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Categories: Used, Vintage & Consignment, Cards & Stationery [Edit]
Neighborhood: Ukrainian VillageMon-Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
"I ordered congratulations flowers for a friend of mine and I got an email within an hour of me placing the order that the flowers were…" read more »
Pistol Bazaar is a kitchy-cool explosion. Beyond awesome vintage pieces, PB has old records (yep, I said "records" - I'm not cool enough to call it "vinyl"), letterpress cards, and other wares by local artists.
But the clothes! PB has a wonderful selection of dresses in a range of styles/eras. I scored an early-70's version of Hawaiian luau attire and the perfect frock to wear on Easter at the Kennedy Compound in Hyannisport circa 1960. Jet and set.
Small bummer: only one dressing room. If you go on a weekend, you are guaranteed to wait as there's at least one other girl jonesing to try on her finds.
Vintage prowlers...come hither. You will like.
Hats, shoes, scarves, dresses, dresses, dresses, skirts, shirts, boys, womens, accessories. Funky little shop that supports local artists and brings together urban + vintage. I like.
Prices: Average. I bought a pretty rad red silk dress (with high neck and belted waist!) for $29, in perfect condition. It's certainly not Salvation Army prices (duh), but the selection is expansive, and the condition is generally of good quality. My only beef was that I tried on another blue flowy dress...and they had left the price tag on there from wherever it had been rescued from...$15. Pistol Bazaar price: $29. Well, ok...fine, I realize the work that goes into finding these pieces, transporting, cleaning, etc...and of course, they need to make a profit. But, pay attention to details...REMOVE THE OLD TAGS. Ok, there I said it. I might've even bought that one, but I resisted, on principle.
Accessories: Very good stuff, but in my humble (thrifty) opinion, a tad overpriced for the pieces. There's a mish-mash of local designers, vintage finds, etc...but $12 for a plastic bracelet? Hmmm. Plastic is plastic, vintage or not. The belts are worth checking into, however.
Dressing Room: There is one. If you are tall, watch out. I nearly knocked the light fixture off the ceiling when wiggling into one of these dresses. :) ha!
Overall: A must-see on the vintage circuit...
Now, an occasion to wear my fabulously-unduplicated-anywhere-else red frock with black squigglies? I'll let you know... :)
what a fun store with lots of cool bits of every sort of odds and ends here. local, urban, vintage, artsy, pricy sometimes....
you can spend at least an hour browsing through their wide selection. one time i was in here and i saw so many things i wanted, i left empty handed only because i couldn't make up my mind. i came back a few short days later and mulling over it combined with some of my choices having been sold, i got what i was supposed to get.
This store is adorable. There are all kinds of great things hidden all over, and once you think you've seen everything there, you stumble upon something else you really want. They also have one of the best collections of vintage dresses I've seen in a while, and they're organized by color, which I for some reason really appreciate.
It's great place and I'll definitely be back.
Oh, Knee Deep, you've just gotten some major competition for my hard-earned cash.
Pistol Bazaar sells adorable, affordable vintage accessories, shoes, and clothes. As Hollie points out, the dress selection is pretty phenomenal, and the range of sizes they carry is impressive. They also have a small men's selection.
Most importantly, there's a store pet. He's a beautiful dog named John, and occasionally the owner (also super nice and a roller derby player) will let him loose from behind the counter to play with customers. Being down the street from Permanent Records, with its precious cat Zaireeka, I'm starting to wonder if Ukrainian Village/Noble Square has more pet-friendly shops.
Fuck the economic downturn--please take all my money, Pistol Bazaar. Thanks!
I give Pistol Bazaar a third star because they support local artists who put a lot of love into their craft -- hand knitted beautiful scarves, prints and jewelry. They also hold art shows to draw people in.
The first time I came in here was about ...three months ago and I found a great black dress with tiny polka dots on it.. classic and it fit well. I am very picky about my vintage stores though -- and I noticed a lot of wear and stains on the clothing here.
But the most discouraging thing about Pistol Bazaar was that when I came in with a friend from out of town last week, I saw a lot of the same clothing that I saw months ago! I would prefer more of a rotation ..
This is my absolute favorite vintage store in Chicago.
I needed some unique dresses for a photoshoot and this place delivered. Almost everything I tried on was amazing, and the price is SO right.
If you are a great customer, the owner will treat you to a free photo session with the in-house photo booth. You can even grab some props to make it extra fun.
very adorable little shop, with plenty of vintage dresses. slightly more pricey than is broke college kid affordable, but i go anyway, because where else can you get a legit beaded 50's cocktail dress for $42?
The store and the Owners are adorable. Its a great find and for a small store there is a lot to look at so be ready to spend some time...looking and trying things on...its fun and a nice way to spend an afternoon.
