Market value

Rural Route #1 Chicago
814 N Ashland Ave (312-421-9079, rr1chicago.com)
Sherri Wiegand’s West Town apothecary and gift shop is still known as Gapinski, the name on a sign above the door of the pharmacy that occupied the space in the ’30s. The dark wood–panelled shop keeps the vintage-pharmacy feel: The back room, once a lab, is a display space with built-in shelves now showcasing knickknacks instead of medicine vials. The store is organized by giftee—one corner is devoted to items for outdoorsy folks, another features things perfect for children (or the childlike). Take the pirate toast-stamper (1) ($3), for instance, which imprints toast with a skull and crossed-swords symbol. Use it on s-arrrr-dough bread, perhaps? Sorry.

The ’70s-inspired faux-wood Pop Ink Smorgas-board plates (2) ($36 set, $10 apiece) are perfect for your design-minded hostess friend, or a college kid ready to upgrade from stolen dining-hall plates. Turn your biking buddy’s wheels with the Resource Revival bike-chain bowl (3) ($80), made of recycled bike chains.

NEXT>>