I recently stopped into Ecclection, and I was impressed with the charming selection of new and…read morevintage items. This is the place to go for whimsical gifts for any age. They had some toys, body care items and great gifts for the vintage-lover in one's life. They also feature wares by local artists, which was my favorite feature of all. The shop owner was personable and available for any questions. Shops such as this often have high price points, but that was not the case at Ecclection. I look forward to returning when I have birthday and holiday gifts to purchase for gal pals.

Fantastic shop for locals and tourists alike; it's just far enough off the beaten path that I think…read morelots of tourists need to be in the know to find it. I've driven by the shop several times and wondered what it was--I saw the solidarity fist; bar? Union headquarters? I found out what it was when I ended up here to buy souvenirs when flying home to visit family. They have TONS of stuff, lots of t-shirts and sweatshirts, but also hats, glasses, mugs... even pacifiers with the Chicago flag on them (you know I bought one for the toddler). They have some standard Chicago flag stuff but they also put their spin on it with some flags made with animal paws, or maybe my favorite was the one with apples on it. I think that's what lured me in, actually; my best friend is a teacher and I wanted to get one to take to her. The guy that works there told me the story, that the teacher's union was going to strike and this was a design they had come up with and Rep CHI started printing them. I looooooove the way the Chicago flag is used as the basis of so many designs and this is one of my favorites. Prices are super reasonable and you'll find lots of great stuff here. If you have visitors, I'd definitely bring them here first to look for souvenirs. The parking is fairly easy, all street in this area of Jeff/Portage Park. And grab a few of their little buttons on the way out!

I loved discovering this shop over the weekend. They have a fully comprehensive wealth of…read moreChicago-themed items for sale. What sets them apart is that their pricing is so affordable. I will be back for Christmas gifts (even when I shop for me, to me, haha) because they have the best selections. This time, I only purchased two buttons. They are only $1. I never see buttons that affordable. I am pretty sure it was the owner behind the counter, and she was super fun and nice. If she was not the owner, she was a very devoted employee. I look forward to my next visit because this expansive shop is outstanding!

I will begin here, this location was a cricket wireless before it's closed it's doors. I began to…read morenotice someone working inside then I saw the coming soon of Raffy's giftshop. I made my stop a earlier this week to welcome the shop to the neighborhood. Rodolfo is a amazing person to speak with. The shop had a wide range of gifts, from stuffed animals, lego figures that run from 4 for 10, (sidenote I already bought a few). Women's and men's fragrance to t shirt, hats and more. Very relaxed and clean location. This shop is a welcomed addition to the area. I will be back soon.

Very overpriced, has nice fake collectibles, as well as real ones. Could use a good dusting in the…read morestore and don't buy any of the faded merchandise on the window as they lost there color.

Great business with a touch of everything Irish. The staff was very helpful and catered to my…read moreneeds. Will go back for sure.

Great stuff. Got a little pricey over the years but other then that it's still the best wit top…read morequality imports

The quality of the product is superb, and so is Gino! I…read morealways feel like I'm back in Italy when I visit. I am never disappointed when I shop there!

This place blows any Little Italy out of the water. The owner Gino Will warmly greet you and assist…read moreyou through your entire experience. You will feel like you're in Italy. He has everything from clothing to housewares, find Murano glassware, Bavarian espresso sets, stainless steel essentials and more

Nice shop in Portage Park. I stopped at Junebug and saw it there so wanted to stop in, and I'm glad…read moreI did because they have a nice selection of bath and body items. The owner said that he makes them all himself, and he also has soap making classes which is pretty cool. And apparently he's a the Park Ridge Farmer's Market as well, so I've seen him there a couple times and didn't make the connection! I bought a couple of face masks because I'm a sucker for them. They had at least three or four kinds but I stuck to just two (they're the plastic face mask kind, not like a cream or powder that you mix). I also bought some eye masks so I am totally ready for a little self-care session. In addition to hand soaps and face masks, they have accessories like sponges, towels, body butters and scrubs, and so on. They have some other home fragrance items too. Parking is on the street with use of the Chicago parking app. They have an online store too!

Sam has an absolutely beautiful store with amazing energy. Whether the products are handmade by him…read moreor cultivates from other makers with care, everything he sells is high-quality and smells amazing.

I walked by this door too many times before noticing it's an actual stationery store and printer's…read moreshop! Just browsing is fun. They have so many different kinds of journals, cards and letter writing supplies. They even have a regular letter writing Meetup. What a great way to get unplugged in a digital world! They also offer printing services. Check their website for the full list of services.

Tons of stationery items. You'll find something you like!…read more They have their own screen print studio in the back. Super cool! The owner is a graphic designer so it makes sense. Only bummer is the aisles are kinda narrow so you have to squeeze by a lot of it's super busy but otherwise it's nothing that should keep you from visiting!

I am sorry for writing this, but this place is way too disorganized. They started a book club early…read morea few months ago and did not contact me, even though I was in the area. Add this to the higher prices and a few other mishaps, I won't be back. I gave them two stars because I really appreciate them being a small business, but they have burned me too many times

Great small bookstore with little extras to pu together a bookish gift, great events, lovely owners.read more

Maximum Distractions truly houses maximum distractions--so much so that I spent at least an hour…read moredigging through boxes to see what I could unearth. There were a good amount of back issues I was interested in, but so many weren't bagged and boarded and were definitely beginning to show some shelf wear. The bigger issues, though, is that nothing is clearly organized by series--or even publisher. There had clearly been some attempts to sort things out, but without any major success. It was frustrating to say the least. The owner was nice and happy to talk to you, and his interactions with other customers of varying sorts were very friendly as well. Sadly, there was a very offering radio station playing the whole time I was there detailing 9/11 conspiracies and whether or not Hunter Biden should be in jail. The owner said it was really just 'background noise,' but it sort of started to weird me out a bit. Regardless, i found a few books I wanted and decided to head out. At checkout, I paid with cash and wasn't charged any additional sales tax--which I always appreciate.

Pretty loaded with back issues. Cool place though somewhat disorganized. The owner definitely will…read morehelp you find something. I asked for prison related comics and he had a few recs like some Amazing Spiderman issues and some comic called The Prisoner.