New York City Miscellaneous Stores

Academy Records and CDs, 12 W. 18th St. (www.academy-records.com), Unlike many record shops in nearby Greenwich Village, Academy maintains a refreshing, healthy balance of classical music to accompany its still sizable stacks of obscure classic rock and alternative, along with a smattering of more recent indie cuts. You can go for the used LPs ($1-5), but Academy has also made the wise choice to truck heavily in CDs as well. Check out their bargain collection (CDs $1-3). Really, it's only a little more than a pirated download, and a lot more legal. Bargain items $1-8. Most other items $15-50. Open M 11am-7pm, Tu-Sa 11am-8pm, Su 11am-7pm. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access. Has air conditioning.
Jan's Hobby Shop, 1435 Lexington Ave. Enough toy airplanes, ships, and toy soldiers to cause a model apocalypse. Buy pre-fab or do-it-yourself! Open M-Sa 10am-6:30pm, Su noon-5pm. Takes credit cards.
Brooklyn Superhero Supply Company, 372 5th Ave. at 5th St. (www.superherosupplies.com), The plethora of text on the Company's sign announces that “dastardly plots will be foiled” while promising “supersonic shipping to select universes.” Inside, truth serum, super stretch gels, chin ladders, and of course capes are available at relatively bargain prices. The store is a front for 826 Valencia, a writing and tutoring center for local children, but the retail is real. All proceeds go to the organization, so you can help yourself and others by purchasing quirky gadgets. Most items $8-25. Open daily 11:30am-5pm. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access. Has air conditioning.
Rebel Rebel, 319 Bleecker St. (www.rebelrebelmusic.com), For one, Rebel Rebel's interior is almost impossible to navigate due to the teeming boxes of LPs crowding the floor. But the selection also spills outside, where more records and CDs ensnare innocent bystanders. From the posters on the wall to the records themselves, the emphasis here is on classic rock, with most of the items dating from the '60s to the '80s. But new releases can also be discovered amidst the Bowie and Captain Beefheart. LPs are the focus, though many CDs can be had for great deals. CDs $2, 10 for $6, 15 for $10. LPs $10-25. Open W noon-8pm, Th-Sa noon-9pm, Su noon-8pm. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access.
Village Chess Shop, 230-234 Thompson St. (www.chess-shop.com), The Village Chess Shop has been insomniac chess addicts' haven since 1972. Yes, you can play chess any time of the day—all week—for the tidy sum of $2.50 per hr. The small interior is filled with tables; there are more outside if the weather's right. The non-profit club also features lectures and tournaments, buys and sells a wide variety of chess materials and books, and offers other classic board games like checkers and backgammon. $5 min. from 2-7am. $2.50 per hr. Most items $3-15. Open 24hr. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access. Has air conditioning. Has outdoor seating.
Myers of Keswick, 634 Hudson St. (www.myersofkeswick.com), More than enough cure for the nostalgic Anglophile inside you, Myers stocks up on all things British, from Walker's chips to Union Jacks to Cornish pastries. The bulk of the store is devoted to common grocery items you could find in most London corner shops, but most of the delicious can be had in the fresh foods section—where deli meats, cheeses, and small snack items like steak and kidney, sausage rolls, and curried lamb pies await your fancy. Most items $2-10. Fresh foods $3-5. Open M-F 10am-7pm, Sa 10am-6pm, Su noon-5pm. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access. Has air conditioning.
Leather Man, 111 Christopher St. (www.theleatherman.com), The area around Christopher St. has its fair share of gay-themed sex shops, but Leather Man whips them into submission with its large, unique selection. You'll find the expected leather items alongside other costumes, dildoes, books, and DVDs. But they also have perfectly legitimate leather clothes, including belts that may just attract the serious leather customer. Prices $6-25. Open M-Sa noon-8:45pm, Su noon-7:45pm. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access. Has air conditioning.
The Lost World, 215 Thompson St. His Dudeness would have probably dug the Village, so this is his makeshift home: a tiny cubby of a store packed with Big Lebowski memorabilia, from T-shirts emblazoned with the all-too-familiar figures of Donny, the Jesus, and the Dude Himself. You can also get life-size cardboard cutouts, paintings and drawings, and bobble heads. The owner stays pretty much in character by walking around all day in a bathrobe. The store's previous lives as a comic-book store and children's bookshop still show in the varied selection on display, while the rest of recent pop culture is represented in a quirky offering of DVDs—including, of course, the Movie itself. Prices $10-30. Open M-Sa 11am-7pm, Su noon-6pm. Does not take credit cards. No wheelchair access.
Tender Buttons, 143 E. 62nd St. For over 40 years, Tender Buttons has provided the Upper East Side with millions of buttons. If you carelessly lost the button on your Renaissance doublet, you'll find a replacement here. Buttons $1-1500. Open M-F 10:30am-6pm, Sat, 10:30am-5:30pm. Does not take credit cards.
Beads of Paradise, 16 E. 17th St. (www.beadsofparadisenyc.com), Beads of Paradise rests squarely in the packed-attic retail tradition: African masks, Asiatic souvenirs, religious memorabilia, and miscellaneous toys all stare, dumbfounded, at one another. But the focus here is of course on beads and everything you can do with them. Come here to satisfy all your beaded jewelry needs; pick up a crucifix or miniature Buddha on your way out. Craft classes Su 12:30, 3:30pm. Most items $20-60. Open M-Sa 11am-7:30pm, Su noon-6:30pm. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access. Has air conditioning.