Top Places To Buy April Fools' Day Gag Gifts In Chicago
Bacon towels, shouting snowballs, toilet mugs, emergency mustache kits - it's a shame that we can't get away with acting like Moe, Larry and Curly more than once per year. It's not as easy to find gag gifts as it once was since taking oneself so seriously has become a national personality trait. For the truly scatological and sophomoric, rifle through any of these local shops for a "laff" riot.
American Science and Surplus
5316 N. Milwaukee Avenue
Chicago, IL 60630
(773) 763-0313
www.sciplus.com
Some of what you'll find at American Science and Surplus is useful (like a pocket compass or a food cozy), some of it is strange (colossal red rubber bands) and some of it could be classified as both. Billy Jarret says, "Most of that stuff ends up in our warehouse and finds its new home on a shelf in our store. When we sell out of it, it is often gone forever." The store is padded with items that it can regularly source, like the infamous rubber chicken (three kinds), an inflatable crown (for the diva in your life, perhaps) or the classic whoopee cushion.
The Wicker Park Secret Agent Supply Company
1276 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 772-8108
www.facebook.com
If you have a friend who fancies him or herself a spy a la James Bond or Emma Peel, The Wicker Park Secret Agent Supply Company is the place for gear - invisible ink, disguises, secret agent journals and lots of other spy-themed novelty items. What's even cooler about the shop is that you can also get books by emerging authors, the likes of Dave Eggers and McSweeney Journals, and all profits after overhead go to support writing programs for young people in the community. The shop has recently been renamed from The Boring Store so as not to throw off all the neighborhood spies.
Enjoy, An Urban General Store
4723 North Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60625
(773) 334-8626
www.urbangeneralstore.com
This independent retailer claims one brick and mortar location in Chicago and an online website which is also based in the Windy City. Enjoy, An Urban General Store offers tons of gag and novelty items and spokesperson Stephanie Edwards says, "Actually, I would say that a majority of the items we carry are infused with humor!" The "Masters of Merchandise" carry fantastic items like bacon coasters, chicken head masks, crazy cat lady candy, emergency inflatable toast, girl squirrel underpants and one specifically to leave on your boss' desk the night before - the "Good Morning Assh*le Mug."
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Hollywood Mirror
812 West Belmont
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 404-2044
www.hollywoodmirror.com
Hollywood MIrror is knick-knacky and kitschy with a capital "K." Where else can you find scrunchies straight out of "Saved by the Bell" and inflatable unicorns? It's the perfect place to purchase items for someone who cannot stop meandering down memory lane - clothes, jewelry, hats, socks, bags, fake mustaches, wigs and items like action figures from various decades.
Pumpkin Moon
1028 North Blvd.
Oak Park, IL 60301
(708) 524-8144
www.pumpkinmoon.com
Pumpkin Moon opened in 1995 and is still the fun and funky retro-style toy store of two decades ago filled with paraphernalia from gag gifts to collectibles. Need a super-hero tee-shirt, bobble head, wacky clock, funny card, pair of socks, yo-yo or a robot? This family-owned Oak Park shop is the cat's meow, the bee's knees and the cream of the crop. There are tin signs, books, wind-up tin toys and magnets. Items are priced from 10 cents to perhaps $50 for a collectible tin robot. For gag gifts, ask to see fart whistles and bombs, whoopee cushions, fake cigarettes, hand buzzers, fake beer, blue-mouth candy and more.
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Jacky Runice has been a columnist with the Daily Herald Chicago since grunge music and flannel was the new black. Her fingers and gray matter have been busy as travel editor of Reunions Magazine; penning a column that was syndicated around the nation via Tribune Media Services. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.
