Strange Cargo is the best, a lot of people have said almost everything already. But at Strange Cargo, you can find an enormous shoe collection, which are all inexpensive ranging in every color of chuck taylors for guys and gals, and also the van slipper shoes. To really adorable women's shoes. I really have gotten so many shoes from here, and I think they are all fantastic, I wish I bought more. Otherwise they do have fun accessories, vintage clothes, shirts, new clothes that are pretty hip, and a neat gift area in the front with classic trading cards, posters, magnets, and george w. bush toilet paper, which is always pretty excellent. On top of it all they are really cheap. It's amazing! read more

I hate giving boring gifts so I come here to shop and I think anyone who regularly receives b-day gifts from me expects something odd but fantastic because of this store. Where else can you find New Kinds on the Block trading cards, wax lips and cat ass magnets all in one place? I have never had anything "made" here but I know people who have and I have never heard any complaints. Good selection of belt buckles and purses/bags. The shoes section is dangerous, as I might spend my entire paycheck on them betches if I am not careful. I love that they have a sign that says "NO CELL PHONES" on the door. Damn right. Yak outside. I don't wanna hear about how "wasted" you got last night. No one cares. read more

Been going to this place for years & have gotten some sweet shirts, shoes, and other items from them. Every time I walk in, it seems like there's something new that I haven't seen on my last visit. Anyway, where else are you gonna go for an original Mark "The Bird" Fydrich Detroit Tigers iron on? The staff is exceptional, and I've had a number of conversations with the owners (2 brothers). Even when they're slammed, both they and their staff always made me feel like I was an important customer. It's also a good spot to occasionally bump into famous band members before shows - though the staff will never boasts about it (yeah, the place is that kind of cool). After trying out a lot of places to find cool t-shirts and assorted gift items, I always wind up coming back to Strange Cargo. Referred a bunch of friends there for their team shirts as well and have gotten nothing but thanks for the recommendations. So now I'm passing the insider tip on to you, you lucky dog... And speaking of dogs, be sure to say hello to Rocky when you shop there. He's very friendly and appreciates the attention (when he's not snoozing in the back)! read more

"Strange Cargo, for the fashionable mother f**cker" - Yes Strange Cargo, Yes. Any establishment that would place this on a t-shirt already has me pretty much smitten, but that's not why I give this place 5 stars in the 'place I go to get t-shirts made' category. My ratings are solidly based on the following facts: 1) This place is just damn amusing, so much to look at, so many funny choices when looking at the different things you can place on a tshirt 2) They get the darn tshirts done when they say they will 3) You can pretty much get anything you want on a tshirt, including my personal past favorite when I had them put "Kiss me I'm Ambiguously Ethnic" on a St. Pat's tshirt to highlight my multi-ethnic background...imagine trying to spell 'ambiguously' and not having anyone bat an eyelash! They are slightly expensive but hell - you're getting a one of a kind piece of history my friend, so go ahead and splurge on that $30 My Little Pony shirt with your last name on the back, you'll be glad you did. read more

Amazing place. We are soooo excited to get our t-shirts. I ordered them this week but forgot to pick them up. If there is any chance the store is open tomorrow before 11AM please email dyork85518@gmail.com or call the number on the YORK order. Would be much appreciated b/c we really need the shirts before 11AM!!! Thank you!!!! We love this place! read more

The staff members who help with the custom t-shirt service are so helpful and friendly! They will help with any questions you have and recommend the best route for your design as well as the most cost efficient options. This is also a very convenient place to find random and unique gifts for people, or yourself! read more

