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3-D Hologrammen
This fascinating (and trippy) collection of holographic pictures, jewellery and stickers will delight even the most jaded peepers.
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Absolute Danny
Named by Dutch Playboy as Amsterdam's classiest sex shop, Absolute Danny specialises in fetish clothing, lingerie and leather, plus hard-core videos and dildos just for fun.
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Amsterdam Watch Company
A husband and wife team of watchmakers and enthusiasts restore old watches (postwar to mid-1970s) and are the exclusive Amsterdam dealers of such brands as Germany's D Dornblüth and the Dutch Christiaan van der Klaauw, who makes fewer than 200 watches a year.
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Brilmuseum
This long-standing shop is an institution, both for its wares and its presentation. You can take in the 700-year history of eyeglasses, as well as a very 21st-century collection, some of them pretty outlandish.
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Cats & Things
Head here when the cat (or cat-lover) back home deserves a souvenir. There's the expected assortment of kitty toys, sculptures, grooming needs, beds and climbers, but this shop proves that feline-themed merchandise need not be kitschy and can even be cool.
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Chills & Thrills
Always packed with tourists straining to hear each other over thumping techno music, this busy shop sells herbal trips, mushrooms, psychoactive cacti, amino-acid and vitamin drinks, novelty bongs and life-size alien sculptures. Check out the minivaporiser, a smoke-free way to consume grass.
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Condomerie Het Gulden Vlies
Where the well-dressed Johnson shops. Perfectly positioned for the Red Light District, this boutique stocks hundreds of types of condoms, lubricants and saucy gifts. Some of the condoms are decorated like minitropical scenes, or may remind you of your favourite cartoon character.
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Conscious Dreams
Enhance whatever needs enhancing at Amsterdam's original smart shop; the enthusiastic staff can explain everything about magic mushrooms, trippy herbs and cacti. This bright and airy outlet has books, club information and internet facilities.
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De Lach
This eccentric corner shop sells vintage movie posters from all over the world (eg the Italian version of Some Like it Hot ) from around €12 to around €1000 . It's the ultimate in retro-cool. There is also a mini Walk of Fame, signed by Dutch stars, on the sidewalk outside.
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Fair Trade Shop
A brilliant place to buy something out of the ordinary for those at home waiting for their 'insert catchphrase here' magnet. This charitable shop features quality, stylish products from developing countries including clothes, food, toys, CDs and interesting ceramics. The company works directly with producers and provides ongoing business training.
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Gamekeeper
The selection of board games is dizzying, as is the imagination that went into making them. Start with checkers, chess and mah jong, and move on to Cathedral (build a city in styles like the Great Wall of China or the souk in Marrakech) or Rush Hour (help a car get out of traffic). 'Cooperative' games encourage players to play with, not against, each other.
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Himalaya
This shop couldn't come as more of a surprise; it's a peaceful, New Age oasis amid the Red Light District. After you've stocked up on crystals, incense and oils, ambient CDs and books on the healing arts, you can float into the lovely tearoom and bask in the calm.
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International Theatre & Film Books
In the Stadschouwburg building, this excellent shop is crammed with books on its namesake subjects, as well as speciality sections on, for example, musicals and famous directors. A majority of titles are in English.
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Joe's Vliegerwinkel
Whether you're after a kite for the kids that flies in nice patterns, or you're looking for something more exotic, head to this specialised kite shop where you can also buy build-it-yourself kits.
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Kokopelli
Were it not for its main trade, you might swear this large, beautiful space was a fashionable clothing or home-wares store. In addition to mushrooms and smart drugs, there's an art gallery, Internet facilities, books and a chill-out lounge area overlooking Damrak.
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La Savonnerie
Aromatic Savonnerie makes more than 80 natural soaps on the premises, as well as stocking wonderful varieties from around the world - from rustic Aleppan olive oil soap to gentle Belgian donkey milk soap. There's an enormous range of loofahs, sponges, back-scrubbers and gift-packs.
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Magic Mushroom Gallery
There are fresh and dried magic mushrooms on sale (it's recommended that first-timers try the Mexican ones for a relaxed, happy trip) as well as mushroom-growing kits, herbal ecstasy and smart drinks. They also have a website for their smart products, dietary supplements and souvenirs.
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Marañon Hangmatten
Anyone who loves hanging around should come here and explore Europe's largest selection of hammocks. The colourful creations, made of everything from cotton to pineapple fibres, are for everyone from adults to babies, and are made by many producers from indigenous weavers to large manufacturers.
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Nou Moe
This tiny corner shop features Asterix, Garfield, Tintin and 24 (yes, that 24 - don't ask us how you base a comic on a television show that unfolds in real time!). More importantly, it sells various merchandise: soft toys, notebooks, stickers, games, coffee mugs and bedroom slippers.
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Nou Moe Stripwinkel
This tiny corner shop features Asterix to Garfield, Tintin to 24 (yes, that 24 ). More importantly, it sells the merchandise: soft toys, notebooks, stickers, games, coffee mugs and bedroom slippers.
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Petsalon
In Dutch a pet is a cap, and milliner Ans Wesseling has been designing all sorts of caps and hats from this shop since around 1990. It's even possible to see the actual workshop in action at this store. One perennial favourite has an elaborately woven net down the back, giving a whole new meaning to the expression 'letting your hair down'.
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Rituals
The flagship store of this heavenly brand (now a successful global franchise) produces sublime products focused on enlivening everyday cleaning, refreshing, relaxing and energising rituals - from bathing to washing the dishes. We especially love its Rice Scrub, Hammam Body Mud and Lotus Massage Oil.
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Santa Jet
Relationship a bit rocky? Career in the doldrums? Hotfoot it to Santa Jet and buy up big. You'll need their love potions, a few Mexican shrines and religious icons, some Day of the Dead paraphernalia and an assortment of good-luck charms. Even if your life is perfect, who knows when it could all go wrong?
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Skins Cosmetics
The Netherlands' exclusive importer of special brands of fragrances, cosmetics and skin-care and beauty products: think Aesop, Dyptique, Etro, Laura Mercier and the Art of Shaving. They also do makeup sessions and facials.
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Stenelux
Buy an old fossil for that old fossil you left back home. Stenelux has a smart collection from this world and beyond (including meteorites).
