The only other shop in Llantwit Major's Pound Plaza alongside the mighty Filco is Rainbow Plaza…read more And what a freaking awesome shop it is. The ground floor is nothing too exciting, just newspapers, magazines, gift cards, stationery, chocolate bars, that kind of thing, but if you head up the stairs to the right, then boy does it get good. Up here you'll find a proper toy shop alongside a DVD rental operation and the only place in Llantwit Major to sell CDs and DVDs. The selection of CDs is a bit rubbish but the toy side of things is frankly brilliant. I've never seen so many box fresh board games. They've got both Cardiff and Swansea editions of Monopoly (surely they're all brown squares in Swansea? Boom! Take that Jacks!). They even have the table top cricket game that I always wanted as a kid. With an impressive array of Lego toys, huge cuddly toys, a Games Workshop section, and some toys for girls (phhmp! Whatever...), Rainbow Bargains is a cracking little shop that is very difficult to leave without whipping your wallet out.

Every music lover out there should visit D'Vinyl Records just to be overwhelmed by the sheer volume…read moreof physical music. Piles of vinyl, Compact Discs and memorabilia fill the shop floor to ceiling. As record stores go you would be hard pressed to find one that still buys second hand merchandise and sells it on and this can lead to issues with scratched discs. After you have enjoyed a moment of sheer fantasy where by you take on the shop and listen to music non-stop until your demise, as would be the case if you tried to finish the backlog of music playtime in this store. Your best choice for new music is spillers who are easily the best shop in Cardiff for new CD from known and unknown artists.

Ok so I'm going to go out on a limb here and say I prefer D'vynal Records to Spillers. The reason…read morewhy is because D'vynals just has so much more to offer, stuffed to rafters with vinyl's, CDs, DVDs and books. It has a fantastic smell of history which you can only experience and not describe and really gives you the sense that a record was once an asset to keep and cherish rather than an electronic file that is now so easily available the true meaning of the work and artistry that goes into making a record has been lost. What is also great about this place is you can trade in your old records and get some good deals. I could spend hours and hours in D'vynals as there is no other record store in Cardiff that offers the same experience. It's about a 15 minute walk from the city centre but very much worth the walk and I guarantee you will not be disappointed with this seemingly endless treasure trove of music.

I'm writing this review begrudgingly, as I want all of the albums at this brand new shop for…read moremyself. Hot Wax Records has yet to launch officially, so please excuse the austere interior and lack of stock in place (there's not even a sign up, but owner Dave is still trading). Offering a wide selection of 12-inch albums, DVDs, modern collectibles, posters and comics, Hot Wax is one of Cardiff's newest "music and more" shops and soon to become my favourite place to spend money. I stumbled upon this jewel in the alluvial deposit that is Cowbridge Road East just the other day. Oh, but the vinyl, the glorious vinyl, many of which comprise my "dream collection" and most are all priced less than a fiver. If I didn't have somewhere to be, I would have happily spent the entire afternoon here, digging for musical treasure. Please note the store is closed from 1-2 for lunch, and as of last week the card machine system is not in place so only cash is accepted. Won't deter me, though!

If you've not heard of Spillers then just pretend you have as its a little uncool not to know…read more I do not collect vinyl nor do I know anyone who does but I've often pretended I used to be a regular at Spillers. As a youngster I could often be heard dropping Spillers name into my conversation just to impress the odd would be girlfriend, "Yeah well i had to order it from Spillers coz even they didn't have the 12 inch in stock" So if you're visiting Cardiff you have to pop into Spillers as apparently it is "the oldest record shop in the world". It's just a pity it had to move to new premises as I think the new light and airy shop in the Morgan's Arcade is a bit like a music lover deciding to dump all his dark moody vinyl collection in preference for shiny new compact discs.