Fun! Fun! Fun! Kitsch! Kitsch! Kitsch! My eyes bug out of my head every time I enter this store. Every time I come here I see something hilarious or surprising and then I dart around the store shouting to whomever I am with, "Look at this...Oh, wait, look at this! LOOK AT THIS!" Tons of funny, trendy, off-centered, pop-culture influenced t-shirts. You can get old-school sports tees, or current ones. There's up-to-date players and well as classics. Lots of puns, timely jokes, etc. Tees with Ditka, Lou, Ozzie, Fukudome, Zambrano, Lovie, Cutler etc, making the players and coaches into icons. Totally rad! They don't just cater to the sports fans, though. I'm sure they're catering to the audience with the store being so close to Wrigley. TV shows, movies, political figures, musicians, all in t-shirt form. They customized shirts too...There's a wall filled with designs to choose from. And they carry other thrift-store clothing, not just the lovely tees. And the shoes! Tons of Chucks, people, in all sorts of colors...Fab! And good deals too. I think my sis walked out of here with some cute flats for $10. Sweet! There's all sorts of trading card goodies in the front by the registers. They have NKOTB trading cards, people! I had those when I was a tween (but we weren't called that back then). Lots of other throwbacks too....Garbage Pail Kids! I wish I knew what I did with mine... Strange Cargo offers so much and is pretty inexpensive. Even if you're not looking to buy, you'll see plenty you want. And, you'll leave with a smile on your face from some ridiculous-ness you just read on one of their shirts... read more

Strange Cargo is a psuedo vintage clothing spot where you can find a retro guinness t-shirt is green, red, yellow and all sizes. It also has plenty of cool Cubs gear so you can dress up and pretend like you've been a fan all along. It's too expensive to really be vintage, but if you hate sorting through piles of t-shirts you are more likely to find what you're looking for here. read more

Strange Cargo - I reccomend the "neat stuff" - Screen Printing/T-Shirt Printing Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Finding a store that you can get a gift for damn near ANYONE in your life is rare... let alone without spending your whole paycheck... All the folks who work there are pretty rad in general. They are all about supporting local business, helping you make the perfect personalized t-shirt, or keeping your old school garbage pale kid trading card collection up to the highest of quality. The price is almost always reasonable, and every piece of jewelry or shoe I wear from there land me compliments literally every time I wear them. The place can get really crazy at times (cubs season, what?), yet the staff keeps it together. Go get a t-shirt made. Go buy a talking pee wee doll. Heck, just go in and look at the rad postcard collection. You cannot walk into this place without feeling a smile creep over your face. read more

Went here for a pattys t shirt and had a really hard time picking out a shirt. Once I picked a shirt out and the started to make it I wished I picked a different one. The girl Nicki was so nice and offered to put my first one on the rack and make another! I was so excited I was jumping up and down! 5 stars read more

Strange Cargo is a life savor! I bought 10 t-shirts for my sisters bachelorette party thinking I would bedazzle them and iron on myself..... YA that didn't work out. Came here with my design and they were able to use the shirts I bought and do them in the same day!!! Here we come NASHVILLE!!! read more

Friendly staff. Will design the shirt right infront of you on the computer so you know what you are getting. For the price, I would have liked a better quality t-shirt but it is still worth it. They also have neat throw back items great place for gifts read more

I decided to check out Strange Cargo's website when I was searching for a specific t-shirt. Didn't find exactly what I was looking for, but found other shirts that I knew would be appreciated. All was well on their site until I couldn't enter my credit card information. I was running errands all day and had to go to a store down the street and I got parking about 2 businesses down, so what the heck...I'm going in! Funny thing is, I've been coming here since I was about 16, maybe even younger, and I've thought the service could go either way. Today was different. Immediately upon entering I heard a friendly "hello, how are you?" (or something to that extent) while I browsed the shirts. I think the guy could tell I was a little lost, so I explained to him what happened online and he said he was sorry and would give me 10% off. I suspect they were just giving a percent off, but that's cool, I'll take it! As I'm placing my shirt order he tells me it's deceiving, but the shirt color I want doesn't go well with the design. Definitely appreciated his input/honesty because I would have been pissed if I got the shirt and the design didn't show up well. Everyone here was super friendly! Now, I'm someone who loses aviators often, or I break them. Whatever the case, I buy cheap ones because of this. My last pair was found on Venice Beach, and since I don't plan on going to Cali anytime soon....I was left to online ordering. Don't know why I didn't think to come here before....because they had multiple types! I got two, assuming one will be lost or broken in the near future. The plus is they were only ten and I'm used to paying $15 plus shipping, or $15....I like saving money. Truth be told, there are definitely some things here I've found at Uncle Fun's for cheaper (like the vintage Cubs sticker)..........but Uncle Fun's can be a bit overpriced on some things too. It really depends. Strange Cargo doesn't have completely ridiculous prices, and they definitely have some random things. This last experience definitely makes me want to come back, because to be honest, I was kind of dreading it based on my last memories of this place. Also, the shirts look great! Hopefully the joke doesn't go over the boy's head, otherwise I just got myself a new shirt. read more

