Specialty shopping in North America
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A
Mary Jane’s Emporium
By ‘Mary Jane, ’ they’re not referring to shoes. This is an essential stop for smokers of legal tobacco products, including finer brands of cigarettes not sold at your basic corner store. Also, a variety of apparatus for the smoking of unsanctioned herbal products and such is sold here. All right, it’s basically a head shop.
reviewed
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Victorian Vogue & the Costume Shop
For vintage and drag, from fabulous to outrageous, stop by the wonderful Victorian Vogue & the Costume Shop, which also rents costumes and has fun kids' stuff too.
reviewed
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B
Sideshow: The Old Curiosity Shop
In the tradition of rummage stores of earlier times, this shop aims not just to sell you stuff, but to dazzle you as well. It does so simply by stocking oddities you'd expect to encounter in a sideshow tent (two-headed ducks, skulls of mythological creatures, and other mind-bending items). You can also buy magician's supplies, snazzy decks of risqué playing cards and a bevvy of other guilty pleasures from another age.
It's owned and operated by Elizabeth Anderson, wife of actor Harry Anderson (himself a magician).
reviewed
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C
Art of Loving
Forget all those grubby sex shops lining the Granville St entertainment strip – this tasteful sex shop is for the nondirty Mac brigade. Among its popular products are the love swing (ask for a demo) and glow-in-the-dark condoms (don’t ask for a demo). The store also hosts some entertaining and informative seminars, with titles such as the ‘Joy of Flirting’ and ‘Kissing Class for Couples.’
reviewed
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D
Wanted – Lost Found Canadian
Nestled in a returning heritage area that was a no-go skid row until recent years, this pioneering shop is like a general store of clever recycling. Old blankets, beach glass and driftwood are among the raw materials that have been cleaned and repurposed into new patchwork bags, fluffy cushions and cuddly toys, while newspapers found under the floorboards have been transformed into greetings cards. Highly recommended.
reviewed
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E
Whimsic Alley
Muggles love this magical store at 2717½, superbly designed to invoke visions of Diagon Alley, where Harry Potter and friends seem to be waiting just a portkey away. Flip through Hogwarts sweaters and capes at Haber & Dasher, find your wand at Phoenix Wands, or just poke around nooks overflowing with Harry Potter memorabilia and literature on piratology, dragons and wandmaking.
reviewed
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F
Civil War Store
If you're looking for old 'Dix' bills printed by the short-lived Confederacy, then duck into this tiny shop. It's about as big as a walk-in closet, and it will take but a few minutes to assess the wares. The shop also carries a minimal selection of ancient firearms, in case you've been challenged to a duel and don't object to the possibility of a weapons malfunction.
reviewed
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G
Funhauser
If you need a break from the area’s noisy Chinese grocery stores, nip into this kitsch-arama of all things pop culture, where you’ll find those must-have tiki mugs, wind-up metal robots and cheetah-print fez hats that no discerning individual should be without. An ideal place to pick up some confusing souvenirs for your friends back home.
reviewed
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H
Bare Essentials
Pros swear by BE for business attire. It’s heavy on theme wear – lots of cheerleader and schoolgirl outfits. Next door, Bad Attitude Boutique makes custom-made corsets and bustiers, goth fetish wear and burlesque fashions, while neighboring Red Shoes stocks knee-high boots, stripper stilettos and glittery platforms.
reviewed
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I
Andrew Smith Gallery
There are few finer photography galleries in the country. That's right, in the country. Walking through these doors is like walking into a time capsule of the most transcendent and illuminating gelatin-silver and platinum printers who have ever lived. Contemporary photographers are not slighted, though, in favor of dead (er… classical) ones.
reviewed
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J
Dream Dresser
The girls come here for bachelorette gifts, or so they say… This racy exotica boutique has been around long enough to be considered locally legendary, and it has all you'll need in the leather and lace department. There's a bunch of whips plus giant dildos, a selection of strap-ons and other toys for nights behind closed bedroom doors.