If your cool you'll know all about this shop. Started in 1894 Spillers specialised in selling…read morePhones?! In the early 20c, really? Oh wait, Phonographes, sorry. They relocated to the Hayes in the 1920's and have sold vinyls, CD's and music DVD's ever since (Those latter examples came later obviously) There was a worry a few years ago that it was going to be shut down thanks to the delights of Cardiff being built around them but were eventually saved thankfully. Now as a music fan, this is the place I want to be. Real music for real fans, staffed by people who know that they are talking about. Spillers feels special every time I go in, I often come out with some hidden treasure after seeing the staffs recommendations or after I speak to them about the bands I like and what's new (My ear is defiantly not to the floor when it comes to popular culture I'm afraid.) Something that always leaves me with a smile as I exit the shop. There's a real old antique feel to the place that makes the small shop feel different to those shiny soulless chained stores. Your not gonna get anything cheaper in here, but what you are doing is supporting a dying breed of independently owned music stores that feel like they are there for the love of music, not money!

Hags records i can highly recommend, if like myself your a collector of vinyl records / lps. I…read moreFirst visited hags records around 15 years ago when i was on a weeks holiday in new quay, i spent a couple of hours there and browsed the racks of lps my main interest being rock and rock progression.i purchased around £30 worth of vinyl records that day which included u2 / dire straits / pink floyd/be bop deluxe/ genesis etc. My second visit was some years later with a few friends of mine, once again i spent around £30 The choice of lps / cds is endless and i can say for sure if you decide to spend a few hours browseing the racks at hags records you wont be dissapointed. Give yourself a day to dedicate to the visit, the parking in lampeter is v/good and easy to find as all car parks are signposted well. Theres plenty of cafes and chippys to have a lunch break and a rest before concludeing your purchases and returning home. In short after many years of record collecting and haveing visited many vinyl record shops around the country hags is certainly top of my list as its not overpriced like some ! So happy vinyl hunting to you all enjoy a day at hags records i cant wait to visit again asap summer 2013.

good old hag's, freindly and hepful, well known for his huge collection of films and music ;-)read more

This is so strange that it draws people to stand and gawp. I've seen people do it. It's hilarious…read more 'What? I don't understand! A vending machine for cheap new DVDs?' I say. 'Yes!' a little voice in my head confirms. 'Isn't it cool? You should buy one just to try it out!' 'Nay,' I say, 'For that would be dangerous and silly.' Because that's how I think most people's initial reaction will be to these newfangled machines. They're amazing. They're so sleek. They're a very clever idea. But they're not to be trusted. Like Daleks. So I've yet to try one, because I'm scared that it will eat my card or exterminate me. So I'm holding out on that last star......

This is in the Rhiw shopping center and is always busy. Its…read morebig and well organised with helpful staff selling books, CD's, DVD's, newspapers and all kinds of stationary items. At Christmas time there is usually some sort of entertainment outside which is fun for the children although at other times of the year you might be pounced on by the AA man.

In the Rhiw centre but is still a large department. Similar layout to all WHSmith shops but this is…read morebased over two floors. Books, stationary and accessories upstairs, DVDs and games downstairs. (DVDs and Games are easily found cheaper in other shops). Staff are friendly, sometimes too friendly as they will often keep chatting to you when you have paid and want to leave, and as youd expect a wide range of books items which are second to none, well, except Amazon.

A real independent music store which was an essential part of my youth…read more A great range of stuff including obscure grunge/metal/rock and punk. Nice collection of vinyl too. Their merchandise is very good and keeps teenagers in clean clothes on a regular basis. Also a great place to buy tickets for gigs, all sorts of gigs, from big stadium tours to small local bands.

The one star is only there because this review would not accept zero stars. Always found these…read morepeople rude and dismissive. They have missed out on a terrific amount of my custom (and I mean TERRIFIC) since boycotting them and HMV since 1993. The advent of the internet has been wondeful to avoid this lot. I refuse to shop here on principle. Spillers get my custom every time! Well worth the journey to Cardiff from Port Talbot.