This is definitely a sweet store.. they've got all the old school stuff you used to love when you were a kid, like garbage pail cards, and then they've got awesome vintage tshirts and cheap shoes and bags! They've got tons of patches and they makle iron on clothes for pretty cheap! Be careful to check your shirt though, they gave me the wrong size :( read more

Strange Cargo - Screen Printing/T-Shirt Printing Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great for cheap Cubs stuff for when you come across some tickets for a game that starts in half an hour and you want to look appropriate. Quick and friendly. read more

This place has really cool T-shirt designs. I definitely suggest coming here. You can even design your own T-shirt.

Such an awesome place. They were able to turn around a large tank top order for my company very quickly and just in time for Pride. Thank you so much, everyone loves their tanks! read more

This is a fun place to create a costume, or just get a good pair of used jeans or shoes. 70s kitsch and nostalgia is the overall theme, and there's plenty of interesting stuff to dig through, from trading cards to games. Leather jackets and t-shirts are also a specialty. Not exactly cheap, but if you find what you want it's probably worth it. read more

Strange Cargo - Screen Printing/T-Shirt Printing Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Ha ha. I love Strange Cargo. If I had lived in Chicago and found this store when I was a teenager I would have never had money for the giant triple mochas I used to drink, because I would have spent my whole allowance here. Even as an adult, I love this place. Thanks to Strange Cargo, I have a Neil Diamond shirt. And my SO has a Starship shirt. Super fun. They also have a small selection of non-iron-on clothes, and sometimes you can find a cute piece. They have a decent selection of shoes, too. read more

They have garbage pail kids here!! Went here three times when I went to visit a friend last weekend in Chicago. Bought a St. Pattys Day shirt, a pair of $20 vans, knick knacks, and garbage pail kids...! read more

I have a Tug of Heart relationship with this place but I'm glad this place exists. I hate that their t-shirts are almost see-through (whites) but I love that they are so so so soft. I hate that for one t-shirt & print I dished out $22 bucks but I love that they do it so quickly (less than 10 minutes). I hate the dorkiness and quirkiness of this place but I love the dorkiness and quirkiness of this place :-) read more

Maybe this store has lost its luster for me since a) I'm no longer in high school, and b) it is now over-run with Lincoln Park Chads & Trixies searching for some t-shirts and shoes guaranteed to be a conversation starter so they can pick up. There are now entire racks dedicated to overpriced Cubs shirts, Sox shirts, and Bears shirts. You can get better deals at thrift stores, people. And these shirts are all the same. You could outfit the entire shopping population within a one-block radius and it would be like pod people. They still have some cute shoes, some of which are reasonably priced, and have a toy/goodie section. But what I really used to like about this store was the fact that it had original, fun, quirky tees. Now, you can pick up most of this stuff at any number of stores, and you won't be the only one. My, how times change. read more

This place rocks!!! I picked up a custom shirt here when I was in Chicago on the way to my first Cubs game at Wrigley, what an experience!!!..it was tough to choose what shirt to get there were so many I would have wanted to pick up. So when I got back to LA I decided to check out if they had an online store and low and behold they do....SWEEEETTTT!!! I think I'll have a few more shirts shipped my way...at $5 shipping no matter how many you order...dang that's a great bargain!!! read more

