For amateur and professional magicians or anyone who just likes to have fun, visit this 34-year-old magic shop and choose from a wide range of tricks and equipment which you can pick up and examine. Perfect Magic can put together a beginner’s magic kit made up from professional tricks, which makes a great gift. An adult beginner’s course is given to learn technique, presentation and close-up magic. Teaching Books and instructional DVD’s are available. You can even rent a ragtime piano player here to liven up your show.

Location: 4755 Van Horne, Suite 100A, Snowdon
corner: Victoria
Tel: 514-738-4176
Hours: Mon-Fri 10-5, call for weekend appointments
www.perfectmagic.com

I’m not sure I believe this as I just had my husband empty out his vinyl albums and dragged 4 crates of them to a second-hand store to sell. Time spent: 1/2 hour there and back twice = 2 1/2 hours of my time and got a grand sum of $3 for the records the store wanted.
However, supposedly if you have any of these you could get some dough for them: Beatles, Frank Zappa, Rolling Stones (Decca), Velvet Underground, Can, Kraftwerk, Faust, Soul 45’s and Funk albums, original jazz albums, heavy metal, Public Enemy’s you!, Bum Rush The Show, Raising Hell by Run D.M.C., De La Soul, Roots reggae ( Mango), Second Edition by Public Image Limited, The Happy Mondays’ Pills ‘n’ Thrills and Bellyaches or early releases of Canadian bands.
In my Smart Shopping Montreal book, I have a section on Second-hand music stores, so you can gather them up and go on a selling spree (buy try not to buy other stuff when you are there).

To check sales histories of your albums, you can check them out on: www.popsika.com

When it’s cold outside, act like an animal - cover yourself in fur. If jackets and coats are too pricey, or not your thing, Musi Furs goes beyond the expected coats, jackets, boleros and vests and makes fur blankets, scarves, purses and stuffed animals (that’s funny) out of beaver, mink, chinchilla, Swakara sable and fox. You’re in the new fur building, many other manufacturers are open to the public, poke around (they are listed in my Smart Shopping Montreal book).

Location: 9250 Ave du Parc, Suite 100
corner: Chabanel
Tel: 514-281-9858
Hours:  Mon-Fri 8-5, Sat 8-1
www.musifurs.com

Finally Montreal is going to get its first Bulk Barn at Le Marche de l’Ouest. Those of you who, like me, just like to buy the quantity of what we need and not a whole jar or bag or whatever, will love the variety of what you will be able to buy by-the-pound or by-the-pinch here. If you’re trying out a recipe for the first time, you can buy just what you need of the ingredients – no need to waste food if you’re family isn’t thrilled with your new concoction. The place will be packed with pasta, beans, rices, spices,  soup bases, flours (gluten free too) muffin and bread mixes, assorted sugars, jams, honeys, nut butters, dried fruits from the four corners of the world and on to bird seed, dog biscuits. And you probably won’t be able to leave without a secret small scoop of your favorite candy.

Location: 11600 de Salaberry, Dollard des Ormeaux
corner: boul. des Sources
Tel: 514-685-0183
Date: End of January, Beginning of February

Preloved recycles vintage fashions in a few ways. Wool pants, tees, jeans and sweaters are combined with new fabrics to create one-of-a-kind pieces at affordable retail prices for men and women. Another art is the hand-cutting  of patterns from 100% vintage fabrics. There’s some new fashions created to blend in with these lines.

Location: 4832 boul. St-Laurent
corner: boul. St-Joseph
Tel: 514-499-9898
Hours: Mon-Wed 12-7, Thurs & Fri 12-8, Sat 11-6, Sun 12-6
www.preloved.ca

We’re very lucky here in Montreal to have such a diverse selection of musical productions - organ, jazz, wind instruments, choirs, strings, electro-acoustic and, of course, opera and full orchestra, many for FREE!

At La Chapelle Historique du Bon Pasteur, there are four FREE concerts in January and 8 in February. Even if your pockets are empty, your soul can be filled with music.

