Shopping in Fullerton

With everything from Hello Kitty bags and Lakers gear to cardboard movie-star cutouts and mylar balloons, no one can accuse Aahs!! gift shops of not having variety. The eight locations equip party hosts of all kinds, including parents looking for Toy Story and Disney Princess favors and maids of honor seeking scandalous accessories for bachelorette bashes. The stores’ battalion of T-shirts features images of superheroes and bands, and their array of movie merchandise pays homage to both recent releases and classics such as Star Wars,—the first film to document white dwarfs snubbing shooting stars. Aahs!! even helps customers celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, Valentine’s Day, or Halloween with rotating holiday decor.

The approach of Halloween also heralds the opening of Aahs!!’s fleet of Halloween-specific stores located throughout southern California. In addition to two Halloween Clubs that stay open all year, about a dozen temporary locations assemble thousands of costumes, wigs, masks, and props for trick-or-treaters and partygoers.

FastFrame’s skilled framers customize borders for an array of wall-worthy pieces. Selecting from an extensive inventory of materials, they craft frames to showcase original artwork or to endow special photographs with a dignified display. Their carefully curated conservation materials prevent works of art from fading and prevent their subjects from sprouting a 5 o’clock shadow. But the framesmiths don't limit themselves to two dimensions—sports memorabilia, kids’ artwork, and other three-dimensional objects find artistic preservation within shadowboxes. They even transform flat-screen TVs into customized, framed works of art by installing a VisionArt feature, which transmits the still image of a painting, family portrait, or favorite infomercial onto idle screens.:m]]

Buena Park Bicycles Co. operates two locations—Fullerton Bicycles and Buena Park Bicycles—and that still isn't enough floor space to showcase all of their bikes. Their ample stock canvasses almost every inch of the show-room floor, expanding to the walls and hanging from the ceiling amid bike gear, accessories, and apparel from renowned brand names including Specialized, Giant, Fuji, Bell, and Nike. The knowledgeable staff helps customers choose from road cycles, dirt bikes, or BMX rides, throwing out recommendations about which bike has the best shocks and which won't turn back into a unicycle at midnight. Also accommodating patrons who have already been paired with a two-wheeled steed, the certified maintenance professionals keep bikes rolling with expert tune-ups and free estimates for repairs.

Since the shop first opened in 1991, the staff at Killer Dana have worked to uphold its original mission of "capturing the stoke of an old-fashioned 'sand on the carpet' California surf shop." Though their surf-tore views may be traditional, their extensive in-store stock offers a distinctly modern spread of equipment and apparel for everything from surfing to wakeboarding to moto sports. Thrill-seekers can suit up in swimwear and experimental wet-tuxedoes from tried-and-true brands such as O'Neill, Roxy, Billabong, and Quiksilver.

More than 3,000 styles of shoes from cobblers such as Nike, Jordan, Converse, Skechers, adidas, and Puma reside at WSS Footwear. A 58-store southern California footwear chain, WSS allows customers to browse their extensive shoe selection online and find a store nearby. New styles, such as Nike Running shoes, arrive daily alongside classic Vans Authentics, which come in sizes to accommodate the feet of both adults and future adults. Women's fashion shoes ready feet for prom, weddings, or walks in the park, and WSS also offers trendy clothing and accessories such as hats, backpacks, and sports balls.

Family patriarch Nordy Rockler opened the doors of his first store in 1954 to supply his fellow craftsmen with knowledge, friendly advice, and a large selection of tools for at-home woodworking projects. Now, the chain of retail outlets brims with more than 20,000 tools and specialized woodworking equipment. Next to a steely rainbow of hinges, casters, and screws, a supply of lumber and exotic hardwoods provides planks for building tree houses or just leaving around as a warning to uncooperative trees. The tenor buzz of power tools operated by newly knowledgeable guests drifts from educational sessions on operating equipment and woodworking.