Students shop for unique gifts

'Tis the season to be jolly -- and to go crazy trying to purchase the perfect holiday gift for family and friends. "It is so hard finding the right gift, especially for people who you buy for every year," said College freshman Rosa Cheuk. But with the abundance of eccentric gift stores in the area, last-minute shoppers should not fret. Smiles Clothes, located on Walnut Street in the Shops at Penn, sells ornamental candleholders, ceramic teapots covered in ivy and unusual picture frames. And University of Cards carries everything from "Santa's Original Reindeer Droppings" and "PMS Crunch" to a beer mug that burps when it is placed on a table. "University of Cards is the place to come if you need a humorous holiday gift," said store employee Michael Robinson. Students echoed Robinson's sentiments, saying that University of Cards has a wide variety of choices. "Last year I gave my dad a sturgeon for Christmas, but I'm not sure what to get him this year," said College freshman Steve Magyera. Any student seeking an entire store full of eccentric gifts should try Black Cat. Shoppers can find rubber chickens, pet placemats and flying pig wall ornaments in this small row-house on Sansom Street. "One time I received a gift package of toilet paper and scotch towels from my aunt and uncle," said College freshman Lisa Sabre. "I'm still looking for the right gift to repay them for that one." Thrifty holiday shoppers should look at the wide variety of gifts on sale at Sam Goody. "For Christmas last year, my friend gave me a beautiful piece of coral from Australia," said College freshman Niharika Dvivedi while shopping at Sam Goody. "I have to get her something special this year." Two unique but expensive boutiques are located in Liberty Square. Fire and Ice displays fossils, African Art, internal gem carvings and a $47,000 intarsia gemstone inlay. Close by is The Franklin Mint, which sells papyrus pictures and "Monopoly -- The Collector's Edition." If a shopper is looking for a unique, yet slightly more traditional holiday treat, Godiva Chocolates is another option to consider. Godiva, also located in Liberty Place, displays hundreds of different chocolate candies, ranging from enormous solid dark chocolate Santas to elegant stars, snowmen and trees wrapped in gold foil. Another eccentric store on Chestnut Street is Foreign Bazaar, which sells beads, clothing from India and Bambara masks that were carved in Ghana. Interesting gifts can also be found at Brookstone and the Warner Brothers Store, both located in Liberty Square. During this holiday season, some of the most popular presents at Brookstone have been the "Massage Glove," the "High Performance Yo-Yo Fireball" and the "Swedish Neck Pillow." Shoppers can find clothes emblazoned with popular cartoon characters at Warner Brothers. While worrying about purchasing holiday gifts, students said they were careful not to forget their own needs. "The first present I'm buying is a blow-up doll for my own stocking," said Wharton freshman Greg Golkov. "Only then will I begin the crazy search for everyone else." But Engineering freshman Brad Edelman said his search has already begun. "Last year I gave my father an old pair of underwear as a joke," he said. "Now I have to get him a real present this year." Engineering freshman Dylan Landis said his parents had already surprised him with an early Hanukkah gift. "They airmail-expressed me Chinese food from Hawaii in dry ice last week," Landis said. "It tasted great."