The weirdest, most wonderful shops to browse in Brisbane

Your guide to the best things to do in Brisbane.See all 12 stories.

When Judy Friedman says she raised her children on Lego, she means it quite literally.

“I fled domestic violence with two children,” she explains.

“One of my children had autism so I couldn’t go out and work because I kept getting phone calls to come pick him up from school. So I was doing Lego eBay sales from home, out of my garage.”

“Eighty-five per cent of our customers are adults,” says BrickResales co-owner Judy Friedman. Credit: Nick Dent

Friedman, along with partner Greg Manning (they met through Lego events), now owns and runs BrickResales – a second-hand Lego showroom in Coopers Plains.

On an ordinary summer afternoon, the showroom has dozens of adults and kids sifting through large tubs to find what they’re after – a noise that’s like the constant crashing of waves.

“We charge $5.50 per 100 grams,” Friedman says. “Some people will walk out with two kilos, some will walk out with two pieces. We don’t have a limit or a minimum, it’s all about the circular economy and making sure the Lego gets used again.”

Visitors might be in search of a single missing piece, or they might be assembling an entire set from scratch.

“There’s a $1000 Star Wars set at the moment and there have been a couple of guys who just come in every weekend picking the pieces for that, because they don’t want to pay $1000.”

Fans can also display their unique Lego creations at the store. One customer has designed a zombie apocalypse scene; others have built large Winnie-the-Pooh and Pikachu idols. There’s even a detailed Titanic model, complete with Lego Jack and Rose on the bow.

“It’s all about the circular economy and making sure the Lego gets used again.”
Judy Friedman

But what does the Lego corporation think about all this? “They love us! The state manager came in and said, ‘What you are doing for the Lego brand is sensational’ – because of the customer service we offer and the community we encourage.

“We’ll often run to the back room to find a piece that our customer wants, because the look on their face is everything to us.”

The in-person shopping experience is far from dead in Brisbane, and perhaps nothing gives as much joy as a shop that focuses its lens on something delightfully odd.

From a store packed with more swords than the Iron Throne to a churchlike establishment dedicated to the boy wizard, here are a dozen of Brisbane’s most weird and wonderful shops.

The Store of Requirement

Hot buy: Official Gryffindor beach towel, $49.95

A bit like Diagon Alley but out in idyllic Samford Village, the Store of Requirement is for true fans of the Boy Who Lived, bringing together all kinds of Harry Potter memorabilia. That includes robes for all four Hogwarts houses and an impressive cabinet of magic wands (note: wands may not actually be magical). The on-premises cafe serves “Butterbeer” and chocolate frogs, there’s a recreation of a Hogwarts classroom in the adjacent building, and there’s even a sky-blue Ford Anglia – just like the Weasleys’ flying vehicle – parked outside.
22 Station St, Samford Village. Mon-Sun 10am-4pm.

Keri Craig Emporium

Hot buy: Loobie’s Story Sweet Pea Tie Maxi Dress, $185

Keri Craig-Lee was a big deal in Australian fashion in the 1980s: she dressed Elton John’s bride, Renate Blauel, for their 1984 wedding. And a visit to the legendary Keri Craig Emporium is something of a trip back in time to an era of salmon pink and chintzy florals. Like a mini David Jones circa 1987, it has separate sections for women’s fashion, homewares, kids’ and men’s stuff (lots of chess boards and poker sets). Tables at the central cafe have fake pink roses, and there’s a TV screen playing highlights from Craig’s career on a loop. Order a glass of Moet, sit back and half expect to see Penelope Keith or Bernard King wandering by (Google them).
Lower Level, Brisbane Arcade, 160 Queen St, Brisbane. Mon-Sat 10am-4pm.

Pulp Fiction Books

Hot buy: All the Murmuring Bones by Brisbane’s Angela Slatter, limited hardcover edition, $100

Finding Pulp Fiction on level one of a city arcade feels a bit like wandering into the office of an LA gumshoe. Ron Serduik and Janice Brown opened the store in 1995 and it remains a local specialist in crime, mystery, sci-fi and fantasy. You can browse the latest novelisation of a Doctor Who story alongside mystery classics by Agatha Christie and Raymond Chandler, as well as the hottest new titles from the masters of Nordic Noir, cosy crime, fantasy, fan fiction and more.
Shop 4, Level 1, Blocksidge & Ferguson Building Arcade, 144 Adelaide St, Brisbane. Mon-Fri 9.30am-5pm; Sat 9.30am-2pm.

Museum of Brisbane Shop

Hot buy: Catherine Baudet Map of Brisbane Silk Scarf, $250

The shop at MOB is as finely curated as the museum’s exhibitions. If you can’t find a gift here for just about anybody, you’re not looking hard enough. Think enamel bin chicken pins, City Hall tea towels, banana earrings, a 1000-piece puzzle of Australian wildflowers by Mel Baxter, Rod Fisher’s book on Queenslander houses, or Libby Connor’s book Warrior on Aboriginal resistance fighter Dundalli. Be sure to take the free 15-minute tour of the clock tower while you’re at the museum.
Level 3, Brisbane City Hall, 64 Adelaide St, Brisbane. Mon-Sun 10am-5pm.