100 Sherbrooke est
corner: boul. St-Laurent
Tel: 514-872-5338
(put yourself on e-mail list for their e-calendars or look in newspapers)

In the US, lots of restaurant chains offer curb service. You call in your order ahead of time, drive there, and there is either an outdoor window or someone who will bring your food out to you. I am amazed that this service hasn’t reached our frozen north. If the storekeepers really want to encourage us to come out and buy in the worst weather, or street conditions, then this could be a way to go.

Kiehl’s, since 1851, has been a venerable NYC purveyor of fine quality skin and hair care preparations. Situated in Manhattan, known for parking problems, I’m not surprised that they are the first downtown store that I have come across that offers this service.

The company’s simple packaging and outstanding results, have incurred over a century of loyal fans. The Creme de Corps, a custard-like body lotion, is a perennial favourite. New products come out in response to overwhelming customer demands and after rigorous testing. One, the Blue Herbal (appeared in 1964) gel cleanser, magically zaps pimples, and the lip balm has SPF4. Men too can shop here and try the aloe or mint shaving creams as well as cleansers. There’s 13 shower scents, like coriander and cranberry, and even baby has a line too.

In a salute to the owner, each store has a motorbike to oogle. Besides the curb service, mail order is available.

Location: 760 Ste-Catherine ouest
corner: McGill College
Tel: 514-788-4226
Hours: Regular plus Sun 12-5
www.kiehls.com

Le Depot has been known to sell fashionable and comfort shoes for decades. However they can make shoes you buy even more comfortable with all the neat shoe torture tools they have in the back. If you have bunions, they can stretch shoes or boots in the area you need it, tongue pads can be shortened for people with low insteps, sandels can be widened and tight toe areas can be broadened. They sell liquid shoe stretching products which spray on shoes to make them stretch more quickly - and you can do it at home.
Shoes are sold here by people who still know how to fit feet and who will patiently wade through the back racks until they find some just for you. Choose from SAS, Clark, Dunham, Ecco, Rockport, Mephisto, Trotters, New Balance, Rieker, Tender Tootsies, Aravon, Josef Seibel, Merrell, Hush Puppies, Pajar La Canadienne and more. Opened in 1931, this shop offers sizes (men 6-18 to 6E and women 4-12 AA-EE) for everyone. Orthotics can be placed in their shoes or you can buy orthopedic shoes, diabetic shoes and anti-slip shoe slippers.

Location: 501 ave. de l’Eglise, Verdun
Corner: Evelyn
Tel: 514-768-0642
Hours: Mon-Wed 8:30-6, Thurs & Fri 8:30-9, Sat 8:30-5, (Sun 11-4 from Sept-Dec and Mar-June)

Budgets might be a bit tight after the holidays and it might make things easier by buying in bulk. However, you don’t have or want to pay the membership fee at Costco to do that. Well you don’t have to. There are other bulk grocery warehouses in Montreal that were here way before Costco arrived and sell similar foods for similar low prices. One of them, Mayrand, has been open since 1914! They have meat, fish, produce, restaurant products and are perfect too for big parties or events.

Location: 5650 boul. Metropolitain East
corner: Boul. Lacordaire
Tel: 514-255-9330
Hours: Mon-Wed 6:45 - 4:30, Thurs & Fri 6:45 - 9, Sat 6:45 - 4:30, Sun 9 - 4
www.mayrand.ca

Here’s a way to be green and re-cycle an old coat and save you money on a new warm stylish one for the coming cold weather. At this furrier, trade-ins are accepted toward the purchase of a new coat.

This 29-year-old shop, now in a beautiful exposed brick and stone atelier in Old Montreal, maintains low prices by doing all the work themselves. Ready to wear or custom-made jackets, hats, capes with fur trim, and coats, remodelling, repairs, cleaning and storage are all available here along with some leather clothing and shearling jackets. There is a new line of cashmere and Alpaca outerwear with and without fur trim.

Location: 206 St. Paul West
corner: St-Francois-Xavier
Phone: 514-844-7483
Hours: Mon-Fri 10-6, Sat & Sun 12-5 & by appt.
www.dubarryfurs.com