbridge, my normally reliable little Ka had a small malfunction. Basically…read morethe rear view mirror just fell off and I hear that's quite important so before I was able to head home I simply had to find some top notch adhesive. Cue Arthur John & Co, a hardware shop/tardis right on the high street. It stocks everything, literally, from paints to ourdoor gear (fleeces and that kind of malarky) to agricultural/horse stuff. From the outside the shop appears to be a small one man operation, a bit like a 70s BBC sitcom, but once you get inside it's rows and rows of DIY goodies and man toys. I only needed a bit of superglue but the nice man pointed me in the direction of a variety of adhesives explaining which was the stickiest and which would be most reliable. I'm no glue expert but it all sounded good to me. They relieved me of £6 and sent me on my way, happy, well informed and no longer a risk to the roads of Cardiff.

This is one of my favourite shops in the whole wide world. I have bought most of my tools and…read moregardening equipment here over the last couple of years. My most treasured tool being my bow saw, (the largest that money can buy), that cuts through wet wood like butter, which is no small achievement! I also used to get my Calor gas from these guys. They are the cheapest suppliers of Calor than anywhere else in the UK that I've tried, and by a big margin. Things like gas and farm tools, pet and animal supplies etc are not stocked at the High Street outlet (i.e. this one), but are kept at the warehouse sized unit behind the Town Hall. This is good news, as they also have a carpark. I can't imagine that they would sell so many large items from the retail outlet with parking being such an issue on the main road. Arthur John stocks almost everything that you could ever wish for, at prices that beat everybody else's. With paint, tools and fastenings I pray that one day they will take over from those nasty DIY outlets that are there to greet us as we enter medium to large sized towns... ugh!

Cardiff model-makers will already be very familiar with Antics, as it's a shop that's packed to the…read morerafters with model planes, boats, cars, railways, and all the accessories that go with them. They have diecast and display model aeroplanes from various top brands; war gaming and figures; military models; Scalextric kits and cars; steam powered models; radio controlled systems; and maritime models - amongst other products. Then once you're set up, they also have lots of the little extras you might be looking for. If you're after some landscaping materials for your model railway, for example, you can pick up individual items such as miniature trees or whole kits with a variety of scenic materials to create a realistic-looking environment. Usually populated mainly by men and boys, this is a great shop for any keen model makers.

First off - great name for a hobby shop. Second - I can't believe their ranges of radio controlled…read moremodel cars, boats, planes, toys, vehicles, plastic kits and model railways. Antics is the stuff little boys' dreams are made of, and its location on the castle end of St Mary's Street means it's perfectly positioned to catch the hordes of tourists in that area of town. It packs a lot of stock into such a modest shop - the list is seemingly endless: flying models, military models and figures, Wargaming figures, Scalextric (my personal favourite), educational kids, books and DVDs. If you can't find what you're looking for - which would be a stretch of the imagination - Antics has an online shop with more than 10,000 models in stock.