At age 55 it is time to face it. I am an online shopping junkie. Why the Internet and not the local mall? Why not? There are a myriad of reasons. It all started in the late 1960's at downtown stores when I just learned the power of credit cards; credit cards with my father's name on it. It was so easy to let the most generous helpful salesperson find what fit me best, regardless of if it made me look like half clown / half Martian, and one had to take a second mortgage out on the house to own a pair of white scotch grain penny loafer shoes, but I managed.
Within a few years, that got bored but only because it was repetitive. My town was medium size, and only so much merchandise could fit into a medium-sized town. I had managed to buy it all and charge it to my Daddy's account with only being grounded four times. This was usually "a girl's job" but I wanted to know the deep dark secrets of retail shopping. By age fifteen I had pretty much done plastic surgery on my father's credit cards and was ready for a new venture.
The backs of magazines and comic books was fun, but one can own so many See Monkeys and family-owned plant seeds from Ohio and order by mail PhD diplomas and boredom set in easily. Many years later I discovered the Internet and a number of mall brick and mortar stores opened their shops in cyberspace and it was like opening Christmas packages all over again. But even those stores had their limitations. Okay, not all of them. Spencer gifts always added new materials as did Lee Hiller Designs. I continue to shop at those two gems.
I like Spencer's because it has all the "old faithfuls" from fake doggie doo doo to fake vomit. When they begin selling the real thing, I may give up on my loyalty. I have discovered my tastes have changed, so I greatly appreciate Lee Hiller Designs due to the variety, the daily updates, the quality and quantity of the merchandise, and the impossible customer service.
Hiller designers her own brand of shoes, mouse pads, all kinds of tops from womens tees and tanks to mens jerseys and sweats, it has it all. And the designs are so cool, so different, and so affordable, one can not help but form a sort of addiction to the store, a health one albeit, as one can shop for a gift for everyone they know (about 10-20 gifts) totaling about $ 100-300 plus free worldwide shipping. No standing in line, no standing at the gas pump, no crying while filling the tank, and just a click of the mouse, and merchandise is on the way that is not just memorable, but a cherished keepsake for a lifetime.
There are a few other stores that come close to Lee Hiller Designs, and I will go over them next week, but for now, I am busy opening the results I bought for the one I love most; and I will not get bored with them like I did as a child with Spencer's fake doggie doo. Lee Hiller Designs is a must-see and the items are absolutely original, fun, and gorgeous.