Strange Cargo - Screen Printing/T-Shirt Printing Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Really good gift ideas! If you can't think of anything better to get a friend, put a picture of them on a tee, send it to them, and bam... instant laughter. There is nothing more fun than wearing a shirt with a picture of yourself on it. It elates the narcissistic in all. read more

Awesome place. I love the odds and ends they have. And its all pretty cheap. They also have some awesome shoes that I love and they are cheap too! I haven't gotten a shirt made there, but I know if I ever need one, they're the ones I'm gonna go to...I'm not really sure why I didn't give them 5 stars...maybe its because their service was kind of lame...I mean it wasn't bad, just not really good. p.s. the wigs look awesome! don't touch them though! read more

I must have passed this place a hundred times, looking in the windows amused at the cool custom print t-shirts and mountains of nostalgia swag....but I never went in. Recently I wanted a specific t-shirt printed up and this place came to mind. I searched the (well presented) website first and decided I wanted the shirt ASAP so I called. The guy who answered was cool about answering questions and told me a custom shirt would only take about 5 minutes. So off i went. From the moment I walked in the door EVERYONE who worked there was super friendly. I showed them the graphic I wanted. They helped me pick a good color and again told me it would only take five minutes....it DID NOT take five minutes. It took 4!! This place kicks ass! Really cool random items. I found old concert promo prints that were awesome. I also found some really cool shoes in this joint. Stange Cargo-You're doing it right!!! read more

When I was in college, I designed a handful of t-shirts at a similar shop. Armed with nothing but a vague idea, I'd describe my vision to a graphic designer, who'd transform my hazy suggestions into a t-shirt on trend. A friend and I used Strange Cargo to design t-shirts for shirts for a bar crawl, missing for that shop in Columbia, MO, all the while. We spent almost an hour trying on tanks and tees from the (unorganized) racks without much guidance from the staff, looking for a fit that would work for everyone in our group. (While the store was busy, I wish a salesperson would've suggested a few styles that flatter everyone!) When we finally settled on a style, we were told the shirts were unavailable; after asking around, the sales team agreed to order more in time for our bar crawl. We spent another 45 minutes trying to perfect our design. Remembering the shop in our college town, we thought the staff would be able to provide a custom creative design, but Strange Cargo seemed more comfortable with straightforward orders. By the end, I could tell the salesman was tired of us. (The words "pain in the ass" might've been thrown in our direction.) In the end, I realized Strange Cargo probably isn't the place to go for painstaking custom t-shirts, but if you're looking for a kitschy gift or quick tee, it would be a perfect spot. read more

I was looking to create a shirt for my brother-in-law for Christmas. I emailed them to verify that I could bring in my own shirt (because my brother-in-law wears a 3XLT). They said I could indeed and that they could easily screen whatever I wanted said on it. I was a little nervous when I walked in, however, they took care of me easy peasy. I gave them the shirt. Emailed them what I wanted written on it. And BAM! 90 minutes later, it was created! From the looks/sound of things, if you are getting one of their designs it comes out even faster. read more

Life felt (almost) complete when I first moved to Chicago and found this incredible store :) I mean, where else can you find such fine, woven goods printed with anything from tupac, to teenage mutant ninja turtles, to custom slogans?! It is a great find for custom t-shirts that literally take 30 min and is my go-to for any fun inside jokes or gaga gifts. read more

I always see something I love, but walkaway empty handed. Lots of cool things and interesting shirts, but a little too high priced considering I can go to a Village and find the same thing. Love their shoe dept. though. Maybe next time I'll find something I REALLY want to shell $15 for. read more

!!!!Warning stuff alert!!!! Cool store with lots of crap and a great selection of vans. And half-cabs at that. Too bad they didnt have my size due to the fact that I have chicken feets.... But if you want 90210 baseball cards and shrits with booze on them come here.... read more