reviewed
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K
American Girl Place
Little girls go ga-ga for this make-believe toyland where they can take their plastic friends to lunch or afternoon tea at the café or a revue-style show, get photographed for a mock American Girls magazine cover at the photo studio or give them a makeover in the doll hair salon. Make reservations early for the café and the show.
reviewed
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L
American Automobile Association Mid-City
Supermarkets, gas stations, tourist offices and convenience stores all sell maps, but the best are those published by the American Automobile Association , which has numerous branches around town, including one in Mid-City. AAA's Central & Western Area map is the single most useful map.
reviewed
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M
Grassroots
If you're searching for some one-stop shopping for all things earth-friendly, look no further. Grassroots carries environmentally sound household items galore – even hemp coffee filters and organic bed linen are available here. It's also a used battery drop-off depot. And there's another branch in the Annex.
reviewed
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N
American Cyclery
If you’ve been lusting after a banana-seat Stingray, you might find one here. The oldest indie bike shop in SF, American Cyclery carries contemporary mountain and hybrid bikes as well as the occasional vintage model (the owner’s a collector). Though the shop hosts events and rides, alas, there are no rentals.
reviewed
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O
Metropolitan News Agency
Missing your January 19, 1984 copy of the Winnipeg Free Press? Well, chances are, you'll be able to find a yellowed copy here amongst over 5000 newspapers and magazines from across the globe. It just gets weirder and weirder the longer you poke around. If you can't find it here it probably doesn't exist.
reviewed
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P
International Travel Maps & Books
For maps, atlases, globes and guides covering nearly every region of the world, drop by this travel-lovers’ favorite. It publishes 200 titles of its own and distributes 23,000 titles by other manufacturers. Ask the staff any geographic question and they’ll be able to find the map to answer it.
reviewed
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Q
Gay-Mart
The West End gayborhood’s favorite shopping bazaar, Gay-Mart hawks all manner of pride-themed merchandise, including wallets, robes, socks and baseball caps emblazoned with rainbow flags. Jewelry and CDs add to the mix and it does a brisk business in adult movies and ‘accessories.’
reviewed
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R
Babeland
This women-owned store quite literally puts 'babes in Toyland' but don't expect the PG variety. Neatly arranged between candy-colored walls are dildos, handcuffs, strap-ons, vibes and other tools to tickle your fancy – or whatever. All staff are 'sex educators' happy to advise on how to play.
reviewed
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S
Hollywood Book & Poster
Budding screenwriters know this hardscrabble shop is the place to purchase blueprints for future success – hundreds of TV and movie scripts all for sale between $10 and $15. If you bring one they want but don’t have, they’ll barter. Rare movie posters and life-size Elvis cutouts also available.
reviewed
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Flight 001
Get ready for take-off at this stylish store designed to look like an airplane cabin. All the predictables are there – luggage to locks to guidebooks – plus some fun but handy items like pill towels that inflate in water, single soap sheets and cool lomo fish-eye cameras.
reviewed
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Ghurka
Take the hassle out of buying luggage with a visit to this specialty store that crafts carry-on and full-sized bags out of high-quality leather and other materials. Most bags also have nifty rollers that pop out of nowhere and other thoughtful additions that make organizing a breeze.
reviewed
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V
Magic Pony
Described as a 'concept shop' by its owners, Magic Pony, which originated as a website, deals in Japanese books, figures, designer toys and T-shirts you have to see to believe. The ever-changing gallery at the back features ultramodern graphic design and illustration exhibits.
reviewed
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W
Japanese Paper Place
Lanterns, beautiful stationery and ornately decorated paper in thousands of varieties adorn the shelves of the Japanese Paper Place, where workshops and events are often held. Prices are high, but so is quality – many sheets are made by hand and are one-of-a-kind.
reviewed
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X
Hula Supply Center
For 60 years, Hawaiian musicians and dancers have come here to get their kukui-nut lei, calabash drum gourds, Tahitian-style hula skirts, nose flutes and more. Kapa-print aloha shirts and Hawaiiana CDs, DVDs and books are nifty souvenirs for nondancers.
reviewed