The Tintin Shop

The Tintin Shop has traded from Floral Street in Covent Garden since 1984, when the idea of a shop devoted entirely to Herge's boy reporter first took shape there. In the early days the merchandise was limited to greetings cards, postcards, posters, plastic figures and the books, and the ambition was simply to have one place where the complete run of adventure albums could be found.

That focus on the books remains, but the range has grown to bring Herge's drawings into everyday objects. The shop is a destination for collectors rather than a general gift shop, and it is the place to find limited edition models in resin and metal as well as a collection of die cast model cars that reflects Herge's well-known appreciation of vehicles.

The Tintin shop London collectors head for

Stock covers the Tintin albums in English and French along with new publications, large die cast models, model cars and planes, resin and metal figurines, watches, keyrings, games and puzzles, Snowy plushes and tote bags. Stationery runs from notebooks and postcards to diaries and calendars, while clothing for adults and children, bedding, crockery, mugs, posters and fridge magnets complete the picture. Product advice is available by email and students receive a discount.

What to expect on a visit

The shop opens from 11am Monday to Saturday, closing at 4pm or 5pm depending on the day, and from noon to 4pm on Sundays. Its blue shopfront sits among the fashion and gift shops between the piazza and Seven Dials, and the window displays of rockets and Snowy figures are a draw in themselves. It is a short walk from The Moomin Shop in the Market Building and the other gift shops of Covent Garden.