12 Days of Bridgeport Christmas (condensed version)

We're posting the 12 Days of Christmas article here in installments over the next 4 days to give you some ideas of what you can grab in the neighborhood for your gifting needs. Enjoy!

The 12 Days of Christmas: A Bridgeport Gift Guide
By Kristin Ostberg & Lynn Barnett

Been procrastinating with your shopping? Well, we’ve got the gift guide for you. We bet there’ll be at least one thing on this list that will surprise you – and it proves you don’t have to leave the neighborhood to get great gifts. It has been a tough year for retailers, which is an even better reason to spend your money here in Bridgeport!

1. On the First Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me… One Traditional Tattoo

If you want to get your sweetheart something that will last forever, but don’t want to choose the wrong thing, consider buying a gift certificate to use at Bridgeport Tattoo Company (3527 South Halsted). Bridgeport Tattoo has walls full of traditional designs, and a reputation for doing very good work, safely, and for a fair price. The folks in the shop say a tattoo the size of a deck of cards typically runs about $150, but they can do smaller or simpler designs for $100 or less, or much larger ones for $100 an hour. http://www.bridgeporttattooco.com/

2. On the Second day of Christmas… Two Diamond Earrings

A friend of the Bridgeport International raves about Oscar’s Watch & Jewelry, now at 3505 South Halsted. Our friend had scoured Jeweler’s Row on Wabash, looking for an engagement ring. Then he walked into Oscar’s and found the perfect, distinctive, ring-set right here in Bridgeport. He says the quality was as good as anything he’d seen elsewhere, and the price was better. Oscar Serna first set up shop as a jeweler in Bridgeport in 1977. The shop has many types of fine jewelry & watches, and also repairs both on the premises. Want something extra special? They offer custom design work, as well. http://www.oscarswatchandjewelry.com

3. On the Third Day of Christmas… Three Brawling Monsters

Monster Island Toys (3335 S. Halsted) carries a wide range of action figures, but it’s best known for its Japanese monsters, including Godzilla, and the other beasts he fought with. Owner Loris Basso says he is the only Godzilla dealer in Illinois. He has customers who drive days from Canada to shop the store in person. But lately, between the recession and the big box sore options, there haven’t been enough of them. He may close the store at the end of January, depending on how the holiday sales go. Now’s the time to stock up! Some of the figures become collector’s items rapidly. A model of Ghdorah –a 3 headed dragon on display in the store’s counter–retailed for $25 when it came out a few years ago, and is trading for $100 today. http://www.monsterislandtoys.com/