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[title]Rebecca Wood, owner
What are some of the craziest items you’ve carried?
All of the bacon stuff. We started selling bacon bandages, and now it’s, like, a huge category. We have probably over 20 different kinds of bacon products. We actually have a booth at Bacon Fest.
Any funny run-ins with customers?
One time I was out and this guy came running up to me and said, “You’re the one that owns the bacon store!” That was pretty funny.… I’m a vegetarian.
Stephanie Edwards, manager of e-commerce and social media
What do you love most about working in the shop?
People really laugh at the things in the store. We have this machine that makes fart noises, and the last person on earth you think would come in, who’s straitlaced and dour, invariably goes straight to the fart machine.
What’s a hot seller online right now?
This little hand-held punch. You take a credit card or ID, anything that’s plastic, and it punches out your own guitar picks. [The item] ran in the L.A. Times gift guide this Christmas, and we sold hundreds of them to people in L.A. The concentration of wanna-be guitarists in L.A. is outstanding.
Alisa Rosenthal, employee
Are you constantly shopping the selection?
I’ve bought quite a bit. I’m too short to reach the light chain in my apartment, so we have [a light pole] called Hanging Harry, which looks like a man who hanged himself. I bought the Pac-Man pot holder for my mom, and I’ve used our fake mustaches a lot as gifts. People love a fake mustache.
What’s your April Fool’s favorite this year?
Something that’s been popular is the Little Devil’s Trick of the Day Joke Set. It’s [things like] a hand buzzer, flaming hot gum and an ant in an ice cube. We also have little plastic bags for sandwiches with mold drawn on them called the Anti-Theft Lunch Bag.
Enjoy, An Urban General Store is located at 4723 N Lincoln Ave (773-334-8626, urbangeneralstore.com).