It seems like it gets harder every year to come up with original ideas for holiday gifts.
Traditional presents such holiday sweaters and fruitcakes can become repetitive, and Northwestern students said they hope to receive something a little different this year.
“You know what I don’t want?” Weinberg freshman KC Porter said. “I do not want to get anymore of those itchy, ugly, annoying sweaters, (because) I have three of them in my closet with the tags still on from last year.”
Students who want to be more creative but don’t know where to start don’t need to look any farther than Evanston. There are plenty of stores just blocks away from campus, and in nearby Chicago, selling this year’s “it” gifts, ones that will be sure to make the list of most family and friends this holiday season.
“For gifts, we sell a lot of sweaters, a lot of 80s,” said Miguel Sanchez, sales merchandiser at Urban Outfitters, 921 Church St. “Because it’s Urban Outfitters, we like to bring a lot of that (era) back.”
The store also offers eclectic winter-themed gifts, such as warm hats, fingerless gloves and scarves with unique prints.
To get a gift that celebrates a friend or family member’s inner child, there are plenty of unique gifts for children – or just the young at heart – at Comix Revolution, 606 Davis St.
Although the store sells independent literary novels, graphic novels, comic books, action figures and other quirky finds, the store has been selling a lot of one particular toy, employees said.
“We sell a lot of Uglydolls, these little collectibles,” said Joe Shouinard, the sales associate at Comix Revolution.
“Uglydolls” are misshapen, brightly colored stuffed monsters that adorn the glass window displays of the store. There are 20 different dolls in the set, most of which can be found at the store. They might not be pretty, but they are popular, Shouinard said.
While these quirky gifts can be fun, some students simply want the latest technology.
“A lot of people want the new iPod nano,” Porter said. “Basically any new technology.”
The new iPod video nano, which costs from $149-$199 depending on amount of memory, can be found at the Apple Store on Michigan Avenue in Chicago or at Old Orchard Mall in Skokie, Ill.
The Apple Store is also home to the newly released iPod touch, the iPod with a touch screen and many of the same features found on the iPhone. The iPod touch costs between $299-$399, depending on amount of memory.
So even if you don’t yet know what to get that special someone, keep on shopping and try to keep an open mind. You never know who might really want an Uglydoll.
Reach Ryan Luong at [email protected].