The prices are great and the clothes are clean,amazing! I found a nice vintage coat and it was in awesome condition, so I am a happy camper. I definetly will have to check in more often as I love getting something fabulous on a small budget.
Sometimes you just have to let some things go....
Like that 1950's dress with the shattered silk that has been there since day 1. Sorry girls, its expensive and completely unwearable. It was most recently in the window.
I also have to let this shop go. I always thought the lighting is bad but I now believe I know the reason. The clothing is in appalling condition. Stained, ripped and various other ick factors. Don't think they'll disclose these things with a simple "as-is" remark on the tag either. I recently bought a dress with 3 different kinds of stains that weren't visible in the store. I'm a pretty careful shopper too, I go by the window, hold it up to the light etc. When I went to wear it I was just pissed. Sure, it seemed like a more than fair price when I bought it, but when you consider all the damage, I would have left it at the thrift if it was marked anything higher than 90 cents on half off day.
Although their prices seem low, I think they're actually high for what you get.
It also seems to be in a constant state of disarray, like they are moving things around, but it is every time I walk in.
All that negative said, the girls working have always been nice and friendly and I love that big ol' dog!
I really wanted to love you! Please up the cleaning, quality and lighting and I'll be back.
Never knew this place existed till i yelped it. Then on the ride over i passed it before turning around to find it. No sign, but look for a yellow facade with black windows. Just west of paulina-
Expect to pay at least $17 for western shirts- that seems pretty reasonable given the current state of our lovely economy, the cost to run a boutique, a vintage shirt and an original look. Think about that each time you complain about prices. Hmm...
$13.44 for a beautiful vintage vest that fits to the T. Tailored.
Pretty good selection of men's although would like to see more outerwear offered-
Was I in the same store that all these other reviewers were in? I found a lot of the clothes unwearable, overpriced, and in not-so-great condition. The staff barely acknowledged me and I walked out with nothing.
If vintage finds are what you need, Pistol Bazaar is the place to be.
It's quirky: mannequins in the front window are immediate evidence. It's fun: the name says it all. It's affordable: my fun vintage apron cost $10.
For those of you unsure of your vintage calling, Pistol Bazaar is still the place to be.
There is a fun jewelry collection, much of which is modern and crafted by local artisans. They also have a great selection of cards-- a little off-color, a little strange, a little make-your-own-- all are sure to make you giggle.
And, like many West Town retailers, it passes my ultimate test: Miss Molly (the dog) can shop with me. In fact, Pistol Bazaar has its own furry greeters that are sure to put a smile on your face if the window display doesn't get you first.
I am a vintage dress lover, and constantly always on the prowl for awesome vintage dresses.
Well, they have them. And tons of other great vintage clothes, and they are appropriately priced, which makes it even better!
This is going to be a regular stop for me - love love love this place!
This place can be can very hard to find so pay attention when you are on the 66 bus. A lot of great clothes for boys and girls and there's a rack in the back that will blind you with the power of sequins.
The owner or worker there was really helpful and asked my opinion on what I liked or didn't like in the store so you just know that they have good taste. I told her that there is too much to like in case you wanted to know what I said and then proceeded to buy nothing that particular day.
I"m not a boutique person so I the reason I went was 'cause i had free time to kill.
It was cute and stuff. But I really don't wear vintage clothing ever. Or wear jewelry. Or wear pretty feminine shoes.
And really don't care for the boutique-y prices.
So I can't tell you how it compares to others.
They have two dogs in there who are adorable and want to be petted all the time.
I got a really cool wallet which appears to be vintage and looks cool so I was proud of myself.
There are some hand made cards too.
I couldn't tell their open hours though.
Woman working there was really nice. and they have a cool vintage cash register.
I was only in there for a bit but I liked what I saw. A lot.
Plus, they sell my jewelry. So yay to that.
I may have been a bit harsh in my original review... perhaps a premature evaluation of the joint. I had a friend friend in town who was eager to stop in given his affection for vintage ensembles and to my surprise, I found a lovely blouse that I now call my own. The young lady working was really nice and although the prices are still a bit high for my thrifty approach to thrift-stores, I no longer shun pistol bazaar.
Hipster haven. My best friend would love this place where ugly is the new black. There are slim… Read more »
I went in on Sunday to bring them some of my Rhymes with Twee cards to sell. My friend Erica (littepretty) is selling her cards there too and they had a limited but quality selection of handmade goods. Pistol Bazaar is a treasure trove of vintage finds including shirts, dresses, shoes, and jewelry. Sure, you'll pay more than you would if you had found them yourself at thrift stores, but you didn't and they did! They also buy on consignment if you have vintage goods you're trying to unload. I was told they sell from the 50's through the 80's. They also have a photobooth. Plus, they are open until 7pm so you can hit them up on a week night if you have a 9-5 job to support your buying of vintage goods.
Neighborhood: Ukrainian Village
Category: Used, Vintage & Consignment
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