Male call: Where's the manly shopping?
Where the boys are... shopping
PHOTOS BY JEN FARIELLO
As the sun rises on Friday, November 28, a certain scenario– admittedly a rank stereotype and potentially sexist to boot– is likely to play out all over Charlottesville and Albemarle. Perhaps it is best expressed in traditional couplet form:
From her bed she arises, a glow in her eyes,
Dreams of socks, shirts, and sweaters in just the right size.
Beside her a man, for whom shopping is dread,
"Go without me," he pleads, "leave me here in the bed!"
Today is the peak shopping day of the year,
For her it brings pleasure, for him only fear!
But take heart, gentle man, today needn't be bad!
For intrepid souls, there is fun to be had!
We've scoured the city– the lows and the highs,
To find shopping places for all types of guys,
From nuts, bolts, and screws to top-dollar wax,
Browsing for gun parts, you'll surely relax.
So spring from that bed and head for the car
With wallet stuffed fullyou needn't go far.
Eyes all atwinkle and smile big and bright,
Tell your belov'd, "See you later tonight."
Specialty Fasteners of Charlottesville
Owner: Bill Pollard
Address: 137 Burgess Lane
Phone: 296-2360
Established: 1993
Hot product: big bolts
Oh my, here you are at Specialty Fasteners with your shopping list in your back pocket. What looks good?
Grommets, dowels, screws, hitches, nuts, bolts, lags, keys, locks, couplers, rivets, pins, spikes, washers, pegs, brads, and bits. What would she like? It's so hard to choose.
Well, the Dust Buster is broken, and she's been complaining about that. Hmmm. Maybe a fan belt will solve that problem and bring a smile to her face on Christmas morning.
And how about that bathroom towel rack hanging at 45 degrees? Wouldn't she be surprised if a little "elf "magically installed just the right screw to make her washcloth hang straight?
Plus, just think what your reward might be when she opens the tiny box and finds the exact washer to make that kitchen sink stop dripping. There's no telling what fun you could have on Christmas night after she opens gifts like these from Specialty Fasteners.
Owners: Chris and Colin Dougherty
Address: 900 Preston Avenue
Phone: 971-8900
Established: 2003
Hot product: racing seats
CDOC
Okay, it's a splurge. After all, you can pick up a model car at Toys R Us for under $20. But it's not a GMP, that's for sure, and just think of the fun you and junior will have putting these babies together. So what if the model you have your heart set on is $600? Can you really put a price on father-son bonding?
At CDOC, a super high-end car parts and accessories shop, only the best is on display (they do most of their business through their website, cdoc.com). Those high-tech models start at a reasonable $45 and run up into the hundreds of dollars.
And now that you've settled on junior's present, what about Dad? His car was looking a little dull the other day. Why not pick him up a jar of Zyman car wax? They make all kinds, including some that are specific to types of cars Volvos and Saabs, to name a few (no Chrysler wax sorry, Pops). For the ultra-enthusiast or professional racer, there's a $2,000 jar. But it comes with free refills. And you did just get a gold card...
Georgetown Farm Market
Owner: Georgetown Farm/Edgar Bronfman Sr.
Address: 616 Albemarle Square
Phone: 978-4067
Established: 2002
Hot product: $800 bison rug
What could be manlier than meat? Your brother Don loves his grill more than his girl he'll be so stoked when he opens that 10-pound rib eye! (Note to self don't forget to wrap in plastic bag first.) Plus his fiancée, Louella, has been on the Atkins diet for six months two birds with one stone!
And talk about a gift to top them all! How 'bout a cup made out of buffalo testicles for your best friend Luther? (It's a special-order item.) Imagine his face when he tries to explain to Grandma what that little cup's made of ! But hey, he did say he wanted to have a ball on Christmas...
Harry A. Wright's
Owner: Alex Wright
Address: 1320 E. Market St.
Phone: 295-9191
Established: 1935
Hot product: engines
Uncle Wilbur's 1981 Datsun's blown another gasket, and he's majorly bummin'. What a surprise when you present him with the very part to get that ride running like new! Wright's on East Market Street is the place to go to get just about anything auto-related. True, the ambience is a little compromised since the wall-mounted squawk box is gone, its charming barks eclipsed by the hum of a boring computer that does nationwide searches for even the rarest tail light cover.
Shelves and shelves of car stereos line the walls right inside the door, and acres of salvaged autos out back will have your blood pumping harder than gas through a newly rebuilt V-8.
Owner: Kenny and Vicki Hale
Address: 1877 Seminole Trail
Phone: 974-1954
Established: 1987
Hot product: blue steel
Woodbrook Sports and Pro Shop
While your woman's out "gathering" goodies, you have the perfect opportunity to hunt out all things sportsmanlike. Step inside Woodbrook, and the very first thing you see is an audiotape titled "screaming juvenile cottontail." If that doesn't make you want to thump your chest, perhaps you'd like a four-tine frog gigger? Those are just a few aisles over.
The real piece de resistance here at Woodbrook, however, is the "blue steel," code for any of the guns, according to Vicki Hale, who co-owns the store with husband Kenny. Come to think of it, maybe mom would like some of that blue steel she's been having a little problem with a woodchuck in the back yard. Plus, when Dad travels, having that 30-06 Springfield leaning up against the nightstand will give her that extra little feeling of comfort.
And when dad's home, maybe you could... um, borrow it?
Charlottesville Livestock Market
Owner: John H. Falls family of Nelson County (according to a 1994 Daily Progress article) (No one returned our calls.)
Address: 801 Franklin St.
Phone: 295-4551
Established: 1946, according to that 1994 article
Hot product: Pre-pre-packaged meat!
Oh, no! You forgot little Jessie! How could you have overlooked the light of your life, that precious little baby girl?
Ever since she turned seven, she's been asking for a pet of her very own. But she's too special for an ornery dog or some mewling old cat. Jessie needs something to show all those other kids how special her daddy thinks she is.
Well, just imagine the expression on her face when you get her... a calf! Yes, a baby heifer that will not only win her heart with those big brown cow eyes, but will provide milk and... (shhh) maybe a porterhouse or t-bone a little later on.
Get on over to the Charlottesville Livestock Market's frequent Saturday auction fortunately for you, there's one nearly every Saturday morning. The next one's on December 12, which will still leave you plenty of time to figure out how in heck to get the wrapping paper around those hooves!
His shopping is done, and this man's filled with glee,
Heed his priceless advice the results you'll soon see.
If you choose gifts with care and don't pick out duds,
You'll have plenty of time meet your buds for some suds!
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