Camp Hill Antique Centre

Hot buy: AC/DC bar stool, $150

Established by Sarah Jane Walsh and Paul Butler in the former Planet Theatre, the centre is where up to 70 private dealers sell their wares. Find mid-century modern furniture from Retrospective, Royal Doulton figurines from Utter Rubbish, a 1980s clock radio from Reclaimed Audio, and glassware from Hairy Mary. At the front of the centre Tart Cafe serves coffees and organic brekkies and lunches. Katy Perry dropped by here a few years ago to buy an antique ring, and there’s certainly a Perryesque quality about the place’s love of retro and vintage.
545 Old Cleveland Rd, Camp Hill. Mon-Fri 9am-5pm; Sat-Sun 8am-5pm.

Annerley Arcade on Ipswich Road boasts a number of quirky shops including collectable toy merchant Decades Past.Credit: Nick Dent

Decades Past Toys & Collectables

Hot buy: Bandai Machine Robo Rescue, which transforms into a bullet train, late 1990s, $130

This is a toy shop with a difference: the toys and collectables are old, or related to cult movies and TV shows of long ago. Owner Alain Drew launched the shop during COVID and hasn’t looked back. Transformers and similar toys from Japan are a focus. Also look out for Power Ranger toys, Lord of the Rings figurines and Pokemon cards, plus Game of Thrones and Star Wars figures still in their packaging.
Annerley Arcade, Shop 17, 478 Ipswich Rd, Annerley. Mon 10am-3pm; Tue-Fri 10am-4pm; Sat 9am-4pm; Sun 9am-3pm.

Bolt & Buckle

Hot buy: Macquarie Leather Satchel, $390

File this one under “rugged masculinity”. Formerly known as Indepal, this shop sells fine products made from incredibly soft premium leather by Indian leather masters: satchels, duffle bags, belts, wallets, leather-bound journals, aprons, bracelets and keyrings. They also have a small number of brand products, including English Laundry’s flamboyant John Lennon range of casual, business and dress shirts.
Street Level, Shop 9, Brisbane Arcade, 160 Queen St, Brisbane. Mon-Thu 9.30am-5pm; Fri 9.30am-6.30pm; Sat 9.30am-4pm.

Little Toy Tribe

Hot buy: Wooden toddler toy Grapat Nins, Rings and Coins, $84

Started by a couple with a background in early childhood education, the shop specialises in “open-ended” toys that allow kids to learn through play. Examples include Plus Plus, a kind of minimalist Lego involving just one shape, and the Wobbel, a simple wooden arc you can ride or use as a bridge. The Chameleon Reader – which records your voice so your child can read picture books independently – is one of the more hi-tech offerings.
106 Bay Terrace, Wynnum. Tue-Fri 10am-4pm; Sat 10am-2pm.

War Sword

Hot buy: Tiger Elite Folded Steel Clay Tempered Japanese Katana Sword, $2995

In business since 2006, War Sword specialises in “swords, armour and all things pointy”, whether your interest is historic or pop culture. You can arm up with swords and axes from Game of Thrones, or a replica of Uma Thurman’s Katana sword from Kill Bill. Need a conquistador or crusader helmet? You’re in luck. Bear in mind that the weapons at this Carina shop are deadly, and you must be over 18 to buy one.
Shop 6, 828 Old Cleveland Rd, Carina. Mon-Fri 10am-4pm; Sat 10am-2pm.

BrickResales

Hot buy: One-kilo Lego bag, $55

BrickResales is the first and only pre-loved Lego parts shop in Australia. It occupies 640 square metres with over two tonnes of Lego bricks for sale. Buy random bags by the kilo or half kilo, or find pesky missing pieces from your set, and all much cheaper than new. You can also pick up a free instruction booklet, enjoy changing displays of creations made by the Lego community, and even sell your old Lego.
Building 1B/836 Boundary Rd, Coopers Plains. Thu-Mon 8am-3pm.

Queensland Museum Shop

Hot buy: Eungella: Land of Clouds, Queensland Museum, $39.95

Any visit to the museum needs to factor in plenty of time to browse the gift shop, which is packed with great books, jewellery and STEM toys for kids, such as a cuddly plush squid (for fans of the museum’s embalmed giant squid). Find wattle seed and cinnamon myrtle spices from Torres Strait brand Mabu Mabu; agate and amethysts; or an Australian Animal Tracks Game that lets kids match creatures to their paw prints. You can also buy a wall-art skateboard emblazoned with butterflies from the Dodd Collection exhibit.
Corner of Grey and Melbourne streets, South Bank. Mon-Sun 9.30am-5pm.

Have we missed any bizarre specialist shops? Let us know in the comments.

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