Holiday shopping can be a pain in the butt. Once you’ve managed to find the time to go shopping, you have to drive all the way to the mall – good job, you’ve spent money even before your shopping has started – and walk through the chaos of children screaming to see Santa and stores resembling the after-effects of Katrina.
It’s no wonder why this is the most stressful time of the year.
To try and ease some of that stress, here are some great local places where you can get creative with your gift-giving while putting your hard-earned money into the community. Not only do these places have something for everyone on your list, but now you can go shopping with some friends without having to spend a ton of money on gas or fighting in the jungle you might face in a typical mall.
1. Fantasy Attic Costume:
When walking through Depot Town, this shop might come off as more of an adult-store, rather than a place where you can find a gift for your younger sibling, but in truth, it has both. Along with great Halloween or Holiday Costume Party outfits, the store also has fake swords, Snookie rhinestone-studded sunglasses and fake-tattoos.
Of course, that’s not to say the store doesn’t have some holiday-related outfits for you and your lover. Fantasy Attic Costume has both PG- and R-rated Santa costumes for whatever your needs.
Store hours are Monday-Wednesday 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. , Thursday and Friday 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. and Saturday 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
2. Kim’s Resale Shop:
This Depot Town shop is the perfect place to shop for any friend or relative who loves oldies or hipster stuff. There are small trinket statues for the decorator in your life, as well as beautifully crafted tea sets and old magazines and boxes for the 50s-style kitchen your parents always dreamed of.
Whether it’s for your grandmother or that total hipster roommate of yours, there’s some old-fashioned jewelry that will bring out the color in any outfit. For your nephew, there are old baseball card sets, View Masters and model cars. Everything is at a fairly decent price, too, such as $3.00 for an old record.
Overall, if you have a little bit of time to search around, there’s a lot of really cool stuff to be found.
Store hours are every day from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. excluding Wednesdays.
3. Dennis’ Music Shop:
“Got Music” reads a sign in the store window, and the answer is yes, yes Dennis’ does. For any musician or music fan, Dennis’ is the best place in Depot Town to satisfy your loved ones need.
Dennis’ has literally anything music-related, from posters of famous bands, to a wall of for-sale guitars to luminescing neon guitar string. For the person who already has a guitar or set of drums, you might be willing to pay for music lessons for him/her at Dennis’ or – the cheaper route – teach-yourself books for your loved one.
Store hours are Monday from 12-5 p.m., Tuesday-Friday from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.
4. The Mix:
When walking through Down Town Ypsilanti, the Mix is a must-stop shop if you have any really good female friends. There are purses, notebooks, bags and general holiday-related items on one side of the shop; it overall resembles a Hallmark Store.
As you walk deeper into the store, there are more clothing items, even designer clothing such as Match Point and Chalet. The store also has gently used clothing ranging from homecoming dresses to more professional suit jackets, and – of course – shoes.
Perhaps you were looking for more artistic items? Local painters sell some of their work in Mix, and there are also African masks and sculptures to help decorate any home. Best of all, Mix works with the Eagle-Card Discount and plays WEMU in the store.
5. The Rocket:
If you or any of your friends have an inner child, The Rocket is the place to go. There’s Bacon Chap Stick, a public-toilet survival kit, “Hello, my name is Indigo Montoya” t-shirts, Marie Antoinette (with head-ejecting ability) and Jesus action figures and a whole section dedicated to mustaches.
The store, jammed pack with as many goodies as possible, specializes in humor. While you might not find a meaningful gift for you 90-year-old grandparents, you will probably be
able to find something to make each of your friends, siblings and professors laugh.
Store hours are from 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. on Monday through Saturday and on Sunday from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
