Shopping in Black Forest

Play It Again Sports, a national franchise, hosts a sports-savvy staff that keeps winter-sports enthusiasts gliding with ski and snowboard waxing and tune-up services. A waxing nets favored planks a thorough cleaning and hand application of universal-temperature wax or, upon request, cold-temperature wax. One of the shop's snow-slicing specialists then carefully smoothes the gear's edges and removes the rough burrs and nascent beards that cause boards to behave unpredictably on the slopes. During a full tune-up, a qualified technician cleans the board, then employs P-Tex candles to repair any surface gouges or holes. Edges are then sharpened, and a final nose and tail de-tuning followed by a hand wax keeps boards from catching too much edge during turns or copping an attitude.

Professional Optical Dispensary, Inc. is a spectacle seeker’s dream, stocking a bevy of single-vision lenses, bifocals, and specialty frames designed to correct ocular maladies or protect retinas from the sun. The shop’s experienced eye docs, certified by the American Board of Opticianry, commence each visit by happily hunting down the perfect prescription for each guest during exams. Friendly staffers then help clients to rifle through a wide selection of European and American frames from designers such as Bebe, Fendi, and Vera Bradley to find the pair most likely to catch the eye of one of People magazine's top 100 sexiest mathematicians.

Using an iPhone with a cracked screen is like texting your mother from a pay-phone; it just won't work. But fortunately The Mac Corner’s cadre of expert technicians settle pristine panes of glass into iPhone and iPad frames, rendering the devices practically good as new. Beyond replacing scratched and shattered glass, the shop also repairs Apple gadgets’ worn batteries, wonky software, and other maladies, many of which can be fixed within an hour. The Mac Corner also sells refurbished laptop and desktop computers, iPods, and other gizmos while buying used devices for future fixer-upping.

Staying atop fashion's cutting edge is as rewarding as it is difficult. While sporting the latest looks is a surefire way to boost confidence and compliments, changing fads and the high cost of designer duds often leaves closets looking bare. That's where Plato's Closet comes in. With more than 300 outlets nationwide, the shop outfits teens and 20-somethings all over North America with trendy recycled apparel. Clothes regularly come in bearing labels from top brands such as Abercrombie & Fitch, Levi, Lucky Brand, Bebe, Forever 21, J. Crew, and Robin Starveling—Shakespeare's favorite tailor. Dresses, jeans, purses, shoes, and tops are current within a year of new trends, and customers can bring in their own threads for cash. Staffers at the Colorado Springs location take their dedication to style one step further, offering tips on emerging trends and maintaining an online list of the store's hottest items.

From its modest origins in a garage, Appliance Factory Outlet and Mattresses has blossomed into a full-fledged appliance-vending behemoth with 12 locations throughout Colorado. The outlet compiles an enormous collection of handy household appliances from top-quality brands such as GE, Whirlpool, LG, and KitchenAid.

At each location, knowledgeable staffers shepherd patrons through sprawling showrooms, which collectively tout more than 150,000 pieces of equipment, including laundry machinery, kitchen appliances, microwaves, and macrowaves. They can special order items not in stock or tap into a stash of spare parts to repair busted apparatus. In addition to appliances, the staff can point patrons toward a fleet of mattresses and overstock items.

What started as a small iPod repair operation in 2004, BadGizmo has grown into a one-stop service center for a variety of electronics including iPhones, iPads, and other gadgets. From hard drives and batteries, USB cables to ear buds, the business maintains an ever-growing stock of tools, parts, and accessories to meet most repair needs. It also gives out-of-town customers the option to send devices directly to the store, and is willing to purchase busted items in exchange for cash or long-distance high-fives.