(Updated November 2024 for 2024 holiday season)
The holidays are weird for me, both personally and professionally. I’m an atheist anti-capitalist, but I still love Christmas and many of its traditions. I like giving and getting gifts, but I get hung up on avoiding chain stores and shitty corporations and mass-produced landfill. I end up paralyzed by the whole process.
Here's a Chicago-centric list of local/small, family/friend-owned businesses to support, not only during the holidays, but year-round. When you buy from these folks, know that you're feeding good people and their families, not providing an unsustainable R.O.I. for investors.
I'll start by hyping our own (very small) business, Midwest Ephemera. I don't have much in the way of products, but we're here for all your letterpress printing, design, and photography needs. Such services can be confusing and expensive, but we’re able to guide you and get excited about the process of making something truly special. Same deal with my shopmate C'mon Home… my success is linked to Matt's, so don't feel like you're going to hurt my feelings if you think he's a better fit for your project.
I'm sure in writing this list, I've forgotten many friends, sorry! If you'd like to be included, please ask!
Gifts/Apparel
Field Notes, my day job, featuring made-in-USA memo books, including "Quarterly Subscriptions" to our limited editions
Buddy part of the Lumpenverse, features products from Chicago artists.
Beside Ourselves candles, scarves, shoelaces, greeting cards
Nerfect Mr. Walters' awesome plushies, pins, artwork, lots of pugs
Shirts So Good obscure classic rock and pop culture t-shirts
Wolf Bait and B-Girls Hundreds of local arts/crafts in one shop
Draplin Design Co. (Portland, OR) hats, t-shirts, posters, gifts
Leigh McKolay Design badass-earth-mother designs
Gross Glass glass jewelry, accessories, and art
Books
Thriftbooks.com I sure wouldn't be offended if you gifted me a used book (or two) instead of spending $35 on a new one (See also: records). Thriftbooks is so cheap I kinda feel like I shouldn't tell people about it
Howling Pages Comic books/zines/graphic novels in Chicago
Open Books a great browsable local resource for used (and new) books
Quimby's a Chicago book/zine institution
Charles H. Kerr a historic Chicago publisher of leftist/labor books
Matter (Denver) the mighty Rick Griffith's bookstore/giftshop, heavy on art, design, and social issues.
Plastic Crimewave who designed our holiday cards last year, has a great new book out, and his old book compiling many of his Reader columns, as well as many zines, prints, and PCW records.
Game
Steps is a wooden-tile-throwing game developed by a scooterist named Oleksandr, in Ukraine. It's a little like reverse-Jenga, you throw tiles onto a stack trying to make it as high as possible and hope the next player knocks off some tiles. It's addictive and fun!
Records
Orbit Records the new shop in my neighborhood
Bucket O' Blood another fave, punk and horror books, movies, and records
Jump Up Chuck's Ska/Reggae online superstore
Revolver Records (Pensacola) my old pal Elvis
Everybody’s and Shake It (Cincinnati) my two favorites, anywhere.
Scooter/Motorcycle
Vespa Club of Chicago and Slaughterhouse rally merchandise.
Tarnish local shop w/great gifts, esp for women motorcyclists
Vespa Club of America store, or a gift membership
Lambretta Club USA store, or a gift membership
Support your local scooter shops and other small businesses
(Too many to list, ask for specific references based on location/needs!)
Not really a small business but i'm a big believer in BrakeFree, it's expensive but it's so simple and works great and might save your life, especially if you have a vintage 6v 5/10w taillight.
Artists/Printmakers
Starshaped Press amazing Chicago-centric hand-typeset prints
Chema Skandal posters, zines, slipmats, t-shirts
Kent Smith mixed-media pop art mashups
René Arceo wood and lino-cut prints
Ben Blount posters and books
Brad Vetter (Louisville) music posters
Rob Syers (St. Louis) Gumballhead the Cat and "Space Witches"
Phineas X. Jones paintings and prints
Steven Shay mixed-media collages, lots of Chicago content
Ron Richter (NYC) paintings
I'm lucky to have so many amazing printmaking/artist friends… let me know if you're looking for something specific and I'll point you towards it.
Hamilton Wood Type and Printing Museum / Partners in Print / Ladies of Letterpress all offer a few gift items, but more importantly offer classes and resources for new printers. If you're donating some cash this year, I'd love to see it go their way.
Experiences/Services
New Rose Catering meal delivery, events, or cooking classes
Heather Parker family/portrait/corporate photography
The Lincoln Lodge comedy events and classes
Crybaby Tattoo tattoos by Nina Flomp
Busy Beaver Button Co. for custom pins, stickers, magnets, and more
What are you doing New Year's Eve? How about the Heart of Chicago Soul Club party at the Hideout!?
Online Advent Calendar
The Advent Project is a charity online gallery of writing and art from Chicago, it makes a great gift (only $10 for you, $5 for friends)
Stop Encouraging Him
Buy Used!
Buy used! Thrift stores are a bit picked-over these days, but ask your friends and keep an eye out on the neighborhood swap lists, people have good stuff they don't use, and are often happy to sell it. Look on Etsy and eBay for long-lost souvenirs of childhood or mementos with personal relevance to a friend. Most books, records, CDs, DVDs, video games are available used for a fraction of the price and you're keeping stuff out of landfills. Have you ever seen how many $3 Crock Pots are stacked up at every thrift store? Who is buying a new Crock Pot?
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