Toy Shop shopping in Chicago
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A
American Girl Place
This is not your mother’s doll shop; it’s an experience. Here, dolls are treated as real people: the ‘hospital’ carts them away in wheelchairs for repairs; the cafe seats the dolls as part of the family during tea service; and the dolls’ owners – usually outfitted in matching threads, naturally – take classes with their little pals. Creepy? Maybe a little, but the fact that the average shopper’s visit lasts three hours is a testament to the immersive environment. There are outlets in many cities now, but this flagship remains the largest and busiest.
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B
Boring Store
The big orange sign out front will have you scratching your head, but do yourself a favor and step inside (don’t worry, those 25 surveillance cameras pointed at you are harmless). The place sells crazy-ass spy gear! Mustache disguise kits, underwater voice amplifiers, banana-shaped cases to hide your cell phone in – it’s genius. And better yet: profits from sales go toward supporting the after-school writing and tutoring programs that take place on-site at nonprofit group 826CHI.
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C
Gay Mart
The Woolworth’s of the strip sells toys, novelties, calendars, souvenirs, you name it. One of the top sellers is Billy, the heroically endowed ‘world’s first out and proud gay doll.’ Ken would just wilt in Billy’s presence – that is, if Ken had anything to wilt. Lots of Marvel action figures and ‘Homo Depot’ buttons, too.
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D
Rotofugi
Rotofugi has an unusual niche: urban designer toys. The spacey, robot-y, odd vinyl and plush items will certainly distinguish you from the other kids on the block. Graffiti artists and cartoonists use the store as a studio, so it’s also a gallery. You can usually find locally designed Shawnimals here.
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E
Uncle Fun
This oddball toy and novelty shop is one of the best spots in Chicago for goofy gifts, kitschy postcards and vintage games. The shelves are overflowing with strange finds like fake moustache kits, 3-D Jesus postcards and Chinese-made tapestries of the US lunar landing.
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F
Yesterday
If you’ve ever actually lived through the classic ‘Mom’s thrown out all of my baseball cards’ tale, you can come here to find out what a fortune you’ve lost. Old sports memorabilia is the specialty of this shop, which is even older than some of the goods on sale.
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G
Red Balloon Co
When hipsters get good jobs and start having kids, this is where they outfit the li’l pups. Adorable clothes, classic children’s books and ’50s-style wooden block toys prevail in the cozy space.
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