Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, I finally feel ready to embrace the holiday season. To kick things off, I spent my Black Friday avoiding any and all retail, getting some much needed rest, and enjoying my annual home screening of “The Muppet Christmas Carol.”
That film always puts me in the right mind and mood to begin contemplating all the things that go hand in hand with the month of December. Decorations. Family gatherings. Shopping. The latter activity is often a huge source of stress, but this year I’ve decided to alleviate my gift-giving anxieties by paying numerous visits to one of my favorite Madison Street businesses.
I first learned of Cyklopx about a year-and-a-half ago, a few months after it first opened. It was a highly exciting discovery for two reasons:
1. The shop offered an extensive selection of music, pop culture collectibles and vintage T-shirts, all of which appeal greatly to my geek girl tendencies.
2. In a long-since-abandoned novel draft, I created a character who was the sole proprietor of this exact type of establishment. Granted, I don’t have immediate plans to get back to that story, but it’s nice to know that when/if I do, I have a source of research that I can walk to.
It almost felt as if Cyklopx had been created with me in mind. I’ve visited a handful of times since and have never been disappointed by the inventory. Some choice finds include Barbie-sized New Kids on the Block dolls, Masters of the Universe action figures, and a play-set based on the 1987 Stallone film, Over the Top.
Cyklopx owner Gary Huebner sees his shop as a work in progress. “We’re an all-purpose pop culture store wrapped inside a record store,” he said. “Families can come in and have an experience. Moms can look at records while their kids enjoy the other stuff.”
The promise of one-stop-shopping is something that appeals to me during this hectic month. And I’m sure there are a lot of you who could also benefit from the convenience of finding unique gifts all under one roof. With this in mind, I encourage you to pay Cyklopx a visit. The pop culture enthusiasts in your family will appreciate it.