While I enjoy all the "Neat Stuff" inside this review is about their shirt making abilities. Imagine: Three girls trying to find a store to make 15 shirts all slightly different for a college homecoming trip...in 2 days...the weekend of Halloween. We were literally laughed out of another shirt making store which shall remain nameless. My friend called and they said they could get it done in our 36 hour deadline. I brought in all the shirts, they were extremely friendly, super nice and when we picked up the shirts the next day they were AWESOME and not to mention cheaper than some of the other places we'd looked. They saved the day and our weekend - THANK YOU! read more

Strange Cargo is like a life raft in a sea of reveling Cubs fans. Initially attracted by the cheeky t-shirts (which I think they BROUGHT to Chicago), I now enjoy shopping there for the vintage sunglasses and shoes. I've had t-shirts custom-made for both personal and business use. In each case, the quality was very high, the turnaround time was fast and the price was right. I've even been able to put my company logo on unusual items like aprons and dri-weave shirts (for running). A total Wrigleyville gem! read more

The shipping process just takes way too long. We tried thinking ahead and allowed plenty of time for packing and shipping, and received a notification that our label was created. But then no status updates for over a week. Obviously the company is poorly managed and unorganized. Frustrated as they aren't exactly cheap and can't do something as simple as getting your order to you on time. read more

I love this store. I got a cute top to wear to a Bears game. I ended up getting a few other things as well. I got a friend a tshirt with a quote that she says all the time and she always gets compliments on it. I found some cute sweaters and sneakers there. That reminds me I need to go back for some slippers to rock to work. There is something for everybody there. Strange Cargo is the store Urban Outfitters wishes it was. read more

Strange Cargo is one of the best stores ever. I have probably a dozen shirts from here. A tee with a random dude giving the finger, my Tom Selleck shirt (which is going to get me laid one of these days, I swear to God), numerous Cubs shirts, lots of witty, fun things to wear. And you can make your own shirt. I am going to make shirts for the Gay Pride parade for us at work, today, actually. It's a great store to browse in. Check out the sale section, I have so many awesome shirts that were only $5. They have shoes and accessories (sp?) but I mostly go for the cool tops. The people are nice, quirky but nice. Goto this store next time you are in Wrigley. Update: I had awesome shirts made for the Pride parade. I needed four shirts for us beer kids; I was having trouble picking out the lettering, colors, etc. The stoner dude was very patient and helpful, he didn't seem at all bothered that I took forever to make a decision (he was stoned, so...). And our shirts turned out great. We look so gay and so full of pride. :) Highly recommend. read more

This situation made me upset enough to register for Yelp just to write this review. I got a couple shirts made up and when I first got them, I wasn't too pleased with the quality of the transfer. The area that was "clear" was totally visible as a rectangle on the shirt. I had hoped that it would get better with a washing, but it actually got worse. Makes me mad cause I also made the same shirt for a friend as a going away present, and now it just looks cheap. I'd assume that it has something to do with the colors of the image I put on the shirt, or the color of shirt that I chose, but if this is a major part of your business doing shirt transfers, you think they'd be able to advise me enough to where this wouldn't happen. I'm willing to try other shirt places now before I go back to Strange Cargo for a transfer. (Please note that this review only pertains to the shirt transfers, not other products). read more

Strange Cargo makes anything and everything possible! This was my third trip to their store and every time I am more and more pleased with their quality and customer service. Shoutout to Nikki for working with me, seeing my vision and creating a shirt that not only met my expectations but exceeded them! You rock, girl! If you need one shirt or 100 they'll make it happen and you won't be disappointed. Thanks to the awesome employees for your Fantastic work! read more

Currently working with Strange Cargo on a custom t-shirt order for a group. The staff is awesome! Responsive, helpful, friendly whether you're in the store or working with them via e-mail. Rebecca helped me price out options that worked within my budget (!!). The store in Andersonville also has a ton of sample brands/sizes to try on before you order. Based on the great customer service so far, I expect that finalizing the order and print job should be a breeze! read more

Great screen printing. They always have clever T-shirts in the window. Someone in here (if not everyone) is incredibly creative. Large selection. Quick printing turn around time. Reasonable Prices. read more