Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
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One place Tim has often visited and found quirky and unusual items is Amsterdam in The Netherlands. One particularly nice area is the so-called '9 Streets' which is actually a grid of 3 x 3 narrow bustling streets. With over 250 unusual and quirky shops, together with cafes, hotels, galleries and museums, it is a great place to find unusual items.
‘Easily Amsterdam’s best shopping hub; a charming mixture of designer boutiques, art galleries, vintage clothing stores, gift shops and places to eat and drink.’ (The New York Times)
See https://de9straatjes.nl/en
In this video, Tim shows a range of treasures he found on his trips to Amsterdam...
Strange animal masks - an owl, a cat and an orangutan, all bought in Amsterdam
Two transparent plastic sheets which give amazing patterns when you rotate them
An expanding card, showing a King Penguin, with a hidden place for your message
Edible cards, made from potato starch, and the printed designs are made from vegetable dyes
A wind up egg plant or aubergine, part of a series of fruit and vegetables that all animate when you wind them up
Chiming bells
A candle that changes position as it burns down
A mug with a built in jigsaw puzzle
A secret decanter that initially looks like a wine glass
Sign up for the free Grand Illusions newsletter, at conta.cc/3dplns1
_______________________________________________________________________
One place Tim has often visited and found quirky and unusual items is Amsterdam in The Netherlands. One particularly nice area is the so-called '9 Streets' which is actually a grid of 3 x 3 narrow bustling streets. With over 250 unusual and quirky shops, together with cafes, hotels, galleries and museums, it is a great place to find unusual items.
‘Easily Amsterdam’s best shopping hub; a charming mixture of designer boutiques, art galleries, vintage clothing stores, gift shops and places to eat and drink.’ (The New York Times)
See https://de9straatjes.nl/en
In this video, Tim shows a range of treasures he found on his trips to Amsterdam...
Strange animal masks - an owl, a cat and an orangutan, all bought in Amsterdam
Two transparent plastic sheets which give amazing patterns when you rotate them
An expanding card, showing a King Penguin, with a hidden place for your message
Edible cards, made from potato starch, and the printed designs are made from vegetable dyes
A wind up egg plant or aubergine, part of a series of fruit and vegetables that all animate when you wind them up
Chiming bells
A candle that changes position as it burns down
A mug with a built in jigsaw puzzle
A secret decanter that initially looks like a wine glass
