Prop Shopping: Jewerly Wholesale Edition

Went on a fun prop run last weekend for my friend again.  Thrilling: I'm not one for shopping (it isn't really fun when you're broke), but give me an objective, an unexplored part of town, and a time limit and I'll be off to the races.  After a tip from my friend, and some research on Yelp, I headed off to Clark Street between Montrose and Wilson in Chicago where there is a stretch of jewelry wholesalers open to the public on Saturdays.  And oh boy, what a sight to behold!  Store after store of crappy inexpensive jewelry from China (or perhaps some other country from which we import gobs and gobs of bling).  And oh, the BLING!  Fake engagement rings, fake diamonds, fake gold, fake silver, and no store was without a good ole healthy sampling of chince! 

The hunt for the rings was quick, but involved scouring the counters of almost all the stores on the block to find the best deal.  I was very proud of myself for not stopping to look at all the pretty stuff (sparkly objects lure me like a moth to a flame; the feathered headbands were especially intriguing - "I could make these," I thought).  I went in and got down to business; the shopkeepers were especially helpful and if they didn't have what I needed, I moved on.  I was on a mission!

I finally found perfect little wedding bands for $10 each at this one shop, only to discover they were missing one size I needed.  On my way outside to call my friend to see what I should do, I wandered into a few more shops and sifted through the boxes behind the counters with no luck.   I was about to give up my little hunt when I entered the last store on the street, and to my delight found the exact same rings (!) in the exact sizes I needed (!) for only $3 dollars each!  And this is when I felt my first shopping high.  Oh the thrill of the bargain (now I understand how those ladies on the T. J. Maxx commercials feel)!  I simply cannot believe I found them for so cheap.

I heard the stores are only open to the public on Saturdays, but I am not sure if that is true.  If you are in Chicago on a Saturday, here is the Yelp link with some information concerning the wholesale district.  Some of the stores are nicer and easier to navigate and sift through than others, and you can find a variety of jewelry, some of it actually quite nice looking, as well as scarves, hair accessories and knock - off designer bags.  I might check it out one day when I have a little more time and cash to spend.